Contour ROAM2 Waterproof Video Camera (Black)

This is my first Contour camera, and I was lucky that just at the time I decided to get one, the new ROAM 2 came out. The reason I like the ROAM2 over the original ROAM (which can now be had much cheaper) is for the 60 fps filming in 720p. This will produce smoother video, especially if you like to use slow motion effects now and then.The ROAM 2 comes in attractive packaging and includes: 1 profile mount; 1 rotating flat surface mount; lanyard tether; USB cable; lens cap; 4GB MicroSD card; storage pouch and lens cloth.Initial tests of the ROAM 2 in 720p @ 60fps and full HD 1080p @ 30fps are very impressive. At 720p you will have a view angle of 170 degrees, which gives you a wide panorama but some fisheye effect (to be expected at that width). In 1080p the view angle is reduced to 125 degrees, which still gives a nice wide view, but much less fisheye. The quality of the video image is very good. In full 1080p it is ultra-sharp and the colors are very good. The automatic white balance in the camera is also extremely good, and will self-adjust to present very true colors even indoors.Operation of the ROAM 2 is very simple, via the one large "On-Record / Off" button on top of the camera. The mounting options available for Contour cameras is very good, but still could be a bit better. They have the snow and water sports covered, as well as skateboarders, bikers, etc. But I intend to use mine primarily to capture POV video from shooting sports, and there is still a lack of good mounts for that. A mount designed for a hat bill that would allow the Contour to lie flat via the rails would be perfect...The rotating lens and built-in laser line make it easy to set the camera to frame a perfect shot, no matter what angle you mount it. I accidentally turned off the laser in the software and thought it was broken, until support at Contour provided me a quick response and helped me figure out that I am an idiot (my word, not theirs). Previous ROAM had two laser dots for leveling, the ROAM2 has a solid line, similar to home improvement tools.The ROAM 2 has a standard ¼" x 20 tripod socket already on it - so no need to buy the Universal Mount Adapter (which I did, and now have no need for).To set up the camera, change configuration options (such as selecting recording quality), you use Contour's software "Story Teller", which is easily downloaded and pretty simple to install and get using. Now, here is one thing I don't like about the ROAM 2 - you must use the software each time you want to change resolution of video. To do this, you must be connected to your computer via USB. So, if you're out in the world enjoying your camera, you are stuck with whatever setting you made before you left the house. There is NO option to select different modes via the camera itself. Given the designed purpose of the ROAM 2, I find this to be a bit lacking. Perhaps that is a feature on the more expensive versions of the Contour camera...So, my first impressions of the ROAM 2 are very good. The quality of the video image is fantastic, the camera could not be more easy to use, and the software is pretty good too.After a couple of full days of using the ROAM2, this camera performed flawlessly. Used it to capture POV video of a shooting match and attached it to my ear protection. The mic in the ROAM2 is very good - much better than any other camera I have. It was so easy to use the on/off button to begin and end each segment of recording - from a postion where I could not see the camera. The quality of the picture is superb (I shot at 1080p today).UPDATE: After weeks of using this camera in real life action sports and other activities, I like it more and more each day. I am amazed at the quality of indoor picture also - no yellow or green cast - very natural light and it picks up everything very brightly. I find myself using 720p more often now, not only because of the economy of storage space but for the smoothness of the video if I want to go "slo-mo" from time to time. I would gladly buy this camera again... in fact, it might be nice to have TWO!A couple tips: The 32GB microSD card does work fine in the ROAM2, and I've never even come close to filling it up. Secondly, if you're looking for some of the more exotic mounts and Amazon doesn't have them in stock - go directly to the Contour website. I ordered two mounts from them and they shipped quickly and only charged $2 for coast-to-coast shipping. Some of the merchants here wanted $10 for shipping.

This is an absolutely amazing little camera. I use it mainly for airsoft although I also purchased a waterproof housing for it and took it in the pool one weekend.Pros:- Small and streamlined (great for mounting on an airsoft gun)- Lightweight- Great battery life- Great quality 1080p videoCons:- It beeps really loudly when you turn it on or to record, which I guess is by design but I wish there was a way to turn it off- Has degree of rotation markings on the lens but no clear indication of "this side is up" which made mounting it on my gun a trial and error process.Overall, great camera, I highly recommend it and even recommend it over a GoPro as a friend of mine has two of those (the HERO 3, i think, i forgot what its called, but its the 1080p one)

Crossed shopped for a Helmet Cam for several months, read all of the reviews for Go Pro, Contour, Ion, etc. Decided that the picture quality and ease of use for the Contour was excellent considering the $100 price tag for the ROAM 2.The ease of use cannot be beat. Simply slide the switch on the top forward to start filming, slide it back to stop. Its very light and mounted easily on the side of my Bell K-1 Sport helmet.The software for processing the videos installs easy and is simple to use. It was very intuitive and I was uploading and using their entry level editing tools with out any fuss.However, after using it to record several Go Kart races on Dirt Ovals at night and Road Courses during the day I seem to have found where the difference is in the extra $300 for something like a Go Pro Hero 4.There is no image stabilization, so every bounce, bump, and jolt comes through on the video. Do not get me wrong, the picture (during daylight) is crystal clear with great resolution and very good white balance for an amateur video take like myself. The problem is that the video is so bouncy that you get a headache from watching it. In a racing kart with no suspension, the issue is magnified greatly.I also ran into some problems with low light shooting. At our dirt oval, the front stretch has very good lighting, and the back straight is just better than dark. The video portion on the front straight is clear for night time shooting in the track lights. The back stretch portion is pretty much a black screen and you cannot distinguish any features. I left the camera in auto for all settings, so maybe there is something I can tweak for the night races under the lights.All in all, the camera is not bad. However, I wished I had spent more on a higher model camera that had the image stabilization feature built in. The picture quality is great for someone who is going to mount the camera to something that will not be bouncing over constant bumps. However the shaky video renders the camera useless for my application.Pros -Super easy to useSuper easy set upVery clear, bright video with out having to mess with the settingsCamera's dimensions are ideal for a racing helmet.Cons-No image stabilization, bouncy video. Essentially renders the camera useless for my application in Go Kart racing.Trouble in low light conditions.

Perfect!

buena cámara, le falta la opción del cambio de batería que éste modelo concreto no dispone, pero por lo demás graba bastante bien

faccio enduro (in moto) e trovo questa videocamera eccezionale.nasce già impermeabile, la sua forma a siluro mi permette di installarla sul casco si sopra che di lato, ed il basso profilo evita che si impigli in rami od altro.

I bought this camera to record footage of me on my bike - partly because I am doing a charity bike ride later this year and wanted to record the event, partly to help provide evidence against careless drivers after experiencing two recent accidents on the bike and numerous near-misses.I looked at the GoPro Hero2 which is pretty much the best 'action camera' you can buy on the market...but the 'Fisher Price' design put me off a bit - wearing that on top of your bike helmet makes you look a bit like a Telly Tubby. And then there's the cost. I couldn't justify it. I then started looking at the Veho Muvi VC-005 which is a much cheaper camera but pretty cool looking. However, I read a few mixed reviews about it. Then, by chance I tumbled across the Contour ROAM2 online and boy am I glad I did.It sits between the Veho and the Go Pro in terms of price which was fine by me. Reviews were generally all positive and what I liked was that it was waterproof (up to 1m) so no need to buy an additional rain protection casing which I would have had to do with the Veho Muvi camera. I also liked the sleek 'bullet style' design.When the camera arrived I was instantly impressed. The packaging had an 'apple' style feel to it and the camera itself was reassuringly heavy - I had expected it to be a bit 'plasticy' but not a all - it looks and feels like it is made from quality material and built to last. The controls are pretty simple - it's plug and play. There is a large 'on/off' switch for recording which makes a satisfying loud beep when you switch it in either direction. Some people in reviews said they found the volume of this annoying but when out on my bike I like to know that the camera is definitely 'on' so the confirmation beep is great...nothing worse than getting back after a ride to find you hadn't pressed record on your camera after all!The camera also comes with a laser levelling device so you can tell if your picture is going to be level - the lens itself can be rotated through 180 degrees so whether you are mounting the camera on top of your bike helmet or on the side, you can get the perfect shot.The camera plugs straight into your computer via a USB and there is a really great interface you download from the Contour website called 'Storyteller' that allows you to upload footage from the camera. You can even select snippets from your recordings and upload those to your own Contour.com page to share with others. I think the upload limit is about 2GB per clip, much like YouTube.Perhaps the worst thing to say about the camera is that there is very little in the way of help in terms of using the camera....like apple products, this comes with only a rudimentary graphic-style setup guide. You have to download further instructions from Contour website but those were OK. The 'Awesome' feature in the Storyteller dashboard (the bit that allows you to share clips from your recordings) wasn't well explained at all but that really is only a minor niggle...it doesn't take long to master it. The one disadvantage the ROAM2 has against say the GoPro or even the Veho Muvi is that you can't see what you are recording...there is no viewing screen. But then, when I am on my bike I would have no way of watching it anyway so it doesn't bother me. Again, those reassuring beeps mean that I can rest assured the camera is recording.The quality of the video output is superb - there are various frame rates and resolutions you can choose from which you set up via the Storyyteller dashboard. It also takes a 5MP still image every 2 seconds.The camera came with various mounts - it has a rather nifty locking system built into the design to make it very easy to fix the camera to various mounts in a variety of positions. There was even one that you can use to rotate the camera 360 degrees. I purchased a separate bike helmet mount which comes with velcro straps for extra security as I didn't fancy trusting my camera to a mount stuck on with only an adhesive pad!!All in all, I am very glad I purchased the ROAM2 and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others...yes the GoPro is probably a better camera with more features, but for my needs the ROAM2 is perfect.

It works as intended, but it's not very durable as it got shot once and the lens broke, ordering a new lens was almost $60 and shipping...pretty much like buying another one. I'd recommend just getting a GoPro for more money and the cases for gopros are much cheaper than the contour's case which I didn't want to fork out for. Case is more expensive than the camera after shipping.