ZoomQ8n-4K Handy Video Recorder

Works excellent

Works perfect

Here's the deal...I was looking for something to replace the GoPro's I've been using to record Music Performances. The GoPro's are too unreliable so I chose to go with the Zoom Q8m-4K because of it's size, weight, and audio capabilities. I have to say that in the field, the Zoom Q8m-4K Audio is very good but the Video is, in my opinion horrible...Even at 4k. I can't understand how they would make this unit with good audio and terrible video...? At least the GoPro's give you both (Decent Audio and 4K Video indoors and outdoors). That said, if you buy this unit you will NOT be satisfied with the Video quality which is, in my opinion, what I was looking for in the first place. Audio could always be captured from the Mixing Console and mixed in, but if you have bad video then what's the point? My iPhone shoots better Audio/Video than this unit. Quality:Audio - Decent / Video - TerribleSound quality:Decent Sound Quality which can be adjustedEase of use:Very Practical for Live SettingsBattery life:Exceptional Battery Life for an average to above average length Performance (70min)Compactness:Best Feature of All - Lightweight and Very FunctionalFunctionality:Quick and Easy to set up and get going. One push button record feature. Turn it on and Go...!

Needed a video camera to record my kids’ music performances. I could’ve used my iPhone but it would kill the battery and take up all my memory. Also obviously I can’t use my phone if I’m taking video. I needed a camcorder that had solid audio first which I’m ok settling for the mediocre video quality.My kids play violin and we’ve been needing to record performances for auditions, etc. the violin sound is crisp and high quality. It’s very focused and clear. When there is a piano accompaniment it’s not as focused. It kind of sounds like it’s just coming from everywhere if that makes sense. I’ve only been recording using the built in mics. I’m sure if I took advantage of the ability to add additional mics that I could get a much better and distinct sound from each instrument. Audio is definitely better than my iPhone 14 Pro.Video does the trick for my needs. Indoor lighting is not enough. Videos are typically grainy and on the dark side. I’m not a professional videographer so I don’t know how to set up lighting to improve video quality indoors. I’m sure if I did then the graininess would improve. When I record outside on a sunny day the video quality improves remarkably. Certainly not even as good as my iPhone but much better than indoors.Battery life is about an hour at 30fps 4k. I usually keep it plugged in while recording just in case. I use a 512gb microsd card. I’d estimate a 10 minute video using these settings takes about 3.5gb FWIW.

Upon arrival, mine would not charge properly. It would function when plugged in, but not on battery power. In online fora I've seen a couple of other customers who had problems with trying to power on the camera. I'm sending this back for a replacement and will update when that arrives. Here's hoping.UPDATEThe replacement arrived and works perfectly. I've been using Zoom audio products for years and have been very happy with them. I've equipped it with the bluetooth connector and added the Android app to my phone. I'm not worried about the complaints you see about picture quality in other reviews. I have a high quality video camera for events where I want the very best picture. This is for being able to carry the recorder in my backpack, set it up at some distance from my performance at spoken word events, and control it from the podium. This looks to be just what I wanted. Thanks for handling my exchange quickly with no problems.

Audio is the expected excellent Zoom quality. Bluetooth via $40 (yikes) adapter works fine. Camera is light (are the lenses glass or plastic?) and, with a bit of a learning curve, readily configurable. HDMI to TV/monitor synchronously. USB to iPad to view or edit recording. Video quality is not good - very grainy in a well illuminated room. Changing from 4K to 1080, cropping on or off, different white balance had no observable effect on the graininess to me. Sharpening the video in iMovie certainly improved the video, but the image quality still was not good. Already using the Zoom H6 so have a couple of different "capsule" microphones, although the mics included with the Qn8-4K work well, so this was a significant disappointment.

I did a ton of research on this camera prior to purchasing it, I read and watched a lot of reviews online, and can say that this camera performed great on set. You should watch the videos and understand the limitations - I am using this camera as an alternate camera for documentary shoots - I use it for a super wide angle on the subject/entire set.After watching the reviews and hearing about the grainy video, I was super attentive to this issue - yes in low light the camera is not broadcast quality (fine for home movies/personal use), however on a professionally well-lit documentary set the camera most certainly a broadcast quality camera and can be a great asset to the filmmaker. You also need to be careful about the field of view settings, and to achieve true 4k recording it needs to be set on the widest field of view.Again, if you research and understand the limitations of this camera and use it on a professionally lit set, you will have zero issues.