• Welcome to the Yamaha FZ1 Forums. Member registration disables ads and allows you to post and share. Register Here.

What is the best action camcorder GoPro, Drift, Contour, Sony Action Cam, or other?

Ssky0078

Ssky0078

Wizard
Joined
Dec 8, 2012
Messages
1,619
Location
Scottsdale, AZ
Visit site
Hi all,

I am looking to get a action camcorder. I purchased a GoPro Hero2 Outdoor edition that immediately crapped itself with the v198 "brick" error message when it attempted to update firmware. I returned it and now want to get something that will be reliable, provide good video for potential motovlogging, and be easy to mount and use. I am looking to drop $200-$400(ebay pricing if possible, lol) I have looked at the following options:

GoPro HD Hero 3 (prefer black edition $399/possible silver$299)

HERO3 Comparison Chart

Pros:
1. Black edition has 1080p:60fps and 720p:120fps (good for super-slomo)
2. 12 MP camera that can take pictures during video
3. Black Edition has wifi remote included and silver edition has app for smart phone for controls
4. Has Waterproof case included
5. Many different mount options
6. Integrated wifi
7. Black edition has 4k and 2.7k recording capabilities.

Cons:
1. Bad experience with HD Hero 2 "brick" firmware problem. Also GoPro website already has firmware fixes up for Hero3 that is making me scared.
2. Flying Brick design (can anyone speak to helmet drag (i.e. over posted speed limits) when mounted there? I was thinking over the right or left shoulder (I have a modular helmet that is already heavy enough))
3. No TFT LCD on camera (but has app to allow viewing on smart phone), option to purchase wifi remote for $80 bucks (included on Black edition that does have LCD on remote for camera settings not view finding)
4. Non-rotatable lense must do with editing software.
5. No GPS



Drift HD Ghost - $399.00

Drift HD Ghost Action Camera | Two Way Remote | 2 Inch Gorilla Glass LCD Screen | Video Tagging | Photoburst | Timelapse | Drift Innovation

Pros:
1. Integrated LCD touchscreen monitor and speaker
2. Drift FlashbackTM Video Tag/Loop - allows you to tag the previous five minutes that were not being recorded. Awesome if you are trying to conserve battery life and microSD space but manage to carve some awesome twisties unexpectedly.
3. Longer battery life (bigger better battery)
4. Rotatable lense
5. 11 MP camera with Photoburst funciton
6. RF remote with LED indicating camera operation

Cons:
1. 1080p30fps and 720p60fps is the best it can do.
2. Waterproof case is seperate (not really needed for moto)
3. No GPS



Contour +2 GPS - $399.99

Contour+ 2 | Contour

Pros:
1. Instant on switch
2. Sleek bullet design (should be best for helmet mount) with rotatable lense up to 270 degrees
3. Slow Mo 480p120fps
4. Mobile app can control all video settings and view finding
5. GPS mapping capability (can map altitude and speed on google maps satelite image for your route and matches to video) (may not be cool if LE gets ahold of it, the police)
6. Includes waterproof case

Cons:
1. 1080p30fps and 720p60fps is best it can do
2. 5 MP is best the camera can do
3. No integrated LCD or speaker
4. Can't review video with mobile app (yet)



JVC Adixxion (GC-XA1) - $299.95

Action Camera - GC-XA1BUS - Specifications

Pros:

1. LCD display: can review previous footage and viewfinder.
2. Digital Image Stabiliser (DIS)
3. Stream via Hotspot or wifi directly to PC/laptop and Wireless data transfer

Cons
1. 1080p30fps and 720p60fps is best it can do
2. 5 MP is best the camera can do
3. No GPS
4. Newer player so mounts may be difficult to come by at first.



It seems GoPro black edition has the obvious advantage in regard to video quality but my concern is the non-aerodynamic nature that will make my already heavy helmet (HJC CL-Max II - XXL) that grabs enough wind drag already to make my neck sore in around 30 minutes that much more uncomfortable. I guess I could just go for a suction cup mount on the bike and leave it at that. But I think that would make motovloggin all but annoying having an external mic cord running all over the place.

I tried searching the other threads and didn't find anything that quite covers the full topic, so hopefully I dont' get a wrist slap for redundant posting. Please if you have had any experience with these product or possibly older versions let me know. :chat:
 
"4. Non-rotatable lense must do with editing software."


Not sure if you meant the "upside down" video, but there is a setting for that in the camera so that you can record in either. No need to "flip" the video during the editing process.

I've only ever had the GoPro, and have not used any of the others, but I will say that even when atop your lid, there is no evidence of "drag" or stiff neck syndrome from a day of riding. You may have to be doing racetrack speeds to feel anything. I love my GoPro and now with the "Black Edition" out, I wouldn't even look at another. I'm that satisfied with it.

I have a buddy that has tried the Contour, Drift, and GoPros, and after using the Black Edition, he wound up buying it over the other two. He's a "half geek" like me and does alot of video work so I value his judgement. Come Spring it's the Black Edition for me!:yes:
 
Ssky0078 said:
my concern is the non-aerodynamic nature that will make my already heavy helmet (HJC CL-Max II - XXL) that grabs enough wind drag already to make my neck sore in around 30 minutes that much more uncomfortable.
Click to expand...

Hehehe, that's only because you're new. Like a jockey breaking in a horse, you will be broken in soon enough.

As far as cameras go, I have used the DriftHD170 and the GoPro. Although I did like the rotating lens and the water-resistance of the Drift (the GoPro requires an external case to be waterproof), the GoPro had much better video quality and was more versatile in regards to mounting it. It's also much easier to find a cheap used one and presents much better value.

Have a look at my channel. I've only got a few shitty videos up but some were shot with the Drift and some with the GoPro. Gives you a good base to compare
 
Earlzach said:
Ok, I fear for you again! lol

What kind of speed to plan on carrying that your going to have a stiff neck? :eyebrow:lol
Click to expand...

With the GoPro and the way the wind cut off the Fz6 I would feel the drag at anything over 75. There is a chunk of the I-17 that I ride a couple times a month that speed limit is 75 and you still get passed at 85. At 85 I noticed a definite wind drag on the helmet mount with the Hero2 that made me feel like my neck muscles were getting all twisted. I started putting the suction cup mount on the windshield for those rides because of the drag.
 
Dustin said:
Hehehe, that's only because you're new. Like a jockey breaking in a horse, you will be broken in soon enough.

As far as cameras go, I have used the DriftHD170 and the GoPro. Although I did like the rotating lens and the water-resistance of the Drift (the GoPro requires an external case to be waterproof), the GoPro had much better video quality and was more versatile in regards to mounting it. It's also much easier to find a cheap used one and presents much better value.

Have a look at my channel. I've only got a few shitty videos up but some were shot with the Drift and some with the GoPro. Gives you a good base to compare
Click to expand...

I know I had originally posted this thread on the Fz6 forum. After about 1000 miles my neck stopped bugging me. However the vibration, hand position, and seat still did, thus leading me toward going with the Fz1 for the next bike.
 
So, I just got a Contour +2. I've been watching them on ebay and they are going around 100 under retail and when all was said and done I got one for 150 less than what I would have had to pay in the store with tax and all. I was a little annoyed that there were stickers on it for 99.99 and 149.99 that looked as if it came from a liquidation/foreclosure/business closing sale.

I pulled the trigger on it because I really want to mess with the GPS function. I know the video and audio is not that good compared to teh Hero3 Black. Although I have heard that when using the external mic it is actually somewhat better than other action cams.

I downloaded the software and android app and am impressed so far because it didn't just merely crash the system like the GoPro Hero2 did. Instead the laser spot finder and android app viewfinder and camera setting function worked flawlessly.

I'm going for a bicycle ride when the battery is charged for two reasons. Test my my speed on the bicycle with the GPS and pretend i'm back on the motorcycle, LOL
 
Another review by a Gizmodo editor

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewp9kQoQ1Ng]Action Cam Battle: Hero 3 Black vs Contour+2 vs Sony Action Cam vs Drift Ghost - YouTube[/ame]
 
UPDATE: I just received my Contour +2 back from Contour. They had the Camera for about 3 weeks. Before getting them the camera it took about a weeks worth of email exchange. I just want to say that I'm thankful that I have my camera back and hope that there are no further problems.

Basically what happened is that the camera repeatedly would shut off on it's own and when I would go to check footage, the file's would be corrupted and I could not recover them. I had never dropped the camera and most of the time it would turn on no problem.

The Contour support individual, which if you ever need is at [email protected] (it was a nightmare trying to search through all their support pages to finally get to an email to get a response), he was very helpful and immediately identified my camera must be part of a bad batch they had that would allow the battery to rattle lose and thereby lose power and corrupt the files. He asked for my serial number on the camera and told me I would be getting a UPS shipping label. Well at first I got a notification saying that a shipping label would be made, and it was but I must have missed the email or something because I waited for 5 days and had to contact them again, and they generated another label. I finally got the label printed and the camera sent off back in the middle of January.

The camera must of shown up there in about a week from when I sent it, because it was about 10 days after I sent it that I got an email saying that my camera was indeed part of the defective batch and I would be getting a brand new camera. I replied thank you so much, confirmed my address for them again and waited for 2 weeks, when nothing had showed up. So, I sent them an email on Friday, asking where my new camera was, do I need to file a shipping claim, what's the tracking number etc. Later that night (may have been 5 or 6 west coast time I get a UPS mail saying that a shipping label was created and they would be tracking my shipment. Well, it didn't actually go out till Tuesday I think because the package just showed up today. So in total I think I was without camera for 6 weeks, (1 week was my fault for not understanding how they wanted me to print the shipping label and pack it up and send it).

THE GOOD NEWS. I did receive a brand new camera and entire kit. The camera they sent also had a battery in it. So in total I have 3 batteries now, 2 4gb microSD card, 2 usb cords, 2 set of mounts, 2 waterproof cases, etc.

I would not say that the process was efficient or timely but I am very happy that they so quickly replaced the whole thing with a new setup.

Now hopefully I can put the camera through it's paces and compare it to my GoPro Hero2 footage.
 
I ordered the Drift HD because it works well with an external mic, is waterproof without a case, shoots 1080p, and it has that aerodynamic shape. I'll post up some video once I get it, which should be next week. $170 shipped isn't bad either.
 
Aero said:
I ordered the Drift HD because it works well with an external mic, is waterproof without a case, shoots 1080p, and it has that aerodynamic shape. I'll post up some video once I get it, which should be next week. $170 shipped isn't bad either.
Click to expand...

Where did you get it for $170?

I love my Drift HD 1080 once they fixed the firmware/hardware issue. They also sent me a brand new one..
 
Ssky0078 said:
There is a Drift HD720 at best buy for $110

drift hd - Best Buy

To me the minimum requirements are 720p at 60fps. The 60fps gives smooth motion.
Click to expand...

60 fps has lower quality per frame than 30 fps. This is due to each frame getting less light and fewer bits, so each frame is more highly compressed. You'll notice this mostly when you have shadows or low light conditions. Also, I think 30 fps is very smooth. 60 fps is at the limits of the human ability to perceive visual changes. For example, your lights in your house that run off of A/C current turn on and off 60 times per second, and similarly elsewhere in the world turn on and off 50 times per second, yet there is no flicker in either case that is perceivable by the human eye.

Are you satisfied with the video quality of movies? Nearly all movies, with very few exceptions (like The Hobbit) are shot at 24fps. They are still very smooth.

There exists a similar argument with the maximum megapixels a camera can shoot in stills. The HTC One that's coming out soon has only a 4MP camera, yet has very good image quality, better than many 8MP cameras. HTC One vs. iPhone 5 camera shootout - Crave - Mobile Phones - CNET Asia From the looks of this test, it easily ties or beats the iPhone 5, which has one of the best cameras out there in phones right now. More is not always better.

CrazyBiker said:
Where did you get it for $170?

I love my Drift HD 1080 once they fixed the firmware/hardware issue. They also sent me a brand new one..
Click to expand...

I bought it off of the official website and used the coupon darkflight to get $30 off.
 
Last edited:
Aero said:
60 fps has lower quality per frame than 30 fps. This is due to each frame getting less light and fewer bits, so each frame is more highly compressed. You'll notice this mostly when you have shadows or low light conditions. Also, I think 30 fps is very smooth. 60 fps is at the limits of the human ability to perceive visual changes. For example, your lights in your house that run off of A/C current turn on and off 60 times per second, and similarly elsewhere in the world turn on and off 50 times per second, yet there is no flicker in either case that is perceivable by the human eye.

Are you satisfied with the video quality of movies? Nearly all movies, with very few exceptions (like The Hobbit) are shot at 24fps. They are still very smooth.

There exists a similar argument with the maximum megapixels a camera can shoot in stills. The HTC One that's coming out soon has only a 4MP camera, yet has very good image quality, better than many 8MP cameras. HTC One vs. iPhone 5 camera shootout - Crave - Mobile Phones - CNET Asia From the looks of this test, it easily ties or beats the iPhone 5, which has one of the best cameras out there in phones right now. More is not always better.



I bought it off of the official website and used the coupon darkflight to get $30 off.
Click to expand...


I dunno where you are getting your info, but after a quick google to verify, the frame rate you are referring to at 24 fps was black and white films back in the 20s was 24 fps, where you can notice the obvious flicker effect and motion blur. They still shoot at 24fps, but in fact Peter Jackson shot the Hobbit at 48fps and released a HFR 3D version (48fps) as well as regular 3D (24 fps). The actual human eye detects somewhere around 48fps in real life. Some people prefer the slower 24fps for their film/tv because it allows for the suspension of disbelief and the higher frame rate makes for a too immersive of an experience. Being as such as I will gladly take a 1080p120fps HDTV over a 1080p60fps HDTV because of the reduced motion blur.

For me personally I can notice the difference between the sub-30 fps and those that are higher when shooting video. Such as the GoPro with the 960p48fps I will prefer over the 30fps. I can see the flicker and amount of pixelation between gaps in frames. I also can't stand the flicker of fluorescent lights at around 30 fps, of which most people don't see but it gives me a headache. In the videos I've shot, I like the 60fps stuff over the 30fps footage. It's just a preference and the only downside is it eats up more memory card and battery faster.
 
Ssky0078 said:
I dunno where you are getting your info, but after a quick google to verify, the frame rate you are referring to at 24 fps was black and white films back in the 20s was 24 fps, where you can notice the obvious flicker effect and motion blur. They still shoot at 24fps, but in fact Peter Jackson shot the Hobbit at 48fps and released a HFR 3D version (48fps) as well as regular 3D (24 fps). The actual human eye detects somewhere around 48fps in real life. Some people prefer the slower 24fps for their film/tv because it allows for the suspension of disbelief and the higher frame rate makes for a too immersive of an experience. Being as such as I will gladly take a 1080p120fps HDTV over a 1080p60fps HDTV because of the reduced motion blur.
Click to expand...

Yeah, they've been shot at 24fps for a long time, and mostly still are. A few directors are starting to switch to 48 for that more immersive experience, but it also introduces new difficulties. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Masterclass in Why 48 FPS Fails They touch on many of these things in that article. At 48fps (or 3D), it becomes much easier to see through the facade that the director has to create to put you in the movie. So in a way, 48fps can be less immersive if done incorrectly. However, since it's so new, I'm sure it'll get better and soon 24fps will be a distant memory that we'll joke about. All new processes and techniques go through these types of growing pains.

Ssky0078 said:
In the videos I've shot, I like the 60fps stuff over the 30fps footage. It's just a preference and the only downside is it eats up more memory card and battery faster.
Click to expand...

If you're recording at a higher bitrate (which you are if your memory is being used faster) it will definitely look better regardless of framerate. 60fps at 10mbps will look better than 30fps at 5mbps, just like 30fps at 10mbps will look better than 60fps at 5mbps. When it comes down to it, assuming bitrate remains constant, per-frame quality will go down as framerate goes up. In my previous post, I was using that assumption to draw my conclusions, since I think it's somewhat unfair to compare videos of different bitrates, and then say that one is better because of the different framerate. It's like having a scientific study where you change two variables at once.

I'm not trying to say that one is better than the other, just that each is better at different things, which I think is your view too. In the end we're talking about motorcycle action cams. I think the 720p 60fps will be good for twisties with a lot of action, while the 1080p 30fps will be good for scenic rides where the background is the focus.
 
Last edited:
Aero said:
I'm not trying to say that one is better than the other, just that each is better at different things, which I think is your view too. In the end we're talking about motorcycle action cams. I think the 720p 60fps will be good for twisties with a lot of action, while the 1080p 30fps will be good for scenic rides where the background is the focus.
Click to expand...

Thanks for pointing that out, I often don't care about the scenery and this is why I dislike 30fps. I love the transition and the up close changes in scenery the most as well as the ability to capture the things flying by such as other motorist.
 
Another update on the Contour +2. It seems that somehow my Contour +2 decided that it didn't want to work anymore. I went to remove all the video off the memory card by opening it as an SD card. I cut and pasted the videos in there and then attempted to use the camera. Well it refused to work after that and on top of that it said the memory card was half full and it would not charge the battery.

I was gone on my California trip so all the footage I intended to capture using the GPS map never happened. When I got home I was able to switch to another battery and finally figured out I needed to reformat the microSD card. It seems to have worked but I've yet to take it out yet on a ride because I honestly don't want to carry the weight for something that has repeatedly failed.

FWIW the Hero2 worked like a champ for the whole trip.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top