Released in 2013, the Virb Elite is Garmin’s entry into the action camera market. A tough market to crack with its stalwart, GoPro, and countless other manufacturers seeking their piece of the pie. In the Virb Elite, Garmin has combined its GPS and data sensor know-how to offer something different to the rest of the action camera market.
I took the Virb Elite, with the cycling bundle, on a long-weekend mission to the superb Garden Route Trail Park. Inspired by the overseas trail park experience, it served as the perfect place to test the feature of the Virb Elite.
Initial impressions
The first thing that grabbed my attention was the form factor. I’ve become so conditioned to the rectangular shape of the GoPro, and its clones, that the larger tubular shape of the Virb looked odd. But after my initial hesitations, I came to appreciate the Virb. The shape allowed me to get a firm grip in the palm which was reassuring compared to smaller more delicate devices that are held and operated with finger tips.
Garmin have put in a lot of effort to make the Garmin Virb Elite a rugged device and the solid build quality was immediately evident. The Virb Elite is IPX7 waterproof rated, the rubber like plastic casing can take a beating (my clumsiness meant that I inadvertently tested the Virb’s impact resistance on a number of occasions), there are no buttons or appendages that can be torn off, and the external lens is easily replaceable, should you manage to scuff it.
Thanks to the built-in protection, operating the Virb Elite is a joy and identical whether on or off the bicycle. There is a top mounted screen through which you can change settings, use the Dashboard mode for various measurements (such as speed, heart rate, altitude and acceleration) and use as a viewfinder. All the buttons and switches are conveniently placed for easy access when on the bike or being held in hand.
Mounting
The Garmin Virb comes standard with a cradle and sticky pads for mounting. However, for the purposes of our test, Garmin SA provided us with the cycling kit which includes a bicycle bar mount and additional mount links.
The Virb’s cradle and mounting system is different to the common GoPro-like attachments but after a brief inspection, things clicked together logically. The cradle system works well, the Virb simply clips in, unlike other brands that require the camera to be fixed in place. This ease of removal was useful when tinkering with the device while out on a ride or even simply attaching or removing the Virb each ride (assuming you’ve left the bicycle mount on).
The cradle and mounts fit perfectly and felt robust. On the bike adjustment was easier than a number of other mounting setups I’ve used.
General Operation
Garmin have done well to make the Virb Elite an initiative device to use. All the buttons were perfectly accessible, responsive and the screen clear to view.
The most impressive, yet simple, function of the Virb’s design is the on / off switch. It’s a large switch that takes up most of the left side of the device. As mentioned, the Virb Elite was tested at the Garden Route Trail Park, a trail system that encourages hard riding on the single track and slow meanders back to the next trailhead. The ideal kind of riding for the Virb’s on / off button. You simply slide the button away from yourself, wait 10 or so seconds and head down the trail. At the end of the run you slide the bottom back and the device turns off. It couldn’t get any easier and you’ll never doubt whether it’s filming or not.
The settings were simple to change with the use of the LCD screen. If you wished, you could even change these wirelessly from your phone. After my initial setup, I didn’t find the need to play with the settings again.
The built-in screen’s quality was excellent when dealing with programmed features but video playback on the screen was not good. Although suitable for camera positioning and making sure you got a shot with a replay.
Apps and Wi-Fi
Garmin have made a mobile app for iOS and Android that can be used to change the device’s settings, as a viewfinder and some video/ camera operation. The app connects via the Virb’s wifi connection. If you want to scrutinize footage on the trail, viewing the replays through your phone will display much better quality than the built-in screen.
PC software
The Virb makes use of Garmin Express to upload your GPS data and to keep the Virb firmware up to date.
To edit your footage, you can download Garmin VIRB Edit for free. This software is similar to most basic video editing packages and basic video editing is a breeze and a welcoming experience. Exporting videos for those all-important YouTube uploads is easy and fast.
Video
The quality of video recorded by the Garmin Virb Elite is good. I found the image to be sharp. The Virb’s picture quality won’t restrict an amateur videographer from making reasonable on-bike videos. If I have to be hypercritical, the colours appeared somewhat dull in low light conditions and there can be a lag in the adjustment to changing light intensities.
The majority of the test filming occurred in poor light conditions. The weekend of the test was plagued with clouds and rain, which was made even worse when entering the forests of the Garden Route Trail Park. Considering the conditions, I feel the Garmin Virb Elite held up reasonably well.
As you can see in the videos above, the stability of the footage from the handlebars was poor. I believe that it was more a problem with the mount than the Virb’s design, I would recommend trying a helmet or chest mount. After viewing the photographs for this review, I noticed that I could have mounted the Garmin Virb Elite with on less mounting link and directly to the cradle, which may have helped further reduce the shaky image.
Data recording: GPS, accelerometer, altimeter and ANT+
The Garmin Virb Elite comes with an array of sensors. The integration of a GPS, accelerometer, thermometer, altimeter and ANT+ brings Garmin’s traditional expertise to the action camera market.
The data from these sensors can be used to create an video overlay that includes your position on a route, speed, distance, ambient temperature and through ANT+ device, heart rate and speed/cadence can also be measured and displayed.
I found having the data overlay on my footage fascinating. For serious riders, who want to improve their times and speeds or already spend a lot of time analysis or learning trails via action camera footage (common in events with limited practise sessions), the Virb Elite’s overlay is a huge advantage.
I don’t feel that Virb Elite will be a suitable replacement for a stand-alone GPS riding computer. As far as I could tell, the sensors only turn on when recording video, resulting in a shorter battery life. Furthermore, the live data reporting on the Virb Elite’s screen is limited and does not match the array of measurements displayed on a dedicated GPS unit. However, it will compliment other devices well.
A little bit off topic but imagine services, like Strava, including video uploads matched to your GPS data. Allowing video comparison of your segments or even segments recorded by your friends and Strava nemeses.
Battery Life
My use of the Virb Elite on the bike was erratic. I was so overjoyed with ease of turning the Virb on and off that I found myself only recording interesting sections of my rides. For climbs and jeep track the Virb was almost always off. In this unscientific manner of testing, I shot around 2 hours of footage before receiving a warning to recharge.
In the end
The Garmin Virb Elite is well-built and easy to use. The video quality is good and won’t hold you back from enjoying your footage.
The overlay data is a superb feature for those that enjoy analysing their riding. I can also see this feature being very useful for those with a serious interest in learning trails and improving their times over technical terrain.
I also appreciate the Virb’s rugged built, no protective cases need, making it simple to operate on or off the bike.
Considering the full package, I found the Garmin Virb Elite to be a worthy and practical alternative in the action camera market.
Summary
The good
- Easy operation on the bike
- Big on / off button
- Tracking sensors add extra level of analysis
- Solid build, no protective case needed
- LCD position on top, good viewing angle
The bad
- Handlebar mount footage is bumpy
- Lacks high frame rate for 1080p
- Poor screen quality
- Relatively large size
Technical specifications
Very good and thorough review.
I've got the Virb Elite, use it on most of my rides. It works brilliantly. Takes very good quality vids on and off the bike and the editing sofrware is easy to use. I'm really impressed with the quality in very low light conditions.