Garmin Virb Ultra 30 Review

Table of Contents

If your idea of outdoor fun involves keeping count of your steps and heart rate, the Garmin Virb Ultra is the perfect gift.  The Virb Ultra 30 is a high-quality action camera that records at 1080p 60 fps (frames per second) with a 12MP sensor.  The Garmin Virb Ultra 30 is comfortable to wear, waterproof up to 40 meters deep, and compatible with iOS and Android devices.

Garmin Virb Ultra 30 Image
Image by garmin.com.hk

Garmin Virb Ultra 30 is a mountable action camera with 4K and 1080p HD video recording capabilities.  It has a built-in Wi-Fi with Bluetooth connectivity and is compatible with smartphones and tablets running Android and iOS.  The Virb Ultra 30 has built-in GPS and the G-Metrix app, analyzing and recording activities.  Its 3-axis electronic image stabilization is designed to reduce vibration, ensuring smoothness.

The Garmin Virb Ultra 30 is an ultra-rugged action camera that can get wet, get dirty, and retain its video recording quality even after being dropped from a height of 10 feet.  The 30-second recording resolution makes the Virb Ultra 30 ideal for skiing and snowboarding, mountain biking, and other outdoor sports, as well as for use in action sports like BMXing, skateboarding, and skydiving.  The device’s 2-inch touchscreen makes navigating video playback and setting the camera’s settings easier than with cameras without a touchscreen.

Features

The Garmin Virb Ultra 30’s features make it perfect for action seekers.  The GPS system and the touchscreen display are both useful.  The 30 MP camera is powerful enough to shoot videos in full HD, and the 3-inch touchscreen display is responsive.  The 30 MP camera is also pretty impressive.

The Garmin Virb Ultra 30 gimbal camera includes features that enhance its photo and video capabilities.  It records high-quality video and has the ability to take 10-megapixel photos with a wide-angle 4K lens.

Design

Garmin Virb Ultra Image
Image by garmin.com.hk
Garmin Virb ultra 30 Image
Image by garmin.com.hk

The Garmin Virb Ultra 30 is the company’s first action camera to combine a wide-angle lens with a rugged, waterproof design.  We tested it by putting it through several extreme conditions, including falling from 16 feet, submerging it underwater, and leaving it in dust, mud, and sand.  We also put it through a wide range of activities, including mountain biking, surfing, and skiing.  The Virb Ultra 30 delivered clear and detailed images in all conditions.  The pan-tilt-zoom feature allows you to easily capture selfies and video, while the image stabilization allows you to capture crisp, steady images, even while running.  The built-in Wi-Fi makes it easy to upload footage to a smartphone, tablet, or computer, and you can use the app to do things like review your footage and trim it or geotag it.  The Ultra 30 offers lots of customizable settings, including a time-lapse mode.

Functionality

The Garmin Virb Ultra 30 is an outdoor-ready camera that shoots UltraHD 4K video, has Garmin’s proprietary QuikCapture video stabilization feature, and is waterproof down to 100 metres.

 

The Virb Ultra 30 is an ultraportable action camera that’s waterproof down to 100 metres, freezeproof down to -10 degrees Celsius, and shockproof from drops to 1.8 metres.  Its built-in rechargeable battery lasts for up to 1,000 shots, and it’s compatible with Garmin’s range of accessories, including mounts, batteries, bike mounts, and chargers.  The Virb Ultra 30 records in UltraHD 4K video at 30 frames per second, taking 12 megapixels still photos at 10 frames per second.

 Price

The Garmin Virb Ultra 30 is an affordable camera that delivers high-quality video on a variety of settings, though its 2.5K video quality isn’t as sharp as others we tested.  The Nikon Coolpix P900’s 4K video quality was also phenomenal, but it’s $350 more expensive.  The Garmin Virb Ultra 30 is a great choice if you’re looking for an affordable camera with excellent video quality and HDR capabilities.

Pros

When it comes to capturing action, nothing compares to the Garmin Virb Ultra 30.  This camera is capable of recording 15 hours of high-quality 4K video, which is good enough for anyone.  Thanks to its innovative image sensor, which is capable of capturing 2.4 times as many pixels as other action cameras, as well as 120 fps at 1080p, the video is ultra-clear.  You can also take 12MP photos with 30 fps at 12 megapixels.  This camera captures everything, including fast-moving objects and low-light conditions.

With 16 GB of internal memory as well as the ability to capture footage with SD cards, you can save up to 8 hours of footage before taking your Virb Ultra 30 into the water or adding an additional memory card.  You can easily mount the Virb Ultra 30 as is, or you can use the GoPro mount and customizable accessories, including flat mounts, a

Cons

We were impressed with Garmin’s Virb Ultra 30, which can be used as an all-in-one action camera, a selectable action cam, or as an HD camera.  Its 30-megapixel sensor produces excellent image quality, and its 8-megapixel wide-angle camera captures fantastic wide-angle video.  We like the sturdy design and user-replaceable battery.

However, the expensive price tag and lack of video-stitching software meant that the Virb Ultra 30 didn’t beat out the competition.  The GoPro Hero 4 Black Edition is GoPro’s best-selling camera, and its user interface and extensive range of mounts make it a great choice.  Its improved 4K video-stitching software allows you to seamlessly combine multiple 4K video clips into a single 4K video.  Its 4K video is also attractively sharp and well lit.

Conclusion

The Garmin Virb Ultra 30 is an awesome camera for shooting video while biking or for shooting stills from the handlebars while biking.  This camera is water-resistant and cyclist-friendly.  It can take a beating while biking for those who are serious about capturing great footage.  Garmin has one of the best names in the action-camera market.  Their latest action camera, the Garmin Virb Ultra 30, is the best yet.  The Ultra 30 is a feature-rich camera with image quality that is every bit as good as the best cameras on the market.  Its built-in Wi-Fi feature lets you record everything to the Garmin Connect mobile app.  The Ultra 30 also records to microSD, so you can record your adventures without tying up your phone.