Video Modes of the Garmin VIRB Ultra 30

Here’s a rundown of the various video modes available on the VIRB Ultra 30.

Text & Photos By David Coleman
Last Revised & Updated:
Filed Under: Action Cameras, Video

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Garmin VIRB Ultra 30 Action Camera
  • ULTRA HD VIDEO - Crystal clear 4K/30fps footage, 1080p/120fps, or slow motion capability at 720p/240fps
  • G-METRIX - Built-in GPS and external sensors with connectivity to Garmin devices to capture performance...
Garmin’s VIRB Ultra 30 action camera has a wide selection of video modes to select from. They include the ultra-high-definition 4K30 size at the top end, some very fast frame rates of up to 300fps in order to shoot for slow-motion playback, and what they call “expansive” field of view, which incorporate either a wider or taller field of view.

Here’s a rundown of the various video modes available on the VIRB Ultra 30.

The Garmin VIRB Ultra 30’s maximum bitrate for video recording is 60Mbps. That means that you’ll need a memory card that’s fast enough to prevent errors or the recording stopping unexpectedly. Here are some recommendations.

Video Framerates

The framerates available depend on which video mode you’re in. The fastest framerate of 300fps is available in the smallest resolution of 480p. At the largest resolution, 4K, the maximum framerate is 30fps.

Which framerates are available will depend on whether you’ve set it to NTSC or PAL mode. For instance, the 50fps and 25fps options are only available in PAL mode.

ResolutionFramerate (FPS)Field of View (FOV)Format
4K30WideNTSC
25WidePAL
24WideNTSC
4K Expansive (Wide)24WideNTSC
2.7K60Wide, 1.5x ZoomNTSC
50Wide, 1.5x ZoomNTSC
48Wide, 1.5x ZoomNTSC
30Wide, 1.5x ZoomNTSC
25Wide, 1.5x ZoomPAL
24Wide, 1.5x ZoomNTSC
2.7K Expansive (Wide)30WideNTSC
25WidePAL
24WideNTSC
2.7K Expansive (Tall)30WideNTSC
25WidePAL
24WideNTSC
1080p120Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC
100Wide, 2x Ultra-ZoomPAL
96Wide, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC
90Wide, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC
75Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomPAL
72Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC
60Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC
50Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomPAL
48Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC
30Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC
25Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomPAL
24Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC
1080p Expansive (Wide)80WideNTSC
75WidePAL
72WideNTSC
60WideNTSC
50WidePAL
48WideNTSC
30WideNTSC
25WidePAL
24WideNTSC
1440p80WideNTSC
75WidePAL
72WideNTSC
60WideNTSC
50WidePAL
48WideNTSC
30WideNTSC
25WidePAL
24WideNTSC
960p200WideNTSC
120WideNTSC
720p240Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC
120WideNTSC
480p300WideNTSC

Video Sizes & Resolutions

The largest video resolution that the Garmin VIRB Ultra 30 can shoot is 4K. Often referred to as UHD, of Ultra-High Definition. It is also less commonly referred to as 2160p. It measures 3840 x 2160 and is an aspect ratio of 16:9.

The smallest video resolution is 480p, which measures 848×480.

There are also two enhanced, or “expansive,” modes. The Expansive (Wide) mode uses the same dimensions at an aspect ratio of 16:9 but restores some of the wide-angle fisheye distortion to cram a wider view into the frame. The Expansive (Tall) mode switches the aspect ratio to 4:3 by adding more resolution vertically but keeping the horizontal dimensions the same.

Here’s a visualization of how those sizes compare relative to each other. You can click on the graphic to open a full-size 1:1 version.

Fields of View

The VIRB Ultra 30 has three fields of view. The Wide field of view is standard for all video modes. Some video modes also include a Zoom (1.5x) or Ultra-Zoom (2x) FOV. See the table below for which specific fields of view are available in which modes.

Video Modes of the Garmin VIRB Ultra 30 Master List

Here’s a master list of all the video modes available on the Garmin VIRB Ultra 30.

ResolutionFramerate (FPS)Field of View (FOV)FormatAspect RatioDimensions
4K30WideNTSC16:93840x2160
25WidePAL16:93840x2160
24WideNTSC16:93840x2160
4K Expansive (Wide)24WideNTSC16:93840x2160
2.7K60Wide, 1.5x ZoomNTSC16:92704x1524
50Wide, 1.5x ZoomNTSC16:92704x1524
48Wide, 1.5x ZoomNTSC16:92704x1524
30Wide, 1.5x ZoomNTSC16:92704x1524
25Wide, 1.5x ZoomPAL16:92704x1524
24Wide, 1.5x ZoomNTSC16:92704x1524
2.7K Expansive (Wide)30WideNTSC16:92704x1524
25WidePAL16:92704x1524
24WideNTSC16:92704x1524
2.7K Expansive (Tall)30WideNTSC4:32704x2028
25WidePAL4:32704x2028
24WideNTSC4:32704x2028
1080p120Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC16:91920x1080
100Wide, 2x Ultra-ZoomPAL16:91920x1080
96Wide, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC16:91920x1080
90Wide, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC16:91920x1080
75Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomPAL16:91920x1080
72Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC16:91920x1080
60Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC16:91920x1080
50Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomPAL16:91920x1080
48Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC16:91920x1080
30Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC16:91920x1080
25Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomPAL16:91920x1080
24Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC16:91920x1080
1080p Expansive (Wide)80WideNTSC16:91920x1080
75WidePAL16:91920x1080
72WideNTSC16:91920x1080
60WideNTSC16:91920x1080
50WidePAL16:91920x1080
48WideNTSC16:91920x1080
30WideNTSC16:91920x1080
25WidePAL16:91920x1080
24WideNTSC16:91920x1080
1440p80WideNTSC4:31920x1440
75WidePAL4:31920x1440
72WideNTSC4:31920x1440
60WideNTSC4:31920x1440
50WidePAL4:31920x1440
48WideNTSC4:31920x1440
30WideNTSC4:31920x1440
25WidePAL4:31920x1440
24WideNTSC4:31920x1440
960p200WideNTSC4:31280x960
120WideNTSC4:31280x960
720p240Wide, 1.5x Zoom, 2x Ultra-ZoomNTSC16:91280x720
120WideNTSC16:91280x720
480p300WideNTSC16:9848x480
Garmin VIRB Ultra 30 Action Camera
  • ULTRA HD VIDEO - Crystal clear 4K/30fps footage, 1080p/120fps, or slow motion capability at 720p/240fps
  • G-METRIX - Built-in GPS and external sensors with connectivity to Garmin devices to capture performance...

Images and product information from Amazon PA-API were last updated on 2023-12-01 at 13:38. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon Site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

Profile photo of David Coleman | Have Camera Will Travel | Washington DC-based Professional Photographer

Text & Photos by David Coleman

I'm a professional photographer based in Washington DC. Seven continents, up mountains, underwater, and a bunch of places in between. I've been shooting for 30+ years, and my my photos and time-lapse videos have appeared in a bunch of different publications from major newspapers to magazines and books, billboards, TV shows, professional sports stadiums, museums, and even massive architectural scrims covering world-famous buildings while they're being renovated. You can see some of my travel photography here and here.

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