Garmin Virb X: Our complete test

If you have a limited budget and you are attempted by an action camera in HD, you will surely want to know more about Garmin Virb X. We have been able to overcome the performance and technical characteristics of this action action with a magnifying glass and we deliver our verdict through this test. Read rather.

Garmin Virb X: Design and external design

Garmin allocates X X with outdoor sports. It is therefore with great satisfaction that we hit the finger for the robustness of the device. Taking a compact format, this action camera adapts to difficult conditions. Slightly larger than GoPro, it still counts a weight ideally distributed throughout the body, to be barely felt once fixed on a helmet.

While most action cameras require an additional box or accessory to resist water, Virb X has its structure to resist a immersion of up to 50 meters. In the same way, it remains operational, even in a dusty environment. To this end, Garmin has planned a flat and hydrophobic glass lens during the design of Garmin Virb X, which allows you to immortalize the underwater adventures without fear. In addition, its power contacts are perfectly resistant to water.

Being destined to accompany almost everywhere, the Garmin Virb X counts on its compatibility with almost all GoPro accessories, in particular, to adapt to all capture conditions. Its fixing system is intelligent for this, which allows easy assembly and disassembly. As for the distribution of the buttons, it promotes easy access. Ergonomic, the camera is designed for a single key recording: while a button above launches the recording, a snap button is specially dedicated to the capture of the photos.

Image quality

Thanks to the 12.4 mp CMOS sensor on board, Garmin Virb X offers an image quality, which without being at the top, rather faithfully reproduces the atmosphere during outdoor adventures. We are certainly not entitled to the 4k of Garmin – Virb Ultra 30, but the capture experiments are still enriched. Some may find the obsolete HD definition, however Garmin really planned everything to make visual quality satisfactory and made better than most of the HD CAMS actions.

Able to turn up to HD 1080 p at 30 or 25 IP, VIRB X offers other HD modes (HD 960 P, HD 720p) and allows you to slow down in 480 p at 120 IP. With these characteristics, the captured images are not much details, especially with low light. But outdoors and for catches in 1080, the rendering is generally satisfactory. For its price, we discover that the Full HD mode would increase the camera performance. The absence of stabilization is also deplorable.

As for the photos, two resolution choices are possible: 12 MPX and 7 MPX. Both for videos or photos, the corner cover is interesting. In addition, the microphone incorporated into the camera offers a correct sound, which we also find slightly above the average.

Characteristics

As with all Garmin's cameras, the action sensors and integrated GPs in the Garmin Virb X are one of its main assets. Under the hood, there are fewer sensors here (only strength and orientation force sensors), but compatibility with the G-Merix environment allows you to buy it separately and associate them in wireless mode, to analyze your exploit in real time, thanks to the data provided in the form of measures and graphics. And to tell your Exploit, you can prove it by superimposing this information on the videos.

If the sensors are the main attraction with the Garmin Virb X, the choice of definitions and zoom levels offered are some elements that allow you to adapt to different acquisition conditions. This is valid for both videos and photos. For the latter, for example, the Rafale mode provides 12 MP clichés, at a speed 10 images per second. A functionality also allows you to program the device so that chain takes them in a customizable time interval and that can go to 120 seconds.

To create assiemas from the catches, you have to go through the free virb edit software. Therefore, you can let the application automatically generate videos or put the clip manually and tell your exploits based on your comfort. Easy to manage, the interface of the latter allows you to perform different actions: the addition of music, adjustment or overlapping of the G-Metrix indicators, the adjustment of the different corners of the camera.

In addition, the Action Garmin Virb X camera has Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth and is compatible with Ant+devices. As for autonomy, the manufacturer has provided a 980 mAh rechargeable li-polymer battery, which allows you to film in 1080 p at 30 IP, for almost 2 hours.

Our final opinion on Garmin Virb X

If you are looking for a perfect camera for underwater adventures and more generally outdoor sports, Garmin Virb X has many topics to convince you. Although its quality of the image is not exceptional, this action cam performs makeup and promises improved acquisition and assembly experiences, thanks to the precious data collected through integrated basic sensors and doctors.