For a while there, the Contour actioncam company was in a state of hiatus, leaving many people wondering when and if it would resume making cameras. Well, now it's under new ownership, and today it announced its latest offering – the Contour Roam3. While the camera reportedly offers "the best video and sound quality of any Contour to date," it actually features less bells and whistles than the company's existing +2 model.
With the Roam3, Contour appears to be going for something that's an improvement on the base-model Roam2, yet is simpler to use and cheaper to buy than the +2.
Unlike the latter of those two models, the Roam3 lacks mobile connectivity, GPS video mapping, live streaming capability, and an external microphone jack. Like it, however, it has a 270-degree rotatable lens with a 170-degree field of view, a laser alignment system for aiming the lens (since it doesn't have a viewfinder), an all-aluminum body, and a locking instant-on record switch – as soon as you switch the camera on, it starts recording.
It captures video at 1080p/30 fps or 720p/60fps, and records it on an included 8GB memory card. Stills can also be captured in 5-megapixel single frame or burst modes. No figures are available regarding battery life, although its battery is described as being built-in – this presumably means that it can't be swapped in the field for a fully-charged extra.
Perhaps the camera's most noteworthy feature, though, is its ability to shoot underwater at a depth of up to 30 feet (9 meters) without a case. By contrast, the Roam2 can only go down to one meter (3 ft), while the +2 requires a separate watertight housing.
The Contour Roam3 is priced at US$200, which is $50 more than the Roam2 and $100 less than the +2. Footage shot with it can be seen in the video below.
Source: Contour
