Sporty cams compared: Sony Action Cam vs Contour +2

Summer is finally here, and with it the next generation of action sports cameras to accompany you on your many adventures. We were lucky enough to get our hands on the new Sony Action Cam and the second generation Contour, so what better way to test them than to put them head-to-head in a battle of the action cams!

It is worth noting that the GoPro Hero3 has also recently launched, and it is certainly in the same category as these cameras. In this writer’s opinion, however, the Sony and Contour are just not in the same class as the GoPro Hero3, so to be fair we’re only comparing these two very capable alternatives.

That’s not to say these aren’t two very cool cameras with plenty to offer the budding adventure videographer, but both of these cameras have decided to separate themselves from GoPro with an elongated, streamlined design, as opposed to the box look. This may seem like a good idea at first glance: they are svelte, stylish, with the slim design making the entire thing appear more compact.

In reality, however, that lack of thickness actually restricts your options when wanting to mount the camera. If you wanted a centred, first person view of your adventures, for example, you can’t really mount the long body to the top of your head as easily as a shorter camera. Mounted to a bike or board, it kind of feels like it should be the other way around. It also makes accessing the various ports and card slots kind of awkward, but that’s always going to be an issue on a camera this size.

There is a tripod mount included with both, however, which is great. You’re likely not going to be using this in a studio, but if you do want to set up a tripod outdoors to cover your epic airs and grabs, or even have a steady time lapse, it’s good to know the cameras have your back.

The Contour +2

Both cameras come with pretty standard mounting options – two adhesive mounting plates – but if you want anything more elaborate, you’ll have to fork out cash money and buy the accessories, which are also quite limited but should cover most adventuring needs.

The newbie on the market, Sony’s Action Cam comes in at the lowest price point amongst the bunch for the $299 basic kit, which seems to be pretty good value for money.

Sony's Action Cam

We found the menu navigation simple to use, able to set the camera in a matter of seconds, be it a time lapse, slow motion or just good old fashioned Full HD 1080p. When you know you’ll be out and about with very little time to play with settings, this is a real bonus.

It can be a bit frustrating having the camera record every time it’s switched on, though we can see why this would be preferred in some situations, such as needing to get the shot without wanting to wait.

On the other side of the table is the Contour +2, coming it at a price point well above even the GoPro Hero3 Black at $539. On the whole, it’s a very solid camera, but we have a hard time justifying this massive price difference when it has the same functionality as the others action cameras.

That said, that solid build does make it feel excellent, offering something the plastic Sony doesn’t quite have. We loved the metallic finish, and the sturdy build of the second-generation Contour which just feels great in your hands.

But it is heavy, significantly heavier than its competitors by about 20 percent, and we can’t help but feel that if it were strapped to your head for a few hours, you’d start to see the world from a slightly tilted perspective.

Outside of that, however, the waterproof case is super solid, and allows you to take the gear down to 60 metres if you like. Of all the cameras, this is the one we would feel the safest with going underwater.

Navigating settings is a little different on the Contour +2, and it can be a touch frustrating not being able to alter settings on the camera itself. There are no menu options on the body, with the changes all needing to be made over WiFi on your smartphone or tablet.

For someone who likes to be in control of the image being captured, this is a major drag. We get it, and we see the logic: it’s an action camera, and people who go skating probably won’t miss the physical options, but we think it’s important.

The laser light horizon adjusting feature is still there from the past models, and there’s something cool about setting up the camera with a laser light. Another nice addition is the rotating lens housing that allows you to adjust the angle of the image, effectively affording you the ability to mount the camera at whatever angle you want and adjust the picture to match your needs.