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I actually bought the Virb ultra with my hard earned cash working. I am taking flying lessons. I purchased it so I could record my lessons and thought about getting dual use as a light camera and go any where action camera for fun. I am not extreme so have not tested this while jumping off a mountain into snow or swimming with sharks. I am a garmin fan but their products tend be released at almost beta stage software then mature into a excellent product. Which is not so here. I think they are quickly updating and fixing any issues (I had no issues myself). The metric data aspect really attracted me.
Good:
The metrics match pretty well. Although the altitude does not match the planes altitude after taking off and flying for a bit but it is close at times (off by 100 - 300 feet at times).
*Update: Contacted garmin support. The elevation variation is actually within tolerance. According to Garmin support the elevation variation is plus + or - 400 feet. SO now that I know that the virb ultra 30 i actually a lot closer to the right altitude. Just a small thing to keep mind but its actually a very minor issues as the accuracy in my experience has been between 40-300 ft. So all in all its pretty close.
The speed matches well and the tracking function is really helpful. I will try to dig into why the altitude doesn't match closer after take off (maybe the refresh rate on the altimeter? it is hilly area also)
The image quality turned out really well. I don't know how the new gopro could markedly beat it.
Metrics on board is nice and the Garmin edit software is great and easy to use.
Camera controls are easy, well thought out and simple.
Blinking lights on camera make it easy to tell if it is recording or on standby.
Quick software updates
Sound quality...excellent.
Size is small and button layout is very straight forward is easy.
Touch screen is great! No weird funky missed touches and is responsive, simple and layout well. (good job garmin!)
Bad:
Not many accessories yet...I am sure they are coming and they are responsive to suggestions so it is shaping up to be a good product all around.
It is pricey though, especially compared to my Yi 4K I had but you are getting a ton of capabilities that no other camera on the market can provide.
Going to need extra batteries or way to connect to battery pack for long recording or especially 4k.
I was able to get about 1 hour 20 minutes on a full battery at 1080p 30 fps ( maybe if I turned off wifi and few others I can increase that). overall good considering all this little thing is doing.
Final thoughts:
Even with the gopro new release coming up I am happy with the Ultra 30 and will be keeping it because the metric data capabilities are amazing. I hope Garmin continues to invest in the Ultra 30 software development and accessories. I think they have a real winner here.
In the photo you can see I have the Garmin cage with protective lens (only available through Garmin as of this moment). It is a great accessory if you do not need the hard plastic protective casing during filming. It is easy to get the camera in and out and quickly mounted. I also have the virb remote which is easy to use and simple. I highly recommend it if you would like a hands free operation without using voice commands (which work really well)
Disclaimer: I bought the product and liked it. Garmin didn't give me anything!
I will try to update the review as I continue to use it and learn.I wish there was battery pack I could plug into it to keep it running longer. maybe one that would allow me to use inline audio recording from the headsets at same time.
Update: I attached 3 photos I took to show the basic picture quality.
Price just dropped to match the GoPro 399 price I presume. Shame I purchased it few days too soon at 499. It is a great price at 399. Still having issues with altimeter though. FYI Amazon doesn't protect against price drops. So I lost 100 bucks. Boo Amazon your customer service used to be good.
Action camera 5 stars
Amazon 2.5 stars (customer service isn't what it used to be at amazon)
Good competitive move Garmin to match GoPro price.
Update 11-4-16: I am still using the virb ultra 30 weekly. I really have grown to love this thing. It easy to use. I have no run into any overheating issues or write errors. It performs every time. I hope Garmin continue to develop and improve the android app as well as desktop software editing software. I would purchase again.
Update 12-1-16 (elevation issue resolved, you can enter a reference elevation in virb editing software): It is still performing great. I am not sure if garmin updated the virb edit software or I was not aware before but you now can enter post recording reference elevation. So if you reference elevation while on the ground at 0 or so the elevation in the video will be correct in relation to the set point.
Still recommend. I do wish garmin had put USB C connection on the virb ultra 30 but it still love my virb ultra 30.
