Zoom Q8n-4K Ultra High-definition Handy Video Recorder Reviews

The video quality from this device is amazing; what's even cooler is the fact that you can hook up a tube condenser mic and adjust the levels accordingly. The sound is very good even with the supplied Zoom supplied mic's. I like the "selfie" screen that allows the user to view the video shot prior to recording. Many thanks to Travis and Sweetwater!

Handled well with tripod.Played well with HDMI on television set.

The camera is not professional quality, but very adequate for my needs, but the main reason I bought it if for audio recording capabilities, and I have not be disappointed. I am amazed at how well it does with just the mics that are built into the camera. For the price point it can't be beat.

I agree 1,000,000% with Paragon Productions review. These things are literally unsurpassable in all regards and of course SHINNING BRIGHT in the audio department. There is a reason the world leading audio/video production companies use ZOOM in a myriad of applications.

Does the Q8 do everything? No. Nothing does.

Sorry to say, but any poor reviews on these units is just simply WRONG unless someone got a very rare effective unit. If that's the case, Sweetwater and or ZOOM will jump ship to make it right.

Then again. There are those that exist that aren't capable of f operating a stainless steel ball properly no matter what.

The things are onboard feature rich worthy of learning.

Anyone who has worked with Pro Audio should be quite familiar with Zoom products which are known for their high quality multitrack field recorders with interchangeable mic capsules and XLR inputs. As far as I know, this Zoom product is the only 4K video recorder that Zoom offers that allows you to use Zoom's high quality mic capsules as well as XLR inputs, perfect for capturing amazing quality sound, even in high decibel environments.
I have used Zoom's multitrack field audio recorders when running boom mics for full length motion pictures, all of which debuted in theaters and subsequently moved on to Amazon or Netflix movie streaming services. I mention this because Zoom audio equipment is frequently used to capture audio for cinematic productions of all budget sizes. Everyone in the industry knows that audio is primarily what Zoom products are known for.
Reading through the reviews, I was a bit dumbfounded to read some of the disparaging and downright inaccurate remarks made regarding the quality of Zoom's products. One of the negative reviews was so ridiculous that the reviewer claimed they were going to throw this Zoom Camera "in the trash". This was clearly written by someone who is completely ignorant of the audio capture capability that Zoom is known for. That being said, this camera is 100% capable of capturing high quality audio along with fixed Zoom 4K video footage. Although it does not have optical zoom, it offers five fields of view which can be changed in the settings, just like a GoPro.
The specifications for this item are clearly listed in the description, so one must be illiterate or have cognitive impairments to expect this item to have optical zoom. This audio-centric camera operates exactly as advertised. It is absolutely imperative when writing a review to base your rating on purely objective criteria, in line with the clearly listed specifications. Reviews should never be based on unfounded, unrealistic expectations. In my humble, yet educated opinion, individuals who are incapable of writing an objective review should have their review removed and be permanently banned from writing reviews on Sweetwater.com ... but I digress.
I routinely use this camera to capture secondary audio, and I use the video footage for reference when synchronizing footage from multiple cameras in post production. This is what most professionals I have worked with use this camera for.
Like I said, the audio and video specifications for this item are clearly listed in Sweetwater's description. This camera is not designed to be used as a primary camera for professional productions, but I use it on all of my multi-camera video shoots, and I have always been very pleased with the results.
This being said, it is absolutely imperative that you read the specifications in the description of every product, in purchase the camera that is most suitable for your individual needs.
I shouldn't have to explain this, but it is quite clear from reading the reviews that this simple concept needs to be spelled out in black and white.
Cheers!

I love this camera, everything you need to record guitar audio & video. I will eventually use my two condenser mics with the 2 XLR inputs. But honestly the built in/onboard mics sound really good as is. Highly recommend for recording and doing podcasts.

So I have been using this for several months now and I love this video camera. The video and sound is really great and the camera itself is very solid and compact. Really couldn't be happier with it.

Think of this device as a great mic attached to a modest 4K handycam. Perfect for musicians, streamers, and other creatives who have basic video needs and want great audio right out of the box. And you can hotswap mic attachments, or add more mics with XLR ports.

Don't buy it expecting the video quality and fine tuning you'd get from an SLR camera.

So I have had a zoom Q3 for many years and it has and still is great but I wanted to step it up more and the zoom Q8 takes it to the next level.
For me this is a great camera with amazing audio and fills my needs perfectly. I run a youtube music channel and fishing channel I film inside and outside and this camera has done great for me. It is very easy to use and very straight foward basically point a shoot which is something I really like. it has a few fine adjustments on it to enhance your video and sound quality but not so many that you are over whelmed by it.
I always shoot in 1060/80 because that is what most people will be watching your videos in either on a phone or a computer so no need to use the 4k and the videos come out great for me.
the fact that you can adjust all your volume levels individually is great and EQ them as well is a bonus.
I do not understand those that have complained about the video quality as I have had nothing but great success with the quality of my videos.
I plan on buying another one of these camera's soon so I can have a back up as well as be able to record from different angles at the same time.
I would definitely recommend this camera to anyone.

I made the right purchase thanks to Sweetwater's advice - recommend this camera, easy to use and good quality for the price.

Thanks, Shermie

Shermie at the Piano

I added my first video I made with this camera and cabled to my mixer.

Me and my son are extremely happy with our purchase. The video quality is great and the audio quality is really where this camera shines. My son is 11 years old and he is a little Shredder loves Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads. I am absolutely technically challenged, and this camera makes it easy to record and adjust our videos. I would highly recommend this camera for most projects. Four thumbs up.

I haven't used the camera feature yet. The sound recorder with built in rechargeable battery and high sd card capability alone has been worth the price tag. Gorgeous stereo sound. Thank you

I purchased this to replace my original Q8. The upgrades on this camera are great. The 4K makes the difference for sure. We use this to record our band/duo gigs on occasion, but use it weekly for our live streams. As always, the sound quality is excellent. Having the two extra mic
inputs is handy also. I'm glad they moved away from the touch screen and went with actual buttons for the adjustments. My one complaint, the mic inputs are no longer xlr/1/4" combo jacks, but xlr only.

So I bought this camera kind of sight unseen - there have not been many reviews online yet as it is a Brand New product. I am planning on doing one soon for my YouTube (Cap10NRG Music) but for now here is what I have to say. I have been shooting my videos for my YouTube channel with a combination of web cameras (the best so far has been the Logitech) and a Cannon XA20 - which has provided me with REALLY NICE quality up to now. I have been wanting to go to a 4K platform and this seemed like a decent product at a very reasonable price, plus with the capsule microphones and the possible other capsules you can replace them with - I figured - hey it's like getting a field recorder to boot! Right?!

I got it home opened it up - it is pretty small and they REALLY ought to label the button a little better on the side that allows you to "unfold" the microphones from the camera. Other than the button that I just mentioned this camera was a snap to setup - not a lot to it actually, if you have used any kind of modern video camera you will find your way through this baby quickly. Things to note are that it works great as a web-cam, on my i9 it did a pretty great job of keeping up - not a lot of lag. The audio sounds nice - I mean I would kind of hope so, it is a ZOOM product, and the video is actually really good - with proper lighting... The camera has some handling for varied lighting situations but it could have used a little more - maybe some manual configuration would have done it. The camera is HIGHLY point and shoot so if you are looking to mess with exposure levels, manual focus etc, you can kind of forget that. It does have a few lense setting from wide angle to telephoto which to affect the ZOOM of the camera. It has external microphone jacks - a built in speaker for previewing your video, a really compact, light and easy to handle design that makes it kind of a joy to run around with.

A couple things that would have been nice in my opinion are things like a rotating screen. it can be viewed from the back or the from (as it does flip out) but one of the reasons I personally bought this camera as to shoot down from overhead and since I am a small time YouTuber, who does not employ 15 other folks to help me with my productions (not even one actually, lone wolf here) It would be nice if when I am shooting down - I could flip the camera out and then rotate the screen 90 degrees. It includes a lense hood which I am not using presently. The quality is better than my iPhone 12, not quite as good as my Canon - if this camera blew the canon away I would be calling Rob Kramer (my sales rep) and be ordering 2-3 more. As it stands I am still probably going to order a second camera - they are very convenient and the quality it good, just not earth shatteringly so. I do need to see if I can hunt down additional batteries = not that I know how the included one performs (I mostly have this plugged into my PC as a web cam and ude the overhead tripod to shoot "Show and Tell" videos.

Records well, everyone says the video is grainy or it doesn't work under good light well, that's true but for the money, and what does Great buy. I would recommend it.

I've had a chance to use this recorder on several occasions over the last year mostly to record live performances in a concert hall setting. It has worked very well recording the sound in every one of these situations for both individual recitals or a full ensemble. I really appreciate the portability with the ability to record in cramped spaces when necessary. It has also worked great as just an audio recorder for recording vocals and guitar.

It does not record video as well as you would get from a more expensive camera. Most of the video recordings I've made are using the existing light of a concert hall so the videos are a little off on color and clarity. For the price, the compactness of the camera and the great sound recording, this was an excellent purchase.

I have had the older version of this and have always wished it to not have the stupid fish eye lense look. It rendered the cam unusable. This however is rock solid home rome! The camera and video quality is top notch with no fish eye. I used this in a live came scenario to stream to our churches break out room. No light glare, it perfect and clear. Could run audio direct of the board for a video back up. Audio is crazy awesome. I purchased the ssh-6 stereo shotgun microphone capsule with it. All I can say is, YASSS!

I gave it 4 1/2 stars for two reasons. 1. Zoom offers a app that links with the Cam but requires a seperate bluetooth adatper. It should of been built in. That's one more component to tote around. 2. The TRS/XLR combo jacks on the old camera has been replaced with just XLR (like a traditional camcorder) and I now have to bring a DI box along with to solve direct out of an accoustic guitar, etc. Which also means an additionl Microphone cable. Additional lame sause.

That I aside I kinda of want to buy 2 more. If that tells you anything.

My hopes were that the video of this camera would be improved from the prior model in that you could actually zoom in close-up from a distance, as you would any other true video camcorder, or SLR capable of doing video. However, this as was with the last model has not improved at all. Trying to use the Q8 from the back of a small theater where I could tap into an XLR connection to the sound console, as well as using the integrated microphones, the image available when zoomed in all the way made it seem as if the stage were 2 miles away as opposed to 60 feet. Also, the video images are still warped and distorted and Fisheye like, and very unnatural. They have a good handle on the audio but if they don't improve the video, I find this particular device useless and will probably return it as well as selling the old version that I have that was also a great disappointment.

This thing has everything going for it, except for one issue... the video. I read the reviews, watched the videos and thought if the video was just decent at least, then I could make it work. First, the good. The onboard mics do a real good job. I tried with just gtr and vox, no mics, amps, mixers, just campfire style. The audio was good. I also like that it's real easy and intuitive to use. I figured out the buttons and settings in no time. Download to computer; easy and quick. A little screen (facing you) to set up your shot, and even change the fov on the fly and see it in real time, or change the video resolution, while you're in front of the camera. Excellent. Tweak the audio gain with the knob on top and see the recording levels in real time on the screen facing you. Awesome. They really thought this stuff out. The record button is at the front of the camera, on top. Just reach out and hit it and and then start playing. Excellent. Then the video playback. Awful. Grainy. I turned on more light. Added another light, overhead, to the side. No change, other than awful video but just brighter. Full disclosure... I am not a video guy. But that's the point. I bought something like this to not have to be a video expert. I'm ok with learning some techniques, learn how to use lighting, etc. But, what a shame. All they had to do was put a decent camera in it. I considered keeping it and learning how to do lighting better, but I intend to use it for live stuff too, where low lighting is the norm. So for that reason alone, it's not a keeper. Come on Zoom, you're almost there. I would pay a couple hundred more bucks if this had a good camera. Sweetwater, as always was great about the return. Thanks TJ.

I bought this camera to record my concerts at school. Set it up in the middle of the auditorium and couldn't figure out how to zoom in. Turns out it doesn't zoom!! I had to set it up on stage and use the wide angle view. I guess I shouldn't have assumed that zooming was a standard feature of a video camera.

While the audio may be stellar, the video is akin to seventies television. You must use the ultra wide setting to get full 4k and the video image is warped. It's absolutely horrible in anything less than pristine lighting. Sweetwater is great, but I really wish I hadn't wasted cash on this.

I recorded an all-day seminar in a decently-light hotel room all day, and the video was grainy and weak. I used the "indoor" setting at 4k and no digital zoom. Audio came out great with an XLR out of the board, hence the two stars. Battery life was abysmal. Maybe 75-80. minutes. For video, this thing is not good - use a DSLR camera with a better lense. Unfortunately, there's no way to mount a regular lens on this thing.

Bought this thinking 4k video would be crisp and clean. This camera handles any high-contrast or low light situation quite poorly. Make sure you use auxiliary lighting. You have no control over ISO or aperture, and it always attempts to color-balance whatever you shoot. And it's not good at it. Any mobile phone made in the last 3-4 years will do better. Very disappointed.

On the plus side, audio is quite good.

I LOVED the audio quality from this, however I bought it to record gigs and performances and in low light the video footage is unusable. Super disappointing. I will unfortunately be returning it.
In full, bright light the video quality is better, but still - wish I would have shopped around a bit more for a camera that captured high def performances on stage. I do love the sleek and compact design.

Battery is very bad for 4k recording, will last just about 30minutes during a recording session on a full charge and video quality in 4k certainly is 2.5 on a scale of 5. U get what u pay for. Save up and get a Sony or some legit brand!

Video quality in low light is terrible. Battery won't even last 55 minutes at full 4k. I bought this to record gigs and man am I sorry. Save your money get a real camera.

Very disappointed with the 4K video camera nothing to say about the audio. I would definitely not recommend this camara for live bands or rehearsal gigs

The camera records according to 4k but it is more noisy and dirty than the stadium after a concert, I think Zoom should withdraw this product, improve it and maybe if it works, charge a little more for it, but while it is preferable that you buy a Sony camera or a Go Pro , the battery recording 4k lasts about 45 min, the only thing that stands out is the audio capture

This camera is to be avoided like the plague. It can work to an acceptable standard if you happen to have amazing lighting, but if you have a standard room with standard lighting - not too dark, not too bright, a averagely lit room - you'd be better off filming with the camera on a phone from twenty years ago. You've been warned - don't waste good money on this product.

I am more than disappointed with this camera it is useless, it chatters as you pan, the image in a well lit bar it just terrible, in fact my Q4 is much better. I wasted so many good musical moments trying to capture them with this camera it has frustrated me to no end. Wish I could return it but I held onto it too long before trying it out, now it will go in the trash.

Audio options are great. That's it....

I wish I'd done a little more research before buying this camera. I have a Zoom recorder that has always served me well. This camera turned out to be unusable for me. I bought it to live stream from concerts, a task it is particularly poorly suited for. It's got to be tethered to a computer to stream, which is never my setting. Plus the mediocre quality video has 5 fixed scenes, rather than a chance to zoom at will. So if I could find a place to actually set up a computer alongside the camera, I couldn't get decent shots. I end up never finding a way to use it at a show. Sadly, I also spent too long trying to sort it out, so when I contacted Zoom 45 days after my purchase, they said I was outside the 30-day return window.

I ended up buying a Shure external cell phone mic kit and am so much happier!

The video quality of this camera is super grainy and not useable. Unless you are going to be filming outside in bright sunlight it will be very grainy video. Most bands play in darker settings indoors and I thought recording bands and music was the point of a camera like this with XLRs. It's a major step down from the Q8 that came before it. Other features, such as the TRS inputs (which were within the XLR inputs) were removed, the touch screen feature is removed (replaced with buttons) and the screen can no longer be angled. It's just not worth the additional money to upgrade. I'm glad that I did not sell my Q8s. I sent this item back and will stick with the Q8s because the sound is just as good, and the video is 100% better. Personally, I'm not willing to sacrifice the video quality to eliminate the fisheye effect. The lack of the fisheye effect might be the Q8n-4K's biggest (and only) advancement over the Q8 and other features took a step or two backwards.

I have had several products from Zoom including video and security DVRs. The quality is bad bad bad . The menus and soft where are out dated and the customer service is non existent . I am surprised that a reputable company like sweet water sells Zoom products. So many better companies to deal with .

Sorry Sweet Water I call it like I see it