Zoom Q8n-4k Handy Video Recorder, 4k UHD Video, Stereo Microphones Plus Two XLR Inputs, Four Tracks of Audio Recording, Webcam, for Record and Streaming Music, Podcasts, and More

Product Information

As it turns out, Zoom has a whole ‘Q’ family of video-capable products, so my outburst only betrayed my ignorance. The Zoom Q8n-4K is one such all-in-one gadget that wears enough hats to make it a content creator’s dream. It can record 4K video, four channels of audio, including two XLR inputs, or act as a webcam or USB audio device. Zoom’s slogan – ‘We’re for creators’ – couldn’t be manifested more perfectly in a product. LOOK AROUND types of scene settings (Auto / Indoor / Outdoor / Night / Concert Light) and 3 levels of brightness adjustment function When it comes to in-camera image adjustments and presets on the Q8n-4K, there are a few. The camera features just a few brightness adjustments: bright, normal and dark. These lighting presents are accessible through the camera’s BRIGHT button placed on the right side of the LCD screen. Essentially, these modes digitally brighten or darken the image. You can’t customize these modes, so they’re only useful in specific situations. Sometimes, they will work, and sometimes they won’t — you can’t customize the boost in brightness levels to your particular shooting situation. Compatible with most Zoom microphone capsules (sold separately); not compatible with EXH-6 TRS/XLR Combo Input Capsule

Four discrete channels of audio in a camera is a luxury to people who, like me, usually shoot on cameras with only a single mini TRS input. When you combine that with Zoom’s modular options to switch up the built-in mic, plus the fact that a Q8n-4K can also act as a webcam or USB mic, there’s actually a lot of flexibility here. The battery life isn’t overly impressive and Zoom states that when recording 4K it will only last for around 1 hour and 20 minutes. In HD it can go for around 2 hours and 30 minutes. The Q8n-4K can also be powered via mains power. Price & AvailabilityThe Zoom Q8n-4K features a f/2.8, 150-degree wide-angle lens. Compared to the Q8’s f/2.0, 160-degree lens, the Q8n-4 K’s lens has a higher F-stop and a lower field of view. Overall, the image looks slightly darker than the Q8, which is great in our opinion. When shooting in outdoor settings, the Q8n-4K captures enough light to create a pleasing-looking balance of light with fewer blowouts.

You can also plug an instrument into the mic input, allowing for multi-layered recording. It can also handle the main outputs from a mixing console. All-in-all, it’s a unique feature that you would be hard-pressed to find on a camera at a competitive price point. Audio settingsHelping you navigate the Q8n-4K are 11 small rubber buttons surrounding the LCD screen. Most of these buttons toggle through a selection of options (e.g. Mode cycles through four video and/or audio recording options, Res cycles through 4K/1080p/720p, FOV steps through five angles from Wide to Telephoto) and this makes the unit instantly user friendly. Changing a setting is no more complicated than pressing the right button a couple of times until you’re on the setting you want. Of course, this also means if you want to change settings in a fine grain fashion, you can’t. For example, image exposure is set using the Scene and Bright buttons: the first offers five pre-programmed ‘looks’ (Auto, Indoor, Outdoor, Concert Light, Night) and the latter is the equivalent of exposure compensation on a camera (High, Normal, Low). No shutter speed, ISO or white balance settings in sight – which some will hate, and others will love. SOUND ADVICE

Uses a system of interchangeable microphone capsules that can be swapped out as easily as the lens of a camera The Zoom Q8n-4K 2-inch LCD screen comes with some good and some bad. Starting with the good, we like that the screen can flip out. This feature makes the camera very friendly for livestreamers. Also, the screen’s quality is good enough to help when framing the shot. Unfortunately, the screen’s resolution is just 320 x 240. You don’t have to get too close to the screen to start seeing its pixels. We would have liked to see a screen with at least 1280 x 720 pixels (720p HD). Let’s start with the built-in mic. Included with the Q8n-4K is the XYQ-8n Mic Capsule with two fixed opposing cardioid mics to deliver a wide and accurate stereo image in front of the camera. In use, the mics perform beautifully. They capture plenty of detail and extend surprisingly low in the frequency range. They may be a little light on mids to my ears but are flattering enough to produce a satisfactory sound on a few guitar and vocal recordings I made. The manual gain pot is something I appreciate too.The contents of this document and the specifications of the product could be changed without notice. Though the Q8n-4K boasts a notable boost in image quality over the Q8, its performance in low light situations still struggles. There was noticeable grain when we tested the Q8n-4K in low light, even in its night mode. It’s a huge qualm, considering it’s marketed as a camera intended for capturing live concerts. For indoor concerts or night concerts, there will be noticeable grain, especially considering there’s no ISO control. While the camera does feature two lighting modes for low light and in-door settings, they do little to reduce the grain. Stabilization Lithium-ion battery: DC 4.2 V maximum voltage, DC 3.7 V nominal voltage, 1600 mAh capacity AC adapter (ZOOM AD-17): DC 5 V/1 A Two mic/line inputs with XLR/TRS combo connectors, each with selectable phantom power and -20dB pad Leider gibt es auch keinen Line in Eingang der manchmal sehr praktisch ist und Zoom H4 n Pro dabei ist.