Key features:
- Waterproof up to 30 ft. without a case. With the Contour ROAM3 you can swim, bike, dive and fly without worrying if your camera gets wet.
- Quick photo mode - No need to un-mount and change settings on your camera. By holding down the status button it will take you into photo mode. It's never been easier to switch between filming great action footage and capturing stills.
- Locking Instant On-Record Switch. Slide the record switch forward into its locking position and you are recording. It's that simple.
List Price: $199.99 and eligible for FREE Two-Day Shipping
The Contour ROAM3 have a low-profile design so they fit closer to your helmet.
The lens rotates 270 degrees (180 degrees to the left and 90 degrees to the right), which gives you more positioning options and no need to mess with settings or flip the video with editing software.
The Status button also lights up some LEDs on top of the camera to give you a rough idea of the remaining battery power and storage amount. This button now works as a shutter release for snapping off photos, too. Just press and hold the button for a few seconds and it will switch on the camera, then press it again to take a picture. The photos have a 4:3 aspect ratio, though, which means you'll have to crop them if you want to drop them in with your videos and match their 16:9 aspect ratio.
Above the lens is a laser level. Since the ROAM3 has no screen or built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to connect to a mobile device, the laser helps you set up your shot, so it's not crooked. Just push the Status button on the back and it kicks on for 15 seconds.
If your main need is to share clips online, the results from the Roam3 are definitely pleasing, with nice color and detail. The 1080p video is recorded at a variable bit rate between 14 and 16Mbps, which is good for its price range, and it results in better detail than you'd get from lower-end models.
You definitely lose some detail when you record at lower resolutions, but when viewing at small sizes you likely won't notice that too much and, again, the results are overall very nice-looking.
Audio quality is OK and sounds a little muffled, likely because of the camera's waterproofing. Basically, it's good enough to record someone talking at a normal volume a couple feet from the camera. I found it handled wind noise reasonably well, but chances are you're going to want to throw some music over the video.
Photo quality isn't anything special, but if the Roam3 is the only camera you have handy, it'll do. As I mentioned earlier, it captures 5-megapixel shots, but they're in a 4:3 aspect ratio, so if your plans are to drop them into your full-HD movies, you'll probably want to crop them to 16:9.
The Good
The Contour Roam3 is waterproof down to 30 feet (10m) without a housing; it has a rotating lens with laser alignment so your video is straight; it has Contour's Trail mount as well as a standard tripod mount; and the big slider gets you recording without fiddling with buttons.
The Bad
Though its battery can last up to 3.5 hours, it's not removable and a full charge takes about 3 hours. It has no screen or option for a screen, and without Wi-Fi or Bluetooth you can't wirelessly preview or view video on a mobile device.
The Bottom Line
All the features that make Contour's action cams excellent are here in its entry-level ROAM3. While it's not loaded with extras, it's one of the best you'll find for its price.
Review by C|Net
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