Specifications

oPro HD Motorsports Hero Price $299.99
Drift Innovation HD170 Stealth & HD $349–$369
Ease of Operation:
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Video Quality:
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Audio Quality:
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Mounting Options:
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Features:
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Accessories:
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Value: Stealth
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HD
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Comment: You can’t beat the Drift HD’s size/functionality
Sensor Size: 5 MP, 9MP on HD Resolution: 1080p, 720p WVGA Frame Rate: 25 or 30fps (1080p, 720p), 60fps (720p WVGA)
Focal Range: .5m to infinity Aperture: f/2.8 Field of View: 127° (1080p), 170° (720p WVGA) Battery Charge Life: 2.5–3.0 hrs.
(claimed) Card Type: SD/SDHC; Micro SD/SDHC for HD (32GB max on both) Record Time: 6 hrs. in 1080p on 32GB card (claimed)
Computer Compatibility: Windows ME, XP, Vista, 7, Mac OS X 10.4.11 and higher Warranty: 1 year
Included with Stealth
:
RF remote control, 12" hook and loop strap, 24" adjustable elastic strap, goggle-strap mount, curved-sur
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face base-plate (can be used with strap or adhesive), handlebar mount, quck-release mounting clip, assorted adhesive pads, USB,
analog & digital A/V cables, Li-Ion battery.
Included with HD: Same as above, except for new combined goggle-strap mount/curved surface base-plate (for use with strap,
not adhesive), adhesive flat-surface base-plate, adhesive curved-surface base-plate, and additonal rear hatch with outlets for exter-
nal mic and USB power source.
Visit us at WWW.MCNEWS.COM
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DECEMBER 2011 27
Those user-definable settings are quite extensive, and include
bit-rate (high, medium, low), metering (average, center, spot), and
+/- 4 steps of exposure compensation, along with variable contrast,
sharpness and mic sensitivity. But these are exactly the kinds of
t
hings we’d want to be able to adjust over the course of a ride
through changing conditions.
T
he Contour retains its predecessor’s unique and clever laser lev-
eling system. Upon startup (and on call, thereafter), two lasers on the
c
am’s face allow you to twist the lens until the red dots they throw
onto a vertical surface in front of you are level. This gets the horizon
even, and gives you some idea of where the cam is pointed, but it
doesn’t tell you where the camera will actually be looking during a
ride. You may wind up with a very level view of the road passing
under your front fender, because it’s easy to misjudge your “riding”
position while you’re sitting still on your bike, aiming the cam.
Even more clever is a setup available for another hundred bucks
on a different Contour model, one that incorporates a GPS receiver
that will log your location continuously and can show it graphically
along with your video footage. There’s a smartphone app (and addi-
tional $30 piece of hardware) for that model that allows you to use
your phone’s screen as a viewfinder; the camera sends its image
there wirelessly via BlueTooth in real time and allows in-field set-
ting adjustments. But, even the GPS/smartphone combo doesn’t
address the Contour’s lack of still-image capability and very limited
stock mounting options (others are available as accessories).
The folks at Contour are really invested in expanding their
online video-sharing community. The above-mentioned video
editing software also serves as a convenient platform for upload-
ing clips to Contour’s website. We’re all for community-building,
but it seems a bit over-the-top to us to require the sharing of a
video to get the warranty bumped up from 180 days to one year,
and we found the persistent pop-up reminder to register the cam
annoying. Other (possibly much better) video-editing software
may already be sitting somewhere on your computer.
As in Round One, we prefer the less fish-eyed FOV of the Con-
tour over the ultra-wide-angle GoPro (and Drifts). Color is
slightly flat, and metering and contrast required some tweaking
to suit us; details lacked a little sharpness. The Contour’s mic is
extremely vulnerable to wind noise, which is obnoxious and
drowns out everything above 30mph. At lower speeds, engine
noises lack low-frequency resonance (for instance, your big twin
will sound like a lawn mower).
Contour, Inc.—3131 Western Ave., Seattle, WA 98121;
206- 792-5226; www.contour.com
Total Score: Stealth 61, HD 62
Drift Stealth & HD Impressions:
Compared to the GoPro and Contour, the Stealth initially seems
ungainly, while the HD is much sleeker (about the same size as the
Contour). Add the suction-cup mount to the GoPro, though, and
the Stealth is easily back in the hunt. The Drift units’ adhesive
mounts are simple and secure, with a solidly engaging quick-
release clip. The HD’s base-plates are a small improvement over
the Stealth’s.
Operation is easy with gloves off, but the small, flush buttons
can be very hard to locate with gloves on and the cam out of sight
during use. Fortunately, the wireless remote control renders this
moot; it can be worn on a wrist band or mounted in a convenient
spot. Signal beeps are the most clearly audible of any here, but can
still be drowned out by wind noise.
Navigating the Drift menus (virtually identical on both models)
is straightforward and intuitive, but the text and icons are tiny and
cramped on the 1.5" LCD screens. Said screens are nevertheless
fully adequate for previewing recordings or serving as a
viewfinder, and we value these functions very highly. While we
didn’t happen to crash test either Drift, they’re both constructed of
BEST BUY!