Contour 1400 GPS Camcorder - Black

OK, after extensive internet research and watching dozens of advertisements on various cameras, I found THIS one! What I was actually looking for was a camera that could be used in my car as a dashcam; and one that would capture GPS location and date/time. There are a lot of offers out there for car "black boxes" or dashcams; without using the names of any of them, consider the construction AND the price. I actually bought one to send to my brother-in-law to use in Europe. It had a plastic case and a cheap looking lens. I tested it before I sent it to him and almost sent it back due to the disappointing quality of the video.
Contour currently offers three models, one without GPS, THIS one and the Coutour+ (which has a few more bells that I really wasn't interested in and claims to have a little better lens with wider angle). But, the Contour+ comes with about $200 higher price tag (something to consider).
Realize this camera is NOT really designed for use as a dash-cam; more for action sports. It has a rugged frame (aluminum instead of plastic), a better quality lens than most of the car cams on the market, and it has the features I wanted in a dash-cam. Most of the videos you will find on the internet made with this camera will be sports shots with the camera mounted on helmets, bikes, surfboards, and even on a model helicopter! Not much there in the way of dash-cam applications; I plan to post some in the near future. So, I temporarily mounted it in my car and went for a short spin. Came back, played back the footage..and I AM IMPRESSED! First off, the contrast is good and images sharp. When you pause the video the image is sharp and clear! CONTOUR provides a software program that lets you play from the camera, download, share on internet or just save. Software plays back the GPS data that tracks using Google Maps in three options. I think I found the right camera for what I want to do with it..AND I have all the sports applications should I want to take it out of my car. Check out the Contour website for the models and all the accessories available, they offer a wide variety of mounts (you can even mount it on a rifle, may have to try that one). With the cigarette lighter power cord and optional 32gb micro (class 10) card (had to buy separately-they are expensive, so shop around)I can record up to 8-hours in HD quality [the camera ships with a 2gb micro card; not enough for long recording]. Check out the Contour web page for other features and capabilities. The only issue(s) I have is the ON/OFF button on the back cover; it doesn't always work just right and you have to flip open the back door (can do without stopping recording) and use a pointed object to depress the inner ON/OFF switch. And the sound quality inside a quiet car is not as good as it could be (the Contour+ has an external mic jack), I suppose this one was designed to cut down on wind and other noise when helmet mounted (thus the 4-star rating on picture and sound). But, for what I want to use it for, it's a winner! Check it out and compare with the other stuff out there. Be careful of some of the plastic dash-cams that appear way overpriced. Give this one a look. I'm pleased with it!

I motocross, mountain bike and surf and wanted an action helmet cam to watch myself ride to help me improve. Thanks to technology and a stable economy today there are two main brands who offer a solution, Contour and GoPro.

I see there are more GoPros than Contours out there but here Ill explain why I chose the Contour.

First, price range can be considered equal. But studying both websites, the first thing that came to my attention, and ended up being the main reason to make my decision, was design. Design is when FORM and function come together. The sheer size and shape of the GoPro is very awkward. Seems like they put a cheap chinese sony steadyshot type cam in a box and mounted on a helmet. Not to mention that it looks a bit stupid, in my humble opinion, specially now with a new 3D version which is basically two GoPros side by side. They need a real designer yesterday.

This is where the Contour excels instantly. You have to consider that a helmet action camera needs to be water, shock and dust resistant, versatile, steady and be super easy to operate, which both brands are. But it also needs to be SLIM, have minimum air resistance and have a low profile, because you will be going fast and through tight spots and you dont want your helmet to be dragged back by speed or to get caught on a branch or whatever. At least the Contour is black and lies flat and has super thin mounts, like the profile mount.

On the downside, the wind blurs the mic when going fast. Otherwise its perfect, crisp crystal clear colorful image. Stick a 32GB MicroSD card in it, carry a spare bat and youre super set.

I had the ContourHD, but now with the ContourGPS its amazing, I can GPS my rides, with map, speed and altitude in sync with the video. The ConnectView Card is crazy too, my iPhone now works as a viewfinder via bluetooth and I can config all the settings of the camera.

In the future these things will be smaller than an iPod shuffle and have incredible picture. But for now seems both brands are in a frenzy, releasing a new camera all the time, guess they got the Apple syndrome. Choosing just gets harder and harder.

Contour now has three cameras. The new Contour+ has a better lens but not worth paying twice as much than a ContourGPS for that and some social network mumbo jumbo.

In my opinion the contour wins by design and versatility. Definitely worth paying for GPS and ConnectView Card. Not worth paying twice more for Contour+.

Now drop the computer, get the cam and go ride!

The new Contour GPS is an amazing device!

I need be honest, I was first drawn to the Contour because I thought the Go Pro looked so much like a gum machine strapped on top of a helmet! The Contour Camera is far more than stylish, it's all I could have asked for with one exception. I'm not thrilled by the selection of helmet mounts for this camera, the mount often supplied is fine for a flat surface, but if you already own a specialized and expensive helmet,you will likely need to mount it on a curved surface. As with any camera, you'll need prove the camera is pointing where you want it to point, and the Contour laser LED, and the bluetooth card and app for the Iphone and Android are very helpful in getting this right.

Contour's Story telling software for the GPS camera and the ability to display both your video and the 'track' information displayed in a second window on google maps adds so much to the viewing experience that you might experience envy if you have something else.

This is my third Contour Camera, the first was stolen, the second was lost from my helmet during a bad launch in deep brush on a steep slope, no fault of the mount as it was sheared in half as I traveled through brush at warp speed!

I share the above experience so you might consider installing a tether for back up on the 'first use', that's when I lost the second camera!

The Contour GPS begs for software enhancements to extend it's uses. It's very small, and I can imagine turning off the video to extend the battery life and using it as a tracker.

One feature I think would be clever is an internal program to monitor for a touch tone lasting for let's say three seconds. When the camera hears same via it's internal MIC, it responds with 20 seconds of beep tones to help you locate the one you lost during a crash :-) Of course you use your Iphone or Android to send the tone.

I love this Camera, my thanks to the Engineers who made it, and the Investors who took the risk to fund it! I've done my part to help with your return on investment with the purchase of three cameras thus far :-) God save Capitialisim, we'd never have cool stuff like this without it! Buy one for anyone who likes motosports, flying, biking, skating, sking, or in my case, crashing :-)

Generally pretty easy to figure out how to set up (including the software, firmware, etc.) and to work. Can't get the GPS to work yet, so still need to figure that out especially because the GPS function is the main reason I bought this model. The battery life is not great, so make sure to buy a spare battery. Ejecting the battery is a bit of a pain, as is getting the camera off of the 360 helmet mount I bought. However, the product is sleek, the picture quality is great, and I'm glad I bought it.

I've owned two of the Contour GPS cameras and while I was very impressed with the video quality, I was totally disappointed in the GPS feature on both. Both cameras (despite numerous firmware updates) failed to work.

The other problem is the "Connect View" feature. Never worked with my iPhone 4 or my iPhone 4S.

The video was easy to incorporate into iMovie HD on my Mac and the quality was stunning. I spent 20 years in television and for a tiny camera to produce beautiful footage like this, blew me away.

The manner in which you must turn the camera on and then record video is very quirky and difficult. A thin membrane on to of the camera, underneath a sliding mechanism looks to be very non-durable. A "hidden" button underneath this membrane is difficult to engage. I suspect after several hundred depressions on this membrane, owners will see that it breaks the film.

The folks who work for Contour are quick to reply to inquiries and helpful, but this camera has a very serious design flaw. I was so disappointed in the engineering aspect, that I'll not buy another product from Contour and I'll try something from their competition.

I don't think Contour was very reputable releasing this defective product to the marketplace with these problems. This camera has been quickly replaced by their new offering, but still, I won't buy one because of their failure to recall the original product.