Contour recently released a new Picatinny mount for their hands-free HD cameras and we were stoked to run it through a demanding field test.
Contour produces high quality HD sport cameras. No doubt you have seen amazing videos recorded with a Contour camera. These guys are the market leader in adventure storytelling and are well known for the biking, surfing, and skiing videos recorded with their cameras. With the introduction of their Picatinny mount they are ready to enter the gun market.
Tactical Gun Review tested the ContourGPS camera on a Beretta PX4, Wilson Combat Spec-Ops 9, and several different AR15 rigs. As you would expect, the Picatinny mount was quick and easy to install. The camera easily slips into place and is secured by two retaining clips. We never had an issue with camera retention – it was locked in. The lens rotates to change orientation between vertical and horizontal – a great feature that allows the camera to be mounted on a variety of weapons.
The ContourGPS is astonishingly simple to operate. As the unit powers up, the GPS determines your location. Push the large button forward to start recording, then slide it back to stop. Done! You just recorded a HD video of your latest hog hunt or Three Gun match.
The video format is controlled by a two position switch located underneath the battery hatch. Settings are customized via USB connection to the Storyteller desktop software. Much like the camera itself, the software is user-friendly and you can spec each switch position independently – from full HD to a photo-burst mode.
The software includes a sweet Awesome button that allows you to quickly crop the best part of your action and post it online in just a few moments. Check out 6.8 SPC and PX4 for example videos.
So, how does the camera perform in a hunting environment? This is a bit tricky and really depends on what game you are after. Here in Texas we do a lot of hog hunting and the ContourGPS mounted on an AR15 platform has the potential to be a very cool setup. Hog hunting is close range and often fast and furious acquiring multiple targets. TGR will for sure be posting some hog hunting videos in the near future.
The video start/stop slide switch is easily operated while wearing gloves.
by Mike Coker
PX4 with ContourGPS
Where the camera does not excel is in low light conditions or at ranges much greater than 100 yards. That simply isn’t what it was built for. It has a wide angle lens and a camera this small obviously doesn’t have the light gathering capability of a fine hunting scope. You will want to turn off the camera “beeps” so as to not alert deer or hogs.
One suggestion would be to have some sort of “keep” for the screw that holds the Picatinny mount together. This doesn’t affect users who mount the camera to one gun but we were moving it from gun to gun and several times dropped one of the pieces on the ground because the screw came all the way out. Of course, you could buy a mount for each gun to avoid that little problem.
Some hunters may find the GPS a bit controversial but you can choose not to share your location. The Storyteller software has a straightforward upload to the Contour website and the GPS interfaces to a cool location map displayed alongside your video.
Where the ContourGPS really shines is in competitive shooting events like Three Gun. These types of events involve movement, multiple targets, and a variety of scenarios. And we can’t wait to get some footage with a Saiga 12 thrashing targets!
Keep in mind that a pistol will not fit in its holster with the camera mounted.
Battery life is acceptable but you may want to purchase a second battery or recharge between events. We missed a couple of great stage runs because we didn’t realize the battery was dead. We were in bright sunlight, wearing eye and ear protection and just missed the signals that the battery was drained – user error. From now on we will charge the battery in the truck between hunts/shoots.
If you are looking for a compact, tough, and easy to use hands-free HD video camera this is the one to get. GPS is a nice addition to an already great product. Tactical Gun Review highly recommends the ContourGPS.
A few videos shot with it:
Mounted on the Beretta
Mounted on a Bison Armory 6.8
Shooting a Wilson Combat Spec Ops 9
Mountain Biking (we like all kinds of outdoors sports)
Mike Coker
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