However, the camera still struggles to capture details in shadows and low-light conditions. We shot late in the afternoon during our test, so we had plenty of light and shadows to go around. In broad daylight, the camera captures a reasonable amount of detail for its price point. However, there’s only so much detail its 16-megapixel sensor can capture. To compare, its image quality is about on par with a standard smartphone, which also averages around 12 to 16 megapixels. The Zoom Q8n-4K can also serve as an upgrade for your laptop’s integrated front camera when you attend zoom(!) calls, for example. To do so, you have to connect the camera to your computer via USB (Type C). However, the Q8n-4K is then limited to 1080p video und 48 kHz/16-Bit audio. Image credit: Zoom More specs Helping 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

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 & Availability

Technology

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. As you can see, the video specs are a bit underwhelming here, but that’s OK (depending on your scenario, of course), we’re dealing with a device from Zoom, so let’s talk audio! Audio specs 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. Navigating through the Q8n-4K is quite simple and we love that. On the side of the LCD screen is an arrangement of buttons assigned with specific functions depending on what mode you’re in. Nevertheless, the buttons are placed next to the function’s name displayed on the screen. So, for example, the camera’s FOV button is next to the FOV text and menu on the screen. You navigate through the menus by pressing the same button. It follows the same setup in the settings menu: the buttons align with their function on the LCD screen. 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).

USB mic function (with low-latency direct monitoring) when used with computers and iOS devices (Apple Camera Connection Kit or Lightning to USB Camera Adapter required for use with iOS devices) 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. The contents of this document and the specifications of the product could be changed without notice.

Audio

When it's time to capture audio, you can use the included microphone capsule or the two mic/line inputs with XLR/TRS combo connectors to use your mic of choice. The inputs feature -20dB pads for recording hot signals or in loud environments and optional phantom power. Gain levels are easily controlled with the independent wheel knobs for each channel and there’s a handy low-cut filter that can help define voice recordings. The built-in limiter and compressor are on hand to enhance and polish your audio signals. Adapt To Any Context Leider gibt es auch keinen Line in Eingang der manchmal sehr praktisch ist und Zoom H4 n Pro dabei ist.

Can be used for live distribution as a PC / Mac WEB camera with a USB connection (maximum 1080p image quality, 48 kHz / 16-bit sound quality) USB connection for use as PC/Mac webcam for live streaming (HD1080p quality, 16Bit/48kHz audio quality) For audio, the Q8n-4K handles professional audio signals via two full-size XLR inputs, providing phantom power with +12 V, +24 V, +48 V voltages on the camera itself. But it also has a special microphone module on the top that can be exchanged for a selection of different microphone modules with differing characteristics.The Zoom Q8n-4K also houses a new sensor with a much higher pixel count than the Q8, jumping from a 3-megapixel 1/3-inch-type CMOS sensor to a 16-megapixel 1/2.3-inch-type CMOS sensor. With a slightly larger sensor — increasing the pixel count fivefold — there is a noticeable difference in the image quality between the two models. The extra pixels let you capture more detail and dynamic range, leading to a clearer, higher-quality image. Image courtesy: Zoom Scene’ options for use in different lighting environments, including ‘Auto’ setting that intelligently adapts to your environment types of scene settings (Auto / Indoor / Outdoor / Night / Concert Light) and 3 levels of brightness adjustment function 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