Contour Cameras Close Up Shop As GoPro Dances a Victorious Dance

Contour cameras are no more. The perennial runner up in the wearable POV camera game has decided it can no longer battle the industry giant GoPro and have decided to abandon ship. Although Contour cameras has a much easier to work with form factor – lipstick shaped – that many users (especially pros) preferred, I guess there was just no winning against the $2 Billion plus company marketing and technology-wise.

I have to say, although I did really prefer to use Contour's over GoPro's when possible due to the fact that they were just so much easier to mount to helmets, it did always seem like they were playing catch-up technology wise and could never really compete. Sensor and camera technology move at a rapid pace and if you're going to compete with the likes of Sony, Canon, etc. you literally need billions in R&D budget. And that is exactly why GoPro has been able to do what they do so well and so quick, they are not afraid to spend the necessary cash to develop next generation sensors, smaller and smaller packaging, insane wireless capabilities and who knows what else in the future. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that GoPro will be launching more and more models, including larger video cameras, in the near future. I mean, with that kind of tech in the lab it seems silly not to.

Sorry to see you go Contour!

According to GeekWire:
"Contour Inc., one of the pioneers in wearable camera technology, has abruptly closed its Seattle headquarters — surprising many of its employees and leaving the future of the company unclear.

Founded in 2004, the company employed more than 70 people at its peak. It has faced stiff competition in recent years from rival GoPro, but Contour had made the prestigious Inc. 500 list as recently as last year with reported 2011 revenues of $27.3 million.

“As of Friday Contour is CLOSED,” wrote Jacob Hase, the company’s former social media manager, in a public post on his personal Facebook page this week. ”Ya, it shocked all the employees even more. Incredibly hard to just walk away from something you put so much energy into.” "