In my opinion, components are as much about looks as they are performance. The Syncros FL group has an understated aesthetic that will appeal to those who crave simplicity of neutral colours married with function. I’ll profile the components below (Syncros supplied me with stem, seatpost, saddle and headset) and provide general comments as to whether they are suitable for their intended purpose.

Syncros FL Stem Review

Not much to say about the FL stem (MSRP $89.95). It’s fairly light (110g measured); can be flipped either way (+/- 6 degrees); can be tightened with reasonable torque so it can work with carbon handlebars and steerers. The colour options are utilitatarian basis with either black or white with black accents. The stem comes in lengths from 70 to 130mm in 10mm increments.

After 60 days of use - the FL stem still looks good. The FL headset is install and forget.

Syncros FL Hardcore Headset Review

I have even less to say about the FL Hardcore (MSRP $59.95), which is as it should be. Easily installed and simple to adjust, this standard 1 1/8th headset is light (85g) and was a conventional model with upper and lower stack (12.9mm each stack) and extremely high quality bearings on a race (titanium coated angular contact bearings on forged & CNC’ed 2014 alloy cups). I haven’t noticed it in over 60 days of riding. Oh yes — its a no-fuss black.

FL Carbon Saddle and FL Micro-adjust Seatpost Reviews

The combination of the FL Micro-adjust Carbon Seatpost (MSRP $90.00) and FL Carbon Saddle (MSRP $179.95) is what initially drew my interest to the FL group. There are ultra-light weight-weenie parts that are lighter but I will only use parts that will be ridden not just on gravel paths. The Syncros saddle and post have seen time on my Knolly Endorphin which I’ve ridden in the Yukon, Pemberton and Whistler trails, and in Graubunden, Switzerland. Failure of seatpost and saddle is not an option as the consequences can be dramatically negative. Syncros assured me that this group, while light can still take some hard-riding and they have been proven to be right and my concerns disproven.

At 236g the FL carbon saddle is featherweight yet still has support from its contoured foam. I’m used to WTB (Silverados) and Chromag DT Lynx & Moon saddles so my sitbones like saddles on the firm side. The Syncros saddle might actually have been a tad softer than other saddles I usually use but has a nice flat supportive shape married with a nice round contoured rear profile so you can easily slide on/off for more technical moves. It’s got carbon rails which look incredibly trick; but to be perfectly honest I can’t tell if those rails add any micro-cushioning (carbon rails are supposed to flex and give just a tiny bit). But come on! These are carbon rails! The saddle comes in black or white thus continuing Syncros’s colour themes.

The FL Carbon micro-adjust seatpost was a logical choice to pair with the FL Carbon seatpost. It’s a standard two bolt seatpost, with nice deep stainless steel hardware with deep bolts to resist even the most ham-handed attempt to strip. Diameters are the standard 27.2/30.9 and 31.6 and lengths are in 350 to 400mm. It’s a suitably light 220g in the 30.9. x 350mm tested and comes only in black.

The FL Carbon saddle new and shiny (top) and after 60 days of use (bottom)

There were a couple of quibbles with the seatpost and saddle:

• The seatpost rails are a bit oversized compared to alloy rails so may not be compatible with seatposts which use side-clamping hardware (eg the RaceFace XY or Turbine series) as the clamping surfaces may not be the same shape as the Syncros carbon rails
• The seatpost uses hardware that is not all that long so the hardware will be at its limit when paired with bikes with slack seat-tube angles. For example, when used with my Knolly Endorphin the rear seatpost adjustment bolt was at its limit and I was concerned that it would strip so removed a washer to gain some more space.
• The fore-aft two bolt seatpost angle and hardware is common but that doesn’t mean it’s particularly easy to use. It can be a pain – in – the …. to get seat rails into position so use patience on installation. It would be nice if the forward bolt was slightly offset from the axis parallel saddle as it can be tricky to get an allen key in there for micro-adjustments.

More Info: Visit Syncros.com

As with the previous article this review is for a specific situation and use; point of view (POV) cameras for the snowsport enthusiast particularly for use with heavy snowfalls, dark gloomy winters, and challenging light conditions. Contour (the company) has made several changes to the ContourGPS camera all of which improve useability. This article will highlight the improvements.

Contour GPS Helmet Cam Specs and Improvements

Of course there is now GPS functionality. To be honest I didn’t use it much. It’s no use as a navigation tool since you can’t extract waypoints. You have to use the Contour video-editing Storyteller application to show the GPS tracklog and I don’t use that software. The GPS functionality is a battery hog.

• Small light (5.2 oz) form factor
• Shoots 3 frame rates (1080p, 960p, 720p with a choice between 30 fps and 60fps) and a still mode which allows you to take pictures
• Wide angle but not the fish-eye that GoPro has brought to POV cams (Contour is 135 degrees wide, GoPro is 170 degrees wide)
• Levelling lasers to help you aim the camera
• Rugged body – not waterproof but definitely water-resistant
• Self-contained. No wires to other external doo-dads.

(Note – Contour released functionality to preview video on an iPhone in the last month. I don’t have an iPhone, so someone else will have to review that feature)

Pow in the Duffey - Contour GPS on the Goggle Mount

Contour GPS Video Quality

I am now relatively experienced with POV videos having shot literally hundreds. I have no aspirations to produce professional quality videos – my efforts are limited to short snippets uploaded to the web via Vimeo. I have little interest in video post-processing and limit my efforts to merging raw clips together and sometimes adding text and soundtrack. My videos mainly showcase skiing and biking in the Southwestern British Columbia, Canada area. Although I’ve tried to pay attention to concerns that “prosumer” videographers may have, the comments in this review will reflect my biases.

I have provided many video clips as sample output. PLEASE READ THE COMMENTS ABOUT THE VIDEOS (click the Vimeo links to see them in HD and/or to read the comments) which outlined how I rendered and presented the videos. You can process video output to preserve as much quality as possible (larger files say for file-sharing via DVD) or like I did, you can process the videos to present pretty decent quality while managing file sizes for video-sharing via web. In general, my videos combine different points-of-view, include static footage and tend to be shorter. Your mileage may vary.

Improvements Over Contour HD 1080

Listed here are the major changes between the Contour HD 1080 and the ContourGPS. Many of these changes make the ContourGPS a better camera for POV use in snowsports:

• The rear door of the camera is now hard plastic and latches shut with a switch. This prevents the rear door from swinging open; a problem which occasionally plagued older versions of the ContourHD
• The on/off switch is now raised. It’s easier to turn on/off with gloves
• The Storyteller application has more customization. There are two switches which allow you to pick between resolutions and camera settings. You can toggle the GPS on/off. The old EasyEdit software customizations (particularly the exposure settings) didn’t seem to make much difference. With Storyteller, when you change exposure, there is a remarkable difference in the ability of the ContourGPS to handle light/dark.
• The microphone location is changed so that more sound is picked up. Although there is more gain, the ContourGPS also picks up more wind-noise so, as with all other POV cameras, sound quality is poor.
• The on/off audible tones on the Contour are perhaps louder than before and easy to hear. It’s very easy to tell the position of the on-off switch and therefore whether the camera is recording.

Other observations

• In bright sunlight video quality suffers from purple fringing. Take a look at the Blackcomb Glacier video below. Side-lit shots under March sun are vignetted and fringed. I’ll note that the lens of the ContourGPS was clean
• I really like the fact that the on/off volume is so loud and that the on-off button is so big. You never have to guess whether the camera is on/off or recording.
• You cannot change resolutions in the field other then through the 1/2 switch. This means you have to do some thinking in advance and put in different settings so if the weather changes you can compensate accordingly by using the switch.
• The Contour HD 1080′s video quality suffered mightily when it was dark. Video quality still isn’t great when going from light to dark and vice-versa but what can you really expect from such a small form-factor wearable video camera. However, the exposure controls are now much improved; the software controls actually do something when you make exposure changes

Handful of Sample Videos

Blackcomb Trees March 16, 2011

(Filmed with a Contour GPS. Rendered 720p @ 5000kbps; Settings 720HD. Contrast 60; Sharpness 4; Exposure +3 )

Blackcomb Glacier March 17, 2011 (non-family-friendly edit)

(Forward looking – Rendered 960p @ 5000kbps Settings 960HD. Contrast 60; Sharpness 4; Exposure +2; Backwards looking – Settings 960HD. Contrast 60; Sharpness 4; Exposure +2)

Blackcomb (Patrollers Trees) March 16, 2011

(Filmed with a Contour GPS. Rendered 720HD 5000 kbps. Forward looking – Contrast 60; Sharpness 4; Exposure +3; Backwards looking – Settings 960HD. Contrast 60; Sharpness 4; Exposure +4)

Blackcomb (Crystal Zone) – March 16, 2011

(Filmed with a Contour GPS. Rendered 720p @ 5000kbps Forward looking – Contrast 60; Sharpness 4; Exposure +3; Backwards looking – Settings 960HD. Contrast 60; Sharpness 4; Exposure +4)

Bottom Line: Contour GPS Helmet Cam

To summarize, while GoPro’s flagship GoProHD hasn’t changed over the past year, Contour hasn’t been standing still. I had wondered how Contour could change the camera without incurring the substantial cost of re-tooling new molds and admit to being suitably impressed. Contour took the Contour HD1080; listened to many customer concerns and introduced small yet meaningful tweaks. These tweaks have the cumulative effect of making this a better camera.

Now I admit to not being overly impressed by the GPS feature. In my opinion, it’s marketing bumpf and a gee-whiz feature but what do I know? If I wanted a GPS, I’d use my standalone GPS. Having said that, the ContourGPS’s improvement as a camera are substantive. They improve an already pretty-decent camera. Innovation, constant refinement and consistent improvement can only make Contour’s offerings better.

Buy Now: Search for Contour GPS

Medium Duffel Specs:

• 24″ x 15″ x 15″ (61 cm x 38 cm x 38 cm)
• 4200 Cubic Inches (70 Liters)
• 3 lbs 8 oz (1600 g)
• MSRP: $117.50

Construction and General Comments

The Brooks Range bag is built tough. There’s no other way to put it; you could drive a truck over it and you’d be checking the truck for scratches and dents. Waterproof laminate coating; tubular, thick webbing for straps; big fastex buckles; industrial zippers; double (and what looks like triple in some cases) stitching this bag is made with ridiculous overkill in terms of material and care.

Here’s some other general comments on the Brooks Range  medium duffel bag:

• Spacious interior compartment
• Straps to carry it like a backpack (backpack straps can be detached)
• Standard carry straps on the side
• Reinforced webbing loops and daisy chains adorning the exterior
• Large top-loading door with reinforced zippers so you can get to the contents easily

Good Medium Duffel

• Subtle black color won’t stand out in a crowd
• Tough as nails
• Water and elements resistant
• Spacious beyond its rating
• Easy to clean
• Backpack straps are a nice feature

Bad Medium Duffel

• Subtle black color won’t stand out in a crowd (not so good if you’re frantically searching for your gear in a Kathmandu bus station)
• Not light (that’s the price of toughness)
• No exterior compartments
• The medium size is just a hair too big to fit as carry on luggage for most airlines

Bottom Line: Brooks Range Medium Duffel Bag

A duffel bag should carry a load of gear and protect it from the elements (as well as from pointy, sharp objects). It should be strong and durable. My last duffel bag lasted over 10 years and went on many trips before encountering a bad end at the hands of some poorly packed ice screws. I’ve got a strong suspicion that my relationship with the Brooks Range duffel bag will be similarly long and prosperous.

Buy Now: Visit Brooks-Range.com

First reason, these seem to be among the most popular POV cameras. Second reason, I’ve already reviewed both the GoPro HD and ContourHD so was familiar with their use and quirks (I’ve included links to my previous reviews below in the section on “Biases”). Third, I thought this review might fill a niche. There are already are a lot of reviews of the GoPro HD and the Contour HD, some good and some bad but most generic. What is lacking are reviews focused on these point of view (POV) cameras for the snowsport enthusiast. Snowsports in the Coastal British Columbia region is a particularly demanding laboratory with our heavy snowfalls, dark gloomy winters, and challenging light conditions.

Summary: GoPro HD vs. Vholdr Contour HD

The Vholdr ContourHD 1080 and GoPro HD are relatively cost-effective, robust POV cameras. There’s little to choose between them in terms of video quality; both are good. Both are subsceptible to producing jerky video, however, jerkiness can be minimized by using the cameras in appropriate conditions and with appropriate mounts. The ContourHD has a slight edge in useability but the GoProHD will be more resistant to inclement weather. As far as costs go, GoPro HD’s MSRP is $299 USD; the ContourHD 1080′s MSRP is $330 (ContourHD is $299).

For snowsports both cameras have well thought-out mounts. Non-helmet wearers skiing deep powder might find the ContourHD’s goggle mount to be preferable as that mount is located high and won’t be coated in pow. Helmet – wearers and those who ski in shallow powder or hardpack will find little to choose between the GoPro and ContourHD in terms of mounts and useability – practically speaking, the ContourHD’s goggle and helmet mounts are at least as good as the GoPro’s helmet and chest mounts. From a pure fashion sense the ContourHD’s form factor is sleeker and less obstrusive then the toaster-like GoPro worn on the head. Using the GoPro chest mount remedies this fashion faux pas.

To summarize, both the ContourHD and GoPro HD are compelling POV offerings. Compact, self-contained, very configurable, excellent quality video and decent sound. There’s very little to choose between them and what you pick will depend in large part on individual user quirks and what kind of use you’ll have for them.

Biases

I am relatively new to videos, only having started shooting and editing videos this year. I have no aspirations to produce professional quality videos – my efforts are limited to short snippets uploaded to the web via Vimeo and the Vholdr.com site. I have little interest in video post-processing and limit my efforts to merging raw clips together and sometimes adding text and soundtrack. My videos mainly showcase skiing and biking in the Southwestern British Columbia, Canada area. Although I’ve tried to pay attention to concerns that “prosumer” videographers may have, the comments in this review will reflect my biases.

I have provided many video clips as sample output. PLEASE READ THE COMMENTS ABOUT THE VIDEOS (click the Vimeo links to see them in HD and/or to read the comments) which outlined how I rendered and presented the videos. You can process video output to preserve as much quality as possible (larger files say for file-sharing via DVD) or like I did, you can process the videos to present pretty decent quality while managing file sizes for video-sharing via web.

If you want even more details about POV Camera functionality and more technical information here are some older reviews of the GoPro and ContourHD authored by myself.

• Vholdr Contour HD for biking (Initial review and mounts)
• Vholdr ContourHD 1080 for biking
• GoPro HD initial review for biking
• GoPro Hero (older generation wide-angle) showcasing various mounts for bikes

Usability

GoPro HD

There’s a lot of literature about the GoPro HD on the manufacturer’s website and in various articles (see citations above). Suffice it to say that the GoPro is easy to use. There’s a button to turn it on. There’s another button to record. There’s a LCD with cryptic displays but the well-written GoPro manual explains everything in detail. Ideally you should configure all your settings (eg. time, date) when you’ve got the manual in front of you. You would then be well advised to remember how to change the resolutions so you can change resolutions in the field if you like (resolution settings are also printed on the back of the GoPro). Here’s some other observations about the GoPro specific to skiing:

1. Sound-wise, the GoPro HD’s on-off tones are louder then the GoPro Hero but they still aren’t terribly loud especially if its storming or if you have a helmet on covering your ears. I’d like the tones to be louder.
2. Continuing with the above comment, you’ll often be checking whether or not the GoPro HD is on or off. When chest-mounted it’s easy to do so. Ditto for the head-band mount as you just slide the head band off. The helmet mount is a bit more fiddly as you’ll have to undo your chin-strap. As mentioned, if surroundings are quiet this might not be an issue as you’ll be able to hear the faint tones.
3. The GoPro HD buttons are useable even with gloves.
4. It’s pretty easy and quick to cycle through menus to change resolutions if you’ve taken the time to read the manual.
5. There’s no display on the GoPro so you’ll have to get someone to see if the GoPro is pointing the right way. It’s not terribly hard to do and certainly a lot easier then biking as it’s pretty easy to “assume the position” of skiing and snowboarding. Bottom line, it’s really not a big deal to figure out how to aim the GoPro the right way.

Vholdr ContourHD 1080

There’s very good product literature for the ContourHD 1080 on the Vholdr site and a nice review in a article by pointofviewcameras comparing the ContourHD 1080 with the older ContourHD. The ContourHD is another paragon of functional simplicity. There’s two buttons on the outside; an on-off button and a slider to turn recording on/off. Once you open a rubber cover, you can also access a Hi/Lo switch which you can set (using the provided EasyEdit software) to record at different resolutions. Here’s a grab-bag of comments about the ContourHD 1080 for skiing.

1. The ContourHD’s audible tones indicating when it’s on/off and when it’s recording are reassuringly loud which helps take guesswork out of shooting video.
2. Control buttons are useable with dexterous gloves. I’ve seen some people glue a small projecting nub on the recording slider of the ContourHD 1080 so its a bit easier to move the recording slider up and down but haven’t found it really necessary with my gloves.
3. You cannot change resolutions in the field other then through the Hi/Lo switch. I didn’t find that much of a problem since I’m shooting video for web-sharing and will almost always default to 920p or 720p video @ 30fps.
4. The ContourHD’s video quality can be tweaked using their EasyEdit software. Contrast, exposure, sharpness and metering can be customized. Unfortunately there’s no way to do that in the field without resorting to PDAs or more electronic gadgetry. My suspicion is that once you figure out default settings lack of video settings field-adjustments won’t be an issue. However, it is a drawback if you don’t have access to a computer (eg on a multi-day trip) and want to continually modify settings.

This video showcases skiing in different conditions (dust on crust powder, deep powder) with the GoPro HD (headband mount backwards), ContourHD (goggle mount forwards), and ContourHD 1080 (goggle mount forwards). Sound presented “as is” without any music track.

Mounting Options

GoPro HD

GoPro informed me that the headband mount wasn’t ideal for skiing. This makes sense as it’s hard to make the headband mount stable. Instead they recommended the chest mount and the helmet mount. Despite GoPro’s advice I thought I would experiment and used the GoPro HD chest, helmet and head-band mount (note that the GoPro Hero mounts and GoPro HD mounts are interchangeable).

1. The chest mount worked well and produced a nice stable image but in deep snow (poor me – I skied a series of four days where we got 135cms/ 54 inches) the snow would quickly clog the screen. Personally I wasn’t a big fan of the chest – mount POV since my hands and poles were always occupying large portions of the image. The 960p setting worked well for this mount since it produced a POV image that captured the most square footage.
2. I ski a lot in the backcountry and don’t use a helmet when ski-touring. I tried the helmet mount on top of my toque/hat and had pretty decent results. I could use this perspective to produce decent footage looking forwards and backwards. I expected footage to be jerky but if I was in soft powder the resulting footage was useable. Since footage when I was in harder snow was very jerky and nausea-inducing I have to conclude that GoPro’s advice was correct. However, if you are in soft powder snow and you ski smoothly, the headband mount can produce pleasing results.
3. Expanding on the headband mount POV, it produced the most interesting footage when I was following another person closely. However, its tough to see when you’re eating someone’s powder cloud; moreover, this isn’t the safest protocol from an avalanche hazard perspective. I dealt with these issues by moving the headband around to angle the camera to either my left or right and used this angle to then get good footage without being directly on the other person’s tail.
4. I headplanted spectacularly at least once in deep snow wearing the headband mount and it stayed on my head. However, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to rig up some sort of leash to keep the headband connected to some item of clothing (eg a jacket).
5. I used the helmet mount on icy hardpack. GoPro is correct; that mount is very stable and produces very nice images. It would be trivial to mount the camera looking backwards to record the backward facing POV. My only complaint is in from the trivial vanity department. You’ll look like the biggest gaper touron on the planet skiing around with the toaster-like GoPro on your helmet. As concession to vanity you can pop it off your head and stick the GoPro in your jacket or simply fold the camera down so it’s a little less obtrusive.

This video showcases the GoPro chest and helmet mounts.

Vholdr Contour HD
Not to belabour a point but GoPro’s mounts were radically superior to the ContourHD’s mounting options for biking. This is not true for skiing where both companies have their mounts dialed. For my personal use as a non-helmet wearer, I would have to give a slight edge to the Vholdr ContourHD’s goggle mount.

1. I loved the ease of use of the ContourHD’s goggle mount. It feels like it might move around but if you cinch down your goggles, you’ll get good footage. The mount allows you to dial in horizontal (move it backwards or forwards on the goggle strap) and vertical direction (the little ratchets on the mount). You can film backwards and film forwards. It’s close to your ears so it’s easy to hear on/off tone. It’s sleek so that you don’t look like a complete dork when wearing it. In short, it’s beautifully well thought-out for skiing.
2. I used the ContourHD 1080′s new vented helmet-mount on my ski helmet. It’s substantially better then Vholdr’s old vented-helmet offering and produced stable footage. It’d be used if I was skiing with my helmet and without goggles.
3. I haven’t yet figured out how to use the ContourHD if I’m not wearing either a helmet or goggles. Subscribe to this article and I’ll put up an update once I figure out how to jerry-rig a stable mount.

This video was filmed with the ContourHD on the goggle mount.

Video and Sound Quality

There’s not much to choose from in this regard. Both the ContourHD 1080 and GoPro HD produce pretty good video. Each camera lets you choose various shooting High-definitions and Standard definition formats (1080p, 960p, 720p @ 60 fps, 720p @ 30 fps and standard definition) with the GoPro having field-configurable settings. Both cameras also have decent microphones although wind-noise is present when skiing at speed.

• Both cameras perform best in brighter light producing sharp focused images in those conditions. Video quality suffers when its dark. Video quality isn’t great when going from light to dark and vice-versa but that is true of most imaging devices.
• Both cameras allow sound-tweaks. The GoPro HD offers a skeleton door with holes in the back for better sound reception – I haven’t tried that option as yet. The ContourHD’s Easy Edit software offers the option of increasing microphone gain.
• There’s no getting over the fact that even in the nice soft powder in which I’ve been drowning in Whistler’s early season), footage is still somewhat shaky. This occurs with different mounts on both the ContourHD and GoProHD but to a lesser extent as you tighten down the mounts. I have to conclude that shakiness is something that is exarcabated by the rolling shutter technology used in both cameras (more about this technology’s limitations here) . I also believe that HD video presents so much detail that you’ll see shakiness which might be obscured in the more grainy, vague footage you’d get from Standard-definition video.
• I personally won’t be using 1080p footage much. 1080p files are big and they choke my computer. I can’t see using it much for my primary usage of video-sharing footage over websites where 720p or 960p seems adequate for such a task. 1080p footage from the GoPro HD and Contour HD is provided below for your perusal. No editing was done and these are direct from the camera. You’ll need to click the vimeo link in the videos to look at the videos in Vimeo, and get a vimeo account (free) to download the raw footage.

This is the GoPro HD Camera: Ski Movie from GoPro on Vimeo – sample shows how the video can be presented without being too shaky with tightly worn chest-mount straps and a pole-mount!

This video compares ContourHD 1080 (goggle mount forwards) and GoPro HD (headband mount slightly sideways and forward) footage in 1080p format.

This video compares the ContourHD 1080 (goggle mount forwards) and GoPro HD (headband mount forwards, sidewards and backwards).

This video compares the ContourHD 1080 (goggle mount backwards) and GoPro HD (chest mount forwards).

This video compares the older ContourHD (goggle mount forwards) with the GoPro HD (chest mount). Sound is presented “as is”.

Followup Possibilities

I’ll look into both these cameras more beyond these initial impressions and will update this article as I resolve questions. Some possible follow-ups might be as follows:

• How will the ContourHD handle moisture and/or snow (I figure its a safe bet the GoPro will be ridiculously tough).
• The GoPro HD’s battery lasted through 2.5 hours of use shooting in temps of minus 15 celsius. Is the ContourHD’s battery comparable?
• What will the GoPro accessory backpacs look like? What types will be released? When?
• What other mounting angles can be used? I bet there are some interesting angles using booms.

Ultimately I settled on a GoPro Helmet Hero Wide, in large part due to a breathtakingly thorough review by Brian Mullins at MTBR.com. When I started using the GoPro I realized that it was a very customizable system that invited lots of tinkering with different mounts and setups. I looked around for setup help, but didn’t find much information. Although there are many reviews of the GoPro many are either superficially banal with a paucity of information about setup and/or real-life use or are targeted at other sports or activities. Many of the biking oriented reviews are geared to tips for cross-country flat trails (the camera orientation of the GoPro is crucial to taking decent video).

The purpose of this article therefore is not to duplicate the technical information available on the GoPro site or to discuss how to operate this wonderful little camera. There are already resources on the web discussing these topics and I point to that further in the article. The purpose is to point out some quirks of the GoPro Hero Wide camera and to detail some personal setups that I found worked for steep trails

GoPro Form-factor and Portability

As previously stated the GoPro is small. It’s also light. If you wear it on your head or on a helmet you’ll notice it for a bit of time but you will get used to it quickly. You’ll soon learn to duck under branches. Even if you do hit branches or fall on your head (I did this skiing not biking), that waterproof case is tough and you’d be hard-pressed to break the camera.

The GoPro comes with several kits and different mounts and straps you can use to customize the way in which you wear the camera and thus, shoot video. I found that the Helmet Hero kit was useful for biking. I also wanted the Chesty harness as I wanted to use the camera for skiing, windsurfing and surf-kayaking and would be moving the camera around between different pieces of sporting equipment, helmets and other miscellany. The GoPro has several mounts which you can stick on various surfaces (eg a bike suspension fork, ski topsheets, the tip of a surfboard, the mast of a windsurfer) but, anticipating that I would want to be able to move mounts around, I hoped that the Chesty would give me the most flexibility. This turned out to be correct as the Chesty is a must-have, not only for biking but for other sports (more on its uses later).

GoPro Camera Usability

You can operate the GoPro with light gloves. Heavy gloves (like the kind you wear skiing or riding in winter) won’t work. There are only two buttons to push – one button turns it on and off. The other button starts and stops recording. There’s a blinking red LED which tells you whether or not the camera is on. A LCD screen displays some information. It really couldn’t get any simpler. Simple is good.

You don’t have a display to show recording output, or lasers to indicate where the camera is pointed. Undoubtedly all that would add weight and cost. As I said, simple is good.

GoPro User’s Manual

The manual could use some work. It does the job in explaining basic operation of the camera but does miss some important points. Some of these points and/or troubleshooting tips are on the GoPro site itself. I’ve identified some basic operator errors of which you should be aware below. To be clear, these are just mistakes I made after reading the manual carefully. This does mean that these are my fault. They also do mean that, in my opinion these are mistakes you, the gentle reader, could also easily make.

Possible issues and fixes

As I said earlier, first read the manual then read the Troubleshooting tips and FAQ if you have issues. Here are undocumented issues I encountered:

Tip #1: Insert USB card so it is flush with the camera body

The GoPro Wide uses a SD card as a recording device. I inserted the SD card so it was sticking out of the camera. It takes a bit more pressure to insert the card so it’s flush with the camera. Not wanting to break anything delicate, I didn’t insert the card far enough. A long fingernail or a blunt object will do the trick. Getting the SD card out is the process in reverse – ie pressure the card so it clicks and comes out. Here is the email in this regard from the very attentive, patient and responsive GoPro support:

Is the camera powering off when inserted in the case? Are you unable to power it back on when in the case?

If so, it could be that you are not inserting the SD card in far enough for it to properly lock into place. You really need to use your fingernail to push the card in past flush until you hear a clicking sound. Here is a quick instructional on correct insertion and removal of the card:

You want to look at the camera with the lens facing up and ‘HERO’ logo on the bottom right…

Insert the memory card with the metal contacts going into the slot first and facing up at you. In other words the SD card label should be upside down when you insert it this way. You need to push the card in past flush to have the spring mechanism lock the card into place.

To get the card out of the slot, push the card in past flush and then the spring mechanism will release it. You will hear a click when the card locks into place or is released from the slot.

Tip #2: Delete all files and format card

As a closet computer nerd, I’m embarrassed that I made this mistake but I’ve found that others have done the same thing so it’s time to confess. After you delete files off the SD Card either make sure the trash bin on your desktop is dumped or that you format the card. Mac and Linux fans I know you are the elite so you are on your own. An excrutiatingly patient email from GoPro is reproduced below:

It sounds like you don’t have all of the memory available on the card which is why recording is being stopped.

Sometimes mystery data can be taking up space on the SD cards while still registering 0 files, so please check under properties (PC) or disk utilities (mac) to see how much memory is available. If there is not enough available memory, you will need to reformat the card in order to free up the space.

If you are using a Mac to download and delete files, make sure you delete the files from the memory card AND the trash can before you disconnect the camera from the computer. If you do not do a complete delete, then the card will show ‘0′ files but the space will not actually be cleared. Again, you will need to reformat the card if it was not fully cleared.

Tip #3: Perform an occasional hard reboot of camera

Sometimes, the GoPro won’t turn off and stop recording even though you have lots of memory. I don’t know why. It’s an electronic device and I’m not about to disassemble it and find out. The fix is easy; just take it out of the casing and pop out the batteries. Then put the batteries back in and turn it on. Voila.

Camera Mount Settings

Despite its ease of use there is a learning curve with the GoPro and hopefully this article will reduce the time of that curve. The issue is that it’s not possible to check video results without downloading results back to a computer and viewing. Since most of us don’t pack a mobile video viewing device on our bike rides this might mean that you have unusable video of the sky, or someone’s back tire but no face or of one’s own crotch. It takes some time to figure out how to orient the GoPro. Once you figure that out you have to remember the orientation. There are no markings on the various GoPro mounts. You could score the mount with a knife but putting in markings would be a simple fix.

Go Pro Battery Life

In summer temperatures using NiMH batteries charged on a TENERGY smart charger I got 2.2 – 2.5 hours of battery run-time out of the camera. Battery life wasn’t as good when temperatures were cold and some reviewers who provided data on a MTBR thread with some real-life examples of battery life discussion revealed battery lives of 10 minutes in 20-degree F temps. As another data point, other people in that same thread agreed on the 2 hours or greater battery life with some confirming that the GoPro recommendation of (relatively pricy) Lithium Ion batteries for even longer life had merit.

One other user of the GoPro has been able to use the camera for 30 minutes (could possibly have been longer but he turned it off) in 20 degree F temperatures by placing a hand-warming packet to the underside of the housing.

A Word on File Storage

As previously stated the GoPro uses SD cards to store data. While GoPro recommends using a 2GB card, they are to be shortly (I don’t know the date yet) releasing a firmware upgrade that will allow one to use a 4GB SDHC card and later a 8GB card. I’ve received and used the new firmware and it works fine for 4GB and even 8GB cards. With the price of cards dropping all the time you might as well buy and use a 8GB card and stay ahead of the curve. A 2GB card will store about 54 minutes of video – double that for a 4B card and double that again for a 8 GB card.

Go Pro Video Quality

Turning now to possibly the most important quality of the GoPro, its video output is good. Video quality itself is acceptable. In particular, the GoPro’s output suffers in low light (despite the f2.8 lens), and in mixed light and shadow where the video output’s white balance tends to be blown out. Video itself tends to be quite pixelated especially so in low or mixed light situations. “Video is recorded at 512×384 at 30 frames per second” per specifications; expect TV output to be mediocre. However, video quality uploaded to the web to be shared remotely is more then adequate for my (admittedly moderate) standards.

The wide angle reduces the jitteriness sometimes associated with narrow angle field of view POV cameras. It would be nice to have image stabilization but jitteriness can also be reduced by simply getting used to consciously holding one’s head (or chest) still while following a rider. Having said that, on rough or rooty technical trails it’s going to be difficult to get a smooth video stream. Also a rider must be really close to you and even then they’ll look like they’re pretty far away – such are the attributes of a fisheye lens

Video below is an example of the GoPro’s quality in mixed light. Both angles were with the Chesty mount. It was rendered in Quicktime at 640×480 @ 25 frames per second. Video size is approx 30mb for 3:01 length.

Video below was encoded using the same settings but is mostly in brighter sunlight or under canopy without as much mixed sun and shade. Image quality is better. Video size is approx 43 mb at 4:12 length.

Audio Modification

Sound quality, or the lack thereof, is the Achilles heel of the GoPro. There are two settings LO and HI. Even with the rubber gasket removed and a hole drilled in the housing, voices still end up sounding like Donald Duck and sounds are muted. That’s the downside of a bombproof, well-sealed tight, camera-protective housing. Here is the advice from GoPro about how to drill out the housing from the MTBR Videos forum (I confirmed that GoPro endorses this mod). Picture below illustrates further.

On the LO setting you get nothing, and on the HI setting not much more inside the case.
My first step was to complain to the GoPro manufacturers who were very helpful. They first told me to try with the seal off which I did. This worked reasonably well on HI (still not much on LO) but gave a lot of wind noise and the volume was still quite low.

I posted my videos on YouTube and got the manufacturers to watch. The next thing they told me was that, as long as I’m not ever wanting to submerge, I could drill out the case with a small drill. But they told me specifically where to do this. It is in the back, top left where there is a circle moulded into the plastic case. This position is they say the best due to the location of the mic and the integrity of the case.

This worked much better, on HI (still no good on LO) but the recording sounded like the end of a tunnel. Next step I enlarged the hole to about an eighth of an inch. This was the best result yet. However, when the camera is turned so that the hole is not shielded from the wind, you get bad wind noise that overloads the camera electronics and sounds like really loud static. Next I tried some foam inside by the hole. Not much better but a slight improvement with the static. I reckon this is the best I’m going to get.

The next logical step is to make the hole bigger – say a quarter inch, and use the LO setting, but I haven’t done that yet. (You can always tape up the hole if the sound gets too loud I figure, but these steps are not reversible )

Whatever you do, DON’T try to drill out a hole above the mic. As this is on the top, I guarantee you will get horrendous wind noise (if you ride fast) which will overload the electronics causing very bad static noise.

Recommended Video Editing Tips

Finally, at the undoubted risk of exposing my ignorance and displaying my biases, I’ll say a few words about videos. Here are some tips:

1. Try to include some different perspectives. Mix up Helmet, Stem, Reverse and maybe some footage from stationary observers
2. Short is better than long. Some have said 1 minute. Personally I find 3 minutes is about right. I violate this rule all the time of course and will plead that when it’s videos for the benefit of friends that I put in as much footage as possible to keep them happy.
3. Videos look better when either you’re chasing someone or someone is chasing you. It’s nice to have some other person in the frame.
4. Videos of climbs are boring (I say this as a former shaved-legs bib short-wearing xc racer). 15 seconds of downhill trumps 15 minutes of video footage of sweaty climbs.
5. Everyone will criticize your music so don’t worry about that. Unless you like Zamfir with the pan-flute.
6. Use whatever software you need so that you’ll actually make those videos. I know someone with 12 hours of video on their POV that they bought last winter. They bought the horrifically bloated Adobe Premier Elements. I’m sure this is wonderful software if you want to work for Pixar or have unlimited time to play with buggy, bloated , take-over-your computer overloaded functionality crapware (sarcasm intended) but maybe stick to something that’s adequate for its intended purpose and won’t give you a raging migraine as soon as you look at its user interface.
7. If you have a GoPro, your raw footage is not going to be the highest quality. Accept that and embrace the concept of quick, easy workflow video editing. My personal choice is the free Windows Movie Maker. I recently bought AVS4You which has slightly more functionality and will read not just the GoPro .avi formats but also Apple’s Quicktime format and most importantly is easy to use.

Most Useful Camera Mounts

Chesty

I found the Chest Mount to be the most useful. It can be worn conventionally or worn in reverse. Either way it’s a tough one to get right at first. Most first efforts are (in my opinion) aimed too low or move around too much. Personally I like the Chesty’s camera angles because it shows the front tire (unlike the stem or handlebar mount). I also like seeing the rider’s arm movements and proper positions so you can see the rider’s efforts on technical sections. Here are some tips on how to use the Chest Mount.

Tips when worn on the chest:

1. Get a friend to watch you seated on the bike and ensure that, in riding position, the camera is pointed ahead.
2. Remember that you are riding downhill and that the rider ahead will be below you. I found that if the camera was “just right” that it probably wasn’t a bad idea to move the camera up on your chest.
3. Tighten the straps. That camera should be sitting in the middle of your chest. It should be tilted to its maximum- basically flat against the hard plastic chest plate.
4. If your pack has a sternum strap put that strap under the camera. It keeps it from flapping in front of the lens and also helps keep the camera from being knocked around or creeping down your chest.
5. Obviously make sure your Camelback hose isn’t flapping away in front of the stem
6. I tried flipping the camera upside down on the chest mount and recording the video upside down (you can alter this video setting with the GoPro). It works on moderate trails but on steep downhills or on drops if you have a riding style where you get low on the bike (like myself) you’ll bounce your chest and the GoPro off your seat and alter the camera’s orientation.

Reverse Chesty

This will only work on low profile packs. Packs with protruding bulges don’t do very well with this mount as the camera will sit awry.

All you have to do is flip the Chesty over and wear it so the camera is pointing backwards. I’m almost always using a pack when free-riding or downhilling, I put the Chesty over the pack. I’ve found that the pack actually seems to absorb some vibration and impact so that the footage is relatively smooth. The fisheye wide-angle also amplifies the feeling of speed.

Tips for reverse Chesty:

1. Ensure that any dangly pack bits aren’t in front of the camera lens.
2. I found that the best position is somewhere in the mid-point of the pack. Too high and you’ll see the pack itself. Too low and the chesty straps will constrict your neck. You should loosen the straps if you’ve been using the Chesty conventionally as it’ll be a tight fit worn over a pack
3. The camera should be perpendicular to the pack and then inclined about 5 to 10 degrees from perpendicular towards your head. When you’re standing up it’ll look like you’re taking pictures of the ground. However, when you’re riding downhill and it’s steep and the person you’re filming is behind you then the angle will be perfect. Resist the inclination to tilt the camera forward.

Helmet Mount

Nothing screams “tourist” like wearing the GoPro on your head. Fashion observations aside, there’s not much to say about this handy mount. It works best on XC style helmets or helmets with lots of vents as it has straps to attach to the bucket. For DH and Free ride trails you’ll want the angle of the camera on the head to be essentially the same as the reverse Chesty ie inclined about 5 to 10 degrees from perpendicular towards the back of your head. If you leave it perpendicular, you’ll get entirely too much footage of your front tire.

I have tried using the helmet mount in reverse without much success. Footage was mostly of my pack. It would work if I wasn’t riding with a pack but I have yet to experiment with that.

Seatpost or Stem Mount

I didn’t find the seatpost mount to be overly useful. In freeride and downhill applications where the rider is constantly sliding backwards and the seatpost is usually dropped it produced entirely too many engaging crotch pictures. However, it would be useful in flatter trails and certainly on climbs.

I experimented with a few stem and handlebar videos. I didn’t like the footage all that much and felt that it was isolated from the rider.

I did try a bit of an experiment where I mounted the GoPro on a stem and flipped the camera so it caught the rider’s expressions and movements as they went down the trail. It’s good for a few shots here and there but I personally wouldn’t want more then a few snippets of video with this perspective.

Reverse Headband

The GoPro comes with this rather fetching headband. I couldn’t see much use for it in biking but will use it for skiing. However, I got an idea for use from “tep” at mtbr who said ” …the helmet I use is a Bell X-Ray, which is kind of flat on the back part of the helmet where the rear vents are, so I used the “headlamp” stlye head strap that came with the camera and had it facing backwards. I don’t know if this would work with all helmets, but on mine it sits at just the right angle, and is really quite stable. I also like that it doesn’t look “down” onto the person behind me, but more on the same plane as the rider.”

Tep’s video indeed does show that this works and works quite well. I’ve experimented with various mounting positions and have concluded that the best way to have this mounted would be for the strap to be under the visor (or the helmet brim if you don’t have a visor) and the camera perched on the rear of the helmet. The camera angle won’t work if you have a pack but if you’re riding without a pack then this would be a very good way to use the headband other then dress up on “Look Like A60′s Hippy Day.”

Other Useful Mounting Positions

GoPro itself has recognized that hobbyists and tinkerers will want to figure out different ways of mounting the camera on a bike. There’s quite an active MTBR forum (Videos) which has an active thread–where users discuss various video camera options. GoPro discussions are plentiful.

My friend, Anthony modified the mounting plate supplied with the headband and came up with a secure attachment which can mount to any backpack. Clearly this has real utility for bikers who use packs or for any sports where a pack is used. the key will be to ensure that the pack does not move.

Per Anthony “I actually had to modify my first mount to the Camelbak a bit. I now use 2 medium wire-ties, and 2 small ties, attached directly to the main Camelbak strap, and looped through each side slot. I have one strap around the top, and one around the bottom.”

Remember…

1. Don’t place the wire-ties between the camera and the mount, as the camera needs to be as close to the bracket as possible. Ties need to go behind the bracket, and around the strap.
2. The camera needs to be placed high on your chest, or it will point down too much (like my video). Of course you can also flip the camera upside down if your camera points down too much, but I think it may bounce more.”

For those who do not want the added expense of the “Chesty” mount–MTBR member “bri” modified the headband mount by adding webbing and/or Velcro so that one can wear it around the chest. I can see possibilities for adding additional webbing or elastic to add vertical straps so this mount will be even more secured for those fast bumpy trails.

Good GoPro

• Relatively inexpensive
• Weatherproof housing is tough
• No wires… simple
• Small
• Easy to use
• Lots of ability to tinker with mounts and settings
• Very responsive and helpful customer service/technical support

Bad GoPro

• Documentation is lacking
• Sound is not so good
• Mediocre video quality, but great for Web video
• A bit of a learning curve to set up properly
• Firmware upgrade is long overdue (has it shipped yet?)

The Bottom Line: GoPro Camera

If you want a POV camera that won’t break the bank, that takes video that you can share with people on the web, that is simple yet tough – then get the GoPro. Soon you’ll be joining the legions of people annoying their friends and family with home movies. If you want high- quality video with any kind of sound then this is not the camera for you.

The GoPro is intended to fit the budget POV niche and does so very well and has remarkable value for dollar.

Buy Now: Search for the GoPro Wide Camera

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Guest blogger Lee Lau is an avid skier and outdoorsman embarking on many adventures with his loving, and sometimes concerned wife, Sharon. He has over 15 years of experience skiing, ski-touring and dabbles in mountaineering. In the “off-season” he is occasionally found working in his day job as an intellectual property lawyer when he is not mountain biking. As a resident of Vancouver, British Columbia, Lee’s playground extends mainly to Western Canada, including South West B.C. and the Selkirks.

It is, however, a difficult outdoor activity for which to design equipment since a ski-mountaineer confronts a wide variety of conditions and has to use different modes of locomotion to get up and down mountains. Translation one – this means that a pack must potentially be able to carry a lot of gear. Translation two – this also means that a pack must be able to carry a load in a secure fashion. Ski-mountaineering is best not accomplished with bits of equipment dangling all over the place. Not only will you look like a Christmas tree; it simply isn’t safe.

Osprey Variant 28 Overview

The Variant is a light pack. The color (a brilliant pyro red) is also dead sexy . I personally want to be as visible as possible if I’m skiing trees or out on a summit or icefield (and not just for pictures). Looks aside, I won’t use a heavy day pack. The Variant 28 weighs 790g or 2lbs 6 oz. It has 1700 cubic inches or 28 liters of carrying capacity. My previous day pack, a Marmot LaMeije was a nice pack but it weighed 3lbs 8 oz. I can carry a pound and two ounces of extra food (for example) when using the Variant with more comfort and without sacrificing useful features – this is very important to me..

I touched briefly on comfort. Osprey’s suspension system is magnificent. There is no other word to describe its sheer comfort. The packstraps, hipbelt and back are adequately padded but not overly so. It is easy to carry a load using the Variant and more importantly, it is easy to secure the load so it doesn’t swing wildly while you are engaging in either ascent or descent. The load is also somehow magically suspended off your back even when the Variant is fully loaded so at least a bit of air circulates between your back and the pack.

The Osprey Variant has useful features without being gimmicky. I admit to preferring the black hole type of packs where one can drop all manner of equipment into a basic sack. I don’t need a separate shovel pocket, or pocket for cosmetics, hip pockets for food or other useless accoutrements. The Variant is this type of pack. As with a standard top-loader black-hole design, the main compartment has a spin drift collar secured by a cord loop. The top compartment can be taken off but is light enough and has enough functional utility that I usually left it on. The only zippers on the Variant are on the top compartment, which was roomy enough for a miscellany of smaller items or things you might want to access quickly.

Here’s a quick run-down of features I thought were useful for ski mountaineering:

• Harness loops. I don’t sling gear there often as I prefer to use a climbing harness but it was useful to secure a probe on a carabiner if I was probing for glaciers on an uptrack. Also useful to hang small things like gloves that you didn’t want to drop in the snow.
• I really liked the ice-axe loop (see the website for details). You can grab your axe without taking off your pack as you can release a catch and slide the axe off from the bottom of your pack. Nice in a dicey steep situation when encountering hard snow or ice.
• I also really appreciated the ice-axe holster and the fabric feature which allows you to conceal the pick or adze of your axe. If you are skiing and tumble down a slope its nice to know that your axe won’t skewer you if you do end up getting entangled in some bizarre fashion
• Straps that are easy to operate with gloves are mandatory for winter-use packs. The Variant passed this test with flying colors.
• The strap at the top of the spindrift collar of the main compartment was useful not only to cinch down the pack but also to attach stuff that you know you will use in short order and don’t necessarily want to bury in a pack- eg skins, jacket, climbing rope.
• I missed having a dedicated crampon patch but got over it when I realized that the Variant’s outer fabric was tough enough that my favorite slam-dancing accessories didn’t puncture the pack.
• A-frame carry was very secure. The side carry straps don’t slip. I did however, miss the ease of rigging a quick side-carry but that would involve extra straps and more gimmicks and probably more weight.
• It’s a nice touch to have a foam pad in the back of the pack. You can slide that out and sit on it or alternatively just sit on the pack itself.

Typical Pack Contents

I carry a bit less then most so the 28l pack contents were plenty for me. Even in the depths of (my admittedly mild) winter, I will carry:

• 1 liter Nalgene water bottle
• Gore-tex shell
• Skins
• Hat
• Goggles
• Sunglasses (I’m an optimist)
• Small spare gloves
• Down jacket
• First aid kit
• Probe/Shovel/Snow Saw
• Food
• Small tool kit

For longer trips or if mountaineering gear is needed I might also carry:

• Rope – 30m x 8mm
• Light harness (Camp XLH “Acm G-string”)
• Small rack and some screws
• Crampons
• Axe or ice tools (the picket in this shot is for show – I rarely use it)
• Siltarp

All of this fits quite nicely in the Variant. The only ungainly thing flapping around on the outside are my crampons, pictured here wrapped fetchingly in an old thick cotton garment. I had enough space to put the crampons under the top compartment but thought it would be nice to show how the Variant handled loads in such adept fashion.

Good Variant 28

• Stunning good looks and dashing color
• Light, light, light
• I like top-loading black-holes and this is a prototypical version of that type of pack
• Feels like falling into a down bed whenever you carry a load with this pack – it is that comfortable.
• Loads are easy to secure
• Can carry a lot of stuff given the relatively small size (see pack contents below)
• Lots of climbing features that by happy accident, make the Variant ideal for skiing when equipped with sharp pointy objects

Bad Variant 28

• Will not appeal to those who like futzing around with many compartments and gimmicky features
• Dedicated crampon patch would be nice
• Would be nice to have a diagonal carry for skis

The Bottom Line: Osprey Variant 28 Pack

When my wife first persuaded me to try this pack I complained. As with all things, I quickly found out that she was right and the Variant became my favorite pack. My concerns and suggestions for improvements are minor and frankly pedantic. I find it hard to conceive of how one could improve on the Variant 28. It is a pack for those who crave function, want fashion yet do not want the added weight that comes with fluff.

Buy Now: Search for Osprey Variant Packs