LW Mag LW Magazine
Related Articles
Garmin’s new action camera is now available in South Africa, the Garmin VIRB X and XE. Not only does it look good, it’s capable of shooting rich, HD, wide-angle footage at 1080p to capture all those action packed moments. The all-new form is rugged, allows for more mounting options and is waterproof to 50 meters. Here’s what we thought after playing with the XE version of the camera over the past few weeks.
Like other traditional action cameras the VIRB X and XE connects to a free app (VIRB Mobile) on your phone or tablet via WiFi, enabling you to view the live stream, view footage, control the camera and download footage and photos. The free desktop software (VIRB Edit) allows you to edit your footage and put together action videos easily and quickly. The app also includes the VIRB tracking feature, which records the last known GPS position for easy recovery.
Our main attraction to this camera is the G-Metrix feature made possible through built in sensors, GPS and wireless options. G-Metrix captures data like speed, elevation, g-force, track maps, lap times, etc. and turns it into animated overlays that can be included in your video. There is an array of overlay options available in the software to choose from and add that much more awesomeness to your video. See how high, how fast, how intense moments of your video are. G-Metrix also works seamlessly with other Garmin products, capture performance data beyond VIRB’s built-in sensors with Garmin accessories like heart rate monitors and cycling computers.
Our video below shows 3 overlay options, edited using the VIRB Edit software:
The VIRB XE is designed to shoot professional HD footage with image stabilisation, super slow-mo and different zoom levels. The XE also has a Pro Mode with advanced manual camera adjustments. Both the X and XE capture photo and photos bursts up to 12MP. The design boasts a new microphone for extremely clear audio.
What we liked:
-HD Quality footage.
-One simple switch wakes the device, starts recording and stops recording.
-Great, rugged design.
-Dedicated photo button (takes photos at any time even while recording).
-2-hour battery life at 1080p.
-VIRB Edit desktop software is easy to use.
-G-Metrix data for insanely awesome overlays.
-Create custom performance gauges and graphs for more unique videos.
-Variety of mounts are available.
-The option to capture data with other Garmin products.
What we didn’t like:
-Not the most user-friendly camera.
-The mobile app is slow and jitters when streaming.
Suggested retail pricing:
Garmin VIRB X – R6 499.00.
Garmin VIRB XE – R7 999.00.
For more info and to purchase your Garmin VIRB X or XE click here.
