Contour Roam 3

In a busy marketplace, Contour deserve their reputation as one of the pioneering action camera brands. The release of the company’s entry-level Roam 3 comes amid an almost weekly release of new rivals, but their new offering is proof that playing to your strengths can often pack a bigger punch than a long list of options.

Shaping up

Before they became must-have consumer products, minute cameras were the bastion of high-octane sports broadcasters. Lipstick cameras spread throughout the bodies of racing cars and motorcycles delivered a point of view that although commonplace now, was revolutionary then.

The Contour form has always harked back to these predecessors. And while others have followed rectangular design queues, the Roam 3 maintains the stem-length shape, which minimises the frontal area exposed to the wind.

Aero considerations may be down the list for those of us simply trying to capture our first hit out on that new trail, but the low profile is perfect for helmets or tucked beneath saddles and stems. The camera is larger and heavier than some of its rectangular rivals, though depending on how many brackets you need to use to align the latter, this difference could be minimal.

The camera can be fixed on almost any angle by virtue of a lens that can be rotated through 270º to ensure the proper aspect ratio is maintained with a simple twist. It’s a standout feature that marks it out from rivals. A built in laser level helps you make sure things are lined up correctly.

Keep it simple

The Roam 3 eschews the trend for myriad settings. A sliding record/stop button mounted on top of the camera takes care of activating the 1080p HD video recording at 30fps (or 720p at 60fps), which is saved to a Micro SD card. The camera comes supplied with an 8GB card, so you can get started straight away – a considerate inclusion when most other manufacturers having you forking out for a card before you can shoot your first frame.

The aforementioned record slide fires up with minimal lag, so you stand a good chance of grabbing the moment your buddy doesn’t quite stick his landing. A dedicated button on the rear of the camera takes care of capturing still images, including a burst mode.

Quality of footage produced by the Roam 3 is excellent.

The battery is one aspect of the Roam 3 that is a little disappointing. A full charge will deliver up to 3.5 hours of recording, however its 3-hour charge cycle means you have a long wait before getting back out there. This wasn’t an issue during our test, but you’ll have to ration power on long days out.

At first glance the apparent dearth of features may be seen as a disadvantage in their frenzied marketplace, however it’s hard to fault a product that can be used by anyone straight out of the box and deliver incredible quality results.

The camera’s case-free body is waterproof to 10 metres. This rules it out for deep sea diving but should see it handle almost anything else with respect to rain, mud or snow.

Other cameras can be used without their cases though in the time it takes to tuck them inside their protective cocoon the Contour has already been rolling for 15 seconds. Certainly not a deal breaker, but yet another easily overlooked example of the considered approach taken in marrying form and function.

There’s a lot packed into the Roam 3, and with a AU$299.95 asking price, worthy of a place near the top of options out there in the entry-level market.