GoPro Alternatives

[TheBelly]

I hate the fact that the gopro camera looks like a freakin weird unicorn horn regardless of where it's mounted. I also hate the extreme fish-eye lens.

I've thought about either the contour camera or the replayxd camera:

http://replayxd.com/

http://store.contour.com/ae/us/page/home

im also open to other suggestions, but here's the base requirements:

1) 720 quality video with 60fps possible.

2) mountable on baseball hats, rails, and (possibly) my MCH Helmet.

please provide options, experiences, advice, anything to help.....

[MileHighOutlaw]

Search for the store on EBay called Ragecams. They have some sweet gear including modifying GoPro cameras to get rid of the fish eye. I have some mounts from them that are real nice.

[T-Giv]

I'm about to pick up a Drift HD. They take awesome video and are a lot lower profile.

[DocMedic]

I use a contourHD, Love it. It's really the DrPepper of the soda world if gopro is Coke. The owner of Contour sold the business to a bigger company this year so they haven't started back up production yet but I have had mine through shooting, skiing, M-biking. Good stuff

Also there tough as hell, I had one ripped off my helmet during a downhill ride from a branch while M-biking, it got bumped and scratch pretty bad but the lens was still in great shape and the camera was still working and on.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

I use a contourHD, Love it. It's really the DrPepper of the soda world if gopro is Coke. The owner of Contour sold the business to a bigger company this year so they haven't started back up production yet but I have had mine through shooting, skiing, M-biking. Good stuff


I've got the same. Daniel Defense has mounts for AR for them as well.
I'd be a little surprised if they come back. I haven't used mine in at least a season, maybe two.


The idea sounds better than the execution. I'd record all these bike rides and what-not….but then I didn't even want to watch it myself, most times.

[TheBelly]

I'm going to a couple big matches and training throughout the next year (including a couple aerial assault courses), so this will be good for me to show those who I'm supposed to teach exactly how fundamentals get skewed during different environments.

Doc Medic: I remember the camera on your ear pro. Wasn't it pretty much just double zip-tied on there?

[275RLTW]

You can adjust the settings on the GoPro to get rid of the fish eye in the editing software.

[TheBelly]

You can adjust the settings on the GoPro to get rid of the fish eye in the editing software.

Does that software work on an Apple Computer?

[KS63]

Just bought a Contour HD then promptly returned it. The company went bankrupt so no one is monitoring the website. You need to download the operating software in order to use the camera. It's a dead link. Too bad because it looked like a well made piece for a good price.

[muddywings]

I got a ContourGPS back in the day and it is still going strong and I'm still sporting it.
Mainly used with mt biking but also shooting, scuba diving and strapping it to the dog.
When the GPS version came out I thought that contour had a leg up on gopro with the bluetooth to the iphone option but gopro has caught up with them on that area.
I find that a lot of mt bikers/road bikers/dirt bikers really like the compact size of the contour BUT the gopro wins hands down with the chesty mount if you want that. I haven't stayed up on the latest/greatest but gopro's hero3 black shoots extremly fast if you are looking for slow motion.
I looked heavily at DRIFT but it was to bulky IMHO.

When i shoot, I have a mount ziptied to the top of my hearing protection: http://vimeo.com/77902327
I have seen others use a hat mount setup where it mounts to the side of a standard baseball cap. If you have non-headset style hearing protection.

and fyi: http://www.geekwire.com/2013/investor-plans-revive-contour-reaches-deal-buy-gopro-rival-19-million/

[KS63]

I got a ContourGPS back in the day and it is still going strong and I'm still sporting it.
Mainly used with mt biking but also shooting, scuba diving and strapping it to the dog.
When the GPS version came out I thought that contour had a leg up on gopro with the bluetooth to the iphone option but gopro has caught up with them on that area.
I find that a lot of mt bikers/road bikers/dirt bikers really like the compact size of the contour BUT the gopro wins hands down with the chesty mount if you want that. I haven't stayed up on the latest/greatest but gopro's hero3 black shoots extremly fast if you are looking for slow motion.
I looked heavily at DRIFT but it was to bulky IMHO.

When i shoot, I have a mount ziptied to the top of my hearing protection: http://vimeo.com/77902327
I have seen others use a hat mount setup where it mounts to the side of a standard baseball cap. If you have non-headset style hearing protection.

and fyi: http://www.geekwire.com/2013/investor-plans-revive-contour-reaches-deal-buy-gopro-rival-19-million/

Thanks, Muddy. Hope Contour gets revived as I'll re-buy one. A QD 1913 rail mount was attractive with this camera.

[275RLTW]

Does that software work on an Apple Computer?
Not sure. You can download it from the GoPro website. They should have a version for you iGeeks. Between the head strap mount, chest mount, nods mount, and all the other mounting options (I had a shoulder mount made for my armor), it can go just about everywhere and I can control it from an iPhone if I want.

[SamuraiCO]

Hope Contour comes out I have one of their earlier HD and wanted a newer Bluetooth one so I can make changes with my phone. I use an old camping head flashlight webbing to hold it at the side of my head. They now have come out with an adapter for a baseball hat but mine is more secure.

I use mine when upland hunting. I also have one of their rail holders for my ar.

Funny I could have sworn Daniel Defense was running black Friday sales for the Contour. Yep checked email and I did get a black Friday special for those cameras.

[Jer]

This is a solid option for $99 shipped (http://www.amazon.com/Polaroid-XS100-Waterproof-Mounting-Included/dp/B00A81SXHI/?t=slicinc-20&tag=slicinc-20&ascsubtag=du9cMl1zEeOoJnpkOaeOxQY2_Qeiq3_eSQ_0_0) if you don't want a GoPro.

[MrPrena]

About 3 years ago, I made a mistake by going with iKAM. Gopro was one of the option hunter magazine had too, but I just liked the sunglasses+video feature. However, ikam video is a low quality resolution.