Features:

  • ULTRA HD VIDEO - Crystal clear 4K/30fps footage, 1080p/120fps, or slow motion capability at 720p/240fps
  • G-METRIX - Built-in GPS and external sensors with connectivity to Garmin devices to capture performance data like speed, elevation, heart rate and G-force
  • LCD COLOR TOUCHSCREEN - 1.75-inch display is easy to operate; fully functional in and out of waterproof case
  • VOICE CONTROL - Shoot hands-free by using voice commands to start/stop recording, take a photo or tag footage
  • 3-AXIS IMAGE STABILIZ3-AXIS IMAGE STABILIZATION - Captures steady footage up to 1080p/60fps
LOVE IT!

LOVE IT!!!!! I had a go pro heroHD (about 7 years old now) the go pro was awesome and no problem with the brand. I moved to GARMIN for two reasons, the compatibility with using their GPS as a remote (always use a garmin GPS on my motorcycle) and the nice post-warranty support. I damaged my go pro lens early on and go pro had nothing they could do to help. I had to get another ones. Garmin for years after warranty is up will replace your broken unit with a refurb at a low cost. Just good long term support. You can use a Garmin GPS as a remote, nice feature. The video quality and photo quality are excellent, lots of custom settings and the garmin video software is very well done! If you just want to try something different, this is great camera with fantastic support

Great for true action sports metrics. Great customer support.

I was lucky enough to have the money to purchase both the GoPro 5 and the Virb Ultra 30. All I can say is wow to both of these camera. I ended up choosing the Garmin and returning the GoPro for one reason, the metric data. If you do action sports and want a camera that accurately captures the data (speed, hangtime, altitude, path of travel) this camera does it. The GoPro also has a GPS but does not use it to get the cool metrics that the Virb does. In terms of picture quality, they are practically the same camera. The Garmin has the edge for action sports fans. The GoPro is more user-friendly with its voice controls and menus, but not by much. GG Garmin. UPDATE: I never had a problem with Garmin products before, but man the customer service is awesome. My waterproof case lost its gasket somehow so i noticed water leaking in. Luckily my camera didn't break, but I emailed support and they sent me a whole new dive case. Great support, great product.

Great camera, it is miles ahead of the competition

Great camera, it is miles ahead of the competition. Easy to use, the sound is good, image stabilization, GPS metrics are accurate easy to change between the optional graphics built into the app for my android phone Samsung Note 4. Garmin should be applauded for using the same mounting system as those other guys we all have used for so many years. I am very happy with it.

Best HD POV camera to date, perfect gift for the adventurer!

I've had the opportunity to use this camera for a few weeks now, excuse my grammar. Ill start with the case, I'm still waiting on, "the cage" which I intend to use more than the waterproof housing. The waterproof housing is really well designed and allows for flawless audio recording with it on. How they were able to do that was pretty spectacular. Voice command works well as long as you speak clearly and don't have high noise or wind. What I love about this Garmin and the other two generations of Garmin cameras, have been the recoding on/off toggle switch. You eliminate the gopro selfie face or always relying on your partner to double check if it's on or it's recording. With the toggle switch you have 100% certainty you're recording. The housing uses Gopro style mounts. The Ultra camera has a high sensitivity touch screen that will work with the dive housing. It took me a bit to get use to, it does work well. It obviously has it's limitations but give it a chance and you'll learn it works just fine. Video Quality compared to a Hero 4 Black It has all the same resolutions and frame rates as the 4 black. I do believe the sharpness is a bit better with the Ultra, I haven't been able to confirm if its due to the lens or just less compression. All most always I shoot with the Pro Settings Enabled. For filmmakers and photographers this is known as .RAW. To most the image looks boring and flat. With these settings enabled you're actually allowing for the most amount of information to be stored on each frame, whether it's a photo or 120 frames per second on the slo mo option, It gives you the most dynamic range to edit afterwards. High sensitivity GPS, bluetooth, ANT + sensors Ok this is where the Ultra really sets it self apart from any other camera. App developers, Third party software and "Gopro back" add ons have added unnecessary bulk and complexity to the competitors camera. The Ultra 30 has it all built into this small package. It has a 10hz gps, (10 recordings a second, elevation, speed, G-forces, etc.) Recently I used the Bluetooth to pair my Sena 20s microphone to the Ultra. Again it was a flawless connection with ease of pairing. No additional software or bulky add ons. ANT+ sensors, If you're familiar with Garmin fitness products you'll know they have a plethora of sensors for running, cycling, aviation, racing, etc... I can't get over how easy it's been to pair my heart rate to the camera, it's really taught me a lot about myself when debriefing flights. Battery life As you may expect this camera is working considerably harder than most cameras on the market. If you're running the GPS, have sensors connected, and constantly looking through the viewfinder, you're going to burn through this battery. Every one will have different experiences on battery life with this camera. I tend to be in the 1 hr to 2.5hrs range. I'd like to point out again that I'm using the view finder quite a bit, I use the GPS constantly and will have my heart rate paired up as well. I switch back forth between having the voice control on or off. It's a great feature when you have your hands tied up. A couple examples I've used it for; Mountain biking, and shooting with a 3-axis gimbal. I'll come back and try and brush up this review from time to time, but for now I can't see why you would even consider the Gopro 4 black over this. Same cost, much more features built into it.

Great camera to log OBD-2 data

I really like this camera overall. Originally I bought a Hero 5 Session from a box store as we were going on vacation (cruise) and I wanted a camera to take some video and to use while snorkeling and time lapse videos. While it worked well but the more I thought about it I was concerned about long term use as it doesn't have a replaceable battery. I took it back and debated between the Hero 5 Black and Virb Ultra 30. I ended up getting the Virb because they support 3rd party products. I ride motorcycles and have a Sena 20S Bluetooth headset which will pair to this and not the GoPros. Also support for OBD-2 dongles. The first thing I tested was OBD-2 in my car. While this camera does have GPS and can calculate speed based on this, it is nice to be able to compare the two. I couldn't find any information on what OBD-2 adapters were compatible with this camera though. Garmin's website and manual really didn't say anything. I happened to own one already that I use with Torque Pro so I thought I would just test it out and it paired right up and logged data. Here is the one I am using: ScanTool 426101 OBDLink MX Bluetooth: Professional OBD-II Scan Tool for Android & Windows I went into Bluetooth selected Add New then pressed the pair button on the OBD2 tool and it immediately connected and I was off driving. When I imported the video into the Virb Edit software I went into G-Matrix and it dropped in several gauges but you can add/remove/relocate them as you want. There were a couple gauges that didn't display data like fuel consumption and torque but those don't display anything in Torque Pro either. Keep in mind not every car will display every field. So I wasn't shocked about this. With my 2015 Subaru WRX, it displayed quite a few of the gauges that I was looking for like Tach, Speed and Engine Load. In the attached photo I used the Virb Edit software to drop a few of the various gauges available and used it to export a still image to show what it looks like. I still need to test it out with the Sena 20S Bluetooth Headset but it is a nice to have feature not really something that I won't use a lot. There is too much snow to take a motorcycle out right now to give it a good test. It is nice to have the option. Overall video quality and ease of use are along the lines of others. I have had no issues. It seems in line to anything I got from the Hero 5 Session. While it is a much larger camera the specs in terms of video are the same as Hero 5 Black. I have a coworker who built an experimental airplane with a Garmin panel. He is going to test my camera out with the Bluetooth in his plane and I will post a review of that once we get results. If there is anything negative to say it is that it is Mini USB. I haven't had a cell phone or tablet that uses this connector for many years so now I have to carry a cable just for this camera. It takes a really long time to charge but the battery is also bigger than the Hero 5 Session. I bought a couple generic batteries for this so I can swap them out. I really liked the USB-C port on the Hero 5 cameras as you can plug them in either way. You don't have to look which way they are keyed. Also my wife's and I have Nexus 6p phones which also use USB-C so if traveling and we want to carry a battery pack we only need one cable. This won't apply to everyone out there but it was a feature I miss. I also liked the remote that GoPro has which has a display to actually get feedback on what the camera is doing.

Better than a GoPro

Better than a GoPro Hero5 Black. More responsive voice commands, decent battery life, solid build. The only con is a clumsy interface on the touch screen but excellent video especially in low light. Nice pro options and best sound on any of my action/sports cameras - in or out of the waterproof case.

Controls are easy to use

Huge improvement from the original VIRB. Controls are easy to use, the WiFi with the app makes setting it up even more of a breeze.

Garmin VIRB Ultra 30

Hands-down the best action camera available today. Long time GoPro user, was using a Hero4 Black and have also owned both prior Garmin VIRB models. This camera has all of the bells-and-whistles, like 4K/30, GPS, advanced photo/video settings and stabilization modes. Recording or photo taking can be initiated through physical buttons (like your traditional camera), on the LCD display or through the mobile app or remotes found on other Garmin products like Edge or Vivosmart. The touch-screen works really well, even through the hard case, which is really convenient. This is a very powerful and capable camera. Video and photo quality is on par with the Hero4 Black. But what really sets this camera apart is its ease of use. Simple and intuitive, even for the advanced settings. Simplicity is what I want in an action camera, so that I don't miss a shot and I can just focus on the activity. The Garmin VIRB Edit and Mobile apps have come a long way, and are now very good control and editing tools. From my personal experience with both Garmin and GoPro customer service, Garmin wins by wide margin. Garmin support is so much more knowledgeable and customer friendly than GoPro. You'd think it would be the other way around, but that is not what I've experienced. I am so glad that I now have a replacement for GoPro with an action camera that is more capable and easier to use.

Don't forget it's only the 2nd model they've made.

I use a pair of these a lot for many things from snow skiing to under water trolling camera. The low light or really bright light video capability is impressive for what it is. Noticably better than the hero 5. It is a great piece of hardware but like others say the battery life isn't what you would expect. With GPS and Wi-Fi on I get maybe 40 minutes of video and that's at lower reso and frame rates. 4k with all that on would be 20 minutes ish. However this camera can simply be plugged into a power source and continue to work perfect unlike a hero5. I also use it to monitor an engine room on a sport fishing boat and it works great coming back through all my Garmin chartplotters and this is where it's very important I can supply it with a permanent power source and not have to mess with removing and keeping up with batteries.

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