Amkov AMK7000S Action Camera Review

After our earlier review of the Amkov AMK5000S we decided to try out another member of the family, the Amkov AMK7000S.  The primary difference between these cameras is that the AMK7000S can record videos in 4K resolution, though only at 10 fps. Bigger advantage is a remote control support and slightly improved image sensor and chipset compared to its predecessor. There isn’t much information available about this camera or the Amkov brand so let’s get started!

General information

The box of the Amkov AMK7000S is very small. You might wonder, “where are all the accessories?”  Don’t worry, they’re all there as we’ll discover later on.

Like the  previously reviewed Amkov AMK5000S there’s no brand name or model shown on the box. Why hide your own name if you have a good product?  Of course the name is on the camera and battery.

Amkov AMK7000S specifications

The AMK7000S is a so-called 4K camera because it can record videos in 4K resolution, albeit at a slow 10fps frame rate.  It has a 170 degree angle of view and the lens has an aperture of f/2.8. It has an OmniVision OV4689  image sensor and a Sunplus 6350M chipset.

What’s inside the box?

Inside the box you’ll find:

• 1x Camera
• 1x Battery
• 1x Wrist remote control
• 1x Manual
• 1x Waterproof case
• 1x Frame mount
• 1x Wrist band
• 1x USB cable
• 4x Screws
• 1x Base mount
• 1x Base mount curved
• 3x Switch supports
• 2x Buckle wire (ribbon)
• 2x Adhesives 3M mounts (flat and curved)

Note : You can buy the Amkov AMK7000S on | Gearbest | Amazon | eBay | BangGood|

Unboxing

If you are interested in how all these accessories look, take a look at the video below.

Design and build quality

The design of the AMK7000S is the same as the AMK5000S.  It’s is similar to the famous GoPro Hero 3 but with the addition of a 2-inch screen.  The “A” of the Amkov name on the camera body is stamped over a transparent circle for some unknown reason.

The plastic materials seem to be of good quality and strength.  In contrast the frame mount is too small: you need to bend it almost to the breaking point to fit it around the camera body.  It has more light holes than the camera has lights and the opening for the micro USB port is so small that it’s impossible to charge the battery with the camera in the frame.

Another big problem is the waterproof case.  I noticed a little “dot” on the lens window.  I tried to clean it with a cloth but nothing happened.  Finally I realized it was a problem with the plastic as shown in these photos.

This is the dot:

Hopefully it’s only a problem with this particular camera and not a general manufacturing defect found on all AMK7000S waterproof cases.

Update 9/19/2016

I fixed the problem with the waterproof case. As you can see in these photos below I detached all the original sponge around the backdoor because they makes too much pressure on the camera.

In fact I discovered that this was the problem of the famous “dot” in the middle of the lens. I fixed it by adding a common piece of felt on the backdoor and around the lens housing.

LCD screen

The AMK7000S has two different screens, one on the front and one on the back.  These are known as dual-screen cameras.

Front display

The front screen is the same as the AMK5000S. It gives you vital information like mode, remaining number of photos or recording time available, whether or not there’s an SD card installed, and the battery status.

1. Video/Photo mode
2. Record time remaining/number of photos remaining
3. SD card
4. Battery status

Back Display

The main screen is the 2-inch display on the back of the camera and it’s bright enough to see clearly even full sunlight. You can see a live view of what you’re recording and use it to change settings or preview previously recorded videos and photos.  It also has icons and other information as follows:

1. Video/Photo mode
2. Video resolution and frame rate/Photo image size
3. Record time remaining/number of photos remaining
4. Battery status

Buttons, lights and ports

You can see there are three – and only three – buttons.  More about that later.  Here’s a list of all the buttons, lights and ports:

1. Shutter Button – Take photos or start/stop recording video
2. WiFi – Button to turn on/off the WiFi; LED to indicate WiFi status
3. Power/Mode Button – Press and hold to turn the camera on or off; press to change parameters in the Menu
4. LCD Display –  Shows the current mode, the number of photos can you shoot and the length of videos you can record.  The left corner shows if the memory card is inserted and the right corner shows the battery status.  If the camera is connected to your PC then “USB” appears on the screen.
5. Power on indicator –  lights up when power is on; blinks while camera is recording or when updating firmware
6. Charging indicator
7. Lens
8. Record LED – Blinks when camera is recording
9. USB port – used for charging via PC or transferring files to your computer
10. HDMI port – Preview photos and videos directly on your TV via HDMI cable
11. Micro SD Slot
12. LCD screen.
13. Battery slot

In general the buttons are built well and it’s hard to go wrong with their ergonomics. They have a nice “click” and are wide enough to fit your fingers.

Menus

I hate using the menu on this camera!  While it’s generally intuitive and has a good range of options, the problem is navigating with only three buttons.  Why can’t you put another button on this camera Amkov, WHY?!  With just three buttons you can only go down with the WiFi button, select options with the shutter button and change pages with the on/off button.  But you can only change pages if you reach the bottom of the menu: this method is absolutely crazy!  Why must I click the WiFi button thirty times just to change the resolution?!

Video quality

In the daytime video colors are true-to-life and the quality is good enough to see details from a long distance. However, this is a daytime-only camera: if you’re Batman you absolutely can’t use it! At night the camera is simply unusable – completely black. I tried it as a dash cam but I couldn’t even see the headlights of my car!

Be aware that these are just YouTube samples. Since YouTube compresses the videos, I recommend you to download raw video samples here.

Video settings

Below are the functions that you can change in Video Mode.

• Movie Size for selecting video resolution

• Image stabilizer (on/off)

• Movie Clip Time (Off/1Min/3Min/5Min)

• Low Light Mode White balance (Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Tungsten / Fluor H)

• Invert mode (inverts the video 180 degrees)

• Date stamp

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Video resolution

This camera can shoot videos in the following resolutions and frame rates:

• 4K (10fps)

• 2.7K (15fps)

• 1080p (60fps)

• 1080p (30fps)

• 720p (120fps)

• 720p (60fps)

• VGA (240fps)

• 720p (SlowMotion)

• VGA (SlowMotion)

While the camera records in 4K Ultra HD (3840×2160) it only does so at 10fps – completely unusable for most people.  Since the camera has the same hardware as Eken H9, I recommend that you read the Eken H9 review to better understand resolutions that are usable and those that are only a marketing trick.

Image quality

Like many other Chinese camera manufacturers Amkov isn’t truthful about it’s specifications. It has the OmniVision OV4689 CMOS sensor but this sensor is only 4MP, not 20MP as claimed in the technical specifications.

In fact there’s not much difference in the look of the 4MP vs 20MP photos; the 20MP photos just fill up the memory card faster because the image is interpolated. The AMK7000S can’t replace your main camera for truly high-quality photos but it does capture good quality images with natural colors.

Battery performance

Amkov says the 3.7V lithium-ion battery in the AMK7000S offers a capacity of 1150 mAh.  Testing the battery performance yielded the following results:

4K 10fps – 143 minutes
2.7K 15fps – 108 minutes
1080p 60fps – 92 minutes
1080p 30fps – 139 minutes
720p 120fps – 102 minutes
720p 60fps – 111 minutes
VGA 240fps – 143 minutes

Why the differences between settings?  There are basically two reasons.  The first is resolution – the number of pixels that form an image.   The higher the resolution the more the image processor needs to work and the more battery power is expended.

The second is the frame rate measured in frame per second (fps).  Usually videos are recorded at 25fps or 30fps.  Below this frame rate the videos seem jerky like the 10fps this camera records in 4K resolution.  It’s like flipping through a photo album.  Frame rates follow the same rule as resolution: the higher the fps, the more battery power you use.

The battery duration of this camera is actually quite good for these resolutions and frame rates. The most used combinations are 1080p 30fps and 1080p 60fps (nice for making slow-motion video) and 1-1/2 to more than 2 hours duration is very good battery life at these settings.

A completely dead battery takes a little more than four hours to recharge – definitely on the slow side.

Remote control

In addition to WiFi the AMK7000S offers another remote control, a wristband with 2 buttons, Video and Photos. I was very excited to try this but . . . it didn’t have the desired effect. This device doesn’t need to be paired with the camera because its supposedly always connected, but it doesn’t work! 

It connected maybe one in ten tries and for some mysterious reason it never worked when the camera was rotated upward.  Regardless of the distance it’s completely random and thus absolutely unreliable.

WiFi and Amkov AMK-icam app

Like a lot of other cameras, the Amkov AMK7000S offers WiFi and an app for iOS and Android. The app allow you to see a live view from the camera. Once into the app, you can shoot videos or photos and change the resolution, exposure, video time lapse duration, white balance, date stamp and other options. 

You can also change modes and review videos and photos. The problem with this camera’s WiFi is the range. It works well if the camera and your smart device stay within 50cm (about 20 inches) of each other but past this distance the video lags and becomes unstable with continuous disconnections. 

While the app is structured well, is very easy to use and has all the essentials, it’s just too unstable.  You’ll need to close and re-open the app a few times to use all the functions because the crashes can sometimes cause general malfunctions.

About 4K resolution

The Amkov AMK7000S is designated a 4K camera but there’s more than one definition of the generic term 4K.  The camera records at a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160, sometimes known as 2160p.  The Consumer Technology Association has branded this 4K Ultra HD.

This was previously known by some as Quad Full HD, or QFHD, because it doubled the 1920 x 1080 resolution typically known as HD – high definition – and maintains the 16:9 aspect ratio.  Some would say that “true 4K” is actually 4096 x 2180.

There is also digital cinema 4K with a resolution of 4096 x 1714.  Which one is right?  Who knows!  Pretty much all action cameras that call themselves 4K actually record in 3840 x 2160 so calling the AMK7000S a 4K camera is probably okay.

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Summary

I was quite happy when I ordered this camera because the technical specifications looked very good: 20MP sensor, Wifi, wristband remote control, 1080p 60fps or 720p 120fps, all for only for 120/130 euros (about US $110 to $120)!  Once it arrived though, I discovered one problem after another. 

The frame mount for the camera body doesn’t fit right and blocks the micro USB port; the Wifi and app are completely unstable; the remote control is unreliable; the menu is difficult to navigate with just three buttons; and of course there’s the little “dot” – the issue with the lens window on the waterproof case. 

All these problems make a basically good camera frustrating to live with.  Amkov must improve their attention to details small and large if they want the AMK7000S 4K action camera to be a hit.