Gopro vs Contour vs Drift vs Replay

[OC3]

Video clarity of mlhj83's track day videos http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=664988 prompted a search and came across this comparison test.

It's an eye opener. I have a Gopro and a Contour, but I may pick up a Replay XD1080.

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Hot Rod mag's write-up on the 4 videocam's:
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/h...risons_action/

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This is a comparison between just Gopro and Replay. Explains why mlhj83's videos of those lush green tracks, as well as car's interior, came out looking so good:

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[turtlegt]

Originally Posted by OC3

Video clarity of mlhj83's track day videos http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=664988 prompted a search and came across this comparison test.

It's an eye opener. I have a Gopro and a Contour, but I may pick up a Replay XD1080.

To be honest, I have a go pro, and I don't think there's enough difference for me to warrant a new or different cam. (I did some research on these a while back as well.)

I think it's a toss between the go pro and replay, but what concerns me is the instability the replay seems to have outside the car (could be mounting). I did 125 on my ED with a go pro mounted to the sunroof and it was extremely stable and recorded well, very little shake. The abundance of mounts and attachments is also convenient, and the fact that it's waterproof (I use it wakeboarding and snowboarding too) and durable are also advantages. I will say that the go pro is terrible in low light, no question. Just my humble opinion.

[mlhj83]

Just like to add that the mounting options of the ReplayXD1080 are huge. Check their website out. It comes with loads of sticky mounts made by 3M that are super-strong and waterproof. They don't leave any residue when you remove the sticky mount.

You can also get a suction mount which uses the same suction cup and mechanism as gopro. The Replay XD1080 is no less stable than gopro and if anything, more versatile given its small cylindrical shape in combination with a swivel mount.

The only advantage gopro has over replay xd1080 is its waterproof case. The replay xd1080 is only water resistant as it has weather seals and a goretex layer over the mic.

[mlhj83]

Also, you can tinker with the camera settings on the Replay XD1080 and change things like exposure, light metering, video compression, mic gain, sharpness, white balance and much more. The usual options of 1080p, 720p, 30/60 fps and photo mode are all available.

The track day videos I recorded in my thread (http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=664988) were made on 720p and medium compression, so quality can actually be further improved. Also, I chose average light metering for the second video so that the interior of the car and the outside world appeared more balanced in terms of exposure. My first video was recorded using spot metering, hence the glaring sunlight.

[THE TECH]

I bought the Replay but haven't had a chance to use it yet. It seemed to far surpass the others in the Hot Rod challenge.

[GOLFFRR]

^^+1 I had never heard of the Replay till mlhj83 posted up a couple threads. I really like the way it performs and also had some pretty positive feedback stated on a couple google searches. I really want to get one of the cameras GoPro, Contour, or Replay but just not convinced completely one way or another yet. Search continues

[signes]

That review doesn't look like the used the new(ish) Go Pro HD Hero 2. I have been impressed with the image quality of the new one, and I also heard they are developing an iPhone app for video preview/review, which would be the last major feature it lacks. Also now has a mic jack so wind noise no longer an issue (as long as you don't mind buying a mic and running it to a spot on your car protected from the wind. Finally I like the wider angle lens on the Go Pro, the Replay is a touch too narrow.

[OC3]

Originally Posted by signes

That review doesn't look like the used the new(ish) Go Pro HD Hero 2. I have been impressed with the image quality of the new one, and I also heard they are developing an iPhone app for video preview/review, which would be the last major feature it lacks. Also now has a mic jack so wind noise no longer an issue (as long as you don't mind buying a mic and running it to a spot on your car protected from the wind. Finally I like the wider angle lens on the Go Pro, the Replay is a touch too narrow.

Good to know. Yeah, mine is not Hero "2."

[S65V8]

If you go side by side specs with HERO 2 and Replay they aren't equal.

[AllieNaquint]

I have been impressed with the image quality of the new one