The Q8 is currently Zoom's top-of-the-range Handy Cam, it has clearly defined itself in the market share of high-end video / audio recorders and has earned a place among the best portable cameras.
The great audio quality, the interchangeable capsules and the easy portability are just some of the peculiarities of this machine, but let's go in order and see how it is structured and how it behaves.
AESTHETIC CONSIDERATIONS
Aesthetically, the camera looks very good, it has the profile of a professional television news camera-man camera, built almost entirely of plastic and with some metal inserts like those of the microphone capsule, perhaps the strong plastic component can make it look like a toy. and it might make it look dull at first visual consideration.
Camera with damn small measures, which makes the life of a columnist like myself who makes videos both in locations outside the studio such as events or fairs, much more comfortable and without too many clutter, promoted with flying colors on this point.
The number of physical controls is very limited, only the wheels to manage the gain of the microphones, the power and play buttons, those for activating the audio channels and rec, the minimum wage, all the options are then seen on the screen LCD.
Does the aesthetic part pass? Yes, for what it offers it is a really small camera and also nice to see, the dimensions are reduced to the bone and it fits in a handbag thanks above all to the fact that the capsule section can be turned to make the Q8 more transportable, promoted without a shot being fired.
TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS
As for the digital storage compartment, the Q8 uses a card SD in standard format, for the moment, up to a maximum reading of 128 gigabyte, an exit USB which allows you to use the Q8 as USB microphone o Webcam high level, an exit HDMI andheadphone output.
I must admit that I expected worse from the storage compartment, with my usual 32 Giga SD I can keep a video recording at maximum quality for about two and a half hours, much more than mine Nikon D5200 which does not allow me to shoot so long beyond the usual limit of 20 minutes per shot.
On other formats such as the 1080p and 720p you almost get to 6 hours shooting, which is not a small thing, thus avoiding having to turn as often happens with different memory media, you can live very well with a single card (which in any case have a low cost currently), small note, do not format them in NTFS otherwise the camera will give an error and you will be forced to format it again.
As for the power section, we are talking about a lithium-ion battery of approx 1700 mah with a charging time that can depend from 2 to 4 hours based on the charging method that can be via a charger AC (unfortunately sold separately) or by connecting it to your computer.
In the box there are some accessories, a sponge for the microphone capsule and a regulator for the lens to not let in too much light, I must say that on this side a carrying case would not have hurt in the basic equipment, on the accessory sets Zoom can still boast a good choice such as a microphone stand adapter, a mini tripod, extension cables for the microphone capsule and so on but the top comes with the accessory microphone capsules which include two microphones of the type shotgun both mono and stereo and an ambient microphone, for now we will focus on the standard capsule.
Very interesting is the option that allows you to separate the video and audio tracks in the final file so that you can work separately in post-production, along with another series of interesting options such as the integrated mixer and the possibility of managing different ISO based on the lighting situation that can be created and the sound options such as cutting some frequencies, compressor e limiter.
We can say that the technical equipment is very respectable and allows many options according to the user's needs, the Q8 respects the expectations of a high-level handy cam that respects the canons previously dictated by the Q3HD, Q4 e Q4n and adding more options you can work on.
GRAPHIC COMPARTMENT CONSIDERATIONS
After some shooting tests we can understand very quickly that the video part must be managed appropriately to have a quality rendering, not because the camera is of low quality but because the digital zoom tends to make the resulting image look grainy and also the camera gives the better than itself when it is handled as a fixed camera on a tripod and with an angle that does not require the use of digital zoom, so in fullscreen the very annoying ginning does not take place.
Among the various audio formats that are made available by the machine, I have considered the best in terms of file weight and audio / video quality. 720p a 60 frames second that allows you to have more fluidity for the filming of a guitar performance or that understands to show a certain movement and format well 1080p a 30 fragand second for a wide-field shot that must have a good yield, for example during an interview this format is perfect and allows not to occupy the entire SD card.
Obviously without detracting from the maximum format that the machine can manage, that is the 3M, which in any case gives a high-level graphic rendering, but still occupies a considerable space in terms of memory and having to manage a file of a few giga during the assembly phase could be a bit difficult, especially if you work on a laptop as it could happen to some insider perpetually on the road.
The management sector ofISO it is a nice option to manage the brightness sector, it allows you to manage the various light differences that can occur in the environment, there are options dedicated to the outside or to the club in case someone needs to shoot a concert, of course they are preset presets and does not allow meticulous management but for the use for which this machine is born I would have found a more complex ISO management cumbersome, personally I did not need to have to manage the ISO directly from the machine because the lens is very bright already his and also in indoor shots with only one light from a good level shot.
The section dedicated to digital zoom allows you to use it both in solitary and group contexts, for example I personally used the wide angle shot to shoot the musician from a higher point while another shot was in front of him with a zoom preset based on the instrument, all if taken from the due distance it allows to have very little if not no grain when then you put the final video in fullscreen.
The video result is fully satisfactory and the H264 output format allows you to maintain an optimal resolution without loss of quality and without having to export the video format again and then publish it online (such as the one optimized for Youtube that Adobe Premiere Pro allows you to use).
AUDIO COMPARTMENT CONSIDERATIONS
Here we can see all the goodies that Zoom has put on this little gem, the Q8 in addition to working with its interchangeable microphone capsule also works with two auxiliary microphones, this is a great weapon available to this camera that thus allows you to have more shooting possibilities, this is the holy hand for acoustic guitar recorders who can place their favorite microphones close to the instrument and use the two ambient capsules to capture their surroundings.
Everything is manageable with separate volumes for all audio sources and this makes life much easier already in the recording phase so as to already have a good balance of volumes at the base, great zoom for this thing we are all grateful to you.
Already the basic capsule has a very high sound quality, the final result in shooting gives really a lot of satisfaction, both in spoken and sound shots.
If the gain levels are kept low during a speech, however, you could hear (if you speak in large spaces and not acoustically treated, such as the living room) background reverb that with an increase in gain or with a camera approaching solves without any kind of problem.
I found a beautiful rendering on an electric guitar that even with a fairly heavy distortion with a very fast calibration of the gain of the microphone capsule produced a clean track without clipping or problems of any kind, really very beautiful from this point of view, I has amazed a lot.
Another test was carried out in the rehearsal room with a guitar to the left of the shooting point and the drums at the back of the room with a mezzanine that was placed above her, despite the very uncomfortable position and the slightly overhanging guitar (which is solved by saying the guitarist to turn down the volume) you can hear every part of the drums, I was pleasantly surprised by this test because I expected instead that the sounds did not mix well.
For an optimal performance of the audio sector it must be taken into account that in the management of the volumes you must always stay in the green section (obviously) of the vu meter to avoid annoying clips or unwanted sound bulges, while for the speech I could see that even by pushing towards the yellow section the soundtrack does not seem to suffer any kind of problems, for the interviews at the fair we can say that this is the final weapon of the press officer, even without using an auxiliary microphone I would say that it does its job well in the audio sector.
Another note must be made for the integrated audio mixer, I find this option very interesting to mix the sounds directly from the machine without having to resort to post production, a point in favor of this thing.
The audio output formats allow you to manage the sound sector as you see fit and allow you to save the sound section in wav format which is the best format in terms of quality.
ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS
Currently the price of the Zoom Q8 naked and raw without any external accessories costs around 340 euros, just do an online search to have a comparison and confirmation.
For the quality it can give and its compromise in terms of dimensions, we can say that it is an honest price and in line with the rest of the other cameras.
The only flaw unfortunately remains the cost of the accessories which are quite expensive compared to the cost of the machine, this could make many users turn up their noses and lean towards some other type of accessory other than the original Zoom ones.
Apart from that, it is possible to equip a press officer for videos for less than 500 euros (also including an auxiliary microphone for interviews) or it is an excellent weapon for the youtuber (budding or not) who doesn't want to spend around 2000 euros for a Canon 6D at first glance to make videos.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
I would say that this camera is suitable for many uses even outside the musical ones, it is useful for the youtuber who wants to make videos with good audio / video quality and does not want to spend an exorbitant amount for a reflex, it is useful for those who want to take a travel vlog with very little footprint and good quality, there are no limits of any kind, it is not just for music it is a 360 degree product.
The sore point from an economic point of view are the accessories which, as far as they see, really cost a lot, an extension of 6 meters it costs about 105 €, an external charger almost 50 euros and this does not make the full optional Q8 a cheap car, it is perhaps the only sore point of the whole system, a real shame because it would have been the definitive audio / video recorder for many users who were also looking for even more professional resolutions.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
I think it is currently one of the best products I have tried to date, as far as portable cameras are concerned, if compared with more performing machines such as a reflex for example if it can play it enough but both in terms of costs, dimensions and management it wins. across the board, it obviously depends on need to need.
Taking videos simultaneously with the zoom and the Nikon D5200, you can denote a difference and I think no one has to complain about this, but it must be said that to manage the SLR I have to use triple the time (ISO, focus and lens from use) that I can do with the Q8 by managing the options inside the machine and this in a chaotic environment like a fair saves my life and allows me to make good shots (for what I have to do) in a discreet time.
I also found the Q8 one of the definitive solutions for the music interviewer, even with just the standard capsule in many environments I can get decent footage and I can do an interview with a very short set-up time, and when you are dealing with artists big ones that can't give you much time, trust me, it saves your life.
In addition, the auxiliary microphone inputs for me were the key to the water that allowed me to produce better videos with a much more serious sound than my previous shots, both in the amateur and professional fields, connecting the microphones from the speaker directly to the camera. allowed to have a simultaneous recording of video and audio, very useful for those who do not want to waste days synchronizing the tracks, even more useful if in the journalistic field you do not trust the surrounding environment (which can give unwanted reverberations, what not of little consequence) you can connect your mic to interview whoever interests you without having problems of the surrounding environment, I personally have done almost the entire music wall with guitartube with only the standard capsules, and despite everything we managed to have a respectable yield.
I advise? Yes, but for those like me who need to produce a lot and well and with a small footprint, if like me you have these needs you can certainly spend a little bit but you have a machine with excellent performance and minimum footprint, even if you are a youtuber and want to start working on small videos that's fine, I personally think I'll start some vlog using this and its younger sister or the Q2n.
I recommend it especially to the band that wants to record live, if you have a fan or a trusted person who can handle it, you just need to manage the gain of the microphone capsule once but you will get a video from another universe compared to those for mobile phones made quite at random. , it is an expense that you can split into several people and it turns out to be a good investment if you want to produce a lot of multimedia material for advertising.
|
PRO
| AGAINST |
| Interchangeable capsule
| Lack of a case in the box
|
| Great performance of the sound sector
| Quite expensive accessories
|
| Minimal encumbrance
| Almost totally plastic construction
|
| Many shooting and format management options
| Power supply sold separately
|
As for the characteristics, the table below shows those reported by the house itself:
Video section
| Sensor | 1/3 inch 3 megapixel CMOS
|
| Spring | fixed focus (36cm - ∞) F2.0, as focal length 16,6mm (35mm equivalent) |
| Video format | MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 (MOV)
|
| Video Resolutions | 3M HD (2304 x 1296 pixels) 30fps HD (1080 pixels) 30fps HD (720 pixels) 60fps HD (720 pixels) 30fps WVGA 60fps WVGA 30fps
|
| Video functions | Digital zoom (1.0x-4.0x) Scene selection (Auto / Concert Lighting / Night) Self timer (Off, 3 seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds)
|
| Display | 2.7 ”full color and touchscreen |
Audio section
| Audio formats |
WAV (16/24-bit quantization, 44.1 / 48 / 96kHz sampling frequency)
|
| Audio functions |
Low-cut filter, Auto Gain (Concert / Solo / Meeting), compressor, limiter
|
| Integrated Speaker | 400mW 8Ω mono speaker |
|
Inbound Connections
| |
| Input gain (PAD OFF) | −∞ to 55dB
|
| Input gain (PAD ON) | −∞ to 35dB
|
| Input impedance | 1.8 k Ω or less
|
| Maximum input level |
+22 dBu (PAD ON)
|
| Phantom power
Equivalent input noise
| + 12 / + 24 / + 48V
- 120 dBu or less
|
