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.
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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.
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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