The new GoPro HD HERO2 has quite a few excellent features on top of its already outstanding functionality, the most prominent being the 11 megapixel sensor, which is accompanied by a sharper glass lens, both of which result in photos and videos with increased clarity and sharpness, and more vibrant and realistic colors. The UI or menu system, has been revamped, and now has a simpler and more intuitive language-based interface, greatly easing usage. The camera is encased in their waterproof and durable housing, and has a plethora of mounting accessories, so that it can be attached to just about anything. It records in a vast array of high-definition video resolutions, frame rates, and viewing angles, making for an incredibly versatile camera.

HD HERO2
GoPro’s HD HERO2 is a POV (point of view) high-definition sports camera, and uses an 11MP HD CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) sensor, which is 1/2.3″ in size. It uses a fixed-focus lens, which is made with professional-grade glass, and has an f/2.8 aperture. It can record video footage in 1080p, 960p, 720p and SD formats, and photos in several modes. It records data onto SDHC cards (not included) up to 32GB in size, and is powered with an internal rechargeable Li-Ion battery that gives around 2.5 hours of recording time. It has ports for a mini USB for computer connection and recharging, a mini HDMI and composite video for live streaming to a TV or other source, and an external microphone for higher-quality audio recording. The small and light camera is mostly made of plastic, and is encased within a tough and robust polycarbonate waterproof housing, which protects the fragile camera from impacts, shocks, and the environment. The housing attaches to an assortment of mounts, including a seatpost, curved and flat surface, wrist, tripod, vented helmet, and handlebar, and others, and usually snaps into the mounts using their proprietary quick-release buckle. It’s compatible with all of their expansion accessories and BacPac’s, and comes in three versions or kits, the Outdoor Edition (as tested), the Motorsports Edition and the Surf Edition, which all retail for $299.99.

The HD HERO2 Outdoor Edition kit comes with the HERO2 camera and waterproof housing, a slotted backdoor,  a rechargeable 3.7V 1100mAh Li-Ion Battery, a USB cable, a vented helmet and head strap (aka the jock strap), two curved and flat surface mounts, a three-way pivot arm, an assorted mounting hardware and a user manual. It’s convenient that the HERO2 has the same size and form factor as the current HD model, so the housing, mount systems, and BacPac’s are all interchangeable.

Weight:

• 71 grams – camera
• 99 grams – camera with battery and SD card
•  26 grams – battery
•  2 grams – SD card
•  91 grams – waterproof housing with quick-release buckle
•  19 grams – quick-release buckle
•  190 grams – total

Size:

• 60mm x 42mm x 30mm – camera size
• 72mm x 65mm x 46mm – housing size
• 13mm x 16mm – LCD screen size

Palmer Park TGap Trail – GoPro HERO2 720p Full Light Test:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video
The HD HERO2 can shoot in High Definition, in four video resolutions, which are all recorded at 11MP. It can shoot in widescreen 1080p at 30fps (frames per second), full frame 960p at 48 fps or 30 fps, widescreen 720p at either 30 fps or 60 fps, and SD at 120 fps or 60 fps. The 960p 48fps, 720p 60 fps and SD 120 fps allow for slow motion playback, which is pretty interesting to watch, and in addition; it gives normal viewing a smoother and more fluid stream. Each of the video resolutions is captured at different bit rates, which entails varying recording times and storage requirements, meaning greater resources are needed for in the higher usage formats. The resolution settings are done within the camera’s menu system, which is managed by its two buttons. In fact, any of the programmable features and settings can be done through the menus, allowing for the field changes as required. The camera records in different viewing angles or FOV (field of view), including an ultra wide 170º, a wide 127º, and a narrow 90º FOV, and each of them is unique to specific video resolutions. The 1080p has three FOVs, 170º, 127º and 90º, while the 960p , 720p and SD only use 170º. Supposedly, GoPro will be releasing a firmware update to allow a FOV of 127º for 960p and 720p? It uses the H.264 video codec, AAC audio compression, and a .mp4 file type. Everything defaults to the NTSC standard, but it can optionally record PAL video in 25fps and 50fps increments.

Photos
The HD HERO2 can shoot still photos in manual, self-timer and time lapse modes. In the manual mode, it can be set to shoot a single photo or do a burst of ten photos in 1 second. The self-timer mode just takes a single photo after doing a 10-second countdown. The automatic time lapse mode allows photos to be taken every X number of seconds, where X is 1/2, 2, 10, 30 or 60-second intervals. The megapixels for photos can be set to 11MP with a 170º FOV, 8MP with 127º, and 5MP with 170º or 127º.  The 11MB sensor gives some really nice pictures with a lot of clarity and sharpness, and makes the photo feature a lot more useful. The ability to do some sports specific action shots with the 1/2 second time-lapse, and ultra fast 10 shot burst, should provide for some interesting shots and more versatility.

Camera Features
On the front of the HERo2 is the power/mode button, which turns the camera on and off, and makes changes for its recording modes and setting’s menu. It works in junction with the top located shutter/select button, and together they perform all the cameras modal and setting changes. The shutter/select button starts and stops the video recording, initiates picture taking and does selections in the menu system. There are four LED recording lights, located on the front, back, top and bottom, which quickly flash when turning the camera or recording on and off, and they’ll slowly pulse during actual recording. On the back is the connection port for their optional BacPac’s, and a pop off door for accessing the battery.

The front LCD status screen displays a variety of icons, numbers and language-based data, which gives mode information, menu items and camera configuration settings.

There is a small speaker located on the bottom, which beeps during shutter and power initiation, and a microphone on the top that picks up audio. On the left-hand side, there’s the SD card slot and mini HDMI video port, while the right side has the USB and composite video and external microphone connections.

Memory/Storage
It takes SDHC (Secure Digital High-Capacity) cards up to 32GB in size, and class 4 or higher are recommended, and if you are taking burst of ten photos or 1/2 second time-lapse, then a class 10 cards are required. The SD Cards are formatted with a FAT 32 partition, which has a 4GB file size limitation. While recording, a new video file will be created once the currently recording one reaches appropriately 3. 84GB, due to the FAT  (File Allocation Table) limitation, so you will need to piece the files together in an editor to have a full timeline.

Battery
The camera uses an internal rechargeable Lithium Ion 3.7V 1100mAh battery, which is charged using a computer USB port for its replenishment, and there is an optional car charger. The battery fits very snugly into the rear slot, so that it won’t give any issues with high vibration activities, like mountain biking, but it does make it tougher to extract for swapping purposes. The battery is supposed to last 2.5 hours per charge, but it varies depending on the temperature and chosen video resolution, and with 1080p I got 2.2 hours, while 720p gave me 2.4 hours. The battery also operates a warmer, which helps the battery life in colder temperatures, and the extended service was quite noticeable on rides below freezing. There is an optional battery BacPac, which gives twice the battery life, but I haven’t tested it for verification of any statistics. I always carry a spare battery on any rides, just in case of any unforeseen issues. I have forgotten more than once to recharge the battery after use, and it’s a bummer to get out in the field without an extra.

Housing
The clear plastic housing is a nice unit, that is rugged, durable, resists contamination and is waterproof to 60 meters/197 feet. The housing is made of polycarbonate and has a replaceable front lens, and a door that swings on stainless steel hinge pins. The back door has a tough waterproof gasket and is removable, so that the optional slotted skeleton door can be installed for better sound quality, with an obvious loss of waterproofness. Once the camera is placed in the housing, close the door and hook the latch on it, and clamp it down tight. I have used the camera kayaking, and biking in the rain and mud, and can attest to its tight seals and the protection it affords. On the bottom of the housing is a two toothed or slotted connector, which attaches up to their mounting system or quick-release buckle via a thumb screw. The housing has two springs loaded buttons, which interface to the camera’s shutter/select and  power/mode buttons, so all camera functions can be accomplished from the outside. Although it’s tough, the bubbled out lens can get scratched, albeit it’s at least replaceable. The closure latch can be temperamental sometimes, and either not work or pop out of place.

User Interface/LCD Status Screen
The new UI menu system is worlds ahead of its predecessor, and the old cryptic mode and status icons have given way to an intuitive and easier to understand the setup. When I first got the test unit it had no manual, yet I could poke my way through the menu hierarchy, and choose the proper video resolution, and get the date setup. The LCD screen is where you see the current status, such as the battery level, video or photo resolution settings, shooting mode (video, photo, burst, time lapse, timer), picture or video count, etc. As you navigate through the menu system, using the power/mode and shutter/select buttons, various icons, numbers and language are highlighted on the LCD screen, allowing multiple camera options and parameters to be set.

The power/mode button moves you linearly through the camera mode screens, which include the video, photo, burst, time lapse, timer and finally settings, which allows entrance to the menu system to change the camera’s configurations. Within the setting’s menu, you use the power/mode to move through the main screens, and use the shutter/select to go into a subscreen, and use the power/mode to move through the parameters in the subscreen, and shutter/select to accept the change.  Using the combination of the two buttons in that manner, any allowable configuration permutation can be obtained.

The new UI is really nice, and makes it easy to make changes without having to resort to the user manual. It’s still a bit cumbersome and too linear in its usage, and isn’t quite up to the UIs of normal cameras, but it’s a grand sweeping change from the previous cryptic interface. I think what you see on the main mode screens when not in the configuration system is the handiest, and provides very pertinent information, such as an actual numeric video mode value and its fps, recording mode icons, along with a remaining battery count and SD card resources.

Camera Operation
Before using the camera, charge the battery if required, and insert an SD card in the camera’s slot.  To turn the camera on, just push the front power button, and it announces itself with three beeps and LED flashes. After choosing the desired resolution and recording mode from the menu system, you push the top shutter button to start the recording. The camera beeps once, and the indicator lights begin to pulse or blink. To stop the recording, push the shutter button again, and it beeps three times, and the lights stop blinking. I did appreciate the increased volume level of the beeps compared to its predecessor, as they are now loud enough to hear over environmental background noise. To turn the camera off, press and hold the power button for 2 seconds, and it will shut down, ending with seven quick LED flashes and beeps.

When you’re using the helmet mount, it was difficult to know if it was actually recording, and the only method to verify its operation was to remove your helmet and see the recording lights or status screen. When mounted anywhere else, the new additional indicator lights assist with ascertaining  its operational mode. Cameras with a more mechanical on/off lever, such as the Contour, alleviate that issue. Another point of contention, is that it’s sort of hard to know what you are capturing on the unit, so you have to use the camera body alignment, or use the optional LCD BacPak  and eventually the smartphone to Wi-Fi BacPac interface. Depending on where the camera is mounted, you can use the LCD to align the viewpoint or record a short video, and play it back to check what you were capturing, and then make any tuning alterations. Like many of the mini monitors, the LCD was difficult to use in bright light, and you sometimes had to look at in the shade or cover it from direct light for viewing. I found the additions of  the new louder modal beeps and four led indicator lights to be highly beneficial to the form factor of the unit, and greatly assisted knowing its current operational status.

Interface to Computer
To download or view the videos or pictures you recorded, take the HERO2 out of the housing, and using the supplied USB cable, connect the mini USB to the camera and the other end of the connector to a computer USB port. The unit will appear as a Removable Disk, and just navigate down to the appropriate directory (example: F:\Removable Disk\DCIM\100GOPRO) and either download or view the video straight from the camera. For faster downloads, use a standalone SD card reader, and bypass the camera as the downloading interface. The recorded footage can also be viewed on a TV by using the HDMI or composite video ports of the camera, using the buttons to tab through, and start each of the video’s stored on the SD card. The controls are very rudimentary, but the results are quite impressive on a larger screen.

Mounts
In the grand scheme of things, GoPro has the best mounting system and the largest assortment of mounts of the sport POV camera manufacturers. They are extremely functional, and allow placement in just about any location desired. The mounts, adapters and swivel arms can be set up to shoot a lot of variations, attachment points and viewpoints, making for some interesting footage. Everything fits together like a small tinker toy set, with clamping and connection done by a plastic ended screw with a nut, which are tightened by hand or screwdriver. The housing can be attached directly to the quick-release buckle or the arms, and the assortment of mounts for biking includes a seatpost/handlebar, curved and flat surface, tripod, vented helmet, and others. I predominately tested with helmet placements, which included the vented strap and stick-on surface mounts. It does give the footage a sort of floating in space viewpoint, but it was my preference. I occasionally used the optional seatpost/handlebar mount and chest mounted harness (aka The Chesty), the latter giving a unique vantage point. The “Chesty” was pretty cool, and was excellent for skiing and kayaking, where it ruled. I didn’t like it as much as most people, since I tend to move around too much, and the saddle and other things got in the way. The handlebar mounts gave an interesting perspective, and it kept the camera out of my way. The seatpost setup was less than ideal for me, as I tended to snag the camera when I hung out over the rear of the bike. The quick-release buckle system just plain rocks, and it’s so easy to take the camera on and off, as all it requires is a quick backwards push of the buckle into any of the mounts.

Overall, the quick-release buckle is a well-thought-out unit, and it snaps into any of their mounts, making it universal throughout their product suite. Sometimes this system can be sloppy, allowing the unit to flop vertically on its axis, but it be remedied by using the vibration or locking plug (aka the nose plug) or adding some strips of electrical tape on the mount’s slider surface.

The mounts can also be tough to tighten down properly without resorting to a screwdriver, although roughing up the shiny arm joints with sandpaper help somewhat. Even after doing the workarounds, the camera can creep around during a ride, or get hit accidentally and move out of position, ruining subsequent recorded footage. The toaster shape of the housing means it’s tubby, and not streamlined nor svelte in any manner, so it can get easily caught on things, and it seems to suck tree branches into its vortex! You quickly learn to check the camera on occasion to make sure it didn’t go out of position, especially after going through the trees or if your head got whacked by a branch.

Expansion Port/BacPak’s
The back of the camera has an expansion port, that will allow optional expansion packs, or BacPac’s to be connected, which extend the functionality of the camera. The current BacPac list is an LCD screen to view videos/pictures, and a battery extender. The BacPac kits come with the BacPac and an expanded back door, so that the fatter camera (camera with attached BakPac) will fit inside the housing. To install it, just hook one end of the BacPac onto the camera, and insert it into the expansion port. Pop off the housing’s door and replace it with the BacPac’s expanded waterproof or skeleton door, depending on your requirements, and you’re ready to go. The soon to be released Wi-Fi BacPac will allow live video streaming and remote control, through smart-devices, computers, etc., opening up a plethora of features and functions.

Test image courtesy of Ralph Altmann @www.RalphAltmann.de

Impressions
After using the camera, you become spoiled by the 11MP sensor and sharper lens, and in comparison to all other manufacturers, the footage has better clarity, colors and sharpness. Suddenly, the competitors seem antiquated, and the word that comes to mind is vividness. It’s like cleaning the dirty windshield of your car, and everything  just pops out in a razor like contrast. Sometimes when bumping up the pixel count into an extremely small sensor, the increased pixels per inch (PPI) or pixel density can cause noise and loss of detail issues, and the sharpness drops off, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with the HERO2. The sensor is also much better at lower light conditions than its predecessor and the competition, although the camera still has no features to change the internal lightning settings, for more extreme low-light conditions. It did well in bright light conditions, and never seemed to wash out, keeping a nice uniform contrast level. Like many of the CMOS sensors, straight-on sun will cause some vertical colored bands and flares. Pixelation was great, with a mild amount of aliasing, and some slight edge artifacts. The framing was smooth, but heavy shocks, and vibrations caused distortion. Although the colors were pleasant, they were sometimes overly warm, and the reds and yellows were especially more vibrant than real.

The improved 11MP sensor and lens also gives some really nice photos, and I started to use the photo features more often. You can switch the photo mode to the lower 8MP and 5MP settings, which do have different FOV’s (8 is 127º, 5 is 170º or 127º) , but you miss out on the stunning pictures at the highest setting.

The 1080p video footage had less jellovision and shakiness than earlier models, but I still don’t like its results when recording in average mountain biking conditions and terrain, even when wearing a sturdier helmet. The new 127º and 90º FOV options for the 1080p offers decreased fisheye and side distortions(default is 170º), but it seems to drop some clarity. When it was static or mounted as solid as possible it offered excellent FOV and clarity, but that just wasn’t feasible for average riding.

Rattlesnake Trail – GoPro HERO2 1080p

Click here to view the embedded video.

My favorite setting was the full frame 960p 48 fps resolution, as the tall viewpoint captures more of the trail, and the addition of the 48 fps really gives it a smoother look, with fewer transitions and choppiness. My secondary pick is the widescreen 720p at 60fps, which depending on the terrain and trail, offers more peripheral visibility and a panoramic field of view. I did most of my testing with 720p 60fps since it was the easiest resolution to use to test against the competition, such as the Drift HD, Replay XD, Contour+. The camera didn’t seem to do quite as well as it’s predecessor in mixed light, where the unit was going in and out of bright light to shade, although it was more than adequate, but had too much wash outs.

Blackjack Trail – GoPro HERO2 960p 48fps: Mixed Light Test

Click here to view the embedded video.

When I used the camera in the low light of late afternoon and evening, it really captured the nuances of the terrain, without any dark dropouts. This characteristic was a real highlight for me, as I ride lots of heavily wooded trails and during near dusk conditions, and dislikes coming home and finding that I captured poor footage. Once it starts to get much darker out, the lack of adjustability for lighting conditions can cause issues, since there aren’t any capabilities to change the contrast or exposure settings, but I rarely shoot in those conditions, so it was a minor issue.

Hooters Canyon – GoPro HERO2 960p 48fps: Low Light Test

Click here to view the embedded video.

Broken Hip Trail – HERO2 960p 48fps: Different vantage points

Click here to view the embedded video.

I liked the handlebars or the helmet mounts myself, which worked the best for my riding style, and also gathered footage that I preferred. With the vast assortment of mounts, you can come up with some unique footage and viewing angles, and perspectives, which make for more pleasurable and interesting videos (meaning less boring). The Chesty harness certainly adds flavor to footage, and I did use it on occasion for variety. I have become quite lazy after countless hours of recording video footage, and I’m not as industrious and inquisitive as I once was in taking and getting unique and varying perspectives. Consider my default helmet approach as plain Jane, lacking ingenuity, but at least conveying the camera’s capabilities and the trails that I am riding technicality and beauty.

I loved the loud new beeps, as it really makes it easy in typical outdoor conditions (noisy) to hear what the camera is doing. Along with the louder beeps, the additional recording LEDs greatly benefits the form factor of the camera, making it much easier to know its status. I am looking forward to having the Wi-Fi BacPak, since the current system to check what you’re capturing is a pain (using the LCD or aiming the housing), and problematic, especially when using a helmet mount. In addition, it will allow camera configurations changes to be accomplished using a smart phone, instead of the camera menu. The menu system is much improved, but it is still convoluted and much too linear for quick changes, especially to switch resolutions, but at least the main mode screens offer excellent information, so you know the exact resolution, FOV, battery and SD card resources. The battery warmer on the unit was an extremely useful feature, as it kept the battery from prematurely fading on cold days, and I greatly appreciated it this winter when it didn’t die on me during the middle of a long ride.

I still found myself accidentally taking photos instead of videos sometimes, as the camera would roll over to that mode. It would happen when I either left the menu system after making changes, or when I turned the camera on and the buttons caused things to get out of sequence, and was quite annoying.

Using the HDMI connection, you can stream live or record video to a display (TV) or external capture device. It was nice to be able to watch previously recorded footage on a big-screen TV, seeing things with exceptional clarity, spaciousness and sharpness.

Biking GoPro HD Hero 2; HD Hero; Contour Plus comparison - courtesy of Lee Lau

Click here to view the embedded video.

POV Camera Shootout
I am going to do a full-blown and detailed POV camera comparison sometime in the next month or so, but I thought I would give a mini shootout of three cameras, the GoPro HERO2, Contour+ and Drift HD (joined later by the Reply XD). I picked some features and functions I think are important, and gave a general viewpoint on their respective qualities. High marks go to the GoPro HERO2 11MP sensor and mounts, but the competition still has other things they do better. When it comes down to it, it’s a matter of personal choice, as they all take great footage, and have different features and functions that set them apart.

Bottom Line
The GoPro HERO2 is an outstanding camera, and the addition of the 11MB sensor and sharper lens, greatly increases the clarity, vividness, and the colors that are captured. The colors were warm and vibrant, although the reds and yellows were overtly so. The new low light sensitivity extends the metering range, and when combined with its excellent bright light characteristics, it makes for a synergistic package, although it still doesn’t have the capabilities for exposure or contrast adjustments. The upgraded UI is intuitive, and it’s much easier to perform configuration settings and modal changes, with the highlight being the main mode screen, which offers a plethora of information, including resolution, FOV, and battery and SD resource constraints. The menu is still cumbersome and too linear, albeit it’s at least effective. Other additions, such as the battery warmer and HDMI output supplements its functionality. The form factor of the camera is somewhat lackluster, as the buttons are stiff, and as it’s tough to know what the camera is capturing, and the operational status, such as power and recording, can be difficult to ascertain, albeit the new louder mode beeps and additional LEDs help greatly with the latter.

It has a nice suite of video resolution settings, including 1080p 30fps, 960p 48 fps or 30 fps, 720p 30 fps or 60 fps, and SD at 120 fps or 60 fps. The 1080p mode now has three FOV’s, 170º, 127º and 90º, while the 960p, 720p and SD all stay with 170º. The highlight for me was the new 960p 48fps, and it was my favorite resolution mode, offering great coverage of the trail and smooth transitions and flow with the slow mode setting.

The photo section got a slight revamp, and can do single, 10 photo burst, time-lapse (pictures every 1/2 to 60 seconds),  and self-timer pictures, in resolutions of 11MP, 8MP and 5 MP, and FOVs of  170º and 127º.  The action specific modes of a time-lapse picture every 1/2 second, and 10 photo burst in 1 second should provide some interesting footage.

The mounting system is excellent, and the vast assortment of mounts and connectors, allows attachment and placement in almost in desired location. The quick-release buckle is easy to use and works universally within their system, although the interface between it and the slider mount can be sloppy without some minor modifications. The smooth arm pivots can slip on each other unless some force is applied to the thumb screws, usually using a screw driver, otherwise things move around too easily. The camera and housing are tubby, and sit up perched high on your head and bike, and tend to get knocked out of position, especially if riding in the woods.

Final Thoughts
GoPro has a superb new camera on their hands with the HERO2, and their excellent mounting system, is joined by an upgraded UI, and better form factor additions with louder beeps and recording LEDs, and a battery warmer and HDMI output, and a 960p 48fps, and finally two quick action photo modes. The highlight of the camera is the 11MP sensor, sharper lens and faster processor who work in synergy to create stunning footage.

Pros

• 11MB sensor
• Image and color quality
• Upgraded User-Interface
• Low light sensitivity
• Sharper lens
• Louder beeps
• Additional recording lights
• HDMI output
• 960p 48fps
• Battery warmer
• Mounts

Cons

• Housing is tubby, aka the Toaster
• No exposure and contrast adjustments
• UI is greatly improved, but still a bit slow, cumbersome and too linear
• Stiff buttons
• Red and yellows are too vibrant
• Without optional Wi-Fi or LCD BacPac’s its difficult to position viewpoint
• Quick-release buckle can be sloppy
• Mounts can be difficult to tighten
• Housing can creep or get knocked out of position

MSRP: $299.99

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

GoPro HD HERO2 Specs:

What’s Included

• 1 11MP HD HERO2 Camera
• 1 Waterproof Housing (197′ / 60m)
• 1 HD Skeleton Backdoor
• 1 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
• 1 USB Cable
• 1 Vented Helmet Strap
• 1 Head Strap
• 2 Curved Surface Adhesive Mounts
• 2 Flat Surface Adhesive Mounts
• 1 Three-Way Pivot Arm
• Assorted Mounting Hardware

The GoPro plastic mounts work decently, but the knobs are difficult to tighten by hand, and they usually require a large screwdriver to torque them down enough to prevent the housing from creeping. Even when they are tightened down properly, the housing can still move if you accidentally hit it too hard while riding. There are some tricks you can do to prevent unwanted movement, such as roughing up the smooth plastic pivots with some sandpaper, but it can still move on occasion, which can ruin your recorded video footage.

Enter the K-EDGE GO-BIG camera mounts, made from 6061 T6 aluminum alloy, which are well made, burly and come with a lifetime guarantee. The CNC mounts come in four versions, the Pro Handlebar, Handlebar, Pro Saddle Rail and GoPro Adapter. They currently come in three colors, gunmetal gray, red and black. All the mounts use 3mm hex head bolts, and the camera to mount connection is the default 3 into 2 toothed GoPro set up.

Once these suckers are clamped down, neither the mount nor the camera is going to move, making for a rock-solid camera connection to their respective attachment points. Removing some of the inherent slop from GoPro mounts creates video footage with better clarity, less jello-vision and motion artifacts, all of which offer a better-quality end product.

K-EDGE GO BIG Pro Handlebar Mount for GoPro Hero
The three-piece GO BIG Pro Handlebar mounts use a two bolt 31.8mm clamp, weighs 45 grams, and can be mounted upside down (as shown) or right-side up, and retails for $59.99. I really like this design, since it places the camera out in front of the handlebars.

Company Fodder:
K-EDGE GO BIG Pro Handlebar Mount is designed to lock your GoPro camera securely in front of your handlebar; out of the way of your vision and out of the way of your hands – like a cantilevered movie camera boom with rock solid reliability. Two bolt clamp system attaches to the oversized 31.8mm diameter portions of the handlebar near the stem. No more vibration in your videos, no more camera falling off your bike, and most importantly no more lost memories. This is an elite level cycling camera mount by the makers of the K-EDGE Chain Catcher, chosen by the world’s best cyclists to ensure success in the Tour de France or your next ride. Go big or go home but don’t go without a bomb-proof K-EDGE GO BIG Mount for your GoPro camera!

• Part #: K13-420
• Made in the USA. CNC Machined 6061 T6 Aluminum
• Weight – 46 grams, super light, super strong, Compatibility – fits 31.8mm diameter bars, all mounting hardware included
• Two position design – in front and below or in front and above handlebar
• Lifetime Guarantee – if you break it, we will replace it

K-EDGE GO BIG Pro Saddle Rail Mount for GoPro(TM) Hero
The three-piece Go-Big Pro Saddle Rail mount uses a two bolt clamp that connects to the rails of a saddle, weighs 42 grams, and holds camera facing backwards and upside down, and retails for $49.99. I suppose you could also place the mount in front of the seatpost for a unique viewpoint, but I presume it would get in the way while pedaling? I like how it holds the camera out away from the seatpost, and its simplicity, since the GoPro usually requires additional mounting arms.

Company Fodder:
K-EDGE GO BIG Pro Saddle Rail Mount is designed to lock your GoPro camera securely under your bicycle saddle with rock solid reliability. Quick and easy attachment to standard bicycle saddle rails with camera angle adjustability to dial in your video and photos. Make your buddies jealous while making them look like heroes (albeit while riding your wheel) with this no shake, no break, and no worry’s camera mounts. This is an elite level cycling camera mount by the makers of the K-EDGE Chain Catcher, chosen by the world’s best cyclists to ensure success in the Tour de France or your next ride. Go big or go home but don’t go without a bomb-proof K-EDGE GO BIG Mount for your GoPro camera!

• Part #: K13-430
• Made in the USA. CNC Machined 6061 T6 Aluminum
• Weight – 45 grams, super light, super strong
• Compatibility – clamp design fits all standard 2-rail saddles including oversized carbon rails; all mounting hardware included
• Lifetime Guarantee – if you break it, we will replace it

K-EDGE GO BIG Handlebar Mount for GoPro Hero
The two-piece GO BIG Handlebar mounts use a 31.8mm two bolt clamp, weigh 25 grams, and can be mounted upside down or right-side up (as shown), and retails for $34.99. This mount is more like a normal handlebar mount, attaching directly to the bar.

Company Fodder:
K-EDGE GO BIG Handlebar Mount is designed to lock your GoPro camera securely on your handlebars with rock solid reliability. Same secure two-bolt clamp attachment system as our Pro Handlebar Mount and a wide range of camera angle choices. Easy adjustment, whether you choose the view ahead or the view of you. No more vibration in your videos, no more cameras falling off your bike, and most important no more lost memories. This is an elite level cycling camera mount by the makers of the K-EDGE Chain Catcher, chosen by the world’s best cyclists to ensure success in the Tour de France or your next ride. Go big or go home but don’t go without a bomb-proof K-EDGE GO BIG Mount for your GoPro camera!

• Part#: K13-410
• Made in the USA. CNC Machined 6061 T6 Aluminum
• Weight – 24 grams, super light, super strong
• Compatibility – fits 31.8mm diameter bars, all mounting hardware included
• Clamp design allows for a multitude of mounting positions and angles
• Lifetime Guarantee – if you break it, we will replace it

K-EDGE GO BIG GoPro Adapter
Last but not least is the one piece direct mount GoPro Adapter, which weighs 10 grams, and can be bolted to any flat surface, and retails for $24.99. Most likely, this mount is meant for motor and water sports, though I am sure, you can bolt it onto a helmet or something else that you don’t mind drilling hole into? I might try bolting it onto one of the GoPro vented helmet mounts to see if it might help with some sloppiness in their quick connect system.

Company Fodder:
K-EDGE GO BIG Adapter Mount is a universal mount designed to lock your GoPro camera securely to whatever you’d like. This is the same secure GoPro attachment system that our handlebar and saddle rail mounts use. Screw, bolt, or rivet you’ve got a rock solid mount to attach your GoPro camera. Buy 3 or 4 and turn your car, skis, moto, kiteboard, helmet, sled, etc. into the ultimate video rocket ship. This is an elite level cycling camera mount by the makers of the K-EDGE Chain Catcher, chosen by the world’s best cyclists to ensure success in the Tour de France or your next ride. Go big or go home but don’t go without a bomb-proof K-EDGE GO BIG Mount for your GoPro camera!

The Contour+ is a small, light and compact video camera, that is easy to use and includes the capability to do GPS Video Mapping. It has an excellent usage factor, combining a mechanical start/stop recording slider, loud and distinct indicator beeps for mode changes, a 270° rotatable lens and uses a Bluetooth connection to a smartphone or mobile device, as a viewfinder for horizontal alignment and to alter camera configurations. The camera records in a vast array of high-definition video resolutions up to 1080p, and has proven itself to take excellent footage with great clarity and realistic colors.

Contour+
The Contour+ is a POV (point of view) high-definition sports CMOS camera with a 5MP sensor and 2.8″ aperture, that can record video footage in 1080p, 960p and 720p formats, along with GPS mapping information (speed, location and elevation). It records data onto a MicroSD card (2GB included) up to 32GB in size, and is powered with an internal rechargeable Li-Ion battery that gives around two and half hours of recording time. The cameras Connect View card uses Bluetooth V2.1 to wirelessly converse with iOS and Android based smartphones or mobile devices to align the camera and change settings. It has ports for a mini USB for computer connection and recharging, a mini HDMI for live streaming to a TV or other sources, and an external microphone for higher-quality audio recording. The 270° rotatable lens, is flush mounted, and uses a custom six element glass for additional clarity and decreased aberrations. The small and light camera is mostly made of plastic, and uses a fiberglass lower body, with a protective anodized aluminum barrel surrounding the lens and electronics, and its impact, shock, and water resistant. The camera attaches to an assortment of mounts, including a goggle, profile, flat surface, universal adapter (camera and RAM), flex strap, vented helmet, and handlebar, using their proprietary TRails system.

Contour+ Kit Contents

The kit comes with the Contour+ camera, a low profile and two rotating mounts, an instruction guide, a USB, HDMI and Mic cable, a rechargeable 3.7V 1050mAh Li-Ion battery, lens cap, leashes, and a Connect View and 2GB MicroSD card.

Video Resolutions
The Contour+ can shoot in High Definition, in three video resolutions. It can shoot in 1080p (widescreen) at 30fps (frames per second), 960p (full frame) at 30fps and 720p (widescreen) at either 30 fps or 60 fps. The 720p 60 fps allow for slow motion playback, which is pretty cool to watch, and in addition, it gives the normal footage a smoother and more fluid look. Each of the video resolutions is captured at different bit rates (which can be customized), which entails varying recording times and storage requirements, meaning greater resources are needed for the higher usage formats. The resolution settings are done within Contour Storyteller software on your local computer, or through the Bluetooth connection to a smartphone. There are two preset video resolutions for the camera, which can then be changed by using the 1/2 switch on the inside back of the unit. The camera records in two viewing angles, unique to its video resolution, so 1080p is 125°, while 920p and 720p are at 170°. It uses the H.264 video codec, AAC audio compression, and a .mov file type. Everything defaults to the NTSC standard, but it can optionally record PAL video in 25fps and 50fps increments.

Photos
The Contour+ can shoot still 5MP photos with a resolution of 2592 x 1944 pixels and 135° field of view, in an automatic mode, which allows photos to be taken every X number of seconds, where X is 3, 5, 10, 30 or 60-second intervals.

Contour+ Rear Controls and Features

Camera Features
On the back of the camera is a simple power button, along with two LED’s that informs you of the available memory and battery levels, and they fluctuate from green (50-100%)  to yellow (20-50%) and finally red (0-20%). The back has rubber flaps that cover the mini USB and HDMI ports, so they can be accessed without opening the rear door. The front has an LED that indicates if the camera is on (green) or in record mode (red), and in addition, it blinks green while acquiring a GPS satellite, and turns blue when the Bluetooth is engaged.

Inside the back door,  is the battery slot, a switch to change between preset video resolutions (aka 1/2), a MicroSD and Connect View card slot, a mini USB and HDMI port, and a recessed format button. Connection to various mounts (helmet, flat surface, etc.) is done via Contour’s TRails system, which is sort of like tongue and groove, and the camera has two female grooves, and the mounts have two male tongues.

Whoa, baby, I’m a back door man
The men don’t know
But the little girls understand

Contour+ Top and Bottom Controls and Features

On the top of the camera is a mechanical slider that turns the recording mode on and off, and it is also where the 4Hz GPS  receiver chip is located. Under the back of the slider is a record mode light (red), which is hidden when not recording, and at the front is the indented button to engage Bluetooth.

Contour+ Lens

The lens rotates 180° clockwise and 90° counter-clockwise of the top center, which allows the camera to be mounted at varying angles, and is cross checked by using the viewfinder on a smartphone or mobile device to indicate the horizontal alignment for proper recording. The addition of a full 270° of rotation now allows the Contour+ body to be positioned upside down, while maintaining the proper lens orientation.

Measured Specs:

• Camera - 126.2 grams
• 8 GB MicroSD card – .2 grams
• Connect View Card – 1 gram
• Battery – 22.3 grams
• Total – 149.7 grams
• Size: 99 mm long x 58 mm tall x 35 mm wide

Contour Mounts

Impressions and Usage
Mounting
The camera only comes with  a low profile and two rotating mounts, while the more useful vented helmet is an optional accessory. I found that the rotating mounts, which have a neat lockable feature, were useful for any helmet that might have enough surface area for one. They were especially useful for non vented or low vent count helmets, such as ski, full faced, skateboard, BMX and some All Mountain designs. The vented helmet mounts have a small amount of pitch control, so the camera can be tilted up and down. The handlebar mounts works decently once it’s set up properly, and the ball and socket system let you point it just about anywhere. The new flex strap mount is pretty ideal, is simple to install, and fits in a variety of places on the frame of the bike, and opens up a slew of unique perspectives for video footage.

The TRails mounting system is pretty easy to use, just line up the male and female parts, and push the camera backwards until it reaches the front stops. There is some subtle inherent sloppiness in the system, which is difficult to get rid of, and rough trails and loose helmets, exacerbate the issue.  The latest iterations of the camera and mounts have tightened up the tolerances, and the issue has been greatly improved. For additional safety in case the unit falls off, each of the mounts has a lanyard that snaps into an accompanying one on the camera, although I rarely have ever used the system, and threading the cord through the mount and camera holes is sort of difficult.

Contour App on iPhone

Camera Usage
NOTE – Contour App and mobile devices: To make use of the mobile app, you’ll need to install the Contour App on the iOS or Android smartphone or mobile device, and then pair the camera and device via the Bluetooth connection. The Contour App is compatible with iOS v 4.2 and above (not 5 as yet) for iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPod touch (3rd and 4th generation) and Android OS v 2.2.1 and above. The iOS 5 works for the viewfinder, but changing any settings causes the Contour App to crash, so they will be releasing a new version shortly.

To turn the camera on, just push the rear power button, and it announces that it’s alive with a loud and distinct beep, which was easy to hear no matter what the outdoor ambient noise level was like. The front indicator light will blink green if GPS is engaged, and will turn steady, once the satellites are acquired, which can take anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute or two, to get the required four-satellite lock. To check the horizontal alignment for proper video recording orientation, bring up the Contour App on your smartphone or mobile device, and push the Bluetooth button on the front of the slider. Using the viewfinder on the mobile device, just point the camera at a stationary object that has a good horizontal or vertical orientation, like a tree, log or your finger held in front of the camera, and then watching the screen, and rotate the lens until the object matches up with the proper horizon. The frame rate for viewfinder is slow, so it can be jittery and lag, but it works fine for the aligning purpose. Since they have forgone the Laser sighting, if you forget your mobile device, you’ll need to guesstimate the proper spot for the lens. You can also bring up the configuration screens for Position 1 and 2 settings, allowing one to alter Video (mode, quality, frame rate), Audio (Mic, camera beeps), GPS, and Lighting (metering, contrast, sharpness, exposure).

To begin the recording, just push the slider towards the lens, and it beeps once, and the front indicator light turns from green to red, along with the REC light by the back of the slider. To stop recording, push the slider away from the lens, and it beeps twice. The loud beeps and mechanical nature of the recording switch were very intuitive and reassuring, and inform you of exactly what’s transpired, and if needed a quick check of the switch’s position quickly assured you of its status. I give extremely high marks to the Contour+ for its usage factor. After you get everything set up it is pretty easy to reach up on your helmet and turn the camera on or off, slide the record button, all with the reinforcement of the nice loud beeps as things go on or off. The rear on/off button was less distinct when wearing gloves, but the loud noise it made, more than made up for it. The camera has a customizable automatic shutoff timer if the camera is idle (not recording), and it beeps twice as it powers down. While it was on my head, I did notice the additional weight, but it wasn’t significant, and after riding any distance it slowly disappeared and wasn’t noticeable. It doesn’t stick up in the air as much as the toaster oven camera, but it still got whacked by trees. I really liked the 270° rotatable lens, so that the camera body can be used in a larger variety of positions.

Although the Contour App interface won’t let you delete individual files on the microSD card, at least there is now a format button to clean the card off completely, just in case you forgot to remove files at home. The internal Mic is still not the greatest for good recording, but with the new external microphone capabilities, you now have some great opportunities for more advanced and higher-quality audio.

Memory and Battery
The rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery fits very snugly into the back of the camera, and there is a latch to hold it securely in the position, which greatly helps the jarring vibrations that mountain places on the battery. A loose connection means loss of footage, data corruption, and that anomalies can be introduced. The 3.7 volt and 1050 milliampere-hour battery, gave me anywhere from 2-2.5 hour of usage, and its limit varied on the video resolution and bit rate used, air temperature and the number times that I cycled the on/off and stop/start recording switches.

Contour+ Battery Pull Tab

The battery is a pain to remove if you want to swap it out when it’s discharged or low, but a simple trick is to use a small piece of scotch tape on the battery, making a pull tab for easy extraction. The unit comes with a 2GB MicroSD card, which was good for 30-60 minutes of recording time in HD mode (15-30min per GB in HD). I went out and bought a 8GB MicroSD card for maximum recording time, since the memory gets maxed out when the battery limit is reached. I always bring an extra battery, and MicroSD card, if I desire more footage, or had forgotten to charge the battery or clean the card. To charge the battery, connect a mini USB cable from the cameras back port to a computer USB, or the optional car and wall chargers. The indicator on the back will stay red until the battery is fully charged, which can take a couple of hours depending on how drained the battery was, and it turns green when complete.

Contour Storyteller Application - Video with Map View

Interfacing with the Computer
To download or view the video’s you recorded, open the USB rubber gasket on the back of the camera, and connect the mini USB to the camera, and then the other end of the connector to a computer USB port. The unit will appear as a Removable Disk, and just navigate down to the appropriate directory (example: F:\Removable Disk\DCIM\100MEDIA) and either download or view the video straight from the camera. For faster downloads, use a standalone SD card reader, and bypass the camera as the downloading interface.

The preferred software to use for the Contour camera line (ContourHD, ContourROAM, ContourGPS and Contour+) is their Storyteller application, and it lets you to do camera configurations, video and GPS imports and exports, editing (primitive), viewing and uploads to their Community site. The highlight of the Storyteller is the map and video interface for the GPS data, if that option was engaged. When playing a video within the utility that has embedded GPS, an accompanying popup shows the map location, elevation and speed of your route as the footage plays. In addition, you can upload edited (Storyteller only to retain GPS) or unedited files to the Contour Community website as a ‘Story’, for sharing with others.

Contour Community Story:

I used the Storyteller Application predominately for inventory and import purpose for the camera, along with making changes to the Position 1 and 2 settings. I didn’t use it much for editing, as I much preferred more robust and professional video-editing software packages. Although, it was handy to edit or trim a small portion of footage by clicking the ‘+ Awesome’  button to retain GPS data so that it could be uploaded to the Contour Community site. My usual preference, is to upload my footage as a raw file directly to Vimeo, as I think that offers the best quality without any editing degradation.

Contour Storyteller Application - Camera Configuration

You can configure the global camera settings (frame rate and automatic power off), and then the Position 1 and 2  macro setup, which includes video, audio, lighting and GPS settings, by clicking on the tabs for each position. The video portion sets the mode (1080p, 960p, 720p/60fps, 720p, photo), the bit rate quality (high, medium, low) and white balance (auto, 2800K – 10000K), while the audio does microphone sensitivity (0-59), external  microphone sensitivity (0-59) and camera beeps (on, off). The lightning sets the metering weighting (spot, center, avg), and has two predefined conditions (everyday outdoor, dusk) and a manual customization, which has settings for contrast (1-100), exposure (-4 to +4) and sharpness(1-5). The GPS can be set to come on at power up (on, off) and the capture rate (off, 1, 2, 4 times per second).

I always left the bit rate high, since I didn’t worry about resource issues (battery and memory) and wanted the highest quality output possible. I left most everything else as factory default, except for my specific video resolution for Position 1/2. Anything could be reset in the field on a smartphone, especially the lighting setting, which was extremely useful when light got dimmer, or the ride was going to be predominantly in the deep dark woods.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video
I tested all the different HD video resolutions, and my usual preference was full-frame 960p, since it gave more of the trail viewpoint of what is perceived when actually riding a trail, meaning taller and narrower field of vision. The 720p at 60fps was nice and smooth, and due to the additional flow, it offered to the footage, I have become enamored with it, and it was easy to edit and splice, and was more conformable to the video upload sites. The camera can have two preset video resolutions, which are set up with the Storyteller application or a smartphone, and then are chosen with the 1/2 switch, and I usually did a 960p and 720p pairing. The captured footage had good clarity and sharpness, with realistic colors, although they were slightly cool and muted. The picture quality has evolved with each of their successive models, and the top of the line Contour+ really shines, and it’s definitely their best yet, although I would like to see the 5MP sensor bumped up to at least 10MP.

Video courtesy of Lee Lau – showing varying light conditions:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The new lens is no longer recessed, and is flush, so it doesn’t t catch mud, snow and dirt, and the six element glass offers better clarity, for improved footage quality. It did well in bright sunshine, especially when panning directly into the sun (some rare purple CMOS flares), but it wasn’t the best when alternating between sunshine and shade. Pixelation was good, with a mild amount of aliasing, and framing was smooth, but heavy shocks, and vibrations caused occasional distortion. If the terrain was smooth, or you could tighten down your helmet or use a full faced version, the 1080p offered outstanding clarity. Unfortunately, with the rough terrain encountered during typical mountain biking, and loose fitting helmets, the 1080p format had a significant jellovision and “jump or shake” syndrome, and it made those recordings less desirable. Many of these anomalies are because inexpensive CMOS sensors use a Rolling Shutter, which makes videos seem a bit shaky, scattered and jellovisioned, due to motion artifacts (skew and wobble), and also spatio-temporal aliasing, which has a rippled or watered appearance.

Video courtesy of Lee Lau (thanks Lee for the great camera footage!):

Click here to view the embedded video.

Changing the lighting settings can make some impacts during early dusk conditions or riding in deep trees, and the footage had a prominent response with those tweaks, with the quality being quite decent. However, I was unable to get the night, low light indoors, or darker footage to work for me, and I considered the results mediocre, as it was pixelated and noisy. I rarely record anything that late in the evening, so it was not a deal breaker for me, but the camera is not at its best in low-light conditions.

Lighting Comparisons

Using the HDMI connection, you can stream live or recorded video to a display (TV) or external capture device. It was nice to be able to watch previously recorded footage on a big-screen TV, seeing things with exceptional clarity, spaciousness and sharpness.

Bottom Line
The Contour+ has a superb usage factor, takes great high-definition video footage, with good clarity and realist colors, and the additions of  GPS mapping capabilities and the Mobile App interface for viewing and configurations make for an exceptional package. What I really like about the camera was the usefulness of the switching. When turning it on, or switching recording on and off, you get a loud and distinct beep, and in addition, the mechanical feel for what is happening. The camera is compact and light, and the Aluminum and fiberglass body haven proven to be tough and durable, as it has taken lots of tree impacts, an occasional drop into the rocks, and a couple of good crashes. The TRails mounting is a bit sloppy, but the tolerances have greatly improved over its predecessors. The capability to use a iOS and Android smartphone as a viewfinder for alignment and camera configuration is an extremely useful feature, and allows in the field adjustments.

I would have liked the 960p resolution to have a faster fps option, and the camera really needs to be bumped up to at least a 10MB sensor, to compete against the competition. The loss of the Laser sighting makes alignment tough if you forget your phone on a ride, and the camera is pretty expensive.

Strengths

• Contour App and Smartphone interface – viewfinder and camera configuration
• GPS video mapping capabilities
• 270° rotatable, flush and six element glass lens
• Loud indicative beeps
• Mechanical slider
• Lightweight and small form factor
• HDMI interface
• External Mic
• Great video quality

Weaknesses

• Smartphone  – only iOS and Android compatible
• Only 5MP sensor (needs 10MB minimum)
• No Laser sighting
• Expensive
• Internal Mic is poor
• Mounting system
• Mediocre in low light

MSRP: $499.99

Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Visit Contour+ website

Contour+ Specs
Video

• HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) at 30fps
• HD 960p (1280 x 960) at 30fps
• HD 720p (1280 x 720) at 30fps
• HD 720p (1280 x 720) at 60fps
• 5 Mega-pixel CMOS Image Sensor
• 2.8″ aperture
• H.264 Codec (AAC Audio)
• File Type *.mov

Memory

• MicroSD card
• Maximum 32GB (2GB included)

Audio

• Internal microphone
• External Mic Jack
• AAC Audio compression

Lens

• Custom Six Element Glass
• 270° rotatable
•  Flush
• 960p and 720p – 170°
• 1080p – 125°

Body

• Water resistant
• Aluminum and Fiberglass body
• TRails mount system

Battery

• Removable Litihium-Ion Battery 3,7V 1050mAh
• 2-2.5 hours record time
• Charge via USB or Optional Charger
• Charge Time 4 hours

Camera Kit

• Countour+ camera
• 2GB MicroSD Card
• Connect View Card
• Profile Mount
• Flat Surface Mount
• Rechargeable Battery
• USB Cable
• HDMI Cable
• Mic Cable

The Drift Innovations HD170 is a rugged outdoor sports video camera, that is easy to use. It has an excellent usage factor, combining loud indicator beeps for mode changes, a fully rotatable lens and a useful LCD screen, that does horizontal alignment and recorded viewing. The camera records high definition video resolutions of 720p and 1080p, and has proven itself to take excellent footage with great clarity and beautiful colors.

Note: This article is meant to be read in conjunction with Lee Lau’s article, where he discusses usability of the HD170 for shooting video, mounting setups, and a plethora of excellently done video footage.

Drift Innovations HD170
The HD170 is a POV (point of view) high definition sports CMOS camera, that can record video footage in 1080p, 720p and SD formats. It records data onto a SD card up to 32GB in size, and is powered with an internal rechargeable Li-Ion battery that gives around 2 and half hours of recording time. The somewhat large oblong camera has an LCD viewing screen, is made of plastic and fiberglass, with a rubberized strip around its circumference and screen, has a fully rotatable lens, and is impact and shock resistance, and waterproof to half a meter. The camera attaches to an assortment of mounts, including a goggle, flat surface and helmet, and handlebar, using their proprietary universal clip system, which attaches to the camera via a quarter inch universal camera adapter.

HD170 Camera Kit

The kit comes with the HD170 camera with its universal clip, a wireless remote with a wrist strap, a flat surface/helmet, goggle and handlebar mount, head strap, stick on Velcro pads, an instruction guide, a USB cable, a rechargeable 3.7V 1110mAh Li-Ion battery and an HDMI TV cable.

Video Resolutions
The Drift HD170 can shoot in three video resolutions, two of them HD. It can shoot in 1080p (widescreen) , 720p (widescreen), and SD, all at 30fps. Each of the video resolution’s are captured at different bit rates, which entails varying recording times and storage requirements, meaning greater resources are needed for the higher usage formats. The resolution settings are done within the camera’s menu system, which is viewed from its LCD screen and managed by four buttons. The camera records in two viewing angles, unique to its video resolution, so 1080p is 127 degrees, while 720p and SD are at 170 degrees. It uses the H.264 video codec, AAC audio compression, and a .mov file type. The 720p is the default mode for the camera.

Photos
The HD170 can shoot 5 Megapixel still photos in either a manual or automatic mode. In the manual mode, it can shoot a single photo, while the automatic mode allows photos to be taken every X number of seconds, where X is 3 (default), 5, 10, or 30 second intervals.

Camera Features
On the top of the camera is rubberized area that contains the 1.5 inch LCD viewing screen (thin film transistor liquid crystal display), and four buttons that perform various functions, such as menu engagement and on/off, and a speaker. The four buttons, are comprised of a Select button (menu select, on/off and stop/start recording), an Up menu button, and a Down menu button and a Menu button (menu and back page). The speaker gives an indication of the camera turning on and off, and stopping and starting of recording, in addition to a subdued playback of a previously recorded footage. There is a small LED on the Select button that indicates the status mode, green with the camera being on, red when it is in recording mode, and blue when the camera is charging.

On the back of the camera is a waterproof latched door that houses the interface and device ports. In the inside of the door are the slots for the rechargeable battery and the SD card, the port for the mini USB to the computer connector (or power charger), and the HDMI connector, which can be used to hook up to a TV monitor or as an input for an external microphone. The main built-in waterproof microphone resides on the right side of the camera.

On the front of the camera is the 170 degree FOV (field of view) lens, which can be rotated full 300 degrees, and it has hard stops to prevent excess movement. The wrist mounted remote control unit, uses a Velcro closure strap, and has a large start and stop recording button, and communicates wirelessly via RF (radio frequency).

The bottom of the camera has a 1/4″ universal camera adapter, which can accept any normal camera mount, but is meant for their proprietary universal clip. The clip and the camera have a male and female notch system so the clip can be adjusted in 10 degree increments in relation to the camera.

Measured Specs

Weight:

• Camera – 132.6 grams
• SD card – 1.5 grams
• Battery – 26.9 grams
• Mount – 10.9 grams
• Remote – 29.1 grams
• Helmet mount w/ Velcro – 21.6 grams
• Total – 171.9 grams (camera, battery, card, mount)

Camera Usage
To turn the camera on, just press and hold the Select button on the top of the camera, and the LCD screen comes on and the LED light (embedded on the Select button) turns green. The LCD screen will eventually go into the Live Preview Mode, displaying a live image of whatever the camera is pointing towards, and icons on the outer edge of the image, which indicate recording mode, current memory and battery levels. To level the camera, just point the camera at a stationary object thaw5rHJAg/TLarbTYYTPI/AAAAAAAAZm4/usWOAmrKsjY/dhd_bottom.jpg” alt=”" width=”800″ height=”300″ />

Measured Specs

Weight:

• Camera – 132.6 grams
• SD card – 1.5 grams
• Battery – 26.9 grams
• Mount – 10.9 grams
• Remote – 29.1 grams
• Helmet mount w/ Velcro – 21.6 grams
• Total – 171.9 grams (camera, battery, card, mount)

Camera Usage
To turn the camera on, just press and hold the Select button on the top of the camera, and the LCD screen comes on and the LED light (embedded on the Select button) turns green. The LCD screen will eventually go into the Live Preview Mode, displaying a live image of whatever the camera is pointing towards, and icons on the outer edge of the image, which indicate recording mode, current memory and battery levels. To level the camera, just point the camera at a stationary object that has a good horizontal or vertical orientation, like a tree, log or your finger held in front of the camera, and then watching the LCD screen, rotate the lens until the object matches up with the proper horizon. It can be tough to get things exactly right, due to the small screen and 170 degree lens causing skewing at its outer circumference. To turn the camera off, press and hold the Select button for 3 seconds, and then it will shut down. The camera also has a zoom capability  in photo, and video modes (not in 1080p), and it can be engaged by pressing and holding the Up button, with an indicator bar on the screen, and it can be reversed with the Down.

Live Preview Mode - Zoom usage

To begin the video recording, just push Select button on the camera or the Start button on the remote, and it beeps once, and the indicator LED turns from green to red. To stop recording, push the Select button again or the Stop button on the remote, and it beeps again. When taking photos, pressing the Select button or the Remote’s Start takes a picture, and the camera beeps and the indicator turns red, and once the LED returns to green another picture can be taken.

The menu system for the camera is highly intuitive and a joy to use, and has a normal camera feel to its interface.

See me, feel me, touch me, heal me.

Press the Menu button to get to the main menu screen, and you’ll see four icons, for the Video, Photo, Video Configuration and Setup sub menu’s. The icons are browsed using the up and down buttons, and once highlighted, using the Select button brings you to the chosen sub menu. Pressing the Menu button again, returns it up one level in the Menu tree or back to the Live Preview mode. If there is a number next to the Video or Photo icon on the main menu, that is the number of recorded files that reside on the SD Card for those formats.

If the Video or Photo sub menu is selected you will get a picture of the initial recording or photo, the current file being viewed vs the total number of files, and the video length (in video view mode). You can browse through the recorded files (videos or photos) using the up and down buttons, and then press the Select button, and you’ll get three choices, view, delete and delete all. In the video view mode, you can use the Down button for fast forward, the Up for rewind and the Select for play. In the Photo view mode, it will go into a slideshow mode, and change pictures every few seconds, and can be paused and restarted by using the Select button. It can be hooked up to a TV monitor via the HDMI cable for a big screen experience, and is controlled using the same button sequences.

Menu: Main Menu and Video View Mode

The Video Configuration sub menu lets you set the camera to record in video, single photo or timed photo modes. Once any of those modes is chosen, different options will be displayed on the configuration screen, only the video mode has a resolution setting, while the time photo has a sequence entry. The video resolutions are 1080p, 720p (default) and SD, while in timed photo the sequence interval is 3 (default), 5, 10 and 30 seconds. All the modes share the ability to change exposure setting or light sensitivity (-2, -1, 0, +1 and +2), and a night mode setting which is either off or on, which enhances darker recording conditions.

The Setup menu is very deep, with three pages of settings, so I will only touch on some useful items, such as microphone sensitivity, remote control and remote pairing, and LCD and Camera auto turn off. The camera comes paired by default with the remote, and can be controlled by any remote within a 5 meter range, so if other remotes are near by, you can pair it again to prevent interference. Another unique feature is that you can control multiple cameras to work off one remote by pairing them all together.

Menu: Video Configuration and Setup

Memory and Battery
The rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery fits very snugly into the back of the camera, and there is a latch to hold it securely in the position, which greatly helps the jarring vibrations that mountain biking places on the battery. A loose connection means loss of footage, data corruption, and anomalies can be introduced. Although the battery slot has a spring for easier extraction, the battery was so securely in the camera, that it was difficult to pry it out. The 3.7 volt and 1110 milliampere-hour battery, gave me anywhere from 2-2.5 hour of usage, and its limit varied on the video resolution used, and the number times that I cycled on/off and stop/start recording, and in addition the ambient air temperature. They have recently released a 1700 mAh battery, which should bring it up towards the 4 hour usage, which will work ideally with a 16 or 32GB SD card.

The camera can use a maximum 32 GB SD card, although I found a 8 GB card ideal for most mountain biking rides, giving around 2 hours of footage, which also blends well with the battery usage limit. Depending on the chosen resolution setting, you get around 12-15 minutes of recorded data per GB.

Interfacing and Charging with the Computer
To download or view the videos or photos you recorded, open up the back door of the camera, and connect the mini USB to the camera, and then the other end of the connector to a computer USB port. The unit will appear as a Removable Disk, and just navigate down to the appropriate directory (example: F:\Removable Disk\DCIM\100DRIFT) and either download or view the video straight from the camera. For faster downloads, use a standalone SD card reader, and bypass the camera as the downloading interface.

Whoa, baby, I’m a back door man
The men don’t know
But the little girls understand

To charge the camera, turn it off, open the back door, plug in the USB cable to the computer and then the camera USB port, push and hold Select button for 3 seconds, and the LED turns blue until it’s done, which can take a couple of hours depending on how much video was recorded.

Handlebar Mount

Video
The HD170 records in three resolutions all at 30fps, High Definition at 1080p (1920×1080 pixels) and 720p (1280×720 pixels), and Wide Video Graphics Array at 480p (848×480 pixels). It does not include the other usual HD resolutions of 960p mode (fullframe), and 720p at 60 fps, which allows slow motion playback. I sort of missed having the 960p mode, and I consider that a real loss in otherwise a nice resolution package.

When recording in rougher mountain biking terrain, all the POV outdoor video cameras have an issue with what I call the “jump or shake” syndrome. It can be seen in the recorded media as in abrupt jump or blur in the field of view, almost like one is in an earthquake, or as jellovision. Attaching the camera using a more stable mount so that it literally becomes part of the attachment point helps this issue, but it’s not alleviated.

A great deal of the issue is due to the motion artifacts produced by the inexpensive CMOS sensors used in these types of cameras, and the HD exacerbates the issue, since anomalies are more perceptible. The HD170, like most CMOS video cameras use a Rolling Shutter, which makes videos seem a bit shaky and scattered (think sea sickness) and jellovisioned, due to motion artifacts (skew and wobble). A Rolling Shutter exposes different portions of the frame at a different point in time, hence “rolling” through the frame, while a Global shutter (CCD cameras use this) exposes the entire imager simultaneously. Neither does this in the physical sense. The degree that each camera exhibits the motion artifacts issue depends on a lot of factors. The final output can also display spatio-temporal aliasing, which has a rippled or watered appearance. The HD170 was less suspectable to some of these issues, but they were still very discernible.

Like any of the sports cameras, I found the 1080p gave rise to extraneous jellovision from the bumpy conditions of mountain biking, although the HD170 was much better than its competition. It did quite well when alternating between sunshine and shade, something that is tough to deal with, especially in high mountain bright light conditions. Pixelation was good, with mild amounts of aliasing, and edge artifacts.

Helmet Mount

Impressions
I really liked the Drift Innovations HD170 camera, as it was robust, rugged, weather proof, had a LCD screen, and was easy to use. The menu system was intuitive, and it was simple to change settings as desired, and review or delete photos and video footage. Although I accidentally hit the Back/Menu button instead of the Select often, and ended up having to backtrack. The LCD was small, being only 1.5 inches, but it was useful and bright enough for what was needed to be accomplished in the field. After positioning the camera on its mount, leveling the camera was greatly benefited by the LCD screen, both for prerecording orientation check (using a tree, log or your finger), and post check using the recorded footage to verify the results. The camera beeps to inform you of stop and start recording mode changes, and it was decently loud, although I wish it had another notch of adjustment (to 11!). I would have liked a speaker or perhaps a LED light on the remote, especially when using the helmet mount, since it wasn’t always obvious what mode it was in. The remote was really nice to use, especially when using a helmet mount, since it was hard to locate the Select button when reaching up onto the camera. The remote allowed quick video sequences to be performed, even on moderately difficult terrain, and it was easy to stab at its buttons, even with gloves and fat fingering them.

The video footage was excellent, with warm and very vibrant colors (a real standout), good contrast, and sharp images. I preferred the 720p mode, since 1080p gave rise to jellovision in mountain biking conditions.

Note: Refer to Lee Lau’s article for video footage and mounting setups.

Their mount system worked really well, and was the most stable of the sports cameras on the market. It was easy to slide their universal clip into its mate, but the lack of good non vented helmet strap is a real bummer, as the best method is using the stick on Velcro, so you end up with a semi-permanent attachment. Again, once properly attached there is very little movement from the system. The 1/4 universal camera adapter on the bottom of the camera, was a nice feature, though I didn’t use it much, it allows a connection to a tripod, or on some of the RAM mounts. The ability to alter the exposure settings on the menu was really a handy feature, and it came in useful for adjusting things for local conditions (weather, location, time of the day), and the results could be viewed, and then changed, making for an instant A/B comparison.

You had to be somewhat careful of the camera’s bulbous lens, which sort of sticks out, and it was easy to bump into objects, as I would be worried about its longevity and getting scratches? Even though the camera is pretty rugged, the body seemed to scratch easily, though it didn’t damage anything other than the surface, so call it a cosmetic nuisance. The camera is weather proof, so its not made to take out for aggressive whitewater kayaking or any sort of intensive water sports, but it works fine for a mountain bike environment, as it made it through quite a few ugly hail and rainstorms and worked just fine.

Bottom Line
The HD170 is an excellent HD outdoor sports camera, that has 1080p and 720p resolutions, has an LCD screen and a wireless remote, is bombproof, and can take a beating from inclement weather. The very functional LCD screen is used for leveling, camera settings, menu selection and recorded material viewing. The camera video recording can be operated from its own button or from the wrist mounted remote, which was an excellent accessory item that added incredible amounts of functionality and usability. I do wish the camera had 960p for a resolution, since I think it is a nice feature. The menu system was highly intuitive and easy to use, and made any changes and viewing of recorded material a breeze. The mount system is the most stable in the business, but the kits lack of a vented helmet mount is troublesome, since a semi-permanent stick on is the only solution.

Strengths
- Remote control
- LCD screen
- Stable mount system
- Universal clip
- Menu system

Weaknesses
- Lens prone to damage
- Camera body scratches easy
- Lack of 960p
- Lack of vented head mount
- Portly shape

MSRP: $329.99

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Visit Drift Innovations HD170 Website

Technical Specs:

The Drift Innovations HD170 is a rugged outdoor sports video camera, that is easy to use. It has an excellent usage factor, combining loud indicator beeps for mode changes, a fully rotatable lens and a useful LCD screen, that does horizontal alignment and recorded viewing. The camera records in a vast array of high definition video resolutions up to 1080p, and has proven itself to take nice footage with great clarity and beautiful colors.

Drift Innovations HD170
The HD170 is a POV (point of view) high definition sports CMOS camera, that can record video footage in 1080p, 720p and SD formats. It records data onto a SD card up to 32GB in size, and is powered with an internal rechargeable Li-Ion battery that gives around 2 and half hours of recording time. The somewhat large oblong camera has an LCD viewing screen, is made of plastic and fiberglass, with a rubberized strip around its circumference and screen, has a fully rotatable lens, and is impact and shock resistance, and waterproof to half a meter. The camera attaches to an assortment of mounts, including a goggle, flat surface and helmet, and handlebar, using their proprietary universal clip system, which attaches to the camera via a quarter inch universal camera adapter.

The kit comes with the HD170 camera with its universal clip, a wireless remote with a wrist strap, a flat surface/helmet, goggle and handlebar mount, head strap, stick on Velcro pads, an instruction guide, a USB cable, a rechargeable 3.7V 1110mAh Li-Ion battery and an HDMI TV cable.

Video Resolutions
The Drift HD170 can shoot in three video resolutions, two of them HD. It can shoot in 1080p (widescreen) , 720p (widescreen), and SD, all at 30fps. Each of the video resolution’s are captured at different bit rates, which entails varying recording times and storage requirements, meaning greater resources are needed for the higher usage formats. The resolution settings are done within the camera’s menu system, which is viewed from its LCD screen and managed by four buttons. The camera records in two viewing angles, unique to its video resolution, so 1080p is 127 degrees, while 720p and SD are at 170 degrees. It uses the H.264 video codec, AAC audio compression, and a .mov file type. The 720p is the default mode for the camera.

Photos
The HD170 can shoot 5 Megapixel still photos in either a manual or automatic mode. In the manual mode, it can shoot a single photo, while the automatic mode allows photos to be taken every X number of seconds, where X is 3 (default), 5, 10, or 30 second intervals.

Camera Features
On the top of the camera is rubberized area that contains the 1.5 inch LCD viewing screen (thin film transistor liquid crystal display), and four buttons that perform various functions, such as menu engagement and on/off, and a speaker. The four buttons, are comprised of a Select button (menu select, on/off and stop/start recording), an Up menu button, and a Down menu button and a Menu button (menu and back page). The speaker gives an indication of the camera turning on and off, and stopping and starting of recording, in addition to a subdued playback of a previously recorded footage. There is a small LED on the Select button that indicates the status mode, green with the camera being on, red when it is in recording mode, and blue when the camera is charging.

On the back of the camera is a waterproof latched door that houses the interface and device ports. In the inside of the door are the slots for the rechargeable battery and the SD card, the port for the mini USB to the computer connector (or power charger), and the HDMI connector, which can be used to hook up to a TV monitor or as an input for an external microphone. The main built-in waterproof microphone resides on the right side of the camera.

On the front of the camera is the 170 degree FOV (field of view) lens, which can be rotated full 300 degrees, and it has hard stops to prevent excess movement. The wrist mounted remote control unit, uses a Velcro closure strap, and has a large start and stop recording button, and communicates wirelessly via RF (radio frequency).

The bottom of the camera has a 1/4″ universal camera adapter, which can accept any normal camera mount, but is meant for their proprietary universal clip. The clip and the camera have a male and female notch system so the clip can be adjusted in 10 degree increments in relation to the camera.

Measured Specs

Weight:

• Camera – 132.6 grams
• SD card – 1.5 grams
• Battery – 26.9 grams
• Mount – 10.9 grams
• Remote – 29.1 grams
• Helmet mount w/ Velcro – 21.6 grams
• Total – 171.9 grams (camera, battery, card, mount)

Camera Usage
To turn the camera on, just press and hold the Select button on the top of the camera, and the LCD screen comes on and the LED light (embedded on the Select button) turns green. The LCD screen will eventually go into the Live Preview Mode, displaying a live image of whatever the camera is pointing towards, and icons on the outer edge of the image, which indicate recording mode, current memory and battery levels. To level the camera, just point the camera at a stationary object that has a good horizontal or vertical orientation, like a tree, log or your finger held in front of the camera, and then watching the LCD screen, rotate the lens until the object matches up with the proper horizon. It can be tough to get things exactly right, due to the small screen and 170 degree lens causing skewing at its outer circumference. To turn the camera off, press and hold the Select button for 3 seconds, and then it will shut down. The camera also has a zoom capability (not in 1080p) in photo, and video modes, and it can be engaged by pressing and holding the Up button, with an indicator bar on the screen, and it can be reversed with the Down.

To begin the video recording, just push Select button on the camera or the Start button on the remote, and it beeps once, and the indicator LED turns from green to red. To stop recording, push the Select button again or the Stop button on the remote, and it beeps again. When taking photos, pressing the Select button or the Remote’s Start takes a picture, and the camera beeps and the indicator turns red, once the LED returns to green another picture can be taken.

The menu system for the camera is highly intuitive and a joy to use, and has a normal camera feel to its interface.

See me, feel me, touch me, heal me.

Press the Menu button to get to the main menu screen, and you’ll see four icons, for the Video, Photo, Video Configuration and Setup sub menu’s. The icons are browsed using the up and down buttons, and once highlighted, using the Select button brings you to the chosen sub menu. Pressing the Menu button again, returns it up one level in the Menu tree or back to the Live Preview mode. If there is a number next to the Video or Photo icon on the main menu, that is the number of recorded files that reside on the SD Card for those formats.

If the Video or Photo sub menu is selected you will get a picture of the initial recording or photo, the current file being viewed vs the total number of files, and the video length (in video view mode). You can browse through the recorded files (videos or photos) using the up and down buttons, and then press the Select button, and you’ll get three choices, view, delete and delete all. In the video view mode, you can use the Down button for fast forward, the Up for rewind and the Select for play. In the Photo view mode, it will go into a slideshow mode, and change pictures every few seconds, and can be paused and restarted by using the Select button.

The Video Configuration sub menu lets you set the camera to record in video, single photo or timed photo modes. Once any of those modes is chosen, different options will be displayed on the configuration screen, only the video mode has a resolution setting, while the time photo has a sequence entry. The video resolutions are 1080p, 720p (default) and SD, while in timed photo the sequence interval is 3 (default), 5, 10 and 30 seconds. All the modes share the ability to change exposure setting or light sensitivity (-2, -1, 0 (default), +1 and +2), and a night mode setting which is either off (default) or on, which enhances darker recording conditions.

The Setup menu is very deep, with three pages of settings, so I will only touch on some useful items, such as microphone sensitivity, remote control and remote pairing, and LCD and Camera auto turn off. The camera comes paired by default with the remote, and can be controlled by any remote within a 5 meter range, so if other remotes are near by, you can pair it again to prevent interference. Another unique feature is that you can control multiple cameras to work off one remote by pairing them all together.

Memory and Battery
The rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery fits very snugly into the back of the camera, and there is a latch to hold it securely in the position, which greatly helps the jarring vibrations that mountain biking places on the battery. A loose connection means loss of footage, data corruption, and anomalies can be introduced. Although the battery slot has a spring for easier extraction, the battery is securely in the camera, so you better have a pair of pliers and a screw driver to help pry it out, since it is a royal pain to swap out. The 3.7 volt and 1110 milliampere-hour battery, gave me anywhere from 2-2.5 hour of usage, and its limit varied on the video resolution used, and the number times that I cycled on/off and stop/start recording, and in addition the ambient air temperature. They have recently released a 1700 mAh battery, which should bring it up towards the 4 hour usage, which will work ideally with a 16 or 32GB SD card.

The camera can use a maximum 32 GB SD card, although I found a 8 GB card ideal for most mountain biking rides, giving around 2 hours of footage, which also blends well with the default battery usage limit. Depending on the chosen resolution setting, you get around 12-15 minutes of recorded data per GB.

Interfacing and Charging with the Computer
To download or view the videos or photos you recorded, open up the back door of the camera, and connect the mini USB to the camera, and then the other end of the connector to a computer USB port. The unit will appear as a Removable Disk, and just navigate down to the appropriate directory (example: F:\Removable Disk\DCIM\100DRIFT) and either download or view the video straight from the camera. For faster downloads, use a standalone SD card reader, and bypass the camera as the downloading interface.

Whoa, baby, I’m a back door man
The men don’t know
But the little girls understand

To charge the camera, turn it off, open the back door, plug in the USB cable to the computer and then the camera USB port, push and hold Select button for 3 seconds, and the LED turns blue until it’s done, which can take a couple of hours depending on how much video was recorded.

Video
When recording in rougher mountain biking terrain, all the POV outdoor video cameras have an issue with what I call the “jump or shake” syndrome. It can be seen in the recorded media as in abrupt jump or blur in the field of view, almost like one is in an earthquake, or as jellovision. Attaching the camera using a more stable mount so that it literally becomes part of the attachment point helps this issue. A great deal of the issue is due to the CMOS sensor, but the HD exacerbates the issue, since anomalies are more perceptible. Of course, in the price point range of the POV’s, compromises have to be made to get a rugged outdoor sport video camera to function within its design and cost parameters.

The HD170, like a lot of the CMOS video cameras use a Rolling Shutter, which makes videos seem a bit shaky and scattered (think sea sickness) and jellovisioned, due to motion artifacts (skew and wobble). A Rolling Shutter exposes different portions of the frame at a different point in time, hence “rolling” through the frame, while a Global shutter (CCD cameras use this) exposes the entire imager simultaneously. Neither does this in the physical sense. The degree that each camera exhibits the motion artifacts issue depends on a lot of factors. The final output can also display spatio-temporal aliasing, which has a rippled or watered appearance. The HD170 was less suspectable to some of these issues, but they were still very discernible.

Like any of the sports cameras, I found the 1080p gave rise to extraneous jellovision from the bumpy conditions of mountain biking, although it was much better than its competition. The 720p was the preferred mode, and it gave excellent results, with sharp images, and robust and vibrant colors, which were a real standout feature. I sort of missed having the 960p mode, and I consider that a real loss in otherwise a nice resolution package. It did quite well when alternating between sunshine and shade, something that is tough to deal with, especially in high mountain bright light conditions. Pixelation was good, with mild amounts of aliasing, and edge artifacts. The HD170 stable mounting system did help somewhat with the 1080p jello vision, but it didn’t alleviate it. If the terrain was smooth, or you could tighten down your helmet or use a full faced version, the 1080p looked really sweet, as the additional clarity was outstanding, and the widescreen captured an expansive viewpoint. Unfortunately, with rough terrain encountered during typical mountain biking, and loose fitting helmets, the 1080p format had significant jellovision, and made those recording undesirable.

Impressions
I really liked the Drift Innovations HD170 camera, as it was robust, rugged, weather proof, had a LCD screen, and was easy to use. The menu system was intuitive, and it was simple to change settings as desired, and review or delete photos and video footage. Although I accidentally hit the Back/Menu button instead of the Select often, and ended up having to backtrack. The LCD was small, being only 1.5 inches, but it was useful and bright enough for what was needed to be accomplished in the field. After positioning the camera on its mount, leveling the camera was greatly benefited by the LCD screen, both for prerecording orientation check (using a tree, log or your finger), and post check using the recorded footage to verify the results. The camera beeps to inform you of stop and start recording mode changes, and it was decently loud, although I wish it had another notch of adjustment (to 11!).  I would have liked a speaker or perhaps a LED light on the remote, especially when using the helmet mount, since it wasn’t always obvious what mode it was in. The remote was really nice to use, especially when using a helmet mount, since it was hard to locate the Select button when reaching up onto the camera. The remote allowed quick video sequences to be performed, even on moderately difficult terrain, and it was easy to stab at its buttons, even with gloves and fat fingering them.

The video footage was excellent, with warm and very vibrant colors, good contrast, and sharp images. I preferred the 720p mode, since 1080p gave rise to jellovision in mountain biking conditions.

Their mount system worked really well, and was the most stable of the sports cameras on the market. It was easy to slide their universal clip into its mate, but the lack of good non vented helmet strap is a real bummer, as the best method is using the stick on Velcro, so you end up with a semi-permanent attachment. Again, once properly attached there is very little movement from the system. The 1/4 universal camera adapter on the bottom of the camera, was a nice feature, though I didn’t use it much, it allowed a connection to a tripod, or on some of the RAM mounts. The ability to alter the exposure settings on the menu was really a handy feature, and it came in useful for adjusting things for local conditions (weather, location, time of day), and the results could be viewed, and then changed, making for an instant A/B comparison. The Night Mode helped somewhat in darker conditions, but like any of the sports cameras, once the ISO settings got pretty high, it was less than adequate in low lighting conditions.

You had to be somewhat careful of the camera’s bulbous lens, which sort of sticks out, and it was easy to bump into objects, as I would be worried about its longevity and getting scratches? Even though the camera is pretty rugged, the body seemed to scratch easily, though it didn’t damage anything other than the surface, so call it a cosmetic nuisance.  The camera is weather proof, so its not made to take out for aggressive whitewater kayaking or any sort of intensive water sports, but it works fine for a mountain bike environment, as it made it through quite a few ugly hail and rainstorms and worked just fine.

Bottom Line
The HD170 is an excellent HD outdoor sports camera, that has 1080p and 720p resolutions, has an LCD screen and a wireless remote, is bombproof, and can take a beating from inclement weather. The very functional LCD screen is used for leveling, camera settings, menu selection and recorded material viewing. The camera video recording can be operated from its own button or from the wrist mounted remote, which was an excellent accessory item that added incredible amounts of functionality. I do wish the camera had 960p for a resolution, since I think it is a nice feature. The menu system was highly intuitive and easy to use, and made any changes and viewing of recorded material a breeze. The mount system is the most stable in the business, but its lack of a vented helmet mount is troublesome, since a semi-permanent stick on is the only solution.

Strengths
- Remote control
- LCD screen
- Stable mount system
- Universal clip
- Menu system

Weaknesses
- Lens prone to damage
- Camera body scratches easy
- Lack of 960p
- Lack of vented head mount
- Portly shape

MSRP:  $329.99

Visit Drift Innovations HD170 Website

Technical Specs:

The ContourHD 1080p is a small, light and compact video camera, that is easy to use. It has an excellent usage factor, combining a mechanical start/stop recording slider, loud and distinct indicator beeps for mode changes, a 180 degree rotatable lens and a superb dual Laser leveling feature for horizontal alignment. The camera records in a vast array of high definition video resolutions up to 1080p, and has proven itself to take excellent footage with great clarity and realistic colors.

ContourHD
The ContourHD 1080p is a POV (point of view) high definition sports CMOS camera, that can record video footage in 1080p, 960p, 720p and SD formats. It records data onto a MicroSD card (2GB included) up to 16GB in size, and is powered with an internal rechargeable Li-Ion battery that gives around three hours of recording time. The small and light camera is mostly made of plastic, and use a fiberglass lower body, with a protective anodized aluminum barrel surrounding the lens and electronics, and its impact, shock, and water resistant. The camera attaches to an assortment of mounts, including a goggle, flat surface, universal adapter (camera and RAM), vented helmet (optional) and handlebar (optional), using their proprietary TRails system.

The kit comes with the ContourHD 1080p camera, a flat surface and goggle mount, an instruction guide, a USB cable, a rechargeable 3.7V 1050mAh Li-Ion battery and a 2GB MicroSD card.

Video Resolutions
The ContourHD 1080p can shoot in High Definition (obviously), in five video resolutions. It can shoot in 1080p (widescreen) at 30fps, 960p (full frame) at 30fps, 720p (widescreen) at either 30 fps or 60 fps, and SD at 60 fps. The 720p 60 fps allows for slow motion playback, which is pretty cool to watch. Each of the video resolution’s are captured at different bit rates, which entails varying recording times and storage requirements, meaning greater resources are needed for the higher usage formats. The resolution settings are done within Contour’s Easy Edit software on your local computer, since the camera itself doesn’t have a user menu interface for configuration. You can preset two video resolutions for the camera, which can then be changed by using the Hi/Low switch on the inside back of the unit. The camera records in two viewing angles, unique to its video resolution, so 1080p and SD are 110 degrees, while 920p and 720p are at 135 degrees. It uses the H.264 video codec, AAC audio compression, and a .mov file type.

Camera Features
On the back of the camera is a simple on and off button, along with two LED’s that informs you of the available memory and battery levels, and they fluctuate from green (80-100%)  to yellow (20-80%) and finally red (0-20%). The front has an LED that indicates if the camera is on (green) or in record mode (red). The lens rotates 90 degrees right or left of the top center, which allows the camera to be mounted at varying angles, and the dual Lasers can be focused on an object to indicate the horizontal alignment for proper recording. Contour’s TRails mounting system, is sort of like tongue and groove, and the camera has two female groove’s, and the mounts have two male tongue’s (insert joke).

On the top of the camera is a mechanical slider that turns the recording mode on and off.  Inside the rear door, is the battery slot, a switch to change between preset video resolutions (aka Hi/Lo), a MicroSD card slot, a mini USB port and a battery charging indicator.

Impressions and Usage
Mounting
The camera only comes with a flat surface, and goggle mounts, while the more useful vented helmet is an optional accessory. Not having the helmet mount as a basic item in the camera kit is a huge faux pas on Contour’s part, as anyone who rides a mountain bike have a need for that item. I found that goggle mounts were useful if you had a wide Velcro strap, which I procured from one of my night light kits.

The TRails mounting system is pretty easy to use, just line up the male and female parts, and push the camera backwards until it reaches the front stops. Unfortunately, there is some subtle inherent sloppiness in the system, which is difficult to get rid of, and rough trails and loose helmets, exacerbate the issue. I found that the goggle mounts displayed the least amount of slop, and was the most stable to use. The latest version of the helmet and handlebar has greatly improved the issue, but has not alleviated it. For additional safety in case the unit falls off, each of the mounts has a lanyard that snaps into an accompanying one on the camera.

The helmet mounts have a small amount of pitch control, so the camera can be tilted up and down. The handlebar mounts works decently once it’s set up properly, and the ball socket system let you point it just about anywhere, though the clamp only works on the narrowest part of the bar.

Weight:

• Camera – 102.1 grams
• 8 GB MicroSD card – .2 grams
• Battery – 21.6 grams
• Total – 123.9 grams

Size:

• 96mm long x 55mm tall x 34mm wide

Camera Usage
To turn on the camera, just push the rear power button, and it announces that it’s alive with loud and distinct beep, which was easy to hear no matter what the outdoor ambient noise level was like. Leveling the camera was super simple and fun, and a quick press of the power button, illuminates the Lasers, and you point the camera at a stationary object, like a tree, rock or the ground, and then rotate the lens until the two beam spots are horizontally aligned. Although it can be hard to discern the Laser spots in bright daylight while looking down the trail, you can get a general idea of what the video will be capturing. I freaked out the family the first time I turned on the lasers, and pointed them against the wall, which was kind of fun until the kids wanted to play with it, NOT! To begin the recording, just push the slider towards the lens, and it beeps once, and the front indicator light turns from green to red. To stop recording, push the slider away from the lens, and it beeps twice. The loud beeps and mechanical nature of the recording switch were very intuitive and reassuring, and inform you of exactly what’s transpired, and if needed a quick check of the switch’s position quickly assured you of its status. I give extremely high marks to the Contour for its usage factor!

After you get everything set up it is pretty easy to reach up on your helmet and turn the camera on or off, turn on the lasers or slide the record button, all with the reinforcement of the nice loud beeps as things go on or off. The rear on/off button was less distinct when wearing gloves, but the loud noise it made, more than made up for it. The camera has an automatic shutoff if the camera is idle (not recording) for 15 minutes, and it beeps twice as it powers down.

While it was on my head, I did notice the additional weight, but it wasn’t significant, and after riding any distance it slowly disappeared and wasn’t noticeable. It doesn’t stick up in the air as much as the toaster oven camera, but it still got whacked by trees. I did actually break one set of rails, but it was a pretty abusive happenstance, and Contour sent me a new replacement.

Memory and Battery
The rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery fits very snugly into the back of the camera, and there is a latch to hold it securely in the position, which greatly helps the jarring vibrations that mountain places on the battery. A loose connection means loss of footage, data corruption, and anomalies can be introduced. The 3.7 volt and 1050 milliampere-hour battery, gave me anywhere from 2-3 hour of usage, and its limit varied on the video resolution used, and the number times that I cycled the on/off and stop/start recording switches.

The unit comes with a 2GB MicroSD card which was good for 30-60 minutes of recording time in HD mode (15-30min per GB in HD). I went out and bought a 8GB MicroSD card for maximum recording time, since the memory gets maxed out when the battery limit is reached. I will probably get a 16GB card, but I currently carry an extra battery and MicroSD card, if I desire more footage.

Interfacing with the Computer
To download or view the video’s you recorded, open up the back door of the camera, and connect the mini USB to the camera, and then the other end of the connector to a computer USB port. The unit will appear as a Removable Disk, and just navigate down to the appropriate directory (example: F:\Removable Disk\DCIM\100MEDIA) and either download or view the video straight from the camera. For faster downloads, use a standalone SD card reader, and bypass the camera as the downloading interface.

To configure the camera you use Contour’s Easy Edit software on your computer, which can be installed directly from the MicroSD card or downloaded from their website. The Easy Edit software lets you do camera configurations, video downloads, editing (primitive) and uploads to their community site. You can configure the bit rate, Hi/Low switch video settings, microphone gain(0-59), and lighting conditions such as contrast (0-100), exposure (-4 to +4), sharpness(1-5), metering weighting (spot, center, avg) and set the time. I played with the bit rate and lighting settings, and they were fun to play with, and did make a discernible difference.

I didn’t use their Easy Edit software very much, except to change camera configurations, as I much preferred a more robust video editing software package, such as Cyberlink’s PowerDirector Ultra (my current fave), but they are plenty of other brands on the market. The Easy Edit wasn’t bad, and it a least gave you something to use for editing, plus you can upload 60fps videos, which isn’t the case with any of the popular video sites, such as YouTube or Vimeo. I usually manually download the footage to a local directory, and either upload to Vimeo as a raw file or use my video software to create a short video.

While the hooked up to the computer, the indicator on the back stays red until the battery is fully charged, which can take a couple of hours depending on how much video was recorded.

Video
I tested all the different HD video resolutions, and my preference was full frame 960p, since it gave more of the trail viewpoint of what is perceived when actually riding a trail, meaning taller and narrower FOV (field of vision). The 720p was nice and I used it regularly, and it was easy to edit and splice, and was more conformable to the video upload sites. The camera can have two preset video resolutions, which are set up with the Easy Edit software, and then are chosen with the Hi/Low switch, and I usually did a 960p and 720p pairing.

The captured footage had good clarity and sharpness, with realistic colors, although they were slightly cool and muted. It did well in bright sunshine, especially when panning directly into the sun, but it wasn’t the best when alternating between sunshine and shade. Like many of the CMOS sensors, straight on sun will cause some vertical colored bands (usually purple) and flares. Pixelation was good, with a mild amount of aliasing, and some slight edge artifacts. The framing was smooth, but heavy shocks, and vibrations caused distortion.

If the terrain was smooth, or you could tighten down your helmet or use a full faced version, the 1080p looked really sweet, as the additional clarity was outstanding, and the widescreen captured an expansive viewpoint. Unfortunately,  with rough terrain encountered during typical mountain biking, and loose fitting helmets, the 1080p format had significant jellovision, and made those recording undesirable.

When recording in rougher mountain biking terrain, all the POV outdoor video cameras have an issue with what I call the “jump or shake” syndrome. It can be seen in the recorded media as in abrupt jump in the field of view, almost like one is in an earthquake, or as jellovision. Attaching the camera using a more stable mount so that it literally becomes part of the attachment point helps this issue. A great deal of the issue is due to the CMOS sensor, but the HD exacerbates the issue, since anomalies are more perceptible. Of course, in the price point range of the POV’s, compromises have to be made to get a rugged outdoor sport video camera to function within its design and cost parameters.

The ContourHD, like a lot of the CMOS video cameras use a Rolling Shutter, which makes videos seem a bit shaky and scattered (think sea sickness) and jellovisioned, due to motion artifacts (skew and wobble). A Rolling Shutter exposes different portions of the frame at a different point in time, hence “rolling” through the frame, while a Global shutter (CCD cameras use this) exposes the entire imager simultaneously. Neither does this in the physical sense. The degree that each camera exhibits the motion artifacts issue depends on a lot of factors. The final output can also display spatio-temporal aliasing, which has a rippled or watered appearance.

Quibbles
The back door would loosen sometimes, and pop open slightly when turning the record slider on and off, but it never did actually fully flop open, and it was easy to slide back into position, even on the fly. The unit doesn’t do very well in rain storms when mud gets kicked up, and although it still recorded (it’s water resistant), mud would get caught in the nook of the lens, and cause issues. They do have a new waterproof housing, which should help, but I haven’t tested it as yet, but it will come in handy next time I am submerged. If you don’t clear the memory before your ride, your SOL, since there isn’t a method for in the field deletion, so it’s a good idea to always have a spare card. Even if I played with the microphone gain, I still didn’t find the sound recoding very useful, it either had extraneous wind noise or was too muted, although I usually add music to my edited videos, so it was a moot point for me.

Bottom Line
What I really like about the camera was the usefulness of the switching. When turning it on, or switching recording on and off, you get a loud and distinct beep, and in addition the mechanical feel for what is happening. The Laser sighting is the best on the market for leveling your FOV, and you get a real time sense of what will be recorded, which is really nice, since once it’s on top of your head, you lose visual alignment cue’s. The camera is compact and light, and the Aluminum and fiberglass body haven proven to be tough and durable, as it has taken lots of tree impacts, an occasional drop into the rocks, and a couple of good crashes. The TRails mounting system leaves something to be desired, and the rail and groove system is a bit sloppy, and no matter how I used it, there was some inherent wiggle. The Vented Helmet mounts need to be part of the camera kit, since it is a key item for mountain bike usage.

The ContourHD 1080p took excellent high definition video footage, and it had great clarity with realist colors, and it has the best usage factor of all the sports camera I have used.

Strengths
- Laser leveling system
- Rotatable lens
- Loud indicative beeps
- Mechanical slider
- Light
- Great video quality

Weaknesses
- Lens can collect mud
- Microphone
- TRails Mount system can be sloppy
- Lack of Vented Helmet mount in kit

MSRP: $279.99

Overall Rating: 4 Flamin’ Chili Peppers

Visit ContourHD website

ContourHD Specs
Video

• HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) at 30 fps
• HD 960p (1280 x 960) at 30 fps
• HD 720p (1280 x 720) at 30 fps
• HD 720p (1280 x 720) at 60 fps
• SD WVGA (848 x 480) at 60 fps
• 5 Mega-pixel CMOS Image Sensor
• H.264 Codec (AAC Audio)
• File Type *.mov

Recording Time

• 1080p,960p,720p(60fps) – 15min/GB
• 720p (30fps) – 30 min/GB
• SD – 60min/GB

Memory

• MicroSD card
• Maximum 16GB (2GB included)

Audio

• Internal microphone
• AAC Audio compression

Lens

• 960p and 720p – 135 degrees
• 1080p and SD – 110 degrees

Body

• Water resistant
• Aluminum and Fiberglass body
• TRails mount system

Battery

• Removable Litihium-Ion Battery 3,7V 1050mAh
• 3 hours record time
• Charge via USB or Optional Charger
• Charge Time 3 hours

Camera Kit

• Countour HD camera
• 2GB MicroSD Card
• Google Mount
• Flat Surface Mount
• Rechargeable Battery
• USB Cable

HD HERO

The longingly anticipated GoPro HD HERO was released early this year, and I have gotten around 6 months of testing experience with the camera. It brings a lot of unique features to the table, such as its waterproof and durable housing, and an incredible assortment of attachment accessories, such as the best quick release vented helmet mounts in the business. The HD HERO records in a vast array of high definition video resolutions up to 1080p, and has proven itself to take excellent footage with great clarity and vivid colors.

“Being a hero is about the shortest-lived profession on earth.”

Note: I am cross comparing the HD HERO to the old HERO Wide and VHoldR ContourHD 1080p

HD HERO

GoPro’s HD HERO is a POV (point of view) high definition sports CMOS camera, that can take video and still shots. It can record video footage in 1080p, 960p, 720p and SD formats, and 5MP photos in several modes. It records data onto SDHC cards (not included) up to 32GB in size, and is powered with an internal rechargeable battery that gives around 2.5 hours of recording time. The camera is encased within a plastic waterproof housing, that attaches to a plethora of mounting accessories, and can be mounted to a wide array of objects. The camera can be used for an assortment of outdoor activities, including motorsports, biking, kayaking, surfing, skiing, base jumping, etc.

Video
The HD HERO can shoot in High Definition (obviously), in 5 video resolutions. It can shoot in 1080p (widescreen) at 30fps, 960p (full frame) at 30fps, 720p (widescreen) at either 30 fps or 60 fps, and SD at 60 fps. The 720p 60 fps allows for slow motion playback, which is pretty cool to watch. Each of the video resolution’s are captured at different bit rates, which entails varying recording times and storage requirements, meaning greater resources are needed for the higher usage formats. The resolution settings are done within the camera’s menu system, which is managed by its 2 buttons. In fact, any of the programmable features and settings can be done through the menus, allowing in the field changes as required. The camera records in 2 viewing angles, unique to its video resolution, so 1080p is 127 degrees, while 920p, 720p and SD are at 170 degrees. The default setting is 960p.

Photos
The HD HERO can shoot still photos in either a manual or automatic mode. In the manual mode it can be set to shoot either a single or triple sequence of photos, and even has a 10 second timer if desired. The automatic mode allows photos to be taken every X number of seconds, where X is 2 (default), 5, 10, 30 or 60 second intervals.

IMPRESSIONS AND USAGE

Camera Operation
The camera is operated using the power/mode (located on front) button, and the shutter/select (located on top) button. Once the desired camera options are set using its deep menu system (viewed from the status screen), a simple push of the shutter button stops and starts the camera’s recording operation. The camera’s settings are accessed through a combination of the 2 buttons, using the menu system as a visual aid. This can be a bit tricky, since it isn’t always intuitive, and the menu icons can be difficult to see and interpret. Perhaps a slightly large screen might help? I was always clicking past the video icon, which meant I had to cycle back through the menu to get there again.

HD HERO Functional Layout

To turn on the camera, just push the front power button, and it announces itself with 3 subtle beep. The beeps were not loud enough to be heard over the typically noisy outdoor conditions. The wind, terrain, and loud compatriots all make hearing them difficult. This meant you spent a lot of time looking at the front of the camera to verify its status. LOUDER beeps please!

“Eleven. Exactly. One louder.”

After choosing the video resolution, you push the shutter button to start the recording. The camera beeps once, and the indicator light begins to blink. To stop the recording, push the shutter button, and it beeps 3 times, and the light stops blinking.  The buttons were a bit soft, so it was tough to tell whether it actually started or stopped, exacerbated by the subtle beep, so a visual check was required, which meant a lot of face shots at the beginning of recordings.

The HD HERO was problematic in that I am not sure what it is up to without taking it off my head, and looking at the indicator light or the status screen. It can be a moot point sometimes if I just leave the camera running continually, but that uses up battery and storage space. Cameras with a more mechanical on/off lever alleviate that issue.

What is it Capturing?
Another point of contention is that is sort of hard to know what you are capturing on the HD HERO. The old view finder is now gone, so you have to use the alignment of the camera body itself to know what it is shooting, which is even tougher since once you put it on your head you really aren’t sure where it is pointing? Trial an error (look at the video post ride) will eventually get you to know what angle works best.

Status LCD Screen
The HERO Wide had an upside down viewpoint of the LCD screen, which was very annoying. The upside down screen output was a leftover from the HERO’s surfing roots, in which the camera was attached to your wrist, and upside down was the right side up! I am glad they went to a normal screen output with the HD HERO.

“Abby Normal!”

LCD Screen

The LCD screen is where you see the current status, such as the battery level, video resolution setting (1-5), shooting mode (photo, video, triple shot, timer), picture count, deletion status and exposure setting. As you go through the menu system, using the power/mode and shutter/select buttons, various icons, numbers and 3 letter anachronisms are highlighted on the LCD screen, allowing multiple camera options to be set. The upside down image capturing mode is missing (upside down records right side up), hopefully a firmware upgrade will be released soon. The user manual (ok, a single large double sided piece of paper), does a good job of covering everything, even if it is sometimes ad nauseam!

I would have liked a slightly larger screen, since a lot of information is packed into it a small area. The mode icons are difficult to see, and they are tucked up high on the screen.

Weight:

• 98.9 grams – camera with battery and SD card
• 26.1 grams – battery
• 1.7 grams – SD card
• 90.5 grams – waterproof housing with connector
• 19.3 grams – connector
• 189.4 grams – total

Size:

• 60mm x 42mm x 30mm – camera size
• 72mm x 65mm x 46mm – housing size
• 13mm x 16mm – LCD screen size

Housing
The housing is a really nice unit, that is durable, waterproof and resists contamination. The housing is made of polycarbonate, with stainless steel hinge pins. I have used the camera kayaking, and biking in the snow and mud, and can attest for its tight seals and protection it affords. Which is a good thing, since the camera itself is a bit fragile, so it really needs to be used within the housing? On the bottom of the housing is a slotted connector to hook it up to the mounting system.

Housing

Mounts
The mounting system connects up to the bottom of the housing, and includes a vast array of parts and pieces (some are optional), that allow placements on the frame, helmet, handlebars and seatpost. The HD HERO is sold in different kit formats such as Helmet, Surf and Motorsports. The Helmet version is what most bikers will purchase, and includes mounts for vented and hard shell helmets.

The kit includes a vented helmet strap, a unvented helmet strap (a.k.a the jock strap), stick on mounts, and a side arm swivel. The mounts allow attachment to bikes, cars, kayaks, helmets and more. You can purchase additional more specific adapters for motorsports, surfing, and other sports uses. I tested the optional adapters that allow connection to a seatpost or handlebar, and the “Chesty” which is a chest strap system. These two accessories are a necessity to make full use of the camera’s abilities.

HD HERO Kit Contents

Using the easy to mount helmet strap, the housing unit has a fantastic quick snap in capability that is a dream to attach to the helmet strap mount. All that are required is a quick backwards push of the buckle onto any of the mounts, and the housing is installed. The quick release system just plain rocks, it’s so easy to take the camera on and off. I wish my bike lights all used this system.

Quick Connect System

The mounts, adapters and swivel arms can be set up to shoot a lot of variations and viewpoints, making some interesting footage. Everything fits together like a small tinker toy set, with clamping and connection done by a plastic ended screw with a nut, which are tightened by hand. Although everything is easy to use and set up, it’s difficult to make things tight enough, and things always seem to move in the middle of a ride. Even when tightening with a screw driver, things can move accidentally and screw up a shot.

I really liked the helmet mount, which was simple to use and could be clamped down pretty tightly (fewer movements). I did think it looked like a freakin toaster on top of your head! I also enjoyed the handlebar mount, which could give some interesting perspective, and in addition it kept the camera out of my way. I found that the seatpost setup seemed to get caught on my bike shorts on occasion, which was very annoying.

Handlebar and Seatpost Mounts

The “Chesty” was pretty cool, and was excellent for skiing and kayaking, where it ruled. I didn’t like it as much as most people, since I tend to move around too much, and saddle and stuff got in the way.

The Chesty

Memory/Storage
One of the most dramatic changes from the older model is that the memory/storage capacity is now up to a whopping 32GB capacity! Much better than the measly 2GB that was the standard, although GoPro did release a 4GB memory firmware for the old HERO Wide. Unfortunately, since the 32GB cards are fairly new, they are brutally expensive, anywhere from $75 to $200+, ouch! I got a 16GB Class 6 card, which was a good compromise, especially considering the battery cannot make it to 32GB.

• Memory statistics per single battery charge: 1080p @ 12.5GB, 960p @ 15.9GB, 720p @ 15.7GB

The SD Cards are formatted with a FAT 32 partition, which has a 4GB file size limitation. While recording, a new video file will be created once the currently recording one reaches appropriately 3. 84GB, due to the FAT limitation, so you will need to piece the files together in an editor to have a full timeline.

This brings up an issue that has been problematic for many HD HERO users. Not all SD cards seem to work properly with the camera, although this can be a common issue with a lot of digital cameras, not just the HD HERO. It seems to be hit and miss for which cards might work, for instance, all my Transcend SD cards work fine for me, but others have had issues with them. Per GoPro support, “For what it’s worth, internally we use Kingston or Patriot brand cards: 16GB, Class 4.” Issues that have been reported are short video recording times, or an inability to record.  I did not have any of these issues, and all the cards I have used have been fine. Caveat emptor.

Housing w/ Optional Slotted Sound Door and Memory Slot

Sound
The GoPro engineers improved the sound reception of the unit  in comparison to the old unit, which I can attest to. The new pickup is readily apparent when using the optional non-waterproof back door, which has cut outs on it. I usually add music to my videos, so sound is sort of a moot point for me.

Battery
The camera now has an internal rechargeable Lithium Ion 1100mah battery, so no more having to swap out your AAA batteries for another recharge, just plug it into your computers USB port for its replenishment. The battery fits very snugly into the back of the camera, so that it won’t give any issues with high vibration activities, like mountain biking. The battery is supposed to last 2.5 hours per charge, but it seems to vary depending on the chosen video resolution.

• Battery time statistics: 1080p @ 2:20hrs, 960p @ 2:40hrs, 720p @ 2:16 hrs
• Battery recharge: 2 hrs

A future expansion pack will have a longer life battery, so until then with the larger storage capacity of 32GB, a spare battery might be desired on multiple hour rides. I always carry an extra in case of unforeseen issues.

Camera and Battery

Battery Slot

Expansion Port
The back of the camera has an expansion port, that will allow optional expansion packs (called Bakpacs) to be connected. The current Bakpacs list to be released sometime in 2010, is an LCD screen (to view videos/pictures), and a battery extender. The Bakpacs will come with an expanded back door, so that the fatter camera (camera with attached Bakpac) will fit inside the waterproof housing. Future Bakpacs are supposed to include a battery warmer for those ultra cold days when batteries give up the ghost at the most inopportune moments.

Expansion Port and Input/Output Ports

RECORDED VIDEO
I recorded all the video resolution except for the SD with the HD HERO. The 1080p gave the best clarity, and its widescreen gave a great scenic value to some shots, but I preferred the 960p since its full frame viewpoint captured the maximum field of view, giving rise to what is perceived when actually riding a trail. I liked the handlebars or the helmet mounts, which worked at the best for my riding style, and also gathered footage that I preferred.

The captured HD HERO footage had good clarity and sharpness, with warm and vivid colors. I think that the HERO camera line deals extremely well with difficult daylight conditions, especially when alternating between sunshine and shade, and it just seems to deal with that adjustment in a more subtle manner. Like many of the CMOS sensors, straight on sun will cause some vertical colored bands (usually purple) and flares. Pixelation was good, with a mild amount of aliasing, and some slight edge artifacts. The framing was smooth, but heavy shocks and vibrations caused distortion.

Jump/Shake Issues
When recording in rougher mountain biking terrain, all the POV outdoor video cameras have an issue with what I call the “jump or shake” syndrome. It can be seen in the recorded media as in abrupt jump in the field of view, almost like one is in an earthquake. Attaching the camera using a more stable mount so that it literally becomes part of the attachment point helps this issue, but does not alleviate it. A great deal of the issue is due to the CMOS sensor, but the HD exacerbates the issue, since anomalies are more perceptible. Of course, in the price point range of the POV’s, compromises have to be made to get a rugged outdoor sport video camera to function within its design and cost parameters.

The HD HERO, like a lot of the CMOS video cameras use a Rolling Shutter, which makes videos seem a bit shaky and scattered (think sea sickness), due to motion artifacts (skew and wobble). A Rolling Shutter exposes different portions of the frame at a different point in time, hence “rolling” through the frame, while a Global shutter (CCD cameras use this) exposes the entire imager simultaneously. Neither does this in the physical sense. The degree that each camera exhibits the motion artifacts issue depends on a lot of factors. The GoPro due to its extremely wide camera angle (170 degrees) tends to compensate for some of those side artifacts, but they still exist. The final output can also display spatio-temporal aliasing, which has a rippled or watered appearance.

GoPro HD HERO Mount Tests from Brian Mullin on Vimeo.

Hooters Canyon – Pueblo South Shore (chest mount) 12/29/09 from Brian Mullin on Vimeo.

Editing
Raw footage looks the best, but to make the most use of things you need to do some video editing. There is plenty of video editing software on the market, from freeware to products that can cost several hundred dollars. I ended up using Cyberlink’s PowerDirector Ultra, which costs around $99. Most of the products allow a trail period, so you can test out their software and find one that suits your preferences. Editing allows cuts and piecing together of footage, and music and titles can be added, making a more professional and appealing product, even though it’s destined for the cyber world.

Download and Viewing
To download or view the video’s you will need a PC or Mac. Take the camera out of the housing, and connect the mini USB to the camera, and then the other end of the connector to the computers USB port, and click the power button (USB will appear in the screen). The unit will appear as a Removable Disk, just navigate down to the appropriate directory (example: F:\Removable Disk\DCIM\100MEDIA) and either download or view the video straight from the camera. You can also remove the SD card, and use a SD card reader or other device, and bypass the camera as the downloading interface. The video’s are in a MP4 (MPEG-4), and you can use them as is or edit them in your favorite video editing software.

You can also view video’s directly from the camera on a TV using the HDTV or Audio out connections. You use the camera’s buttons to tab through, and start each of the video’s stored on the camera’s memory. The controls are very rudimentary, but they do work. For a small video camera watching the video on a large screen is pretty impressive.

Technical Camera Fodder
The sensor is .4 inch HD CMOS (Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor) with 2.2 micrometer pixels, and the video format is H.264 compression, which is saved as a MP4 file. It uses a fixed focus lens, with a f2.8 aperture, and has an angle of view of either 127 or 170, depending on the chosen video resolution. I believe the unit is made in China by Sky Light Industrial, a company that makes  electronic products for multiple partners.

ContourHD 1080p vs GoPro HD HERO
Here is a crude shootout between the 2 camera’s, ‘H’ is for HD HERO and ‘C’ is for ContourHD, a ‘+’ means its a standout, while ‘-’ means a black mark.

Colors:
H:  warm and vibrant colors.
C:  cooler, but slightly more realistic colors.

Varying Light:
H: + superb, great for going from shade to bright sunlight to shade, etc.
C: good.

Picture Quality:
A wash, they are both about the same.

Usability:
C: + superb, adjustable lighting settings, on/off  is loud with mechanical switch, rotatable lens, laser beam sighting, but most settings are not field changeable.
H: on/off button and beeps make status difficult, all settings are field changeable, poor aiming ability.

Elements Protection:
H: + the housing is waterproof and tough, but the camera has to be in the housing unit else it’s fragile.
C: good, but can get a bit wet and dirty, they do have a new optional waterproof housing coming out (+?).

Mounts:
H: + has more mounts, but requires a good tightening, they’re stable and work well, but mounts can loosen up and rotate out of position, especially when hit/glanced by something.
C: It tends to wiggle a bit in their mounts, good helmet and frame mount if the goggle mounts are used with a large piece of Velcro.

Reliability:
H: – issues with SD Card compatibility, and I had some test units with other issues.
C: + never one issue with the unit, well made and robust.

Style:
C: + compact, stays close to the head.
H: Its a toaster? It gets whacked by trees on top of your head.

So which is better? It’s a wash, they both have their attributes and faults, both take good video for what they are, small sport video cameras. To be honest, 1080p is a bit shaky on either camera for most mountain biking footage, so I think the 960p is the best of the bunch, and I always use that mode. I like the ContourHD slightly better, mostly for its usability.

HD HERO on Vented Helmet Mount

BOTTOMLINE
The HD HERO is an excellent high definition POV camera, that is light and small, with a vast array of software settings that can be changed in the field. The recorded footage has good clarity and vivid colors, and looks nice on a large TV monitor. The camera can deal extremely well with difficult daylight conditions, especially shadow to bright sunshine interactions. It’s easy to pop the card out and into a SD Card reader, for faster downloads on a computer. The polycarbonate housing is a really nice unit, its durable and waterproof, which makes it great for inclement conditions or water sports. The mounting systems (highlights to the quick release) are highly functional, and allow a plethora of placements on almost any object. The optional handlebar/seatpost and Chesty mounts are well engineered, and really add usefulness to the kit.

I did not like the soft non-positive buttons, nor the subdued on and off beeps, and it often required a visual inspection for camera status. It was hard to know what the camera was capturing due to the lack of any sort of positioning system (view finder, etc.). The mounting system is somewhat flexy and lacks shock proofing, and it’s difficult to lock down to prevent accidental movement.

The HD HERO would be a great addition for any sports enthusiast, even though it looks like a toaster oven.

Strengths
-Waterproof and durable housing
-Vivid colors
-Great video quality
-In the field software setting adjustments
-Low artifacts on edges
-Good assortment of mounts

Weaknesses
-Poor shock proofing
-Soft and non-positive shutter button
-Indication beep are not loud enough
-Visual inspection required for recording status
-Mount systems can move, is slightly flexy and hard to clamp down

MSRP: $299

Overall Rating:

GoPro url: http://www.goprocamera.com/

GoPro HD HERO Specs

What’s Included:
* 1 HD HERO Camera (5 megapixel)
* 1 Rechargeable 1100 mAh Lithium-Ion Battery
* 1 Waterproof Quick-Release Housing (180’/60 m)
* 1 Headlamp-Style Head Strap
* 1 Vented Helmet Strap
* 2 Curved, 3M™ Adhesive Mounts
* 2 Flat, 3M Adhesive Mounts
* 1 Three-Way Pivoting Side Arm Assembly
* 2 Quick-Release Buckles
* 1 USB Cable
* 1 Component Video (HDTV) Cable
* 1 Composite Video + Audio Out Cable
* Warranty: One Year

Tech Specs:

Camera Optics
* Lens Type: Fixed Focus (2ft/.6m – ∞), glass
* Aperture: f/2.8 (high performance in low-light situations)
* Angle of View: 170º ultra wide angle in WVGA, 720p, or 960p mode
* Angle of View: 127º wide angle in 1080p mode

Video
* HD Video Resolution Modes: (subject to change, pending final firmware release)
- 1080p = 1920×1080 pixels (16:9), 30 fps, 15 Mbit/s data rate
- 960p = 1280×960 pixels (4:3), 30 fps, 12 Mbit/s data rate
- 720p = 1280×720 pixels (16:9), 60 fps, 15 Mbit/s data rate
- 720p = 1280×720 pixels (16:9), 30 fps, 8 Mbit/s data rate
- WVGA = 848×480 pixels (16:9), 60 fps, 8 Mbit/s data rate
* Sensor Type: 1/2.5″ HD CMOS, 2.2µm-sized pixels
* Light Sensitivity: Super low-light sensitivity (>1.4 V/lux-sec)
* Video Format: H.264 compression, saved as Windows- & Mac-compatible MPEG4 (.mp4) file
* Exposure Control: Auto with user selectable center weighted average and spot metering settings
* White Balance: Auto

Audio
* Microphone: Built-in, mono with AGC (automatic gain control)
* Audio Format: 48 kHz, AAC audio compression

Photo
* Resolution: 5 megapixel
* Capture Modes: Single shot, photo every 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 secs.; 3 photo burst; self-timer

Storage
* Memory: SD card, up to 32GB capacity (SDHC)
* Average recording times (using 32GB SD card):
- 1080p (30 fps): 4h 21m
- 960p (30 fps): 5h 26m
- 720p (60 fps): 4h 21
- 720p (30 fps): 8h 09m
- WVGA (60 fps): 8h 09m

Camera Connectors & Cables
* PC Connection: USB 2.0 (data connection and battery charging)
* HDTV Out: HD NTSC & PAL (component cable incl.)
* Audio Out: Combo 2.5mm jack with stereo audio and composite video out
* PC Compatibility: Windows® XP (Service Pack 2 or later) or Vista; Mac OS® X 10.4.11 and later

Power & Battery
* Battery Type: Rechargeable 1100 mAh lithium-ion
* Battery Life: Approx. 2.5 hrs
* Charging: via USB to computer or optional power adapter
* Charge Time: 80% capacity after 1 hour with optional power adapter; or 2 hours with a computer’s USB port

Waterproof Camera Housing
* Depth Rating: Up to 180 feet / 60 meters
* Construction: Polycarbonate and stainless steel
* Hardware: Stainless steel

Size & Weight
* Dimensions (H x W x D): 1.6” x 2.4” x 1.2” (42mm x 60mm x 30mm)
* Weight: 3.3oz (94g) incl. battery, 5.9oz (167g) incl. housing

Optional Accessories
* Additional Rechargable 1100 mAh Lithium-Ion Battery (not yet available for pre-order)
* Full Line of Mounting Accessories

Optional Expansion Bakpacs™
An innovative expansion port on the back of the camera, the HERO Bus™ accepts optional Expansion Bakpacs to expand the functionality of HD HERO cameras:
* LCD Bakpac for on-camera preview and playback (not yet available for pre-order)
* Endurance Battery Bakpac for double battery life (not yet available for pre-order)
* More Bakpacs and expansion devices coming soon

I have been testing the ContourHD and the ContourHD 1080p video cameras for a long period of time, and although it has become my camera of choice, their mounting system always seemed to be a bit sloppy in its stability. No matter how I set up their proprietary TRail Mounts “slide and lock” system, which at its heart is basically a multiple tongue and groove connector, it just had a slight looseness within the connector that I could never quite alleviate. I used their goggle strap mount with a wide Velcro strap for my helmet while mountain biking, and it gave more security and stability for the camera than any of their other mounts, but alas it still didn’t help.

I ride extremely rough terrain while mountain biking, and the camera just gets jostled around enough that the videos always had the shakes, and it really took away from the aesthetics of the final product. I used video editing software that helped stabilize the video, but I always found that it detracted from the quality of the video.

On the MTBR.com video forum, I saw a small blurb about a third party mounting system named the XtremeVu CamClamp. After checking it out on their site and watching one of their short videos on their product line, I was extremely intrigued. After conferring with Patrick at XtremeVu (big thanks Pat), he sent me along an entire slew of their product suite for a thorough test and review. The products I am testing include their CamClamp, CamLens and the CamClamp ball adapter.

XtremeVu website has an excellent short blurb that sums up the system up pretty well:

The XV CamClamp is a custom multipurpose mounting system for the Twenty20 brand of wearable sports camera systems. It is compatible with the Twenty20 VholdR, ContourHD and ContourHD 1080. Machined from 6061 aluminum and anodized the CamClamp adds a high level of protection to your Twenty20 camera with a weight at 2.5 oz. Dual contoured swiveling pads with 3M dual lock allow for helmet and surface attachment on uneven surfaces. Easily detachable the CamClamp allows for multiple attachment locations by adding additional 3M Dual Lock pads. An inner silicone rubber liner increases the gripping force of the CamClamp while eliminating metal to metal contact. All assembly hardware is stainless steel.

Installation
Putting the system together was very straight forward. Separate the sections, and install and tighten down the helmet pads on one side using the recessed holes. Place the camera in the just assembled padded clamp, with the clamp section as far back as possible, so that it still allows the camera door to open. Connect the other section sides to its mate, and tighten everything down.

Attach the record button with a small dab of epoxy, I erred on the side of an extra amount of epoxy, so its not the prettiest, but it will provide more robustness and longevity. The dual lock helmet pads have a slight curvature to them, so that they will fit on the contours of helmets.

I added the dual lock attachment strips to the top and sides of the helmet, in sections that provide the best camera angles. Due to the helmet vents, I had to make some allowances for proper adhering due to the holes, else the strips would not be as stable.

Impressions
To place the camera on the helmet, you just give a good hard push so that the dual lock meshes together. It takes a few tries to get the hang of meshing the clamp’s helmet pads onto the helmet’s strips, but the dual lock sticks like glue and incredibly robust (I like that word). When it comes time to take the camera off, you really get a good idea of how well it adheres, since it takes a decent amount of effort to pop it off.

On my first long ride with the CamClamp I never felt any sloppiness nor movement from the system, and it allowed me to really snug my helmet down when recording, since I could feel how stable the camera was on my head. I never noticed the additional weight when it was on the top of the helmet, but I did feel a slight difference when it was on the side. My preference is top placement anyway, so it was a moot point for me.

She likes it on Top

Measured Specs
Camera – 101.5 grams (Note: this was the weight from my old camera)
Camera w/ CamClamp, helmet pads, and CamLens – 226.8 grams
CamClamp, helmet pads, and Camlens – 125.3 grams

When I got home and downloaded the footage, I could immediately tell the increase in stability that the CamClamp system afforded the camera. It was a night and day difference. The shakes from the normal mounting system all but disappeared, and all that was left was a slight helmet movement, and obviously the trails roughness. I was pretty amazed of the footage improvement, and the additional weight increase is well worth the stability benefits.

CamLens
The CamLens is a nifty attachment, which is an adapter to the factory lens, and incorporates an additional detachable lens. This extra lens protects the factory lens, since it’s the one out there getting the abuse. It’s easy to take the lens off and give it a good cleaning, and in addition it’s easily replaceable. Another nice feature is that you can use filters. The kit came with a UV lens, and it was extremely noticeable how well it helped when the camera would pan directly into the sun.

The XV CamLens is a 39mm threaded lens adapter for the Twenty20 brand of wearable sports camera systems. It is compatible with the Twenty20 VholdR, ContourHD and ContourHD 1080. This adapter adds protection to the factory lens and allows for the use of any standard 39mm threaded lens and filters. An embedded O-ring keeps dust out of the adapter and the factory lens clean. Set screws keep the adapter in place but still allow for the rotation of the factory lens. Quickly and easily replace and clean the lens.

Installing the CamLens took more time than I expected since the tolerances are very tight, and the O-Ring made for a good squeeze to get everything aligned. On my first outing with the camera, I had the factory lens recessed too far, so the footage had a tunnel effect, so I had to move the CamLens in farther.

Conclusion
I am very pleased with my early usage and testing of the CamClamp and the CamLens. They are well built, have great tolerances and are tough as nails. The stability that the CamClamp offers the ContourHD series of camera’s is outstanding, especially if you frequent rough and rocky terrain. The shaking issues I had with much of my previous video footage, have pretty much been alleviated. The CamClamp does add weight to the entire camera system, but its benefits far outweigh that detriment. The CamLens is a nice additional feature, that help protect the camera lens, and allow a functional lens and filters to be used (such as the excellent UV lens).

Pinball Trail – ContourHD w/ XtremeVu mount 02/16/10 from Brian Mullin on Vimeo.

I am in the process of testing out the handlebar mounts, which uses a ball adapter, and the RAM system of mounts.

CamClamp $49.99
CamLens $29.99
CamClamp Ball Adapter $19.99

XtremeVu Website