Choosing The Best Gps Enabled Wearable (pov) Action Camera
Helmet and other wearable cameras are designed with durability
, small size and water / dust resistance in mind. They are ideally suited for action sport or any other activity where you need to keep your hands free while filming. These wearable cameras have come a long ways in the last few years as they enter the main stream. Over the last year or so we have seen a number of HD quality cameras enter the market and as of this summer GPS enabled cameras are becoming available.
The new Contour GPS camera has finally arrived, setting a milestone in the world of point of view cameras. This camera incorporates GPS technology, allowing filmmakers to record their location, speed and altitude synchronized with their video footage - which is an excellent tool for mapping and locating new trails or comparing footage with your friends.
Contour is the first GPS enabled POV camera to be released into the marketplace but it looks like competition has been hard at work on their GPS enabled wearable cams. Both Oregon Scientifics' ATC9K and the GoBandit GPSHD feature GPS enabled video. Both of these cameras are slated for released in October 2010.
The inclusion of GPS in the Contour's new model doesn't mean that filming quality has taken a back seat. This camera offers four HD modes to fit every activity. Imagine you are riding a beautiful swell with a camera mounted to your board facing upward towards you. This is the perfect opportunity to utilize "Tall" 960p mode - the higher frame will ensure that you catch all of the action, as well as your head and feet! Among the settings is of course Full HD 1080p, plus, you've also got the choice to film in 720p @ 30 fps ("Original HD") resulting in smaller HD files, or 720p @ 60 fps ("Action HD") for fluid slow motion playback.
In comparison, the ATC9K offers three recording modes: 1080p @ 30fps or 720p at both 30fps and 60fps.
The GoBandit offers only two shooting modes: 720p @ 30fps and SD 480p @ 30fps only. I'm surprised to see their decision not to offer 1080p or the 60 fps, but perhaps it's how they kept the weight down to 5 oz.
Contour GPS lens supports two modes: 135 degree (Wide Angle) in 960p and 720p and 110 degree (Photo) in 1080p mode. Dual alignment lasers make it easy to set up the shooting angle (aim the camera). GoBandit also boasts 135 degree lens while the ATC9K is slightly narrower at 130 degrees FOV.
How about still photos?
All three of the above mentioned cameras double up as a digital point and shoot cameras, eliminating the need to carry around a separate piece of equipment just for stills. The Contour GPS snaps stills at user selected 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 second intervals, Oregon ATC9K shoots 3MP and 5MP still images continuously or manually and so does the GoBandit shooting 5 MP photos automatically at selectable 2 or 5 second intervals.
All three cameras store Videos, Photos and GPS data to removable MicroSD memory cards expandable up to 32 GB. Contour GPS and GoBandit GPS HD come with a 2 GB Memory cards included.
Contour has stuck to their original slim Water Resistant Aluminum Shell enclosure design, into which they packaged the GPS feature and a few improvements such as the latched rear hatch and a bigger on / off switch to work the camera with gloves on. They kept the TRail mounting system, which means you can use all of the existing Contour mounts. The entire package has been kept lightweight and streamlined weighing in at 5.3. The Oregon ATC9K (which also features an LCD display) comes in at 6.5 oz while the GoBandit GPSHD comes in at 5 oz. Note that ATC9K is waterproof up to 20m and the GoBandit GPS up to IPX7 (1m/3.25' depth for 30 minutes) while the Contour GPS is water resistant (splash proof)
Incorporated into the front of the body is the new audio recording system utilizing a new omni-directional microphone that captures more of the good sounds, like commentary and background action while muffling heavy, excess wind noise. Can't wait to see how this compares against previous Contour Camera and all of the competitors.
All three cameras are powered by rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries which can be charged via supplied USB cables connected to your computer or using an optional battery charger. Contour GPS claims the longest battery life of up to 3 hours. Oregon ATC9K specs battery life to be at least 1.5 hours while the GoBandit GPS HD's battery I said to last up to two hours.
This GPS feature is pretty slick and it is going to create a lot of excitement in the world or riding, back country skiing, sky diving and any other action sport where pinpointing location or measuring, speed, acceleration or altitude is of importance. You can now locate yourself, in the middle of the forest catching air off some natural launches - a place that perhaps no one else has never been and a place that you would likely never find again! How cool is it that?
So how do you use all of that GPS data?
Contour's STORYTELLER application will let you view and control all of the action with the interactive map and video player as it happens. GoBandit offers their own player which can be used to play back video and display GPS data and to export footage in .mov format (H.264 codec) for playback on all video players and on-line sharing. Similarly, Oregon Scientifics' software enables you to keep track of your location, altitude and distance traveled on Google Maps or Google Earth. The software plays the video clips and shows the GPS information in the same window for easy referencing so that you can see the actual scene as well as the information at the same time.
It will be interesting to see when and how the GPS date will be supported on video-sharing sites such as YouTube or Vimeo. It would be nice if they would integrate google maps with built in GPS support.
Only time will tell. We will be testing and using these new GPS enabled cameras as they come out on the market so stay tuned for more feedback and comparisons.
It's nice to see that pricing for the GPS Enabled cameras is still very affordable. It looks like you will be paying $30 - $50 premium over the non GPS HD camera models. The Contour GPS retails for $349.95 USD, Oregon Scientific ATC9K goes for $299.95 (plus $69.99 for optional GPS module) and the Gobandit is priced at $389.
by: Mike Brooks
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