bstoner asked this question in another thread:
Hey J...I've been looking into cameras and from what i've seen yours is one of the best. What model is it and how much do they cost if you don't mind me aslking? Did it come with the attachment for the roof as well?
I have the "ContourHD 1080p", and paid $320. Here's the camera:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002QGSYZ4/?tag=fordraptorforum-20
If you don't want 1080p, you can save $75 (cost is $245) and go with their "ContourHD" model:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0026P4H6K/?tag=fordraptorforum-20
The mount I used is their "Windshield Mount", and paid $40. The camera does not come with this mount:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002HDUHM4/?tag=fordraptorforum-20
As for prices, Amazon seems to be right on the money. I initially searched eBay, but I didn't see savings that justified not buying from Amazon (and their awesome return policy and free shipping).
There are a few things I DON'T like about this camera:
1) The Contour doesn't have a view screen. You basically have to wing it in terms of alignment. It does come with a rotatable lens, and two alignment lasers that would seem to work in theory.
But in practice, I found those lasers washed out and I couldn't really use them to tell where I was aiming. But as you can see in the vids, I got over it. You just get a feel for where the camera is pointing and what it sees, and you work from there.
2) The Contour's "Record" button is actually a slider that I found difficult to use. I did get used to it, but it takes significant force to move it back and fourth. Not a biggie, except when you consider that your hand might be at an awkward angle, depending on how/where you mount the thing.
3) It takes a few seconds to power on, and you basically have to listen for the "single beep". Once you hear it, you can slide the record on, and again listen for a single beep to indicate its recording. Two beeps indicate its stopped recording, and two beeps indicate its powered off. To power on, is a single press of the power button. To power off, you have to hold the power button down for three seconds. There are LED indicator lights, but again I found these washed out in the desert sun. I relied exclusively on those beeps to know what the camera was doing when.
Other than the obvious video quality, and the fact that it did its job really well, there are a few things I DO like when compared to the others:
1) The lens is behind a flat piece of glass that is far larger than the field of view. This made it really easy to reach up and wipe it clean (did I mention we were in some serious dust?). One or two swipes with my finger cleaned the lens totally off.
Take a look at the X170... see that rounded lens? Or is that an illusion in the pictures and instead that's a flat bit of glass? Either way, you're simply not going to be able to use your finger to clean the thing (either because its rounded, or all the glass is seen in the field of view)... meaning you'll always have dusty finges around your vids, unless you stop and use a rag to clean every few minutes.
2) Its rugged. Have I mentioned the dust? The all aluminum case rinsed right off (yes its water resistant; aka splashes and rain are no problem). I have a feeling a rubberized case wouldn't clean off as well. But maybe I'm wrong about that.
3) The mounting system. You can see in those vids... rock solid. I HATE jitter. This cam and its mount stayed solid as a rock the entire time; rocks, washboards, woops, 80+ mph winds... it didn't matter.
Here's my wish list:
1) Maybe I just missed this one, but I didn't get it to record when I had it plugged in to charge. It seemed to only want to turn on/record when NOT charging the battery. I'll check the manual, but I think this is what it is. I would have preferred to be able to plug it in and let it stay on all day long.
2) Regarding the power on/record button interaction... I guess I would have preferred for the slider to both power on and off the camera, as well as start and stop recording. Seems silly to me to have to take two actions in a camera like this just to record.
3) Give us a remote! I had to open my sunroof a dozen times over the trip... every time dust just poured in (have I mentioned the dust?) It would have been sooooo nice to hit a remote button to turn on and record, and hit another button to stop recording and turn off. I REALLY like that feature in the X170. That alone might make me consider the X170...
Hope that helps! In the end, I would choose to buy this camera again, given the options currently available (even though that remote option seems REALLY nice in the X170, I'm not willing to give up the flat lens of the Contour, nor its video recording quality). I guess I would just hope that vHoldr would look into a couple of those issues I mentioned and my wish list, and make the best even better in their next version.
BTW whats the status on the items?
Props again to ya brutha. :bow:
