Review: VHoldR ContourHD 1080P
We got a hold of a VHoldR ContourHD 1080P helmet camera to check out for a short while. Here’s a quick run-through of our thoughts on it. YouTube also announced that they’ll be going to 1080p this week as well, so these 1080p cameras just became more viable for consumers to purchase. Looking to learn more about this tiny (34mm x 53mm x 95mm) 4.3oz HD POV camera? See inside!
side profile | credit: PointofViewCameras.com
The VHoldR ContourHD 1080p has a lot to offer POV camera enthusiasts. At $329.00, The Contour 1080p looks nearly identical to the ContourHD (720p) version but packs a lot of new options inside that help set it apart from the $299.99 ContourHD (720p).
Included in the VHoldR ContourHD 1080P package:
- ContourHD1080p Camera
- MicroSD Card (2GB)
- Goggle Mount
- Flat Surface camera mount
- Extra Adhesive
- Rechargeable Battery (3hrs)
- USB Cable
- Instructions
ContourHD1080p has five video resolutions you can choose from. It uses a 5 Megapixel sensor and uses H.264 (saved as a .mov file)
- Full HD - 1080p (1920×1080 @30fps) - 110° angle
- Tall HD - 960p (1280×960 @ 30fps) - 135° angle
- Action HD - 720p (1280×720 @ 60fps) - 135° angle
- Contour HD - 720p (1280×720 @ 30fps) - 135° angle
- Fast SD - WVGA (848×480 @ 30fps) - 110º angle
Setting up the camera
The ContourHD1080p has a two position switch on the back of the unit that lets you choose between two video settings that you determine through the Vholdr software (free download from vholdr.com). The settings are adjustable through their Easy Edit Software in the Tools | camera configuration menu.
Easy Edit software
Easy Edit software
Easy Edit software
You can also set the camera bit rate and microphone level as well. These settings are not modifiable outside of the Easy Edit Software.
In addition to setting the resolution options, you can also set the lighting settings (exposure) as well as metering options.
Easy Edit software
The ContourHD1080p remains similar in user functionality to the ContourHD (720p). Pressing the main button on the back of the camera turns the unit on. There are alignment lasers that shine through the front of the camera that will come on. Once the boot up sequence is done, it will beep once. If you need the lasers to come on again to check the camera alignment you can press the button again. The front of the Contour lens can be turned and adjusted 180º to make sure the video is level. This system works well and is easy to get the camera aligned properly. The lasers help get everything level and ensure that the camera is angled properly. The camera mount is a two piece setup. The first mount piece that connects the camera to the mount can be pulled out and you can adjust the angle by turning it and re-installing it back into the main mount. The teeth inside the main mount help with fine adjustments.
camera features | credit: VholdR.com
Once everything is lined up, you then move the switch on top of the camera forward to begin recording. It will beep twice to signify that recording has begun and the led on the front will turn red. After you’re done recording, you move the switch backward to the off position and another audible beep (one) will happen. The switch on the ContourHD1080p has much firmer detentes in the on and off position as well which was nice to see. The nice thing about the big switch, the audible tones, and the laser setup is that the setup can be setup easily and confidently. There is no guessing if the camera is recording, no need to stare at the camera to ensure it is on and recording, or what mode it is in. It works well in a mountain bike environment quickly and easily without having to remove your helmet or gloves.
rear view | credit: PointofViewCameras.com
The ContourHD1080p offers some of the easiest to use mounts we’ve come across but the standard mounts have some play in between the main camera and the removable mounts. This play can cause some shakiness. To help alleviate this, we found that installing a soft bumper that took up the play in between teh mount and camera provided a more stable recording experience. There are alternative mounting options as well so we’d suggest experimenting with various mounts as well as using Velcro straps to keep the camera snug and shake free. The camera mounts also have a security leash but if the mount falls off, you can loose the camera. Instead of mounting the security leash to the mount(s) we found installing the leash to the helmet directly through a helmet strap or helmet vent provided a more secure setup to ensure your camera doesn’t get lost! The camera mounts aren’t perfect but they can be made to work better with some patience.
flat adhesive mount | credit: PointofViewCameras.com
adhesive mount on helmet | credit: PointofViewCameras.com
goggle mount | credit: PointofViewCameras.com
mounted on the goggle strap | credit: PointofViewCameras.com
If you’re in the market to purchase a ContourHD and are debating if the 1080p / 720p version is for you, it’s hard not to recommend the 1080p over the 720p version. While it does take more CPU to process/edit/handle the 1080p footage, the camera options inside the 1080p that let you control (exposure, bitrate, microphone, metering) are ones that are beneficial even if you’re not using the camera in 1080p mode.
The included 2GB card may not last you very long if you’re shooting in HD so purchasing a bigger capacity card is highly recommended. 15 minutes per 1GB @ 1080p, 30 minutes per 1GB @ 720p
Vholdr.com offers FREE storage of your HD VholdR videos and through the Easy Edit Software it makes sharing videos quite easy. The community based system lets you interact (tag where videos were made, leave comments, embed, etc) and is a nice feature that helps you share and index your videos easily as well as free.
VHoldR 1080p - outdoors - (highest bitrate setting ~14.4Mbit/s @ 1080p) - download the full / raw video if you have a Vimeo account.
VHoldR 1080p (highest bitrate setting ~14.4Mbit/s @ 1080p) - download the full / raw video if you have a Vimeo account.
Interested in a more detailed review? Got questions? We’ll try to get an updated one up once we have more time on it if there’s enough interest. Let us know in the comments or by email if you are!
VholdR 1080p | credit: PointofViewCameras.com
Interested in purchasing a VholdR 1080p? Purchase one from the guys at Pointofviewcameras.com.
We’ve teamed up with www.pointofviewcameras.com to give you guys a pretty sweet discount!
Just use the coupon code sicklines20 for a $20 discount when you checkout!
Additional packagaes are also offered that are worth considering to get all your spare batteries and chargers!
Point Of View Cameras have got a lot of knowledge when it comes to POV cameras and can assit you in your all your POV camera needs!
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Plz give us a more in dept review, because there aren’t on the web
Two reviews here for ya:
First GoPro HD Hero vs. ContourHD 1080p - Initial Impressions:
http://pointofviewcameras.com/blog/pov/article/gopro-hd-hero-vs.-contourhd-1080p-comparison
New ContourHD 1080P Review: Hands On and Sample Videos:
http://pointofviewcameras.com/blog/pov/article/new-contourhd-1080p-review-wearable-camcorder-video-comparison-to-contourhd
Cheers!
Proprietary battery setup? What are the options there? Review says 2 hours battery life and I can’t help but think that is far too short. I ran a P.O.V. 1.5 this summer that used AA’s and I got about 6 hours on that. Even then, A full day on the resort left the last couple runs out when I didn’t realize the batteries had died on me. Those were the best ones too as I had the runs dialed by that point. I was bummed. Would hate to be stuck with less than 6 hours after that experience, especially if it doesn’t use standard battery types but rechargeable units instead.
It uses a cell phone battery essentially. You can purchase extra ones (also a external charger is also available) and the camera unit itself charges a battery via a usb cable. 2 Hours? I haven’t seen any reviews or experienced that state the duration of the rechargeable battery being that low. We easily had over 2hrs of recording during our use. We didn’t have extensive time to test out how long the battery lasted on this 1080p contour but the 720p contour easily lasted through a day of recording (it was the memory card that fills up faster in our experience).
The unit is easy to turn on/off and we did so after each run. This helped to make sure we didn’t have any issues with the battery expiring while recording. The Vholdr system is also supposed to turn off after 15 minutes of inactivity automatically.
We haven’t found it to be an issue (battery life) provided you start the day with a full charge and turn the camera off when not using it. 6 hours on a set of 4 AA batteries can add up if you use the camera a lot which is nice but as you say can put you in a state where you need to recharge it if you do run through it and don’t have a spare.
SK - here is a review we wrote.
http://pointofviewcameras.com/blog/pov/article/new-contourhd-1080p-review-wearable-camcorder-video-comparison-to-contourhd
Hope it gives you a bit of additional info. Feel free to contact us with any questions you have
Can you use other video editing software with this cam?
Yep you can. No problem.
I am a very disappointed 1080HD owner. There is a recurrent fault in the optics of the 1080HD which causes serious image blur in a significant minority of units. It’s obvious that VholdR don’t even test them before shipping, as the fault is obvious as soon as you replay, once you realise it’s there. They should be doing a recall and testing before despatch.