Shooting high-definition video with a helmet camera while conquering your sickest line isn’t new. Neither is posting that video to an online community. But shooting that professional-quality video in 1080p with a 4.3-ounce helmet cam the size of your palm — and using the included software to quickly edit the best clips — well that is new.
At $330, VholdR claims its new ContourHD 1080p, available soon, does all that.
Not only does it shoot high-def video (1920 × 1080 pixels) at the standard 30 frames per second, it’ll shoot video at 60 frames per second with slightly less quality (1280 × 720 pixels).
Also new is the ability to manipulate the contrast, metering, exposure and microphone level — all of which must be preset via VholdR’s included Mac- and PC-compatible software. By hooking up the camera to your computer, you can either create your own custom settings or choose from the no-brainer list of already-made settings tailored for conditions like sun or snow.
Two of the presets can be saved to the camera and changed via the flick of the high/low switch to eliminate having to head back to your computer every time you want to change something.
But with the VholdR, there’s no way to see what you’re recording. Instead of a view finder, the camera has two lasers that project from the front of the camera to give you an idea of what’s in the wide-angle view.
The ContourHD 1080p will be available in October for $330. www.vholdr.com
—Ryan Dionne
