Eken H8R Action Camera Review: 4K and More?

Remember the popular Eken H9 action camera I reviewed and subsequently used on many fishing videos? Eken has released another action camera, this time the upgraded Eken H8R. GearBest hooked me up with this camera and I wanted to share my thoughts on it with you all. Feeling like just watching a video instead? Check out the below sample footage and video reviews!

First up, the Eken H8R rocks a few important differences between it and the older Eken H9. It is smaller (although the lens protrudes more), uses a unique case and battery (non-compatible with other models, films reportedly up to 4K, and also comes with a remote control.

Here is a complete list of its reported specs:

2.4G Remote	Splashproof/ Distance 20m
Display	2" Screen + Status Screen
Waterproof Case	Ultra Slim Design Up to 30m
Video	4K @ 30fps  2.7K @ 30fps  1080p @ 60fps 1080p @ 30fps 720p @ 120fps
Photo	12MP/8MP/5MP
Input/Output	Micro USB port  HDMI
View Angle	170 degree
Battery life	1050mAh (1080p30 1.5 hours, 4K30/2.7K30/1080p60 1 hour)
Storage	Micro SD card (not included)
Battery	Rechargeable 1050mAh lithium battery
Audio	WAVE Format (Bitrate: 176kbps)
Dimensions	(L*W*H) 59.3*21.4*41.1（mm）
Built-in Wi-Fi	802.11 b/g/n
Multi-Language	Dutch, Polish, Turkish, Czech, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese, German, Thai, English, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Traditional Chinese
Weight	66g (including Battery)

Now, it's worth noting that the actual 4K and 2.7k aren't truly at 30fps-rather they have duplicated frames, which is a real shame, according to an in-depth look by several camera fans on the RCGroups forum.  However, the camera has a Sunplus 6350 chipset and a IMX078 Sony image sensor, which allows it to take true 12MP photos, a big upgrade from the fairly low-quality photos on the Eken H9. 

Left: Eken H8R
Right: Eken H9

The wristwatch remote control works fantastically. It allows the user to take photos and video with a push of a button. The waterproof case also seems to work well, I didn't have any leaks during an extensive  1 hour + snorkeling trip, at various depth.

Eken H8R Review

The menu is somewhat "fiddly"-it's easy enough to use, but it's easy to overshoot the settings you want to adjust. GitUp2 also has this problem. It's not a major issue, just means you'll be pushing the buttons a little more often. They could both learn from the menu layout of the SJCam M20+. 

I took the Eken H8R on a hiking trip with my quadcopter flying with it, and on a snorkeling/beach day trip. It handeled all the conditions well. The video footage is just fine, however the 2K and 4K footage didn't look appreciatively better than the stock 1080p footage, likely due to the interpolation issues. In addition, I didn't notice a huge increase in video quality between the Eken H9 and this H8R. However, the photo quality was outstanding! The upgraded image sensor at 12MP definitely shines, as you can see below (unedited)

Overall, the Eken H8R is a decent action camera. While it has several awesome features that are a major upgrade from its predecessor, it's video quality hasn't changed enough to make it a top pick for me. I'll still be using it as a backup action camera though. If you liked the Eken H9 and want a similar model with better photos, do consider checking this one out. You can buy the Eken H8R through Gearbest here. Thanks for reading!