Thread: ContourROAM

whadyall think about the new ContourROAM for $199? i'm leaving towards it myself. i was thinking to just get a contourHD because you can get them for dirt cheap but for an extra 62 bucks you can get:

instant on sounds good
waterproof ok
tripod mount
timelapse/still photo mode
better mic

builtin battery is the only thing i'm not sure about. i like to have a spare to swap.

http://www.amazon.com/Contour-Contou...5857242&sr=8-1

Saw this as well....the 170 wide angle looks good, but its doesn't do 720 in the 170 at 60fps if that matters to you.

Internal battery which to me is bad when using it in the cold. I have extra batteries for my Contour and on a 'normal day' of use, I at least migrate to battery #2 for the end of the day.

No bluetooth - which I have yet to use but my current mount isn't movable so I haven't had a need to use it. However, whenever I get a new helmet or new mounting ideas, this will be key.

hmmmm

Sophisticated camera technology automatically adjusts the exposure and white balance, ensuring crisp, beautiful video every time.

instant on sounds good-seems like if it's only on while recording, that would save battery life (alot from my experience)
waterproof ok- i always thought it was ok to 1 meter before.
tripod mount- that would be cool i think, and would work well with one of those mini tripods
timelapse/still photo mode - meh
better mic - that would be a huge plus

fyi, i emailed support with some questions:

is the ROAM compatible with the lens filter adapter kit?

Technically speaking, no, the lens kit is not compatible with the ContourROAM. The reason for this is that removing the lens ring on a ROAM camera invalidates the waterproof quality (and warranty) for the camera. The 37 and 43 rings from the older lens kit will screw on to the ContourROAM, with the understanding that doing so will cause the camera to no longer be waterproof down to 1 meter. Therefore, the lens kit is not considered a compatible accessory for the ROAM camera.

how well does the builtin battery last in cold?

Since the ROAM is brand new and we really haven’t had any feedback yet in the conditions you’ve mentioned, I ran your questions by our engineers to get some feedback: “Regarding the battery: like most consumer electronic batteries, it has a large number of ‘charge cycles’. We are confident that the battery will last in cold conditions without issues. And yes, it is covered under the warranty should problems occur. We did some testing in cold conditions to make sure the camera runs and gets a decent performance on a charge, to which it performed well. One thing to note about batteries is that once the camera is running, the internals of the camera are warm, so the battery is not that badly affected by operating in the cold.”

is the AE improved for bright snow conditions (compared to the HD)?

In regards to bright conditions in snow: “Roam uses a different chipset then HD. The new chipset isn't necessarily designed to be better or worse than the HD, but it has a completely different AE (Auto-exposure) library. With this new library, we spent a good deal of time removing AE flicker (the effect of the exposure flickering between different levels), so Roam's transitions between different lighting scenarios will be just as smooth as GPS or Plus. One notable difference between the Roam and HD is is that the target exposure level is a little higher, it allows for better color accuracy and better details in shadows. So Roam is a little lighter/brighter in tones and levels then HD, as well as color saturation and vividness levels are better (ie the colors are not as "dead" as the HD).”

Originally Posted by Ripzalot

In regards to bright conditions in snow: “Roam uses a different chipset then HD. The new chipset isn't necessarily designed to be better or worse than the HD, but it has a completely different AE (Auto-exposure) library. With this new library, we spent a good deal of time removing AE flicker (the effect of the exposure flickering between different levels), so Roam's transitions between different lighting scenarios will be just as smooth as GPS or Plus. One notable difference between the Roam and HD is is that the target exposure level is a little higher, it allows for better color accuracy and better details in shadows. So Roam is a little lighter/brighter in tones and levels then HD, as well as color saturation and vividness levels are better (ie the colors are not as "dead" as the HD).”

Soooo, it sounds like it may be a little worse....

Just picked up a Roam at http://www.leatherup.com for 160$ with the 10% off. Seems like a great deal for what you get. No 60fps, but I think I can live with that for the simplicity and price. How are people mounting these on their ski tips? I have not found any mounts that look like this would be possible except for that giant car suction cup thing.

edit: some users are reporting sound issues....... fuck it worth a try I guess, will report back///http://support.contour.com/contour/t...ry_quiet_sound

Ive done a couple days of testing so far. This is my first pov camera so take my word for what its worth.
So far im pleased overall, but no on snow demos yet. In 1080p it shoots in the 125degree angle @30 and 25 fps which is nice. Most 1080 I have seen on pov is at smaller angles.

There are issues in the sound dept. Out of the box, there was sound but it was vague at the highest settings. I installed the new FW and it was better by maybe 30%. So useable now... barely. Im not that concerned with sound so not a big issue. The word is in order to waterproof the mic they had to cover it with a membrane so that limits the sound considerably. Some have solved the issue by busting the membrane but that voids the warranty.

No exposure settings so we'll see if that will be a problem on sunny and cloudy days on the snow. And no filters are available... yet. Although some people have talked about the film type filters that are currently available which would go on the inside of a waterproof case I guess.

I have not noticed a sputter due to the 30fps yet riding around on a dirt bike. Some skiers noticed it on high speed groomers. Kind of lame of contour not to include 60fps since there are camaras that came out 3 years ago that have it. I cant see how this is much of an improvement over the hd1080. We'll see how it will effect me, my guess is that it wont by much. Either way I will eventually sell this one for a + model when the price drops.


So a good camera we'll see how it holds up.

I can post vids if anyone is interested

Originally Posted by el penoso

I cant see how this is much of an improvement over the hd1080.

It's got upgraded glass, the instant record feature, and cheaper. I don't understand the lack of 720p 60fps either. Note: don't own one now, but highly considering it. The go pro's just look too damn goofy.

Im reading it shoots 1080 in 125 degrees now but honestly looks the same as 170deg as in the 720 mode. I'll have to look at it again.

I was wrong its 125deg oh well thought I had something there.

Amazon just sent me an offer to get a ROAM for $89 (plus free one day shipping). Hard to pass up...

Might as well re-post this here. 60 fps is achievable with Roam but only with 1.01 firmware.

Hack: acquired from a forum member.

In your Roam there is a configuration file on the SD card (this is easier to do than it sounds dont worry!). If you open it in notepad you can mod it to make the camer ashoot 60fps.

The config file normally looks like this:

UPDATE:N
UPDATE_FW:N

1RES:C
1BR:H
1MIC:35
1SILENT:0

You need to change it to look like this:

UPDATE:Y
UPDATE_FW:Y

1RES: D
1BR:H
1MIC:35
1SILENT:0

I put the altered values in bold to make it more obvious, dont do this on your config file lol

its enabelling an imbedded firmware update and setting it to 720p @ 60fps, it appears that contour either couldnt be bothered to make to different firmwares for the Roam and Plus, or have a hidden firmware update in the Roam. Either way i can shoot all day with these settings ane nothing has happened to my Roam.

On the forum, one of the staff said it will break your processor or sensor and void your warrenty. he suggested that if for whatever reason, your processor or sensor was broken, your warrenty would be void because this mod is the ONLY way to break it. i am not sure if this is true or not, pretty sure its not legal."

Be sure to read everything in the forum to understand possible *risks* with the modification
http://support.contour.com/contour/t..._to_720p_60fps

Picked one up, I'm excited to give it a try. I couldn't do the tele tubby gopro thing either.

So I got this thing and immediately hacked it for the 60 fps after walking around my house at 30 fps. It looks really good! Much smoother than most POV i've seen, but I'm definitely no expert.

Hopefully Contour was overstating the risk to the camera sensor with regards to the mod.

There is no risk to the camera says the owner of contour. He claims video quality could be diminished but I seriously doubt it.

Can anyone point me to where I can get the 1.01 firmware? The 60fps thread on their support site has been deleted.

I have the bin file for v1.01, if anyone is interested, I would be glad to help. Contour eventually conceded and gave everyone the firmware file they wanted and then promptly deleted the thread (Nice eh?). So everyone else (except maggots) are SOL I guess.
It is much smoother and crisper now and the only real problem with the mod is the laser doesn't work now but it never really worked well anyway so I dont care.

^^^^^^ , PM incoming!

How can I get the v1.01 firmware from you? 60fps is a must IMO for this camera.

Originally Posted by cprrowberry

How can I get the v1.01 firmware from you? 60fps is a must IMO for this camera.

Nekkid pics of your wife or sister thats how. Otherwise this is a Maggot only deal Jong.

Can you please message me? I would love to have that.

you know you're replying to a year old thread? and you would also have to provide naked pics of your mom or sis.

i have the roam2, and am very happy with it so far

ok old thread, but rather than starting another contour thread....... I have a roam2 which cannot change settings on the fly. But there is a camera setting to use "manual settings on camera". Does this mean I can have 2-3 different microSD cards with different settings file that I can just swap out? Anyone have a clever way change settings without a laptop?