Contour ROAM 2 vs Contour ROAM 1

Yes, but the video was put together in 30fps because of this. Only real difference you'd notice from this video is less motion blur. I should make a better side by side.

I noticed the 2 performs better in "direct light" sequences. Like the beginning of the film when he's driving out of the parking garage, the 1 was still showing the "blinding white" blur, while the 2 had already self adjusted it's dimmer faster and you could see out of the parking garage better.

Yes, and while this test doesn't show it that well the Audio on the Roam2 is much better.

Hi, nice comparison, and since you own roam 2 i would like to ask you if you could alternative use that camera to record some kind of close-ups. From time to time i have to do some vids when i film a smartphone/software presention or sth like that. nothing too professional. Would roam 2 be able to produce sharp image when dealing with such close scenes? I know it's an action camera but still :P

It would work fine but my only concern would be lighting. The Roam2 require a decent light source to look good and sometime low lit house lights results in a muddy/grainy image. However with the Roam2 you have some exposure settings and contrast settings to mess around with that can improve the look.

thx for a quick reply. guys from contour support aswered my similar questions stating that roam2 has a fixed focus set from 6'' to infinity. from my understanding it should be able to capture sharp images. I know the lightning is crucial but which camera doesn't have that problem. I think I would mainly record in a well lit places somewhere close to windows and as I said it is nothing professional. Nevertheless I would like to record decent HQ vids and just don't want to buy another camera.

I'm going to have a video up in the next 2 to 3 days you might want to check out. It'll be the Side by Side video of the Monoprice MHD and Contour ROAM2. It actually shows how the camera records up close objects in daylight, as well as morning through evening settings. Anyway glad to help :D

I would really like to watch that :) I think it would be of a great help. I hope the camera does't have problems with catching sth like bright smartphones' screens. I was also considerning Hero 3 Silver Edition but in my case it would probably be a waste of money. Waiting for your new vid then :)

I saw in a recent Amazon review that it is possible to load the latest Roam2 v2.16firmware into the Roam. Would you be up to doing this and then running this test again with both physical units running the same Roam2 v2.16 firmware? Just wondering if the hardware is truly different in the old vs new versions. Your review says the Roam2 clearly better, but wondering if this is a firmware tweaking or hardware. Article also states the Roam v1.11 firmware can be restored to Roam.

Installed Roam2 v2.16 firmware on Roam1, so far working great

mgurmgur2, when you get a chance to really check things out a bit more, can you comment on what you tested/use and what your thoughts are compared to the units original functioning? Pros/Cons to doing this? Things that are better/things that seem worse? Thanks!

Check out my channel, username "budschidau". I wrote the review on amazon.com regarding the possibility of upgrading the roam 1 with roam 2 firmware. I already did some comparison vids, you can find them under my channel. Regards from Munich, budschidau

Update: Sond quality is much better in roam 2, vid quality is quite the same if roam1 is updated with roam2 firmware.

No 1080p at 30fps and 720p at 60fps

Roam1. Audio quality is the biggest issue but for the most part they are very similar. i would however point out that a New Roam has come out in June for the past 2 years.

THX M8

can you shoot without fisheye?

not on the Contour ROAM, either 1 or 2. its the physical lens that does the fish eye. if you are looking for an action camera without fisheye, im sure there is one or two out there

With the ROAM2, if I shoot at 1080p, can I have an angle of 170°?

got the roam 2. It adapts better and faster to light situations.

Which one has the better audio in your opinion? I mean when speaking for example.

The fisheye effect is less noticeable when shooting at 1080p

which is better for the money i airsoft and paintball and all its going to do is sit on my helmet and record games

Either would be fine. You can hack a text file to make the ROAM1 to record at 720p 60 fps BUT there may be a ROAM3 right around the corner. might want to hold onto your receipt just in case.

how do you hack the roam1 to record in 720p 60fps....actually for my use the roam1 would be perfect and if I can hack it I goin to buy it.....thanks

I like the contour roam 2 but I was thinking about the go pro hero 3 black edition. Which one is better for pictures underwater would you say? Or rock climbing? I heard the contour isn't very waterproof and doesnt take falls as well.

The roam without a case is waterproof up to 1 meter, so rainy days are fine. With the case it's waterproof and you can buy it with a case, or caseless. But as a sidebyside comparison of a Gopro and a Contour. If i'm right, the Gopro's HAVE to be in a case to be used mounted and such, so it'd be more protected with falls. But with a contour and a case, there's no real competition there.

I upgraded the firmware of my Roam1 (v1.11) with v2.16 intended for the Roam2 and the quality improved greatly now that I can record at 60fps instead of 30fps. There are now more video and lighting options available not to mention that it now records in .mp4 instead of .mov.

No significant difference for the extra money!

The ROAM 2 has a kinda 'hallway' sound to it which is odd? I've just bought a ROAM 2 and still unboxing it so cannot add any feedback from mine yet on the sound.

Contour camera uk are still going strong??? I just ordered my ROAM 2 from them yesterday for a bargain £135 delivered, arrived this morning special delivery. I went for the Green one, they've got a 20% off summer sale so get one quick!

I have the contour roam 1 im planning to get contour roam 2... Can you tell me the difference? They both 1080p right? I notice on CR 1 i cant adjust the fps in the media software there is o option to adjust it. What about the CR2?...

I think I may have answered this before here but it is mainly you have more menu options through storyteller, some more locking features on the body and 60fps without hacking. Just to warn you though, Contour has since closed down and there wont be a lot of future support.

u mean contour company shutts down? Omg thats why their cam and accessories is on clearance.... why thought? i think their good HD cameras... So Go Pro beat them?

I mean they are out of business but I wouldn't say GoPro beat them. Contour I think invested to much into their pro models (+ and +2) but they never took off the way the ROAM series did. In the end I'd imagine they closed their doors early to avoid building up more debt in hopes of selling the tech to another company. The Hero3 line didn't help I'm sure.

You can flash on the Roam2 firmware on your Roam1 and get 60fps footage.

We've tried this before and ran into issues with the camera's ability to adjust to changing light conditions. In the end we restored it to default because we could solve the issues. Never made a video on it because there were so many out there already. We just didn't recommend it but if you film mostly during the day it works fine

The Roam2 is being clearanced everywhere.I hope you got the Roam1 for sub 99.99. Both great cameras but Contour has gone out of business in the US.

what about sound? I have the roam1 love the size and shape.. but the sound is less then perfect.

Roam2 has much improved sound. I forgotten about that it had been so long. It's leaps and bounds better. Less muffled.

Great video and to those who don't know , contour was just brought by someone else and they will be back in business fully within the month from what I've heard :)

Is that arclight off sunset? Love that theater!!

What do you think about the contour +2 vs. the contour roam 1 or 2

The 1 seems a little darker ,is that because of the fps or just the settings ?   

i would not pay 70e extra for roam2

What render settings did you use for this movie?

you can actually load the contour roam 2 firmware into the contour roam to have it 60fps on 720p with increased color contrast. DISCLAIMER: Research and do at your own risk.

From what I understand you can use the ROAM 2 firmware on the ROAM 2 and get the 60FPS to work.