REVIEW: 808 Mini Camera

Almost everyone wants to capture their most beautiful (action) moments as a video for eternity. Unfortunately, good POV cameras are very expensive (GoPro, Countour, etc). As always, a small cheap alternative comes from China: The 808 Mini Camera. Today we will show you what it can do - and what it can't:

This small camera, also called Keychaincam, can be found on Ebay for €8 including shipping! If you add a wide-angle Jellylens for just €2, you already have a fine Guncam. It weighs only 22g with Jellylens, some hot glue, and a MiniSD card. The video resolution is 720 x 480 pixels and is saved in AVI format. Photos can also be taken, but the quality is "meh." The built-in LiPo battery lasts approximately 45 to 60 minutes with its 500mAh. All of this doesn't sound too bad. So, what are the disadvantages?

Here they are: There is always a date stamp displayed in the lower right corner, which cannot be turned off. It can only be removed in post-production. The frame loss rate is quite high from model to model. The battery doesn't really last a full 45 minutes.

There is a website that deals extensively with this camera, it is: www.chucklohr.com/808/. If you are thinking of buying one, please read up on this page first. That's where we got the ideas for modifying our cameras. We replaced the LiPo with a normal battery compartment with AA batteries in one, which increases the runtime to almost infinite, and put the whole case into a TicTac box. The back of the TicTac box and the battery compartment were equipped with hook and loop tape to attach it to a helmet or elsewhere.

The operation is very simple: long press the front button - video recording starts; short press - end. The video quality is surprisingly good in good light, otherwise sufficient. There are some examples of RC planes on Youtube.

CONCLUSION: If you want to make a video now and then, this camera is a good choice, but it is more for tinkerers. Its very low weight and very low price are advantageous. It cannot be compared in any way with HD cameras, but considering the low cost, that's not surprising.

Available on Ebay from €8 including shipping