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Contour v Go Pro, you decide!

scotinexcile

scotinexcile

New member
Joined
Sep 4, 2007
Location
Reno
Moto(s)
Street: 2017 R6, 1982 RD350LC
Name
Alan
Some may know of the GoPro phone call I got a few months back. Anyway they sent me a GoPro so i decided to do a side by side comparison of the cameras.

Sept 17th Z2 Day at THill I mounted both cameras on my helmet like so
DSCF3529.JPG


DSCF3530.JPG


I tried to get the lenses to point as close to the same direction as I could

DSCF3531.JPG


DSCF3532.JPG


I edited the video ONLY for length and saved them both at the same resolution using Windows Movie Maker

Contour Lap [youtube]0c_8XQcKxHM[/youtube]

GoPro Lap [youtube]bO3QOKONQ5o[/youtube]

:thumbup:thumbup
 
Looks like the contour's colors are a bit richer.
And the wind noise is not so rattly/loud too. Nice :thumbup
 
Flying Pig said:
Looks like the contour's colors are a bit richer.
And the wind noise is not so rattly/loud too. Nice :thumbup
Click to expand...

+1 it seems as though the GoPro is washed out and the contour really picks up the difference in color. Almost as if the GoPro is not as sharp or has little contrast. ymmv
 
Thanks for posting those.

The Contour Plus is even more worthy than these. It has better quality video, GPS, HDMI, Bluetooth and wider lens. It is on my Holiday wish list for sure.
 
Full disclosure: I own a gopro so maybe that taints my opinion but...

I actually think the gopro video is better. The sound however is fucking terrible especially in comparison.

The colors on the contour appear to be richer at first, but when you start looking at stuff like the dash of the bike, I think it shows the contour is under-performing.

The gopro is capturing a much wider range of darks and lights. Again the gauges and under the front fairing the contour has no detail and it is a black hole, while everything is visible (in great detail) with gopro.

I would also venture a guess that the video captured by the gopro is probably a lot closer to what it actually looked like that day, however that would be asking the OP to give his opinion.

Also the contour appears to be a bit more fuzzy looking. I agree the saturation is appealing at first glance but overall helps me validate my buying choice at least.
 
Also just a note, I think that the amount of helmet in the view of the gopro (dark black) is calibrating the camera for darker than it actually is, thus washing out the sky. I have had this problem when mounting with too much dash in the shot...

I still think they both look pretty damn good for their prices.:thumbup
 
From the reviews and video comparisons I have seen, it seems like the out-of-the-box quality of the GoPro is a touch better than the contour with regard to lighting. Adjustments would probably allow each to be on level terms.

That said, I watched a couple Contour Plus comaparisons, and that thing is better than both...again out-of-the-box.
 
Since I think the thumbnails chosen for the start of each video are a little misleading, evident after you push play, here is comparo of from what I can tell to be the same time in the lap.

picture.php
 
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up it to 1080 next time you do the screen shot ;)

looks to be about 9k rpm at the exit of 1... grab an upshift geez :teeth?
 

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if you filmed both in 720 60 fps then you should render to 720... don't upscale as you will degrade image quality in both, which would give misinformation in regards to both images.

I think it's great what you did though.

I will never discredit contour... they make a great camera :thumbup
 
Yakoo752 said:
if you filmed both in 720 60 fps then you should render to 720... don't upscale as you will degrade image quality in both, which would give misinformation in regards to both images.

I think it's great what you did though.

I will never discredit contour... they make a great camera :thumbup
Click to expand...

I did not change any of the "default" settings on either camera. I believe the GoPro was filming at 1080dpi and the Contour at 720dpi
 
Yakoo752 said:
up it to 1080 next time you do the screen shot ;)

looks to be about 9k rpm at the exit of 1... grab an upshift geez :teeth?
Click to expand...

track day :teeth On race days I have been playing with downshifting again at the exit of 1 as 5th "boggs" a little accelerating into 2. 6th for most of the straight on the SV, change down 1 on the entry to 1 with a little brake then on the gas towards 2

But this is a "video" thread not a track riding thread as bad as the riding may be :rofl
 
I think they are both great cameras.
I'm not a fan of the wide angle 'fisheye' lens for this application, it distorts depth and gives false impressions of speed. It also makes the leading racers seem tiny. If I'm facing my cam forward I'd like to be able to see the bikes I'm getting footage of.
 
greener said:
I think they are both great cameras.
I'm not a fan of the wide angle 'fisheye' lens for this application, it distorts depth and gives false impressions of speed. It also makes the leading racers seem tiny. If I'm facing my cam forward I'd like to be able to see the bikes I'm getting footage of.
Click to expand...

Usually I mount the Contour in the nose of my fairing and get video like this [youtube]FuJLffCFFZM[/youtube]
 
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