I have been racing BMX for around 30 years and been in the IT industry for around 20. Needless to say I love my tech toys that allow me to combine both BMXing and technology. None have done that more than my trusty old Contour HD. It's hard to believe that my Contour has been surpassed by 4 new models in the past 18 months. The new features include GPS, wider field of view, Bluetooth connectivity for instant play of your video in your phone, even connectivity with devices which enable live streaming and then there's the recent release of the ContourROAM that's waterproof. Hmmm, I've impressed myself with the development of the Contour, it must be about time to upgrade.
I was at Ausbike, the Australian Bike Show, recently and saw a massive Contour booth that the Australian Distributors, Meeco Sales had set up. It was a real beauty, there were helmets, a mountain bike, motocross bike and a stock car all hooked up with various mounts, and it got me thinking that I hadn't used my Contour in a while, I was a little bored with the same point of view and wanted to get a little more out of the camera but didn't know exactly where to start. That was until I saw the vast array of mounts.
XL Bike Mount
After having a close look at all the mounts I decided I would get more bang for buck out of the XL Bike Mount to start with. It's basically a handlebar mount, but the clamp is well designed and can clamp to a variety of things. There's just two screws to tighten the mount down with a lot of room for adjustment. I have been running mine at the bottom of my fork for a different view. It's low, out of the way and pretty much where a lot of the action is. There are a whole lot more options that I can try now that I have this mount which I must add is far better and opens up a whole lot more possibilities than the standard helmet mount that comes with the camera.
The mount itself allows a lot of adjustment so you get plenty of variety when looking for that perfect angle. Once you have found the sweet spot the twist lock will keep everything locked into place.
Here's some footage taken from the XL Bike Mount
Carry Case
For 18 months I have been carrying my ContourHD camera, cable and spare battery around in a resealable plastic bag. It's not ideal but it kept everything together. As soon as I saw the purpose built Contour carry case I had to get one.
The case is small yet large enough to fit the camera, batteries, cables and has slots for 4 microSD cards, which isn't as great as it sounds, because I realised I had somewhere safe to store cards I bought myself an extra, not because I really needed it, but because I had somewhere to put it. (Man those cards are tiny!)
The case has a hard durable shell to protect your gear and a zipper to keep everything inside.
If you are a Contour helmet cam owner, check out these accessories, we highly recommend them!
Rating 20/20:
| Value for money: | 5/5 |
| Weight: | 5/5 |
| Functionality: | 5/5 |
| Looks/Finish: | 5/5 |
Comments:
For more information about the ContourHD accessories check out www.contour.com
ContourHD is distributed in Australia by Meeco Sales www.contouraustralia.com.au.
review by Shane Jenkins/16 September 2011