Sony action cam vs. Contour plus 2

[rhopstr 0]

Hi there,

Both Sony and Contour have just announced / released their new point of view cameras and I thought this would be a good place to gather experiences / reviews so that a comparison between the two can be made.

I've not mentioned the GoPro's as there's already an abundance of information available with regards to those camera's.

For the record, I'm looking into getting one of the abovementioned camera's myself but i'll have to jump quite a bit more before I can use them for recording my skydives.

Contour+ 2 website:
http://contour.com/products/contour-plus-2

Sony action Cam website:
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&identifier=S_Sony_Action_Cam

Contour+ 2 review
http://gizmodo.com/5939690/contour%252B2-can-this-new-action-camera-finally-dethrone-the-gopro

What I would personally like to know:
- Video quality comparison
- Image stability comparison
- How using the slowmotion feature works out
(can you switch from normal speed to slowmotion when editing with the supplied editing software?)

[scottd818 0]

i love my contour and i want the new one.

[jumpwally 0]

I look forward to DSE's review, he is usually "spot" on....

smile, be nice, enjoy life
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[Squeak 17]

Quote

I look forward to DSE's review, he is usually "spot" on....

So too is Trunks, Trunks will also likely pull it apart and see what can be done to it

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[Chrisky 0]

There isn't really a "slowmotion feature", just recording and playback frame rates.
The more frames per second you can record, the slower the motion looks played back at 30 frames a second. In editing it will not cost you any processing time, as every frame exists and none have to be calculated/added.
If the Sony is set to record at 120 fps, then in editing you can simply play it back at 120 fps (live speed) or at 30 fps (1/4th speed/slowmotion) WITHOUT having to generate frames with all the negative effects that can be seen in the "super slowmo" videos that popped up in the last two years using Twixtor Pro. These are generated by having a software generating frames which dont exits in the original footage, resulting in warping.
On the technical side, encoding of the frames into the coded data stream should work based on the number of frames, not their recording speed, and thus your software should do fine as long as it supports the codec used (most likely MPEG4/h264 nowadays)
HTH...

The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open.
From the edge you just see more.
... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

[Dean358 0]

One of the key attributes that’s often not discussed when comparing digital cameras -- at all levels -- is the way in which the color pixels in the single image sensor get converted into an RGB image. Called "debayering" there are bunch of different algorithms for pulling this off, which can dramatically affect how a camera reproduces color. For example, I actually prefer the colorimetry of the little GoPro camera to that of the professional RED cameras (although they're obviously not comparable in other aspects).

Anyway, my point is that the published specs for the action cam and the Contour cameras are very similar, but I bet they don't fully represent how images from the two will compare. The best way to really compare them would be to shoot the exact same scene, e.g. a well lit medium close up of a person with nice skin tones, and compare the results on the same monitor. An even better test for this application would be to have them both mounted on the same helmet for a jump. Anyone volunteer? If so please post!

On a separate note, Sony seems to be very aggressively reinventing their camera line, from the action cam to new DSLRs to the F65 8K resolution digital cinema camera. It will be interesting to see if the "little" manufactures can compete with them.

www.wci.nyc

[inkogneetow 0]

I have owned a contour+ since they were released. I always film in 720p @ 60fps. I love the image this camera produces and most people who see the video comment on how sharp the video is in comparison to the hero2. The wifi feature isn't nearly as good IMO. I didn't even use it much and it eventually quit working. I originally had the contour GPS but due to unresolved firmware issues contour offered a trade up to the + when it was released. It seems firmware is the weak part of the company. Every couple weeks I have to reformat my sd card as well.

I ordered the Sony because of the promise of better low light video and 120 fps. It has the same image sensor as the cx100-150. I have not been impressed with it so far. I think the lens in th WP case is the issue there. I have not used it without the case yet. I also don't like the Added bulk of the case and that it cannot be mounted to the side of my helmet without the use of an L bracket and cannot be mounted on its side since the lens won't rotate. Also I was not able to get it to play 120fps smoothly at normal speed even with a high performance computer. Possibly an issue with the video editing software I use. Also no audio can be recorded @ 60 or 120fps which isn't necessary for freefall video but under canopy and ground footage it's a nice feature.

Bottom line: I'll keep all that I have for foot cam chest cam etc but will probably opt for the newly released hero3.

Just my opinion

"If I can't be my own, I'll feel better dead." Layne Staley