GoPro Vs Garmin Virb

EJWall

EJWall

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EJWall
Hey all, so I know you all use GoPro's to record cockpit audio and video. But has anyone used Garmin's Virb XE in flight?

I'm trying to find a good cockpit recording device that would be smaller than my instructors which is a bulky video camera and would be easier to set up than his tripod.

Let me know your thoughts on either. Thanks!!
 
I have not used it, like you said most of my filming was done with a gopro or a contour.
it's been a while since I looked into these pov action cams but if the virb has the gps feature where it shows your speed or altitude, that would be a neat feature to have, although I thought I recall to get that feature you either had to use their editing software or post it to their site, I don't remember exactly what it was but it was slightly annoying.

lastly, if you're just looking for audio cables or audio recording options, I can tell you who NOT to buy them from........feel free to PM me if/when you're ready to purchase so I can steer you in the right direction.
 
You can sync GPS/video on any action cam using free Garmin Virb editor or using free Dashware editor. Lessons are boring, for the love of GA, please don't make any nonpilots watch your flight lessons. Since it is for personal consumption consider one of the cheap action camera clones. You ain't going to be watching it on an Imax screen. Quality is good enough to learn from.
 
I have an older Garmin Virb Elite and really like it. I dont know about the XE size or function but one of the reasons I bought the Elite over the GoPro was the narrower profile for helmet mounting and smaller on the windshield of my plane.

So I am a little bummed Garmin had to mimick the flat box profile of the GoPro since it was a big factor on why I chose it.

The GPS overlay on a google map with speed and altitude recording is a nice tool. ( not only in a plane but works great mounted to the hood of a snowmobile, or downhill skiing)

Also I have let a few friends use it that own GoPro's and they all said they wished they purchased the Garmin first. They really like the big slide switch for recording (works great with gloves) and love the GPS functions and the ability to just copy the raw MP4 from the memory without software (I dont know if this is the same as gopro :dunno: could be??)

Its also nice to be semi submersible without a separate case (but this probably doesn't apply in an airplane, or it shouldn't:confused:...)

And the prop filter works good also ( you can get this on either and I would recommend it)

So my vote is for the Garmin.
 
Phoenix said:
You can sync GPS/video on any action cam using free Garmin Virb editor or using free Dashware editor. Lessons are boring, for the love of GA, please don't make any nonpilots watch your flight lessons.
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This is my problem. I want to record my flights but there is no one who gives a **** about watching them and I'm not going to post to YouTube because the interwebs don't GAF either. Maybe I'd do it just as a poor man's FDR/CVR? Nope. Probably not.

I see the skiers with their helmet cams and I just wonder why. Maybe it's for liability reasons when some 'epic' snowboarder jumps and lands on their head? :D
 
eman1200 said:
lastly, if you're just looking for audio cables or audio recording options, I can tell you who NOT to buy them from........feel free to PM me if/when you're ready to purchase so I can steer you in the right direction.
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We've been using one of Shane's audio/charger cables with a gopro quite happily. They may be a bit pricy, but I expect the product to be made correctly.
 
Owning a Garmin Virb Elite and having used also Gopro, I'd say the Gopro picture quality is still better, but the additional GPS and overlay features on Garmin are cool as well. Choose depending which you need. Gopro has much more third-party accessories available also.
 
I have a Virb Elite that I got for my birthday. I am technologically challenged so I have no clue how to use it. I have a couple of different Ram mounts and have shot some video, I have no idea how to edit it and make it a cool video. I am absolutely no help, sorry.
 
petrolero said:
This is my problem. I want to record my flights but there is no one who gives a **** about watching them and I'm not going to post to YouTube because the interwebs don't GAF either. Maybe I'd do it just as a poor man's FDR/CVR? Nope. Probably not.

I see the skiers with their helmet cams and I just wonder why. Maybe it's for liability reasons when some 'epic' snowboarder jumps and lands on their head? :D
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I often use my GoPro to record certain flights then go back and watch them to see what I did well or could improve. For example my first flight into a bravo I recorded it to go back and see what I could improve next time. That has been helpful for me YMMV.
 
My principal question is, "what audio cables enables one to filter out the loud prop/wind noise yet captures radio comms?

Just bought the Virb-XE...nice piece of kit. just cant capture audio with the included cables.
 
I know nflightcam makes one for the gopro. I've been very happy with mine so far. Not sure if nflight make one for the Virb.
 
oregonboy109 said:
I often use my GoPro to record certain flights then go back and watch them to see what I did well or could improve. For example my first flight into a bravo I recorded it to go back and see what I could improve next time. That has been helpful for me YMMV.
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That's mainly what I do it for. You see things that you don't remember that you did while on the actual flight.

You can make flight videos interesting, but it's usually a montage or something of a bunch of different clips put together. The joe-blow training flight just isn't interesting unless you're a new guy. I did watch a ton of them in the beginning to learn radio coms and pick up other tips.

I use a Hero3+ Silver. Works just fine for me. High resolution is just fine for viewing on youtube, etc... but editing can take a while. I use a simple audio cable splitter that goes inline with your headset for cockpit/ATC audio, but keep in mind this won't pick up any other sounds.
 
A headphone tap will actually get very faint pickup of engine or other loud sounds, because the headphone speakers act as mics in reverse, but very inefficiently. (If you listen carefully to video with audio tracks recorded off the intercom, you can hear the engine very low when the intercom is muted.)

The most natural recordings I've heard were made using a small mic placed inside the earcup of the headphones. It hears exactly what the pilot hears, in exactly the same proportions volume-wise.
 
yhuubert said:
Owning a Garmin Virb Elite and having used also Gopro, I'd say the Gopro picture quality is still better, but the additional GPS and overlay features on Garmin are cool as well. Choose depending which you need. Gopro has much more third-party accessories available also.
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These are the top 2 reasons I much prefer the Gopro. To address the other point, I can just position the Gopro in the plane so my GPS screen will also be in view.
 
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