Contour +2 - Old Packaging

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $349.99
Sale Price: $279.99
Today's Bonus: 20% Off

Overall not a bad action camera but my expectations were definitely higher. I will list some pros and cons with this camera (in no particular order)

Pro:

1) GPS data. Your speed, elevation, distance, location and an overlay of your route will be embedded in your video

2) Ability to swivel the camera (rotate the camera lense 360 degree to capture the best shot based on your camera mount setup

3) Very easy to use with very minimal buttons

4) Included Acessories (over $100 worth). You get a mini SD card (4GB), HDMI cable, USB Cable, Waterproof case and various mounts

5) Design is very compact

6) You can use your smartphone to as a viewfinder to see your live video feed

Cons:

1) Smartphone control is limited to just viewing and selecting a few camera options. You can not record or stop recording from your Android phone. iOS doesn't have this issue.

2) Poor manual/Instructions. The manual and online instructions were very basic and simple.

3) PC Software is buggy. The software wouldn't run after I installed it. It gave me a "failed to initialized movie player." After researching around (was never included on the manual/online instructions because again they are very basic/simple) I realized that I have to Apple Quicktime installed and loaded. after the program is able to launched you can switch between using Windows Media Player or Apple Quicktime

4) GPS data can only be embedded while using the Contour software

5) COntour Software requires you to upload your video on their server if you want to save/view your edited work. Their software has very limited editing ability.

6) Due to #4 & #5, if you want embedded gps data then you must use the Contour Software and you MUST upload the video on their server. You can't export your video (w/ GPS data) and share it with your friends on youtube, e-mail, DVD, etc unless they want to install the Contour Storyteller sofware on their personal computer

7) Bluetooth sync is not "really out of the box" as claimed. You have to install the contour software on your PC then connect the camera to your computer for some intialization before being able to pair and connect your smartphone to the camera (via their smartphone apps)

8) The camera has rails on both side so you can install various mounting options. Howver, the rails don't have any locks on them. Therefore, it is possible that the camera can slide out of the rails under certain extreme conditions

Overall, I am happy with the design, features, price and even the video quality. I am just very disappointed on the software that came with the camera. I bought this camera specifically for the GPS data but there isn't anyway I can share the video w/GPS data with my friends and family unless I upload the video on the contour server or have my friends/family install the Contour Storyteller software on their computer. Additionally, the video server is only limited to 120 seconds for each uploaded segment. There is no way for you to edit the video, embed the GPS data save your work and export it to youtube, email, dvd, etc

I hope this helps.

UPDATE: I just contacted Customer Support and Contour and they said that Android support for Contour+2 model is in development. No ETA on their software. the currently software only support older camera and as a result you can't maximize the +2 feature (no record, stop, etc via smartphone)

UPDATE 28NOV: The contour jus released an update for their smartphone Aps for Android. This app promise that Android users can start/stop recording from their smartphone. I just downloaded the App and will test it out soon.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>