Hawkeye Firefly 8S Action Camera Review: Smooth Gyro + 4K

Hawkeye first released their Firefly 7S last year, and I was fairly impressed with it. At a very low price point, it offered premium features including a gyro and high-quality images. However, it didn't offer true 4K footage.

Fast forward to September 2017 and Hawkeye's newest model, the Firefly 8S (http://bit.ly/2x684Ix), has arrived, with true 4K footage at 30fps. Gearbest hooked me up with a review sample of this new action camera, and I'm happy to report it did a great job in a variety of environments. Read on after the jump for my take on the new 8S model. 

ODRVM 4K Action Camera Review

Photo from ODRVM Action Camera

I recently was sent an action camera from ODRVM that boasts of filming in 4K, and I took it through its paces to see how it’d do in the NorCal backcountry. The ODRVM Action Camera and its low-cost piqued my interest to see how it would hold up.

Video review:

SJCam S6 Legend: New Action Camera from SJ

One of my favorite action camera companies that offers many affordable GoPro alternatives is SJ. They introduced me to their first el cheapo action camera, the wonderful SJ4000, which I've used in many videos since then. I've also enjoyed using their SJ Cam M20+, which offers good video stabilization, on a recent trip to Alaska. Now, SJ is back with yet another affordable action camera, this time offering a few more premier features, the S6 Legend.

The S6 Legend offers a few unique features: Mild or Heavy video stabilization, 4K video recording at 25 fps (sharp, but it's interpolated), touch screen controls, and a full-fledged camera app for smartphones (something GitUp is still lacking). Here's the run down on the S6 Legend specifications straight from SJCam:

Hawkeye Firefly 7S: New Action Camera Review

The Hawkeye Firefly 7S is a brand-new action camera, with gyro stabilization, 2K resolution, and GoPro mountain compatibility. In addition, it's priced insanely low, just $80 at the time of this review. I tested the Firefly 7S courtesy of Gearbest on multiple fishing and outdoor trips, keen on determine how this camera compares to other popular action cameras, like the GitUp 2 or the M20+. Curious? Read on!

Best Budget Bargain Action Camera: ELE Explorer Action Camera

Interested in a dirt-cheap action camera with usable 2.7k video footage? And even better 1080p footage? Stick with me for this latest review on a brand-new action camera, the ELE Explorer. I am a sucker for the latest action cameras, as I love to catch neat footage from fishing and hiking trips here in Southern California. The fantastic year-round weather (despite the current El Nino) offers excellent recreational opportunities and capturing this on a waterproof action camera to watch and share with others is a blast. Thus, when I was offered the chance to review a new camera, the ELE, I jumped at it! Recently, there has been a trend of cheaper and cheaper action cameras offering up to 4K video resolution (see my review of the nice EKEN H9 camera here), and the ELE is no exception. Let's take a look at it!

More after the jump

SJ7000 Action Camera Review: Bargain-Priced Cam

[2017 update: The SJ7000 is a still a decent camera, but it's been quickly outpaced by many other budget cameras. Consider the excellent Firefly 7S, a very budget-priced action camera with awesome features and fantastic image quality. Check out the review here and video here https://youtu.be/Vv3cAGdYJDI  ]

Recently got my hands on the SJ7000, courtesy of GearBest, a new budget-priced action camera. Got to take it out on a long fishing trip to the Eastern Sierra. Check out the review AND the footage of the awesome fishing trip I had in this part of California!

Overview

The SJ7000 is yet another action camera aiming for the bargain market, with a host of neat features. At first glance, it looks just like the popular SJ4000, which I have also reviewed. In fact, it's basically a clone of it but don't take this as a bad thing! The cases are compatible, batteries, and even actual camera size are virtually identicle. Two main differences: SJ7000 sports a different software and the SJ7000 has a much larger back LCD screen, making viewing photos and adjusting settings much easier. 

SJ4000 on the right, SJ7000 on the left