
We all know how much parents love capturing those precious photos and videos of their children. When I was a kid, my mom filled scrapbooks with prints from our 110 film camera and got an 8MM video taken of me as a toddler that I still have never seen because, well, who has an 8MM player these days? Fortunately, the digital age has made it a lot easier for today’s parents to record those special memories. And with so many families being involved in sports and other outdoor activities, what could make a better gift for Father’s Day/Mother’s Day than a camera designed specifically to keep up with your busy lifestyle?

The Garmin VIRB Action Camera is a tough camera designed specifically for athletic endeavors, with the capacity to absorb drops and shocks from hiking, kayaking, or your kids dropping it on the floor. đ From your own weekend warrior activities to filming your child’s soccer game, this little HD 1080p camera helps stabilize those shaky action shots and has all kinds of interactive features for daredevils, such as the ability to pair with other Garmin products to record information like speed, heartrate, location and elevation. One of the features I found most compelling is that the Garmin VIRB is waterproof up to 1 meter. I’ve never used a camera that could shoot video underwater before, so I was really anxious to check it out!

Since we live on the Oregon coast, we have lots of great photo opportunities. The first day of Spring was gorgeous, so we headed down to the estuary and shot some footage in the water.

The next day, we headed down to Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach at low tide so that we could capture more underwater footage. The tidepools at Haystack Rock are home to a wealth of sea urchins, fish, crabs, and other creatures, so we thought this would make for a neat video.

Once we had all the footage, I downloaded the VIRB Edit program, which is specifically designed to work with the VIRB to create fun videos that can utilize the optional information taken from other Garmin devices. Since we didn’t have this paired with another device, the video I created is very simple, compiling the test clips we shot of the camera filming underwater. The software is pretty basic, which makes it straightforward to use, but means that you won’t have elaborate transitions when stitching together clips. I didn’t see a way to save the project as I went, so I was a little nervous that I might lose my edits if something crashed before I was done. When I was finished, I could either save it to my computer or upload directly to YouTube, which was convenient! Here’s the finished product:
Another neat feature of the VIRB is that you can take videos in slow motion. Here’s one we shot of the family dog playing catch in slow-mo:
Of course, you can also use this camera to grab still images in addition to video:
Other notable features of this video camera include:
- 3 hour battery life
- 1.4″ Chroma preview display
- WideVĂŒ Lens
- Large, easy-to-move recording switch (Perfect for turning on with ski gloves!)
- Mount included to attach the VIRB to your bike/helmet/etc.
The VIRB Action Camera takes high-quality footage and is impressive in both what it can capture and withstand. The biggest downside to the VIRB is that the menu is not super intuitive, so it takes some figuring out to operate. There is also no memory card not included, so be sure you have one of your own to use. But overall, I think it’s a great little device and I’m excited to see what kind of footage I’ll be able to capture now that I couldn’t have before. I’m heading to Florida on Sunday for an action-packed vacation (Which you’ll be reading more about here on MomStart soon!), and I’m so happy that I’ll have a rugged camera that I can use to film my adventures without having to worry about getting it splashed with water or knocked around.
The VIRB Action Camera retails for $299.99 – learn more about this exciting gift idea at Garmin.com!
Underwater? That is so cool!
This would be awesome to take with us on our river camping trips in the summer!
I need one of those! Love how small it is, but takes great video.
I love that this films underwater! Thanks for sharing this review. I am thinking about gift ideas for Father’s Day.
That is so neat. After seeing that footage underwater, I would be afraid to go in the water. Looks like there are things in there that would hurt! I would love to get one of those cameras for my husband for when he goes fishing.
This is sooooo cool, i definitely need to add this to my wish list!
Wow, this would be perfect for taking out on our boat this summer and recording water skiing and other fun
This would be incredible for some many things. Vacations, bike rides, so many things.
Okay this is amazing. I need one of these for my trips.
This is awesome! We live near the lake and are often there during the summer this would be great to take with us.
Wow great picture quality! I love that it can go so many different places.
This is pretty cool. I think Hubby would love this camera, especially since it can go in the water without ruining it!
This would make a great idea to get my husband for Father’s Day!
Neat gadget, I want one for the summer!
This is pretty awesome. My kids would love it!
I really like that it works underwater. This would be a great way to get videos of the kids swimming this summer.
Underwater is pretty awesome! Sure wish it lasted longer than 3 hrs though. Still, pretty neat gadget!
That is so cool. I need to get something like this before we go to Florida.
These are so fun! Someone had something similar on brandcation and its the neatest footage!
Ok. Now I want one! I have been looking at action cams, they are so much fun. And I LOVE that this one is water proof – perfect for beach days!
That is incredible. How much fun would that be!!! I totally want one now. đ
This is so cool! Incredible that it even works under water! I want one.
What a great camera! I love that it works under water, too! I’m always too scared to take my camera anywhere near the water.