While representatives were coy about details on this at Sea Otter, we managed to get some early peeks up with most of the details correct. Now, the Contour+ is out in the open with their graces, and as expected it adds a wider 170º viewing angle, mini-HDMI out and 2.5mm microphone input jack, but there are also some improvements to the video capture quality and new streaming features that’ll make it much more relevant to professional videographers.
The HDMI port can stream video live by connecting a cable to a wireless broadcasting device, or playback your video directly to a monitor by connecting the camera with a HDMI cable (included in the box!). A pass-thru door on the back lets you connect the HDMI or a USB cable while keeping the main access panel shut, protecting the battery, microSD card, etc. Video capture records the full 170º for 960p and 720p and stills, or 125º for full 1080p.
The mic input will let you connect an external mic to record primary sounds over ambient noise, and a mic cable is also included. More after the break…
While the Contour+ loses the dual lasers on the front for alignment assistance, it keeps the rotating lens so you can mount it in any direction and still record rightside up, even if you mount it upside down. Besides the wider angle and progressive video capture, the Plus also gets white balance adjustment. It has a professional quality six-element glass F2.8 lens.
The water resistant alloy housing is about 3mm longer and brushed versus black, but otherwise the unit looks very much like its lesser equipped siblings. It keeps the GPS tracking for speed, elevation and location and the Bluetooth v2.1 to sync up with their viewfinder app.
MSRP is $499 and it’s available May 18 through their website and online partners like Amazon. It comes with three mounts and a 2GB microSD card, but will accept up to 32GB.
