Eken H8 PRO & PLUS review – Real 4K@30fps

Here is the review of two new Eken, the Eken H8 Pro and Eken H8 Plus. We will analyze in detail the features of both and the differences between the H8 Pro and Plus.

Eken H8 Pro features the Sony IMX078 image sensor, while Eken H8 Plus is equipped with Sony IMX117. Both features the new Ambarella A12S75 chipset, that allows to record true 4k@30fps and 1080p@120fps videos and to shoot 12MP photos.It is the same chipset mounted on Thieye T5e, Andoer C5 and SJ7 Star.

Both the Eken H8 Pro and Plus have two displays, one large rear 2″ where we can see what is in the frame and change settings or review videos and photos recorded, and one small front screen where we can see the recording time, mode, and the resolution in use. The rear screen is no touch screen in any of the two versions.

H8 Plus has also a gyro stabilizer or EIS (electronic image stabilizer).

Both are supplied with a remote control, and have a 1050mAh battery which can record about an hour at 4K resolution @ 30fps and 1080p @ 60fps. You can find additional batteries for less than 10 $. The videos are stored on a micro SD card up to 32GB. They also have WiFi, EZ app to control the cam via the phone, micro HDMI and micro USB output. You can not connect an external microphone into either.

They are also provided with an underwater cover up to 30m and a range of sufficient accessories for the main uses that we will see in detail in the review of the H8 Pro and Plus.

The world of 4K action cams is rapidly expanding. The first to record real 4K@30fps has been the Gopro 4 black, and then the Sony X1000, but these are really expensive cams. Then a lot of budget action cams claimed to record 4K videos, like Gitup Git2, SJ5000X, Firefly 7S and the Eken H9 and Eken H8, but these weren’t real 4K cams, as they could record just interpolated videos 2880*2160@24fps.

The first budget action cam to achieve this resolution was the Xiaomi Yi 4k, a great camera with Ambarella A12 chip and stabilizer, but you can get it for 199$. But now things are changing, and a lot of budget action cams that can record real 4k are coming, for instance the new SJcam SJ7 , Git3, Thieye t5e, Andoer C5 and this Eken H8 PRO and PLUS. You can get them for 119$ each.

H8 PRO H8 PLUS

In this table you can see the differences between Eken H8 Pro and Plus.

Eken H8 review

The video quality is very good thanks to Ambarella A12 chipset that we have already been able to appreciate in Thieye T5E, Andoer C5 and SJ7 star. In H8 Plus there is the Sony IMX117 sensor that enhances still further the already good quality of the PRO. The colors are natural, videos and well-defined, photos are sharp, mainly thanks to Ambarella chipset. The 30 fps of 4K are smooth and not jerky.

The light / shadow changes are well managed, and even in the shadows the cam performs well. It should be in trouble however, as all the action cams, in areas with low light, such as indoors or at dusk, the action cam are not made for this kind of shooting, but for daytime outdoor videos.

At 4K resolution bitrate is 56Mb/s, so a very high value that allows a low compression and therefore a high video quality. 2K has a bitrate of 36Mbps.

The sound is pretty good if compared to Git2 and Firefly 7s, certainly not as good as the one of GoPro, which audio quality is unbeatable.

Here you can see one of the Eken H8 PLUS test video:

Conclusions

The quality of these cam is very good thanks to Ambarella A12 chipset and the Sony IMX117 sensor. The price is very low, starting from 119$ for the Pro, this cam stood on the same medium-high quality range of SJ7 Star, and Thieye T5E – with which it shares the sensor and processor – but at a similar price to that lower-level cam as Git2 and SJ5000X or even the new SJ6 Legend. The Ambarella A12 chipset provides superior video quality, it can record natural colors, and manage the changes of light and shadow areas even on brightly lit scenes.

The Eken H8 Plus has a better sensor and stabilizer, but costs 20$ more (now they have the same price). If your budget allows it, my advice is to take the H8 Plus.

These cams don’t have touchscreen and external microphone. But they both have a remote control, that can be very useful.

In conclusion, these are action cams with excellent quality, supplied with remote control, underwater houses and lots of accessories at a good price for what it offers. A cam that in quality matter exceeds all cams with Novatek 96660 chipset (Git2, SJ5000X, Firefly 7S, Elephone Explorer Pro, SJ6 Legend), but it loses the battle for stabilization with Novatek chip, as all cam with Ambarella chip do (Gopro 5, Yi 4k, thieye T5e), hoping that this capability be enhanced with firmware updates. The only cam with a good stabilization featuring Ambarella Chip seems to be Andoer C5 Pro.

H8 PRO H8 PLUS

Eken H8 overview

Both are equipped with the excellent Ambarella A12 chipset – the same mounted on Thieye T5E, SJ7 Star, Andoer C5. It supports native 4K and electronic stabilization. The GoPro 5 and Yi 4K also use an Ambarella processor, but the A9 model, which is dual core. In any case there is no doubt that Ambarella produce processors at the top of performance, and this also applies to the A12.

The Eken H8 PRO features the Sony IMX078 sensor, the same found on Firefly 6S, SJ5000X Elite and Eken H8.

The Eken H8 Plus features the more powerful Sony IMX117 sensor, featured on GoPro Hero 4, ThiEye T5E, SJ7 Star, Andoer C5, pratically on the best action cam presented between late 2016 and early 2017.

Video resolutions

They both can record real 4k videos @ 30fps, and 1080p @ 120fps.

4k @ 30fps
2.7k @ 60fps
1080p @ 120fps
1080 @ 60fps
720p @ 240fps

Remote controller

Eken H8 Pro and Plus come with a small remote control included in the package, consisting of only two buttons, one for taking pictures, and one to start and stop video recording.

Wifi and App

Both cams have wifi and can be controlled via the phone by using the appropriate EZ iCam app, which can be downloaded by scanning the QR code that you can find in the image below.

Dimensions and buttons

Accessories

Package Contents:

1 x EKEN H8 Pro Action Camera, 1 x Battery, 1 x Waterproof Housing + Mount + Screw, 1 x Remote Controller, 1 x Power Adapter ( 100 – 240V 0.4A ), 1 x Bicycle Handle Bar Mount, 1 x Frame, 1 x J-shaped Mount, 3 x Connector + Screw, 1 x Backdoor, 1 x Backpack Clip, 1 x Tripod Mount + Tripod Mount Adapter, 2 x Mount, 1 x Metal Tie, 3 x Plastic Tie, 1 x Cleaning Cloth, 3 x Belt, 2 x Hook and Loop Fastener, 2 x English User Manual, 1 x Micro USB Cable

H8 Pro Manual

Specifications