Garmin has done a good job with Virb Edit. In order to embed the GPS data into the video file, Garmin’s own Virb Edit software needs to be used. gpx - file and data from other devices can also be imported. The GPS data is captured in a GPS Exchange format. One of the best features of the camera is its ability to record GPS tracking information along with the videos that its captures. The app also allows for video recording to be initiated from the app, but we found it’s much better to use the large recording slider button on the left side of the Virb Elite to start recording. It can even be used as a viewfinder for taking still images. For more professional sounding audio, there is an optional USB to 3,5mm stereo microphone adapter that will record audio from a microphone straight to the video file.Ĭonsidering that the camera will be mounted when in use, there is a handy smartphone app that can be downloaded for both iOS and Android devices that, as mentioned earlier in the review, allows you to view the camera feed and change all the settings on the camera. This was particularly evident when cycling through tunnels, where the camera would take a few seconds to adjust to the bright light on the other side.Īlthough the Virb Elite has a built-in microphone, it’s average at best at recording ambient audio. Images are sharp and colour saturation is excellent. The video quality produced by the Virb Elite is great. Technically speaking, these mounts are not ideal for vented helmets, but the putty-like glue that keeps the mount secure worked like a charm on every surface we mounted the camera on. We decided to rather mount the camera on a helmet using the mounts supplied with the camera. Although we did receive a bike mount for the Virb Elite, mounting the camera on the bike produces too much camera shake, especially on off-road routes. We took the Garmin Virb Elite for an off-road cycle along Johannesburg’s Braamfontein Spruit, a 40km return route that connects Emmarentia Dam in the south to Sunninghill in the north. This action camera can also shoot photo bursts and time-lapse video for more creative scenes. If you want true slow motion, then you’ll have to drop the resolution to 480p for a frame rate of 120fps. It can snap 16-megapixel still images and record video at a maximum resolution of 1080p at 30fps. When it comes to shooting video and still images, the Virb Elite does a great job. Footage is recorded onto a microSD card, with cards of up to 64GB supported. It also features a removable 2 000mAh battery that is good for about three hours’ worth of recording. It’s 111mm long and 53mm wide at its thickest point. The camera weighs 203g and is only slightly heavier with an attached mount. The Virb Elite can also connect to a smartphone app to use that as a viewfinder and to change settings, but more on this later. This also means that this screen is not super sharp or detailed, but it gets the job done. The screen uses ambient light instead of a backlight to illuminate the screen. This makes it easy to access the menu system or to frame an image before starting a recording. For those that want to take their camera underwater for longer, or take it deeper, there is an optional external housing available.Īlso unique to Garmin’s action cameras is a 1,4-inch screen situated at the top. The camera features a rubber exterior and is IPX7 rated, meaning it can withstand immersion in 1m of water for up to 30 minutes. It does not require external housing as it is ruggedised out of the box. The design of the Virb Elite is a little different to many other action cameras. We looked at the flagship, the Virb Elite, which comes with all the bells and whistles, including an integrated GPS tracker, which is not included in the base model, which sells for R1 100 less. Garmin’s Virb range of action cameras, launched a year ago, is the first it has produced. Dozens of manufacturers have jumped on board to try to capture a slice of the pie. The global action cam space has exploded in recent years, due largely to the impact of the GoPro. The company has already moved into new areas, including wearable technologies such as fitness trackers and specialised sports watches with great success, so it’s only logical that it expands into the action camera market, too. Garmin is a brand known for its GPS navigation devices, but with the advent of GPS smartphones and free maps and navigation, a large part of Garmin’s consumer market has fallen away.
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