Garmin Virb Elite Action Camera

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Product Specifications

16 MP CMOS sensor/image processor for multiple HD video modes 1080p@30fps 960p@48fps720p@30/60fps 848x480@120fps and Still image capture: 16MP 12MP 8MP
Long-lasting rechargeable and removable 2000mAh Lithium-Ion battery (up to 3 hr. battery life at 1080p) Rugged, durable waterproof (IPX7) with a compact design (1m/30min or 50m with optional dive case)
Digital Image Stabilization and Lens Distortion Correction with different shooting modes (wide/medium/narrow)
Internal micrphone and external USB jack with stereo Mic and composite A/V adapter Micro HDMI output for video playback micro SD card socket (up to 64GB)
ANT+ connectivity for remote control function w/ other compatible Garmin products and data transfer - High-Sensitivity GPS, accelerometer, and altimeter (VIRB Elite only)

Product Description

Style:With GPS and Accelerometer | Color:White | Product Packaging:Standard Packaging True 1080p HD Action Camera with Wi-Fi, GPS 1080p HD video recording with 16 megapixel CMOS image processor 1.4” Chroma display High-sensitivity GPS, accelerometer and barometric altimeter Rechargeable lithium-ion battery (record up to 3 hours at 1080p) Rugged, durable, waterproof (IPX7¹) with an aerodynamic design

High Definition Recording VIRB records true HD 1080p video that lets you relive every minute of your adventure in full, high-contrast, undistorted detail. Adjust resolution and filming speed for crisp, dramatic slow motion up to 120fps. And it’s all seen through our WideVü lens and processed through 16 megapixel CMOS sensor for the highest quality video, even before you start editing it. Set multiple HD video modes: 1080p@30fps, 960p@48fps, 720p@30/60fps, 848x480@120fps.

1.4” Chroma Display Why mash a button and hope you got the shot when you can set-up, preview and playback video on a built-in, full-color Chroma display? The 1.4” display on VIRB Elite is also your window into the menu settings. Check your shot before you leap, choose slow motion, or even switch between video and still photography. It’s always on the screen, and the screen is always on (but uses minimal power).

Long-life Battery VIRB Elite features a class-leading 2000 mAh lithium-ion battery that tested up to 3 hours recording at 1080p. Which means there’s a good chance you’ll tire out before the battery does. And with multiple charging options (sold separately) you’ll have plenty of juice. Extend your filming time by carrying a replacement battery (sold separately) on your all-day adventure.

GPS and Wi-Fi

VIRB Elite has high-sensitivity GPS for data stamping and GPS-based “smart” recording profiles such as Skiing Mode, which automatically records your downhill runs and stops recording while you’re getting hot cocoa or waiting in the lift line.

It’s also equipped with Wi-Fi for wireless communication to your smartphone or computer. So you can see the image preview, control for playback, adjust camera settings, and record and stop the camera or remotely snap still photos, even while the camera is filming.

ANT+ and External Sensors VIRB uses ANT+™ wireless connectivity so you can use a compatible Garmin device, such as fenix, Oregon and Edge, as remote controls. And because it has Wi-Fi, you can stop and start recording or take still images wirelessly with your smart phone or compatible Garmin device so you don’t have to take your hands off the handlebars or remove the camera from the mount for that perfect shot.

ANT+ also works with our external sensors. Pair VIRB Elite with our tempe (wireless temperature sensor), speed/cadence bike sensor or premium heart rate monitor to include revealing information in your videos. Show how fast your heart was racing on your last bike race or while peering over the edge of the Grand Canyon. VIRB Elite also has a built-in accelerometer and altimeter for data stamping and custom filming profiles.

Sleek and Easy-to-use

VIRB Elite was engineered for easy operation with a large, instant record slider switch on the side of the camera. The slide and click of the switch makes it easy to know that you are recording, even if you’re wearing gloves. The overall design of the camera is both sleek and rugged which helps you integrate VIRB Elite into your activity without having to work around a bulky camera body. So go ahead and ski, zip-line or bobsled, knowing you got the shot.

Digital Stabilization With the Digital Stabilization feature engaged, VIRB Elite adds a little stability to bumpy rides and adventures so you can share a smoother video with your friends. Plus Lens Distortion Correction (LDC) works to enhance the quality of your video, even before you start editing.

High Definition Photography

VIRB Elite is a high-powered digital photo camera too. With 16 megapixel photo capture LDC to make your photos sharper, clearer and less distorted. Shoot 16 megapixel, 12 megapixel or 8 megapixel as a single shot (on-camera button or controlled remotely) or choose Photo Burst or Time Lapse at various intevals. And it’s all processed through a 16 megapixel CMOS processor for high quality images.

Video and Photographs at the Same Time Don’t lose a moment of video just to capture a photograph. VIRB Elite lets you take still photos at the same time you are recording video with just a touch of the button on either your remote Garmin device or on the camera itself.

Editing Made Easy VIRB Edit is free desktop editing software that you can download to your computer for intuitive, robust video editing that takes advantage of VIRB Elite’s compatibility with external and built-in sensors and other Garmin devices. Include your speed and heart rate on your motorcycle video, or accelerometer and altitude on your sky dive video. Once you have the video you want to share, upload it for all your friends to see. Download the free editing software here: http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=6591.

Mounts A variety of mounts let you firmly lock the camera in position, virtually anywhere. From curved, flat deck and dash mounts to handlebar, helmet, shoulder and multi-use strap mounts, our mounts have you covered. Mounts have interlocking joints that grip in place instead of relying solely on tension for a more durable, anti-vibration locking performance. We even have an adapter to use VIRB Elite with other industry mounts.

Optional Dive Case VIRB Elite is rugged and waterproof to IPX7¹ standards right out of the box. For deeper dives and more sustained exposure, the optional Dive Case increases the waterproof rating to 50 meters.

Product Reviews

It’s Not Perfect Yet, But It’s Very Close!

Update Nov 15, 2014: This keeps getting better and better with each update to the system software, and Virb Edit, both for Windows and Mac worlds. Version 3.90 on the Virb is very reliable, with only one problem that I’m aware of, which Garmin knows about, and will fix before long: taking a picture while recording video causes the track file to stop recording momentarily, then the camera starts a new file. Your video and photos are recorded normally, though.Virb Edit version 2.8.0 includes new gauges, as well as graphs. Live Location information can be shown directly on the video, updating as you move. Gauge Builder allows you to clone gauges and make new ones.Prices for the camera have come down too. Some surmise that a new Virb must be coming out soon, but I doubt that. Even if there was, this camera is still great on its own so you should get one and see for yourself.Update June 20, 2014 - New Firmware, Version 3.70 has made the camera much more reliable, and VIRB Edit (To add Gauges and track display to your videos) for Mac and Windows has been greatly improved as well.Update June 12, 2014: New version of Android and iPhone Apps are released! You can now take pictures and video from the apps. I still prefer the actual Remote (see my review).Update: March 10, 2014. I like the VIRB so much that I bought a second one, the basic VIRB this time. I have no regrets, even though the software could be better…Update March 2, 2014: Now that the camera is at firmware 3.20, I have not had a lockup in weeks. If your camera still locks up with the latest firmware, make sure you turn it off by holding in the power button for 15 seconds. Turning it off from a locked state by removing the battery makes the camera more prone to continue to lock up.Update: April 10, 2014. Returned the basic VIRB and bought a second Elite. Once you’ve used the Elite, the basic model is not going to keep you happy. :)This is the (mostly) original review.After using this for two weeks, I sold all my GoPro gear because I know it’s never going to get used again. I love the feel of the camera. It fits nicely in your pocket so it’s likely to be around when you want to use it.I love the features!* The energy saving viewfinder which uses daylight for illumination so your battery power lasts longer.* The great lens with “Lens Correction” so your images don’t have to look “Fisheyed”.* The cheap and easily replaceable lens protector.* The big sliding switch for video recording so you know it’s recording.* The separate switch for taking photographs.* The Time Lapse Video setting which allows you to make stop motion movies very easily.* The “Record When Moving” mode which creates separate video files each time you start moving.* The mounting system which stays in place when you tighten it down, so your camera won’t change angles when you least expect it.* The Smartphone Apps and ANT+ Remote applicationsAnother feature I love and use a lot - “Record While Moving” - because the Elite has a gps built in, it can start and stop the video recording as you move and stop. This is very handy for me as it makes separate videos of all the sections I ride and does not record a static picture when I stop for a break, or lunch, and forget to shut the camera off.The battery is the same as that found in the Montana and Monterra so if you have one of those gps units on a powered mount, in your car or on your motorcycle, then when the battery in the camera dies, you just switch for the one in the gps. Your dead battery is now charging, and you have a fresh one in the camera. Also, unlike the GoPro where you need to open the waterproof casing to change the battery, the VIRB’s battery is externally accessible. Many times when I changed my GoPro battery in cooler weather, moisture got into the housing and condensed on the lens, causing blurred pictures. This can’t happen with the VIRB.It’s a LOT more aerodynamic than the GoPros. If you have this on the top of your motorcycle helmet, you won’t feel the drag anywhere near as much as with a GoPro. The mounting system cradle is solid and easy to use, even with winter gloves on. I regularly take the camera off the top of my helmet with my gloves on, change modes, then put it back on securely without having to take my gloves off.The VIRB has a very strong lanyard attachment point at the back of the camera so you can attach it to something solid, in case it does come off the mount. (I lost a GoPro last summer; it didn’t have a lanyard on it.) You can also hang the camera around your neck on the lanyard and it’s not uncomfortable. Try doing that with your boxy GoPro.Yes, there have been issues with it locking up at times but they are getting fewer and farther between since Garmin released version 2.80 of the system software. My GoPro 2 used to lock up fairly regularly too and it’s been out for a couple of years!The fact that my Montana and 78S can be used as ANT+ Remotes for the VIRB is also a great advantage. Some models of the Oregon as well as 62S and some other models also can be used as remotes for the VIRB.

Problems Right Out Of The Box!

Let me state right up front that I have no beef with the vendor. The product arrived quickly, and was what I ordered.The camera would not work from the git-go. It only emits a tone and is unresponsive to any inputs. The only way to stop the tone is remove the battery.I sent an email to Garmin customer support describing the problem. They sent back a form email with two things to try- a master reset, and a procedure to update the software by downloading an updater program and updating the SD in a card reader.Neither of these worked. The updater program would not recognize the SD card in the reader. My computer would recognize it fine, but their software would not. I tried both processes with a couple of SD cards just to make sure it wasn’t a problem with that.So now I’m waiting to hear back from Garmin. It looks like I get to spend more time and $$ fixing their issues.I will update this review if the situation changes.

Great action cam with integration to my ANT+ sensors as …

Great action cam with integration to my ANT+ sensors as well as the Garmin Edge being the big plus over other action cams out there. ANT+ connection to your sensors (heart rate, speed/cadence, power) let the camera log that ride data for later inclusion in your videos with the Virb Edit software. Integration with the Edge allows for remote control from the Edge.I do like how the record switch lets you know whether the camera is recording just by looking or feeling for its position. This helps when you have the Virb on a mount upside down underneath the Edge for example (where you can’t see the status light), or if on your helmet.The mounting system is compatible with GoPro mounts, and being able to take the camera off its connecting cradle is a big help. Battery life is in the range of 2-¹⁄₄ and 2-¹⁄₂ hours with the unit connected to my ANT+ sensors and the Edge. You really don’t get much extra life by not recording - the LCD remains on. It doesn’t display what the lens sees in this state, but nevertheless is still on, displaying text telling you that any button press will ‘wake’ the system. GPS data and ANT+ sensor data keeps recording as well. If you want to save battery life, you will have to fully turn it off. Thankfully, time to turn on isn’t that much.The Virb Edit software for working on your videos is decent enough, and you have access to a bunch of sensor overlay templates to choose from. You can easily add video clips imported from the camera, split clips, trim left or right, rotate. Audio and text titles can be added. There are a number of transitions between clips that you can choose, with a few customizations for those transitions.All in all, this is a great little camera. I have used it cycling, and plan to use it skiing when winter comes around.

Latest updates to iOS app totally Nerfs this camera!

Garmin has updated their app such that this camera is now totally nerfed. You can’t even copy videos off it to your ipad using WIFI (and forget trying to use apples iPad Lighting to USB Camera adaptor. The camera draws too much power so the iPad refuses the connection. No wifi, no USB, no nothing between this camera and the iPad.I understand this all used to work, but support for this camera has fallen out of the iPad app. SO VERY SAD. Garmin is a company I love, and whose many other products (such as my Fenix 5X) I adore and it’s AWFUL that they’d betray their customers like this.Truly Awful.

Looks good, but the problem is the Garmin customer service

Worked for a year without major problems, but now it won’t record more than a few seconds, and reboots automatically forever.

One Star

Camera came not working, waiting for seller to get in contact with me.

Screen Freezes

Always the screen seems freezes .Battery ia another pain point of this camera.Lost my money

Three Stars

It did not have any exceseries with it I have to buy a charger and a viewing cable

Five Stars

Nice camera. A bit heavy for the helmet.

Virb elite

Mid qualityGets the job done.

Nice camera, good video but crappy audio and edit software for mac

Really good video, audio has a lot to be desired as the little microphone hole is located in the back next to the camera holder and you have to remove a piece to open up.

I got this for safety reasons.The video and the photos you can produce with it is great. The battery and recommend storage space is not going to last on a long ride.

Five Stars

Great product as described.

I have no doubt this is a good camera, I think that Garmin products are above …

I received an open box item clearly damage and used by someone else before.I was unable to charge the battery the USB charging port on the camera was broken and unable to…

Get it at Amazon

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