Contour+2 helmet camera - First look

[redplanet]

Contour+2 helmet camera - First look

par redplanet » Mar Sep 18, 2012 12:56 pm

A year ago, we said the had the best picture quality of any we'd tested but was let down by a prohibitive £500 price tag.

At £359.99/$400, the new +2 version has well and truly changed that. Should its quality match that of its predecessor - and all the spec details suggest it should - Contour could be onto a winner.

The camera blends the best features of Contour's most recent model, (ease of use, built-in tripod, laser alignment) with those of the high-end Contour+ (GPS, Bluetooth, HDMI output, external mic).

In terms of image quality, the spec on the Contour+2 remains largely unchanged from the Contour+. It offers a 60 frames per second Action HD mode at 1,280x720 pixels, plus Tall HD (1,280x960 at 30fps), Original HD (1,280x 720 at 30fps) and stills (5MP) modes. A notable addition is the ability to shoot in super slo-mo, or 120fps in 480p quality.

The mounts, which we found disappointing on the Contour+, remain unchanged. However, the supplied memory card has increased from 2GB to 4GB, with capacity for 32GB. The case (waterproof down to 60m) used to be available as an optional extra but now comes included in the package.

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As before, the slider is used to turn the camera on and off. Battery, memory card and GPS signal icons are new and flash green or red depending on status

The Contour+ allowed you to sync it with your iPhone or Android smartphone via Bluetooth, so it could be used as a viewfinder. That function remains, but it's been improved, overlaying ride data such as speed, elevation and distance. 

You can also use your iPhone as a remote control, using the screen to begin video recording, take a still or tweak the camera's settings.
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