I am just now getting back into riding after a mishap with a bigger vehicle and found the idea of a camera and GPS might be pretty slick. The camera could provide dual responsibilities. It would be cool to view the rides and also have some video just in case something should go wrong. I see several have the ContourHDp but I see there is a GPS model as well.

I am old school and don't have the cool smartphone yet but would like to mess around with say a camera and then a garmin of some sort to check out videos and edit possibly. Is the consensus the ContourHD with Garmin 500? Would this allow me to connect the two to get the ride data along with the video? I see the Contour comes with software to edit the video.

I think this looks pretty cool and just wanted the experts to give me the lowdown about it before I sank the cash for the new bling.

Cheers!

Cameras with built-in GPS won't give you anything in the way of navigation or realtime stats like speed and elevation. They do geo-tag your photo/video so that if you upload them to the web, they can be mapped as well, like when you see pics on google earth linked to a location.

Garmin's Oregon unit has a still camera built in, but no video. But the Oregon units are crap.

With Dashware soft ware, you can put the Garmin data with the video. https://www.chasecam.com/catalog/25

The GPS model doesn't really add much if you already have a garmin. It will however link to certain samrtphones for a real time display, which I don't see a whole lot of value to.

Thus I went with the Contour HD.

Just be sure you don't mind people knowing where you live and spend your time.......Photos with GPS info provide way more info than I care to share with every weirdo on the net!

You can tell where a lot of people live by looking at their Garmin Connect data. Hell, you can even make out a pattern when they're out riding so you can sneak around their garage or something.

Fortunately, Queens Harbour is gated.

Another reason I'm glad all my climbing rides are 25 or more miles from home.

I don't even use my Garmin for local rides. If I did I would wait until I was a mile or more away from home before turning it on.

Why would someone want to stalk you just because you posted on Garmin Connect?

The assumption that there is some concern that people can locate you assumes that they want to locate you. It would appear to be a lot of bother just to find a virtual burglarly victim, when there are plently available in the actual physical world.

I can see an issue with real time tweets and facebook posts regarding your location, but I think worrying about a Garmin connect post is a little over the top.

I did a search and see there is a spot you can get a Contour 1080 HD for like 179...seems to be a good price compared to the other sites out there. Am I right? Wife is wanting to get me a Father's Day gift and this would be a good one if the price is pretty decent

I think I will get the Garmin 500 to go with it. It is running around 249 I think.

That should make it a nice day for me!

Prices about right or do you all know of a better vendor to look at to buy it from?

You underestimate just how psychotic some people are. After a few bad experiences with so-called "friends" a few years ago, I am adamant about protecting my privacy now. I don't want random people on the internet knowing where I live.

I also read about a male cyclist who was stalked by some woman who followed his internet activity. I don't remember exactly how she found him and I don't have the link, sorry.

Then whatever you do, don't do a skiptrace (aka people search) on yourself. The info in there will scare the bejesus out of you.

Already done. I removed my info from one of those stalker sites. It was the only one I saw that had my address.

This is also why I shred all mail with my name on it when I'm done with it. All someone needs is a correctly spelled full name to go to one of those people search sites and find out all kinds of stuff.

I'm looking to get the contour hd and use my garmin 500 data to upload into dashware. I notice that you can view a map in dashware with your position relevent to the video that you're shooting. Will the map option work with the contour HD or will it only work with the Contour GPS version?

I'm pretty sure the map function works with the Contour HD and the Garmin. Dashware is pulling the data from the Garmin file to do the map.

I do this quite a bit. I've always worried about someone brake checking me.

Now THAT would make for interesting video.

I have a Contour 1080HD, Garmin 705 and DashWare they work great together.
Now as far as the Contour 1080HD GPS if you want GPS you will need to leave the camera on the entire time which isn't really practical.
On a 3-4 hour ride you will need to change battery at least once.
I prefer to turn on the camera when I want and leave the GPS on the entire time, and you can use the Garmin for more than just bike rides.
Are you willing to leave the camera on the entire ride to capture GPS data even when you don't need video?
An the Contour 1080HD GPS is replacing the non GPS model so prices are very good on them if you can find one.

So how long does the battery last on the Contour?

depends on quality you use but for me 2.5 - 3 hours at the most, I have 2 batteries but I find it a real pain to keep track and switch.
Most all my rides are 3.5 - 4 hours.

Just saw they have the Contour+.

Now I don't know which to buy

The Contour GPS is pretty rad. If you have a smartphone, it also allows you to stream video from the camera to the phone so you can watch your video immediately after riding or just use it to view the video to make sure the camera is aligned properly. Very slick.

I have a Garmin 800 and the Contour 1080HD nonGPS, and just successfully used Dashware to do a video for a relatively short ride. If you intermittently video during a ride, or if you have a rest stop, I assume you have to re-sync the data with your video for each clip?

Yes simple enough

If you don't need to watching video on your phone save your money and just get the 1080HD, but if you need to watch it live stream then the newer models do that, I don't miss that at all.
Even with out a screen I have no trouble using it as a small hand held video camera the lens is wide enough to capture with out missing subject.
And I can also contest to its quality as I lost it on a downhill once @ 38 mph and it still worked fine and had no scratches LOL went back and picked it kept going