Contemplating getting a GoPro HD HERO Wide camera

After watching a friend's recent attempt at recording a drive up the twisty roads of Ulu Yam, I've been intrigued with the idea of making a video myself. And so I've been researching on whats the best equipment available out there on the market for the filming of car events. These are the two contenders which are available for purchase in Malaysia:

  
Specification Comparison Chart (courtesy of http://www.helmetcamreview.com)

	ContourGPS HD 1080p	GoPro HD HERO Wide
Suggested Retail Price	RM1280	RM1299
Included mounts	Goggle and flat surface, extra stickem pad	Vented helmet, headband, 2 flat surface, 2 curved surface, adjustable pivot arm, WP housing* with add'l open "audio" back, 2 quick release mounts
Included cables	USB	USB, HDTV and RCA
Software	Online download available	No
Lens/Field Of View (FOV)	110 deg. on 1080p, WVGA 135 deg. on 960p & 720p	127 deg. on 1080p 170 deg. on 960 & 720p
Adjustable camera settings	via software: Time, 4 video quality, audio gain, bit rate, contrast, exposure, sharpness, spot/center/avg. metering	via camera menu: video settings exposure metering
Video settings	1080p@30fps 960p "full frame"@30fps 720p@30 or 60fps WVGA (848x480 @60fps)	1080p@30fps 960p "full frame"@30fps 720p@30 or 60fps
File Type/codec	QuickTime .MOV/H.264	MP4/H.264
Battery / included	rechargeable lithium - yes	rechargeable lithium - yes
Battery run time	3 hrs (as per Mfg.)	2.5 hours (as per Mfg.)
Internal memory	No	No
Memory Storage	MicroSD up to 16GB	SD up to 32GB
Memory included	Yes - 2GB	No
Still photos?	No	Yes - 5 mp, several modes
Digital zoom?	No	No
Remote or LANC	No	No
weight w/battery	4.4oz	6.3oz in wp case*, 3.5oz without
Size L x W x H	3.75" x 1.27" x 2.15"	1.6" x 2.77" x 2.5" (in case)
Weather resistance	"water resistant" Not WP without WP housing - NOT included	Yes, only with WP housing* (included)
Other notes:	GPS tracking, Rotatable lens, dual laser sighting system Online video hosting/posting	*housing must be used for mounting of camera

Judging from the reviews and user feedback from numerous sites on the internet, boths products have their strengths and weaknesses. In my case however, I'm looking for a camera that provides high quality footage and ease of editing (the GoPro camera excels in these two areas). Mounting and ease of use are secondary since the camera will mostly be mounted inside the car (the Countour camera is easy to deploy and is less of a hassle to mount). So whats the verdict? 

Have a look at this video comparison between the two cameras and I'm sure you'll come to the same conclusion that I arrived at:



Oh and check out this awesome GoPro video of a ProSports car race between Porsches and Jaguars as they battle it out at Laguna Seca.

What a typical Ulu Yam drive is like

I'm sure people sometimes wonder what actually happens during a Ulu Yam run.

Normally it begins with a bunch of folks conversing via an online forum (refer to the above for an example) before eventually deciding to hold a drive. This then leads to a a brainstorming session where a drive destination, a meet up point and a date is agreed upon. The next step is the hardest because it involves waiting for the actual day to arrive. On the very last night before the event, those who are committed, set their alarms and jump into bed early.... although, this is not always the case. You see, Ulu Yam drives tend to take place on Sunday mornings and since theres always something to do on a Saturday night (football, movies, dinners, clubbing etc) .... well.... you get the idea.

And so in the wee hours of Sunday morning, a bunch of grown men (some of whom drag their poor wives or girlfriends along) crawl out of bed and prepare for the long morning ahead. This involves a quick shower, maybe some breakfast on the go, a brief inspection of their car and a short drive in pitch darkness. Most go easy on their cars, letting the engine warm up for the arduous journey ahead. Others rush to half-way spots in order to meet up with other participants and convoy to the flag off point. As you pull up to the agreed meeting place, this is what you're likely to see...

  

 

While their girlfriends or wives stay put in the car (who can blame them), the men would congregate and start chit chatting about the day ahead. The still morning air begins to ooze with male bravado and testosterone as modifications stories are swapped and a debate ensues on whose car should lead the drive up to Gohtong Jaya. When nearly everyone has arrived and the men have had enough carbon monoxide in their lungs, the organisers will indicate that its time to hit the road.

One enters into a deep, almost trance like state between the period of leaving the Batu Caves Petronas and reaching the intersection of Jalan Manggis / Jalan Sungai Tua. The reason being that the route is filled with nasty potholes and unsuspecting speed bumps, forcing oneself to concentrate like Luke Skywalker and weave in and around such obstacles. Once that section of road has been surmounted, the real fun begins right at the moment you pass the reservoir lake ...

Before you know it, you've reached Ulu Yam town proper. More often than not, you can't help but feel guilty for disturbing the peace and tranquility of small town life. The convoy slowly snakes it way past built up residential and commerical areas, dodging the villagers and their motorcycles. This feeling of guilt quickly passes as you hit a series of tight uphill corners in second leg of the route...

This picture is courtesy of Woay Chee Lim

The air starts to get colder and your ears begin to pop as you make the ascend to Genting Highlands. Sometimes the weather stays crisp and sunny but at other times, it gets nasty and wet. In this recent run up to Awana Skyway mamak, the latter came true (unfortunately).

Despite the dismal weather and having to run in the rain, such discomforts are quickly forgotten as one revels in the camaraderie of like minded fellows and the ample food thats available inside.

As you tuck in into a hot roti telur sardin, you can't help but feel that it was all worth it - worth it in the sense that you woke up bloody early on a Sunday morning and sacrificed a few hours of hard earned sleep. The conversation around the table is pleasant and interesting, normally involving cars and the like. Slowly as the morning wears on and people start to take their leave, you finish off that lukewarm milo and make preparations to head back down the mountain. Sometimes its in a small convoy of friends, at other times its just by yourself, which is fine. Whats important is the drive and how much you enjoyed doing it.

Italia Auto Ulu Yam Dawn Run

Finally managed to have a shakedown run to get a feel of the new car. I guess theres no further need to hide the identity of the vehicle as its pretty obvious. Its a 1997 R33 Skyline GTR (BCNR33).

I invited Temujin, a member of the Skyline Club of Malaysia, to come along in his R32 GTR (BNR32) which had recently come out from GT Auto with a dyno figure of 380 bhp. He too wanted to have a shakedown session to get a 'feel' of the Angry Kermit (his car is green you see).

The meeting point for this weekend's run was at Petronas Batu Caves and as the title of this post clearly indicates, we were running with the Italia Auto boys (IA). I arrived at 7 am and it was a massive turnout. Nearly 40 cars, mostly Italians (Alfas and Fiats) but also some Frenchies, a Lotus and our JDMs (Temujin's R32 GTR, my R33 GTR and ToE's R35 GTR).

The weather was beautiful and the sun had just risen as we roared our way past the lake on the outskirts of Kampung Batang Batu (the settlement before Ulu Yam town). The car handled really well and is a testament to my foreman who serviced it after I had purchased the GTR. He made sure that the car was refreshed, not only in terms of consumables but also with parts that needed to be replaced due to wear and tear (long story). Although I do have to say that the twin turbo setup which makes quite a large amount of power, takes some getting used to especially when taking sharp corners (nearly did a drift at one stretch of the road). Gotta get used to braking early and ease off in the turn then power out.

From Ulu Yam, we then made our way to Gohtong Jaya to have breakfast at the mamak next to Hotel Seri Malaysia. Had a great time catching up with some of the IA guys and looking at each others' cars. Some Golf GTI buddies of mine from the Volkswagen Golf Club of Malaysia, who were in the area, dropped by to have a look at the GTR. Got to catch up with them as well before they headed down to GT Auto for a dyno day.

Here is footage taken by ognam of IA, which he edited into a video for our viewing pleasure. Especially liked that early bit of the silver car rolling into the Petronas station ;).

Till the next run which will take place in 2 weeks time - hehe - drive safe everyone.