Contour+2 Adventure Cam Review

Sony Action Cam HDR-AS15 Comparison

GoPro is the king when it comes to adventure cams, at least judging by popularity. And when we tested the GoPro Hero2 earlier this year, we felt like the popularity was justified. The Hero2 outclassed the competition from Contour by incorporating a better control system (with an on-board LCD for changing settings), and by offering a far better value.

With the Contour+2 things have changed slightly. The new Contour is cheaper than its predecessor, and it comes with a waterproof case—two things that make it more competitive with the GoPro Hero2. The Contour+2 also has built-in WiFi, which is something you have to pay extra for on the GoPro Hero2.

But here's why most of this doesn't matter: the GoPro HD Hero3 was announced yesterday. Just when it looked like Contour was catching up to its rival, GoPro blew the lid off of the adventure cam market with a brand new, and fully-updated model. The Hero3 does have built-in WiFi, it features improved performance (according to GoPro), and it is available in three versions costing $199, $299, and $399. To top it all off, the $399 version of the Hero3, called the Black Edition, comes with a wireless remote control and the ability to record 4K video at 15fps.

Yes, we know it sounds insane on paper, but we can't go ahead and crown the GoPro Hero3 the champion of adventure cams until we get one in our labs to make sure. And even if all of the Hero3's enhancements are true, the Contour+2 does still have a few advantages: the built-in tripod mount, the rugged build of the camcorder itself, the laser sight, and the rotating lens, which is a favorite feature amongst Contour enthusiasts.

/r:render