Hands-on Gear Review

Contour Roam Review

   
Best Buy Award

Helmet Cams

  • Currently 3.0/5
Overall avg rating 3.0 of 5 based on 1 review. Most recent review: November 4, 2011
Street Price:   Varies from $17 - $200 | Compare prices at 4 resellers
Pros:  Low-profile, good looking, waterproof to one meter, wide angle lens, good value.
Cons:  Must buy most mounts seperately, no LCD screen, poor sound, no phone connectivity.
Best Uses:  BASE jumping, biking, hiking, surfing, outdoor sports, motorsports.
User Rating:       (0.0 of 5) based on 0 reviews
Manufacturer:   Contour
Review by: Matt Gerdes and on November 4, 2011
Overview
The Contour Roam is one of the least expensive helmet cams out there, along with the GoPro Hero 960. It was a tough call to decide which one got the Best Buy award, but ultimately it went to the Contour because of the better image quality which is same as the Contour+ which costs an extra $300. But keep in mind the Roam, it only comes with a few mounts and the cost of the extras can add up quick. Overall, if you can spend a bit more, we still recommend the GoPro HD Hero2 because for only $300 you get great image quality, high res still photos, LCD screen, loads of mounts, and many other techy options. Check out our complete Helmet Cam Review to see how they all compare.

  • Photos
  • Specs
Contour Roam helmet cam
Contour Roam helmet cam
Credit: Contour

Contour Roam helmet cam
Contour Roam helmet cam
Credit: Contour

Contour Roam helmet cam
Contour Roam helmet cam
Credit: Contour

Contour Roam helmet cam
Contour Roam helmet cam
Credit: Contour

Contour Roam helmet cam
Contour Roam helmet cam
Credit: Contour

Contour helmet cam comparison chart.
Contour helmet cam comparison chart.
Credit: Contour

Specifications for Contour Roam
  • Wide Angle Lens 170°
  • Lens Type Custom Six Element Glass
  • Lens Rotation 270°
  • Weight 5.1oz
  • Dimensions 100 x 55 x 34
  • Included Mounts Profile Mount, Rotating Surface Mount
  • Included Cables USB
  • Video/Audio
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 @ 30/25fps
  • Tall HD - 1280 x 960 @ 30/25fps
  • Action HD - 1280 x 720 @ 30/25fps
  • Photo Mode: 1,3,5,10,30,60
  • 5MP Sensor
  • Codec - H.264/AAC / File Type - MOV
  • AAC Audio Compression
  • 32GB microSD Compatible
  • Battery Life: 3 hrs

Comparative Review At-a-Glance

See more side-by-side comparisons
  This Product Editors' Choice Comparison
Product Name Contour Roam GoPro HD Hero2
Video video review
Contour GPS
Street Price $200 | compare prices$300 | compare prices$300 | compare prices
Overall Score
100
0
83
100
0
94
100
0
82
Editors' Awards  Best Buy Award   Editors' Choice Award    
Pros Low-profile, good looking, waterproof to one meter, wide angle lens, good value.Great image quality, comes with many mounts and waterproof case, 11mp camera, great value, LCD displayFeature rich, low-profile, good looking, phone connectivity, GPS, many setting controls, bluetooth.
Cons Must buy most mounts seperately, no LCD screen, poor sound, no phone connectivity.Bulky as a side mount, Tele-tubby look, no (optional) smartphone viewing/streaming until February.Must buy most mounts separately, no LCD screen, no external mic, not a very wide lens.
Best Uses BASE jumping, biking, hiking, surfing, outdoor sports, motorsports.BASE jumping, biking, hiking, surfing, outdoor sports, motorsports, water sports.BASE jumping, biking, hiking, surfing, outdoor sports, motorsports.
Date Reviewed Feb 12, 2012Feb 12, 2012Feb 12, 2012
Weighted Metrics Contour Roam GoPro HD Hero2 Contour GPS
Image Quality
10
0
9
10
0
10
10
0
9
Features
10
0
7
10
0
8
10
0
8
Mounting Versatility
10
0
8
10
0
10
10
0
8
Durability
10
0
9
10
0
9
10
0
7
Product Specs Contour Roam GoPro HD Hero2 Contour GPS
Weight (oz - without mounts) 5.1 5.9 (with housing) 5.2
Laser Alignment yes no yes
Waterproof yes yes (with included case) no (need $40 case)
Camera Megapixels 5 11 5
Wide angle lens 170 degrees 170 degrees 135 degrees
Manually configure settings yes no yes
LCD screen no yes no
Smartphone connectivity no Accessory coming 2/12 yes
GPS no no yes
External mic jack no yes no
Max memory card 32GB 32GB 32GB


OutdoorGearLab Editors' Hands-on Review

NOTE: We did not have the Contour Roam in our head-to-head tests so this review is based off our use of other Contour models and comparing the manufacturer's published specs.

Likes
We love how sleek and burly the Roam is. Without any extra case it is waterproof to one meter. It also retains the laser alignment that helps you make sure your subject is in frame (something the Contour+ and GoPro models lack). As with all Contour models, the on and off slide switch is intuitive, so you can be sure you are capturing the action. It has the same awesome wide angle 170 degree lens of the Contour+ (same wide angle view as the GoPro models). It is sleek and low-profile. It (and all Contour models) allows you to configure settings for the camera with your computer, something few if any other wearable HD cams let you do.

Dislikes
It lacks an LCD screen or smartphone connectivity so it is hard to tell how much space you have used up on your SD card. You can't see any footage unless you connect it to a computer. There is no way to plug in an external mic to get crisp audio. It only comes with a few mounts and no SD card. So before you first use it you will likely need to drop some cash. For example, if you want it to be waterproof below one meter, you have to pay an extra $40 for the Contour Waterproof Case and if you want to mount it in the water you have to buy the Contour Surf Mount ($20).

Matt Gerdes and Chris McNamara, OutdoorGearLab Review Staff

Contour Roam

   
Compare this product side-by-side to other helmet cams

OutdoorGearLab Member Reviews of Contour Roam


Most recent review: November 4, 2011
Summary of All Ratings

OutdoorGearLab Editors' Rating:   
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
 (3.0)
Average Customer Rating:     (0.0)
Rating Distribution
0 Total Ratings
5 star: 0%  (0)
4 star: 0%  (0)
3 star: 0%  (0)
2 star: 0%  (0)
1 star: 0%  (0)


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Contour Roam helmet cam
Contour Roam helmet cam
Credit: Contour

Contour Roam helmet cam

Credit: Contour
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