Author: Zach

History and evolution of action cameras
It is impossible to precisely determine who, where and when created the first action camera.
Even though early attempts to capture footage from first-person view with a camera attached to a helmet were made back in 1960s, those were all DIY attempts by innovators in various industries for single project needs.
First commercially available action camera was introduced by Woodman Labs (which later became GoPro) in 2004 and costed 20$. The camera GoPro made a decade ago came a long way from 20$ analog in a waterproof case to a device people in film industry use today.

Action cameras we use now improved significantly over the last few years. But long before POV 4K, WiFi, wide field of view, mobile apps and other fancy bells and whistles, creatives willing to push their limits for the sake of storytelling attempted to capture a footage with a camera strapped to their head in various ways.
For easier understanding , I will divide action camera evolution into three parts.
- Early action cameras 1960-1990
- 2002-2012 GoPro Era
- Post GoPro Era
The reason for categorization like this is simple. Influence of a GoPro has on marketing and commercialization of helmet cameras can not be surpassed. Its their business model that made action cameras available to an average Billy down the street.
Prior to that, athletes, actors and astronauts all had something that can be considered as an point of view camera, therefore their influence can not be ignored either.
Here are some facts :
- People tried to find solution for a camera that can capture videos from first person view, decades before GoPro founder did.
- GoPro did not make a first action camera, but had incredible influence on its development.
- Today we have incredible amount of brands all trying to stand out from the crowd, innovating and making action cameras grow like never before.
Early action cameras
Long before the first camera was created, video makers were using different techniques to capture the viewers attention and spark their imagination. In such process, they tried to be come up with different, funky and unusual ways to take their movies and photographs to a whole new level.
It is very hard to precisely determine who was the first to adopt the “action camera concept” but here is the list of people who tried to stand out from the crowd and produced different kind of videos – action videos.

1960s
Bob Sinclair was a skydiver (a parachuting God as colleagues called him) and one of crew members in charge of recording for the Ripcord show aired from 1961-1963. Ripcord was on air for two seasons (76 episodes) featuring extreme sky jumping that according to the show has been filmed live.
At that time Mr Bob Sinclair, innovative genius as he was, tried to find a way to make videos more realistic and extreme. He wanted to spark the emotion of people watching the show. They had to feel like skydivers themselves from watching the videos.
Bob Sinclair solution was to mount a camera to a fiberglass helmet to improve footage stability. Photo credits Mark Platt
In order to do that, Bob wanted a video from a first person perspective. He thought that standard recording from a hand was too shaky and distracting. Therefore he came to a conclusion that mounting a camera on a helmet would not only be more convenient for a skydiver, but also stabilize the video much better, since head was the most stable part during jumps.
He began mounting his gyro-stabilized camera to a football helmet at first. He kept finding out new solutions and used better mounts and fiberglass helmet. He kept pushing his idea in order to tell a different kind of story.
Bob Sinclair performing a skydive with his unique camera mounting idea
Photo credits : parachutistonline.com
Based upon my research, I can say that Bob Sinclair was certainly one of the first, if not the first man to record action videos with his own setup of mounting a camera to a fiberglass helmet.
Update 11/5/2015 (Thanks Mollydog)
Somewhere in 1963, a rumor says that one of the NASA astronauts, who was also keen on photography, bought a Hasselblad 500c camera in a photo shop in Houston/Austin (Texas).
Upon his return to NASA, engineers were so impressed with the camera that they started modifying it. Hasselblad joined the development team and together they worked on a camera that can be easy to use and survive on the moon.The main challenge was to make it easy for astronauts with gigantic gloves and suits on, to replace a film.
First action camera on the Moon?
One of the members from DashCam forum, Mollydog, pointed out some quite interesting facts.
Space cameras were striped down to just the necessities, no viewfinder, no wind on handle and a few other features, and also a special motorized body that could be used with gloves on, as before this date there were no motorized Hasselblads.
Hasselblads had two types of film backs, a 120 back shooting 12 exposures and a 220 back shooting 24 exposures before the film needed replacing or the back changing, me using Hasselblads for over 20 years I can tell you, with any kind of gloves on you are not going to be able to wind on the film and take it off its spool and re load the film back.
NASA and Hasselblad came up with 2 larger film backs, one was for 100 exposures and the other was a 200 medium format exposure back, those long ones that can be seen on the back of the cameras, for its day that was like getting a smart phone that its battery would last a full month of use on one charge.
What is even more interesting is that most of these cameras never came back to the Earth, due to their weight. That is why one that appeared on eBay a while ago was sold for staggering 910 000$!
You can read more about this specific model on this link.
Famous Scottish F1 driver, Jackie Stewart had few experiments on his own as well. First photography depicts still-image Nikon camera Stewart wore back in 1966. It should be mentioned that he did not try this experiments during an actual race.
Jackie Stewart with a still Nikon camera attached to his helmet. Image source : http://kottke.org/
Even though it is not nearly as comfortable solution as some others, it definitely shows that people were interested to get dramatic and realistic footage. Sometimes sacrifices were made to get incredible videos.
Quite a robust solution included a battery pack on the left side. Image source : http://kottke.org

1970s
There is a reason why Steve McQueen, famous American actor from the 70s had a nickname “The King of Cool”. Back in 1971 Steve wore a robust camera on set for the movie “Le Mans”. Camera was duck-taped to his helmet in order to capture first person video of him motorcycling.
The solution that “King of Cool” had was quite robust and not cool at all 🙂 Image copyrights Kotke.org
1980s
In 1985, Canon introduced the Ci-10, tiny camera produced in even smaller amount with a gigantic 1000$ price-tag.

No bigger than a pack of cigarettes Ci-10 caught the attention of experts in security and surveillance niche. “Due to its size it could easily fit into investigators pocket” the NY Times reported in their 1985 article.
Canon Ci-10 was used as a first helmet camera that broadcasted ;ove moto race from the motorcyclist point of view.
Ci-10 size was 102 x 53 x 27 mm (H x W x D) and weighted around 289 grams without a lens. Sensor used was 3.8 megapixels (380 000 px) 6.6 x 8.8 mm. It allowed a resolution of 300 TV lines sensitive up to 20 lux. It also had a 1.4x optical zoom.

Company called Aerial Video Systems found a way to transmit microwaves remotely and attached a camera to a helmet of Dirk Garcia. Footage was broadcasted live on ABC.
That is on 28th of June, 1986, Canon‘s Ci-10 became the first camera used to broadcast first person view footage on air.
These days its impossible to find much info on this camera. To prove its rarity, you can check Canon Museum and you will see it does not appear there. If nothing, Ci-10 was one of the most comfortable solutions at that time.
Dirk from Canon Technical support tried to remember how the camera used to operate, as they have no exact information in their archives either.
I know there was an optional video disc recorder that could be connected to the unit, making it an early predecessor of our later “Still Video Cameras” such as the RC-701 that recorded to Canon proprietary “Video Floppy Disks“.
There was also apparently a tape recorder that could be connected to it for recording video, making it the successor to the earlier cameras in our “Color Camcorder” line.
Effectively, this camera is the “missing link” that helped us expand from video to still images in electronic format.

Mark Schulze was one of the early inventors of an action camera. After doing quite a research, I realized that plenty of news articles credited Mark for his contribution on action camera development. According to many sources Shulze is considered a pioneer in this field.
Obviously Bob Sinclair and all others above mounted a camera onto their helmets way before him.
But here is what is interesting about Shulze. His videos are documented and available today. So we have an actual proof that he recorder videos with his setup.
Somewhere in 1987 Mark, who is a video maker, was working on “The Great Mountain Biking Video“.
His approach was no different then others when it comes to camera mounting. He mounted a VHS camera on top of his helmet and had a VCR with the latter in the bikers backpack connected with RCA cable.
This was quite a rigid and heavy setup, especially if you are cycling for a longer period of time, but it worked. There are few videos available online, but the one from 1988 is my favorite.
When asked why he did not patent his invention, Mark said (source) :
Our focus at that time was to produce the best and most awesome mountain bike videos of their time. And that’s what we did. We left that technical engineering stuff to people like GoPro who have these teeny cameras that you can mount to a helmet, a car hood, a surfboard, a boat deck, well, you name it.
Developed by biologist and filmmaker Greg Marshall in 1986, Crittercam was a different type of camera that captured fast movement and action. Instead of attaching it to a human, Mr Marshall had an idea to film animals in their natural inhabitant not influenced or disturbed by the presence of a human.
The main goal is to collect data of animals behavior.
Unlike all vintage cameras and solutions featured in this article, Crittercam is being developed continuously even today. Crittercam enabled scientists to study animals behavior. Actually this is more than just a camera. Besides video and audio it collects environmental data such as temperature and acceleration.
If you are interested in move videos that this smart device can capture, check Nat Geo gallery here.
1990s
1991 was a year when Helmet-Cam were introduced. Basic idea was no different than any other attempts to capture first person view video. “Lets create something different that will make viewers at home feel like they are playing football themselves.”
Photography : worldleagueofamericanfootball.com
Lipstick-shaped camera had to be placed over the players right ear into a VSR-3 helmet made by Riddel. An antenna was placed on quarterbacks helmet (on the top to be precise) and transmitted live signal to the production truck. Battery pack and transmitter were molded into the`s shoulder pads, which made camera itself impossible to take off by a player. That is why someone always had to unplug the cables and help QB to safely remove his helmet.
Jaw-dropping price of 20000$ per unit and players complaints were one of the main reasons why this product never came alive.
- Camera size – 9/16″ diameter x 2″ long
- Antenna size – approx. 1/8″ – 3/16″ thick x 3″ x 3″
Today, there are many videos of NFL superstars wearing a GoPro on their practice, so who knows, maybe the concept is not dead after all.

GoPro Era – Everyone can be a hero.
Even though, attempts to create a helmet camera that can capture action were made few decades earlier, opinions are united that Nicholas “Nick” Woodman a founder of multi billion empire GoPro, was the first to introduce a rugged and waterproof solution sold and marketed to an average consumer.
The first prototype of a such a camera was made in 2004/2005, while the idea itself came few years earlier.
In 2002, while traveling through Indonesia and Australia coast in order to relax and get an idea for “the next big thing”, Nick, inspired and young adrenaline junkie and entrepreneur tried to capture still images while surfing with 35mm camera wrapped around his palm by a rubber band.
At that time proper waterproof cameras were something that only professional photographers could afford. Seeing the struggles surfers and others like face, Nick decided to create a camera that is waterproof and can easily be attached to a surfers body.
Initial idea was to create a wrist strap which can easily fit other cameras on top of it. Since most of the cameras he tested broke easily, Woodman had to find a camera that can be used in rigorous activities like surfing.
Young GoPro founder showcasing his first prototype.
After two years of wondering through various trade shop seeking for a camera that can meet the requirements, he finally found a company that had something close to what he wanted. He paid them to adjust and modify the camera to fit his strap.
Woodman once said he never met manufacturer prior to outsourcing them and that entire communication was done through the email and one phone call, mostly because of language barrier. He eventually had to fly out to Shenzhen in China to finalize the deal. “We barely understood each other over the phone” Woodman said.
The first GoPro action camera- Hero 35mm 0001 was analog and completely different to a GoPro we know today. It could not even record a video. It came with 35mm Kodak film, a waterproof case and a wrist strap inside the box.
First action camera commercially sold – GoPro Hero 35mm.
It allowed consumers to take photos up to 15 feet (cca 5 meters) underwater and weighted around 200grams (7.2 ounces).
Main advantage of a GoPro Hero 001, besides it being waterproof, was a secure wrist mount, which according to Nick “He designed so it fits his 9-year old cousin as well”. Camera operated completely mechanical and did not require batteries.
It could take 24 pictures with a W/24 exposure film that was loaded inside. In order to replace a film, you simply had to unbuckle two clips from the waterproof case, It supported any kind of 35 mm film, colored or black and white.
What is incredible that first GoPro 35mm Hero retail price was around 20$. According to an interview Woodman did with Forbes, it costed around 3$ to produce the camera itself.
2005 was crucial for GoPro. Nick and his two employees started selling cameras across the US. Very interesting video below, depicts young Woodman introducing his product live on QVC.
If everyone can wear a Hero, they can be a Hero.
In 2006 GoPro went digital and launched GoPro Hero Digital that could record VGA videos in 10 seconds sequence with no sound output. In the next few years company released Hero 2 and 3 with plenty of improvement and innovation compared to Hero Digital.
In 2012 Foxconn from Chinese invests 200 million dollars buying 8.88% stake in GoPro, making Nick Woodman a billionaire. Rest is a history.
What the future holds?
Today action camera market is booming. There are hundreds of brands competing. Competition is great for consumers. Nearly each month, a company announces a breakthrough or a new features no brand implemented before.
Few decades ago you did not have an LCD touch screen,4K, WiFi, editing software, Apps and more importantly great video and photo quality in a small package.
Chinese companies like Xiaomi or SJCAM produce affordable cameras that nearly everyone can afford. GoPro is still an industry leader, but big boys like Sony and Polaroid entered the competitive race as well. There were rumors that Apple is ready to launch their camera, but that never happened.
It is insane to even think what future holds with this many people and brands working on improving products on daily basis.
Summary
So, there you have it. If you ever wondered how action cameras looked throughout the history, I hope this article helped you a bit. As you can see technology evolved significantly over the decades, but the idea was the same : Get the most realistic, eye-catching footage and capture the attention of your audience.
It is all about telling a story. With that in mind I can say that all of us, are in a way storytellers. We tell a story through our pocket cameras no matter the age, religion, political beliefs, and a budget.
All of the early inventors of helmet/action/pov cameras adopted the concept in order to tell a story. Do not forget that video making is not about expensive gear and equipment. Its about the message you want to send.
Please understand that this is not a final list. It was based on my research and contacts made with action camera communities and manufacturers.
If you are aware of some other cameras that can fall into this category, please let me know, I would really like to add more info regarding action camera development and evolution.
Lastly, I would like to thank : Dan (JooVuu), MollyDog, Cronnin, Dirk (Canon), Ryan and Dashmellow for their contribution in my research.
Additional Resources
Here are few more great links which I used during my research :
- “Ripcord!” by Parachutistonline.com
- “GoPro, Circa the 1960s” by Kottke.org
- “Head Gear – The Evolution of the Helmet Cam” by videoandfilmmaker.com
- “Helmet-Cam History” by worldleagueofamericanfootball.com
- “Action cameras: an extreme point of view” by Engadget.com
- “Will tape be the film of the future?” by NY Times
- “Crittercam” by National Geographic
March 23, 2026
Eken H9 Review – Best Beginners Action Camera for 2024?
Action camera market is booming. More and more people are becoming interested in tiny, customizable and featherweight recording devices that can fit your pocket and on top of that provide hell of a fun for semi-professionals and complete newbies.
However, as technology, market, products and customers demands progress, less and less brands seem to be focused on providing a good camera priced below 60$. That is why for people on a extremely tight budget, there seems to be less and less cameras to choose. Everyone are producing something mid-range these days. Even Chinese brands.
So why is H9 by Eken is an interesting camera?
Is it because it shoots videos in full HD at 30 or 60 fps? Is it because it comes action-packed with accessories,has a built in WiFi and a neat 2 inch LCD screen? Or is it maybe due to the fact that it can shoot 4K videos in useless 10 fps?
On paper, Eken appears to be good value for the money. But is it really that good?
The real reason why this camera is interesting is that it provides all these features for a little over $40. Price and options it offers make this device, launched by Chinese brand Eken, quite interesting. At least on a paper.
Update 29/12/2017 I found really good deal on Eken H9 (branded version, newer than the one I reviewed in this article).
So I decided to give it a try. According to specs, it appears to be a perfect choice for newbies. Can this little known brand from Shenzhen create something that can beat famous SJ4000, the most popular affordable GoPro alternative?
Like you, I am so curios to find this out. I have been using Eken H9 for a couple of weeks now, and I am ready to tell you all about it in this review of mine.
[amazon box=”B01LAIBF2M,B07GK18SG3,B01I9FEOL8″ template=”table”]
Eken H9 technical specification
[go_pricing id=”eken_h9″]
As you might have noticed, camera uses the same, OV4689 image sensor as three times more expensive SJ4000+ and M10+ cameras, but has different, quite unknown Sunplus 6630 processing chip, on which there is not much info available.
Video Quality
H9 can shoot videos in these resolutions, fps and bit rates.
- 4K (3840 x 2160) – 10 fps (bit rate 49445kbps)
- 2.7 K (2701 x 1524) – 15 fps (bit rate 49401 kbps)
- 1080p (1920 x 1080) – 60 fps (bit rate 23914 kbps)
- 1080p (1920 x 1080) -30 fps (bit rate 12756kbps)
- 720p (1280 x 720) – 120 fps (bit rate 27521 kbps)
- 720p (1280 x 720) – 60 fps (bit rate 15562 kbps)
If you do not know what a resolution is, its basically the amount of pixels horizontally and vertically aligned that form an image. In theory the higher resolution the better the video clarity is. However for some resolutions it also depends on what kind of equipment are you watching the output.
For example if you are watching 4K video from a high-end couple of thousands camera on a 1080p TV or monitor, guess what? There will be little or no difference at all..
Besides resolution, FPS – frames per seconds are also important. Video is created similar way the photos are. With photo you get a still image, but video captures a motion. In layman’s words FPS is the amount of photos that camera captures in a single second of a video. Most commonly used frame rates are 24, 30 and 60. 30 fps means that in a single second, camera records 30 still images which form 1 second of your video.
Wikipedia provides good starting points if you would like to learn more on frame rate and video resolution.
Okay, since I explained to you resolution and frame rate (FPS), one other important factor is bit rate. Its not that important for newbies, but the higher the bit-rate the more data is being transformed in a second of a video, which means higher quality due to better processing and more storage consumption. Higher bit-rate files will be larger in size.
Let me tell you this in a very simple way. Videos at 10 and 15 FPS are complete crap. Videos look like flip-book, and hence these resolutions are just a way for Eken to attract uninformed people. if you want a 4K action camera, buy something real (GoPro Hero 4 Black or Sony). At those frame rates, Eken, like any other camera is useless.
[amazon box=”B01M14ATO0,B01LYSJB8A” template=”table”]
Even though 4K and 2.7k can make a minor difference in video sharpness at this frames per second in Eken H9 they are unusable. They are just a gibberish marketing talk and you really should not be recording in those resolutions with H9, unless you want to make a 1940s motion films.
If you are interested in raw video samples, you can download them here.
In order to get the best possible shot, a balance between the ISO, aperture and shutterspeed must be achieved. Our friends at photographytalk have created a great guide explaining this exposure triangle, we highly suggest you read it here.
Let me show you few video frames extracted as photos.
Different video resolutions 4k 4K (3840 x 2160) vs 2.7k (2701 x 1524) vs (Full HD 1920 x 1080)300% scaled crop of video frames.
Resolutions you will probably use the are 1920 x 1080 (FULL HD) at 60 or 30 fps. If you intend to use slow motion in your video, shoot at 60 fps, as more frame rates give impression of more realistic and faster movement. 60 frames per second can be slowed down in post production and still look smooth, so if you know how to use video editing software, 60 FPS is a way to go.
For some every day recording, use 30 FPS, as it consumes less memory and battery.
Early evening. Sharpness and focus test. Last two license plate numbers blurred out for privacy protection reasons.
Camera can record while being attached to a power bank, and that is great advantage as well.
Photo Quality
You can download all these images in original uncompressed quality here.
Colors that the image sensor produces are okay for the price, but in some cases it appeared to me that that images looked over-saturated over-sharpened. Colors depend a lot on the light condition and position of the camera. Still, images are decently sharp for 4 megapixels senor and camera focus seems to be set up quite well, so even in distance objects are visible.
When facing a direct sunlight camera does not do that good job. Colors get quite weird and there is a lot of reddish flare. This is where its obvious that lens is not the best one.
By previously having focus problem with cameras, I was pleasantly surprised with H9. Even though photos are only 4 megapixels, they look quite sharp in distance.
If you ever want to do a bit of color-correcting or image cropping in post production, you should know that resolution that Eken H9 has is just not enough for serious photo editing. Resolution is okay for social media sharing though, which is what most of target customers for this camera will do.
In example below, you will notice how details get lost quickly when the photo gets cropped, even by only 4 times.
Crop Test – Eken H9.Crop test low-light.Stadium on a cloudy day.Match day. Camera facing strong artificial light directly.Low light image sharpness test on license plates. Close up.In low light situation camera does not do great, but not that bad either. However if you plan to do lots of videos and photos at night, you probably should consider something else.
[amazon box=”B01LAIBF2M”]
Sound quality
I never expected a low budget camera to have a decent sound. Boy I was wrong. Considering the price of the camera, I found sound quality acceptable. According to metadata in video, camera has stereo microphone inside with a 1938 kbs bitrate.
Audio levels are quite high, maybe even higher than it should be. But you can hear a person talking in front of a camera quite clearly.
This means that if you intend to record concerts though, there is a possibility that music will be hard to hear, as mic is too sensitive for such recordings in my opinion. The only way I tested the audio is talking while recording, and it sound pretty good for the price of the camera.
In my opinion, it is much better than any SJCAM cameras that are way more expensive. Audio quality is in Xiaomi Yi range.
Camera does not support external microphone either, so for professional sound recording, you will need to buy both microphone and sound recorder that supports it.
I am really sorry but I was unable to do any sort of music audio test, as I suck at playing any instrument, though I was pretty darn good on metallophone, at least I thought I was good. If you are a musician and own Eken H9, I would appreciate if you can let me know in the comments your impression on audio quality, and if you have some audio samples, even better.
Packing and accessories
Camera package is quite simple and certainly nothing new. Box looks quite cheaply made, but its not like I was expecting much for $45. On the outside there is obvious similarity with Amkov 5000s and SJ4000 boxes.
Inside the box, you get a camera inside a waterproof case with a base GoPro like mount and a screw in one compartment, where as in other, there is a large number of additional accessories.
Box of Eken H9 contains a camera and lots of additional accessories.
Here is a list of everything you get in the box :
- 1x camera
- 1x waterproof case
- 1x manual
- 1x USB charger, AC Adapter 100-240Vac, output 5V, European plug.
- 1x usb cable
- 1x bicycle/handle/pole mount
- 1x spare (sound-enabling, non-waterproof) case back door
- 1x clip and bracket for mounting the camera on a 1/4″ screw
- 7x different types of mounts
- 1x lens cleaning cloth
- 4x bandages
- 2x helmet mounts
Camera arrives with large amount of additional accessories.
With these mounts, you can mount your camera almost anywhere including a car, boat or on your person.
Design and built quality
Overall design of the camera has zero innovation. Its the same as any other Chinese camera produced this year. Same size, dimensions and shape. The only difference is that compared to some of the competitors, Eken H9 action came has a 2” LCD screen at the back.
Thanks to this 2 inch fella, you can preview your videos and photos and also live-view your recordings as well as change settings inside the camera.
Eken H9 front view
Besides LCD, I really like huge LED indicator button on top of camera. Most of cameras have tiny indicator that sometimes is hard to see. This one is without any doubt the largest and easiest to see. Eken obviously listen to feedback from users on some other cameras and constant complains on LED indicators, so they put this gigantic indicator on top.
This one is not perfect in sunlight either, but way better and easier to see than the most others. It looks a bit ugly though, but you can’t have it all.
Built quality is quite poor. I mean, we have to be realistic here. Its hard to expect awesome built quality for 40-50$, right? Camera feels light weight, which is good, but also a bit cheap. I did not have any issues with it.
It can not be compared to Git 1, Dazzne’s P3 or Xiaomi’s YI when it comes to toughness and craftsmanship. It is more in SJCAM range, which means it is made out of plastic materials with rubberized patterned edges.
Camera is available in 7 different colors from black, blue, yellow, silver, etc.
Dimension and weight
Eken H9 weights around 65 grams with battery inside. Its size is (L*W*H) 59.3 x 24.6 x 41.1 mm.
Buttons and functions
Here is a brief overview of buttons and their functions. This piece has been extracted from manual.
Operating Modes
Eken H9 can work in 5 different operating modes. Each mode does different thing. Even though their names are pretty self-explanatory, because lots of newbies probably read this, I will go through each of them and try to explain how it works.
To change a mode, just click the “Mode/Power ON button”.
- Video (default)
- Photo
- Burst
- Time-lapse (Self – timer)
- Settings
Different operating modes of Eken H9 camera. From left to right, Video, Photo, Burst and Timelapse.
Video and Photo mode
Video mode is a default mode in which camera works will turned on. Quite obviously, when in video mode, you can record videos by pressing a shutter (OK) button. Video can be stopped by pressing the same button. There is no option to pause video, so once you stop it, camera will create a new video file.
Settings
Settings is an operating mode which will allow you to change different settings. I bet you were not expecting that?
Anyway, comparing it with some other cameras when it comes to features, Eken is in the middle. It has decent amount of options, but not all of them are useful, and the ones that could be useful are not included in the camera.
For instance, I would really like to see a white balance option, ISO or anything similar, but Eken engineers thought LCD screen refresh rate is more important than that.
Now the boring part. Warring, if you do not have a camera, the “Settings” part might bore you to death. I am not joking. But it can at the same time explain some technical stuff and show you what this camera can and cant do.
Video resolution
Inside settings, you can switch through different video res explained in the paragraph above.
- 4K-10 fps
- 2.7 K – 15 fps
- 1080p – 60 fps
- 1080p -30 fps
- 720p – 120 fps
- 720P – 60 fps
Looping video
If you turn the loop recording on, the camera will segment videos in 3 minutes. For example, if you leave your camera to record continuously 30 minutes, you will have 10 videos each lasting 3 minutes (3×10).
Since the option itself is intended for people who want to use Eken H9 as a car (traffic/dash)camera when the memory card is full and camera is recording, it will automatically delete the first video and record over it, overlapping (looping) one video sequence over another. For action camera this is useless feature, and my personal recommendation is to keep it off.
Time Stamp
Time stamp shows date or date and time in the right corner of your video. Most people including myself turn it off, but if you for some weird reason like seeing date and time on your photos and videos, you can enable it.
- OFF
- Date (shows only date)
- Date and Time (shows both date and time)
Exposure
A photograph’s exposure determines how light or dark an image will appear when it’s been captured by your camera. |Source|
If for some reason you want to boost the brightness or darner your footage a bit, you can experiment with these values. positive (plus) values give lighter videos, minus darker.
- 0
- +-0.3
- +-0.7
- +-1.0
- +-1.3
- +-1.7
- +-2.0
Photo resolution
I previously explained the video resolution. Same goes for photos. The higher resolution, the more details and the sharper the photo. If you were not reading carefully the “Photo quality” paragraph of this article, scroll up and read it to understand what is photo interpolation and how is it possible that this camera can shoot 12 megapixels photos when it has 4 megapixels image sensor.
- *12mp (4000 x 3000)
- *8mp (3264 x 2448)
- *5mp (2592 x 1944)
- 4mp (2304 x 1728)
Note : Resolutions marked with “*” indicates interpolated (scaled) resolution.
Burst photo
Burst photo is fun option that will shoot 3 continuous photos when you press shutter button in 1.5 time interval. It is good for sports photography or when you are trying to catch a fast moving object (like me trying to catch a balloon i threw up in air in the photo below).
- 3 photos in 1.5 seconds
While 3 photos in 1.5s is far from impressive speed, it is not that bad either, though if you are moving really fast, images will be blurry.
I am not sure why this option even exists inside the menu, because nothing can be turned off or changed inside Settings>Burst Photo.
Time Lapse and continuous lapse
Everyone loves time-lapse videos. This camera has a time lapse as well. But it is a bit more trickier compared to some other cameras which have this function out of the box. By setting time lapse to particular interval, your camera will shoot photo with a delay. So if you set, 20 seconds, once you press shutter button, camera will take photo 20 seconds after that. So actually this is more like a timer.
In order to enable time lapse, you need to turn “continuous lapse” on. Once you turn that on, camera will take photos each 2-60 seconds continuously one after another, until you stop it or it runs out of battery.
To conclude, there is no video lapse option, which means that time-lapse on this camera will output lots of photos, which you need to combine together in video editing software to get a video. Not exactly what newbie would like, but these videos are so fun, that I am sure if you are willing to you can learn this in less than 20 minutes, with nearly any tool. There are lots of tutorials online on how to make time lapse.
Do not forget to choose interval in time-lapse (I use 30 sec mostly) and then enable continuous lapse. Change the mode to “timer/time lapse” by pressing mode button few times and press shutter. There you have it. Its not the easiest thing, but I am sure you will get used to it eventually.
Power frequency
Even though it sounds like it has to do something with charging or battery, this is actually a refresh rate of your LCD screen. Just leave it on auto and stop worrying about such unimportant feature.
- 50hz
- 60hz
- Auto
Language
One neat thing about H9 is that it is a polyglot. It “speaks” 16 different languages. For some ridiculous reason mine was set to Turkish on default.
- English
- Simplified and Traditional Chinese
- Italian
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- German
- Dutch
- French
- Czech
- Polish
- Turkish
- Russian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Thai
Sound indicator
- Shutter (on/off) – sound when you press shutter button (works only in photo mode)
- Start up (1/2/3/off) – sound on welcome screen, you can chose from 1-3 levels or turn it off.
- Beep (on/off) – sound inside the menu/settings that can be heard when navigating.
- Volume (beep sound volume (1-4 level/ off)
Eken H9 back view with LCD turned on and LED indicator on top.
Upside down
H9 has image and menu rotation or “upside down” feature. This means that if you rotate the camera and mount it upside down, this option will rotate both menu and output footage so that it looks like it was recorded normally.
- yes/no
Rotates the screen and output footage. Useful if you are mounting the camera upside down, so that you do not have to rotate the footage in post-production.
Screen and power saver
When enabled, these options can turn off the screen (screen saver) after a specified period of inactivity. Power saver turns off the entire camera upon specified time interval, but will not work when camera is recording or taking time-lapse photographs, because its considered as activity. Nobody wants camera to turn off in the middle of recording.
- OFF
- 1/3/5 min
Other
- Date and time – allows you to set time and date that can be shown in date stamp.
- Format – formats memory card (erases all data) – highly recommended when you put the card inside the camera for the first time.
- Reset – reverts all settings to default.
- Version – shows firmware version
Eken H9 Battery performance
The weakest link of H9 when it comes to hardware components is without any doubt a battery. Eken H9 is powered by replaceable 3.7 Li-ion 1050 mAh 3.885 Wh battery. The key word here is replaceable.
Why? Because battery life is so poor that you will probably need few spare batteries and replace original one.
Battery is compatible with 900mAh SJCAM batteries, which leads to a conclusion that 1050mAh advertised is faked. Not only that it is fake, but the original battery proved to be significantly weaker compared to 900mAh.
I tested out battery performance few times, and here is the average recording time I managed to get, with screen saver being turned on, WiFi off and other settings left on default.
- 1920 x 1080p 60 fps – around 45 minutes
- 1920 x 1080p 30 fps – around 83 min
Another keyword is inconsistent.
It is very hard to get exact recording time, since camera behaves quite unpredictable. Even when its fully charged, it will show 80-90%, and will quickly come down to 30-40%. Once you turn camera off, battery indicator goes to 50-60%. Sometimes I got 90 minutes at 30 fps, sometimes I got 70, so above values are average, based on at least 3 battery tests for each resolution and fps.
[amazon fields=“B01LAIBF2M” value=“thumb” image_size=“large”]

[amazon fields=“B01LAIBF2M” value=“button”]
I am not quite sure if this was just a problem with my battery, but I read that few more users were complaining on performance of original, 1050mah battery.
Using SJCAM batteries on Eken H9
Seeing how consistent and weak the 1050 mAh battery is, I inserted 900mah battery from SJCAM, as they are the same size. To my surprise, not only that the battery meter remained more stable, but I also got way better recording performance by using “weaker” battery on paper.
Results with 900mah battery
Recording time :
- 1920 x 1080p 60 fps – around 70 minutes (35 more compared to original battery)
- 1920 x 1080p 30 fps – around 120 min (40 minutes more than with original battery)
Now these are not perfect results, but certainly far more acceptable.
My advice is to reinforce the original battery capacity that comes with a camera by buying at least 2 spare batteries, or if you do not mind carrying a power bank around, that is also a great way to extend recording time.
I use this power bank and it allows me up to 4-5 charges of my cameras, phones, etc. You can also get any other, as they all do the same job, the only different thing is capacity. And yes, you can record and take photos while the camera is connected to external power source such as power bank or car charger.
Battery is one of the cons of Eken H9 due to its poor performance. Luckily camera is compatible with 900mAh by SJCAM, which give 40% more recording time compared to original.
Customer Support – Knock, knock, anybody out there?
Even a dirty cheap products need to have a customer support. To be honest with you with Chinese brands, I never set my expectations bar too high for after-sale assistance.
But my experience with Eken is one of the worst I have ever experienced.
Even though you can get support from retailer from China as well, I always go with manufacturer directly, just to test the waters and see how they threat their customers. I sent 3 emails to Eken with from different accounts with different technical questions.
4 weeks later and I still have not received a reply from them.
That is unbelievable. Terrible and disgusting.
They only seam to care about their sale volume. Okay, I completely understand that they are new brand to the market, but the complete lack of customers support is inexcusable. I also added them on Skype and asked similar questions, but never ever have I received a reply.
If you ever need a technical assistance from Eken, do not count on it. Its not because they do not know English, or do not reply promptly, it is because they do not give a damn about replying.
What is even funnier is that here is what Eken claims on their about page :
Eken truly believes that long-term customer satisfaction is the foundation of our success.
Well either they completely misunderstood the word “satisfaction” or they are shamelessly lying. I will leave that one on you to decide.
Firmware updates
One thing that worries me more than lack of customer supports is lack of firmware updates. While I have not encountered any serious bugs with this camera, it is quite normal that a product has its own firmware page where users can download latest software that will improve the camera based on customers feedback.
Unfortunately on manufacturer site, at the time of writing this review I did not see a firmware list. I am really hopping they will not forget about upgrading firmware and improving the camera at least in the next few months.
I guess it all comes down to, you get what you pay for. With Eken you get camera that is great overall value for the money, but it appears they are decreasing their cost on customer support, and that is not the way you do business.
If you ever have any issues with the camera, you probably need to rely on communities and online forums and try to fix it yourself with the help of good people (trust me there are many many great people willing to help in this virtual world of ours). Also, you can always leave a comment here, and if I can, I will be happy to help.
Final Eken H9 Summary
Before I tell you my final judgment on this camera, I would like to tell you something first.

Final judgement
Most important factor when I review a product is how much value it offers for the price? With this in mind, I will now summarize my opinion on Eken H9.
Considering the insane low price of 40-50$, in my humble opinion Eken H9 is great value for the money camera. Even if it cost 70$ I would still recommend it as probably the best low-budget camera.
It has its own pros and cons, so lets go through them quickly.
Pros
First and most important advantage of Eken H9 camera is its price. At the moment of writing this review, camera can be bought from various online retailers at 45-60$ price range. That in my opinion is amazing price for what this camera offers. Besides price, I also liked the 60 fps option in full HD. I did not find 4K and 2.7k useful at all, due to their low frame rates, for me they were unusable.
For me personally it is important to live preview what I am recording. Thanks to quite big 2 inch LCD that camera has it is very easy to both navigate through the menu and see what you are photographing.
One more thing that I found appealing is quite large LED indicator located next to a shutter button on top. It flashes red while you are recording, and because of its size, you can always know if the camera is recording or not. When you stop recording, there is no sound however, so I always had to double-check if I stopped the video recording or not.
Video quality in my opinion was quite decent. Even though camera did not do that good job when facing the direct sunlight and in low-light, in pretty much all other situations it was even beyond my expectations.
Photo quality is quite sharp and focus is set up perfectly considering the price. Colors on photo and video are a bit saturated, but the contrast was quite good. Camera comes action-packed with lots of additional accessories and manual is not that bad either.
What surprised me the most is the volume of audio, which was very good.
- Affordable price
- Great overall value for the money
- 60 FPS in full HD
- LCD screen
- Large LED indicator
- Decent video quality considering the price
- Decent photo quality considering the price
- Good audio quality
Cons
Built quality is not something Eken H9 can be proud of. I do not like that their main selling point is “4K action camera”. I mean, it is 4K camera, but it can only shoot 4k in 10 FPS, which is ridiculous. Videos look like flip-book and I really can not understand how anyone can record videos that are not smooth, especially fast-paced videos make no sense in 10 frames per second. Same goes for 2.7k in 15 fps.
Battery life is quite poor, and I am under impression that the battery capacity is not 1050mah as stated in specs. Good news is that H9 is compatible with SJCAM 900mah batteries, so its highly recommended that you get at least one or two spare ones. They are quite cheap, and they will give you better battery performance.
Manufacturer declared that camera can take up to 12 megapixels stills, but this is just interpolation. The true resolution of images is 4mp, since the image sensor inside the camera is a 4 megapixels sensor. Quite deceptive behavior, but plenty of Chinese brands do this lately. This is not an excuse however.
There is no right out of the box, video time lapse, so if you are not tech-savvy, you will need to learn how to create time lapse videos out of photos.
The biggest disadvantage in my opinion, is a complete lack of support.
- Not the best built quality
- 4K is not usable in given frame rates (15 FPS)
- Interpolated image size (Manufacturer states 12MP when it’s actually 4MP)
- There is no right out of the box time lapse
- Battery life is poor
Conclusion
Overall, Eken H9 might not be the best built and supported camera on the market, nor have the best image or video quality, but for overall value for the price of 50$ is incredible. I would recommend this camera to people who are newbies to action cams or users on an extremely tight budget.
If you are not sure if action cam is what you really need, you can get H9 and play with it, see how action cam works and what can be done with it. Because of decent video quality and photos and tons of accessories, I am sure Eken H9 can be an interesting gift your children or grandson. Its cheap, so if it breaks, who cares, right?
A bit more advanced users will probably not find it interesting enough due to the lack of advanced features.
You can also take a look at other action cameras I reviewed, if this one does not suit your needs.
Where to buy Eken H9?
Here are some links where you can get this camera.
- |Buy it from Official Eken Store on Amazon|
- |Buy it from Authorized Eken seller on AliExpress|
- |Buy it now BangGood|
Questions
I hope this review of Eken H9 helped you while evaluating if its good for you or not. If you have any question regarding H9, feel free to leave a comment below, I would love to help you out. If you already have Eken H9, please let me know how it works for you and what is your experience with it, what you liked and what you didn’t like?
I found really good deal on Eken H9 (branded version, newer than the one I reviewed in this article).
March 12, 2026
Best Anet 3D printers compared : Anet A8 vs A6 vs A3 vs A2
You read online about affordable 3D printers made by Anet. Anet is a Chinese 3D printing company which manufacturers 3D printers and 3D filaments. You decided to buy an Anet printer, but that’s when the real challenge begins. There are quite a few of them and all are labeled differently, so I thought it was fitting to do an Anet 3d printer comparison.
Worry no more.
Frustrated with the lack of information and good side by side comparison table, I spent a few hours researching the differences between Anet printers – A8, A6, A3 and A2. In this brief article, I will do a comparison to show you what’s the difference between all Anet 3d printers.
Until February 2017, 4 basic models of Anet printers were released.
Before we begin, please understand that the information gathered here is based on an online research. I had help from Anet Support Groups on Facebook, Anet printer owners as well as help from the Anet support team.
Just to clear things up, I do not own all of these printers, hence I will not be able to compare the printing quality and other similar things, though I firmly believe that because of the similarity in hardware and software all of these can print equality. You will notice that most of the differences are of functional, cosmetics and design nature.
One more thing which confuses people quite a lot are the printers name, which quite honestly make no sense. Printers were released in this order :
Anet A8
Anet A6
Anet A3
Anet A2
Most of the people, logically assume, that the higher number in the name means newer model. Obviously it’s not. It works quite the opposite. Furthermore, some of the models have additional variations. I will clarify those as well.
Anet A8 vs A6 vs A3 vs A2 comparison table
The best way to compare these printers is in a table. So I made one.
[go_pricing id=”all_anet_printers”]
Anet A8
Anet A8
is the first and the best selling printer released by Anet. It has the largest community behind it. It’s the model with highest number of modifications available. This is the printer I own, and despite plenty of modifications and huge learning curve, I am satisfied with it.
You can read more about A8 model :
My full Anet A8 review
Anet A8 best modifications
Lately, I’ve noticed that some sellers are labeling A8-B, which is not an upgrade or anything, it just means that the acrylic frame color is black.
Anet A6 vs A8
A6
has been developed on the basis of A8. It carries a larger LCD display 12864 and has a rotary button for easier navigation. Furthermore compared to A8, Anet A6 can be reset from the printer menu (on the screen). A8 can be reset only by pressing a tiny reset button on the motherboard itself.
One more difference between the two is that the extruder is mounted differently. A8 has a vertical mount, whereas A6( and A2 and A3) has parallel MK8 extruder. Extruder, motherboard and all other parts are the same in both printers. A6 arrives with 16GB microSD card, where as A8 comes with half the size – 8GB.
On the internet there is a table which compares A6 vs A8, but contains some errors. Understand that all of the printers use the same Anet V1.0 motherboard.
[amazon box=”B01N5D2ZIB,B07DDC3VLN” template=”table”]
Below is a video which compares A6 and A8 quite well.
Update 5/1/2017 – You can now read full review that we did on Anet A6 on this link.
Anet A3
Out of all Anet printers, A3 is the only one which arrives fully assembled and can print right away. Its price is the highest. A3 is also the only model which has an enclosure. Design-wise A3 is the prettiest. It’s important to note that A3 has the smallest print size, as it’s maximum printing output is 150 x 150 x 150 mm. It is heaviest of all printers with an approximate weight of 10 kilograms.
Pricing for this model varies. Check the price of Anet A3 in these stores|Amazon|
[amazon box=”B075DBJV6S”]
Anet A2
Anet A2 frame is made out of aluminum and has additional upgrade options like LCD and Larger heatbed.
Anet A2 is the only printer with a solid aluminum frame. At the same time it’s the most light-weighty of all. A2 is the most customizable one, since manufacturer and retailers sell various options for it, like LCD or extended heated-bed upgrade.
There are plenty of variations of A2.
First we have color variations, with 220m heated and different LCD displays.
A2 Black 2004– Black aluminum frame , 220mm heat bed, LCD 2004 (optional auto-level supported)
A2 Silver 2004– Silver aluminum frame, 220mm heat bed, LCD 2004 (optional auto-level supported)
A2 Black 12864- Black aluminum frame , 220mm heat bed, LCD 12864 (optional auto-level not supported)
A2 Silver 12864- Silver aluminum frame , 220mm heat bed, LCD 12864 (optional auto-level not supported)
Second we have color variations, with an extended 270m heated and different LCD displays.
A2 Plus Black 2004 (Extended) – Black aluminum frame, 270mm heat bed, LCD 2004 (optional auto-level supported)
A2 Plus Silver 2004 (Extended) – Silver aluminum frame, 270mm heat bed, LCD 2004 (optional auto-level supported)
A2 Plus Black 12864 (Extended) – Black aluminum frame, 270mm heat bed, LCD 12864 (optional auto-level not supported)
A2 Plus Silver 12864 (Extended) – Silver aluminum frame, 270mm heat bed, LCD 12864 (optional auto-level not supported)
Be aware, if you’d like to install an auto-leveling sensor on your A2, do not buy 12864 LCD option, since it’s not compatible with auto-leveling.
[amazon box=”B01N1WD9Y6″]
Learn more about Anet 3D printers
Anet A8 Review
Anet A8 Best Upgrades
Anet A6 Review
All Anet printers compared
Anet A8: Final review in comparison to the Anet A6, Anet A3, & Anet A2
There you have it. I hope this article helped you understand the differences between different Anet D printer models and made your choice easier.
If there’s something I missed or you noticed an error, feel free to leave a comment below, and I’ll update both table and article.
I do not wish to pick up all the credits for the table and information in this article. Lots of people helped me improve it and make it as accurate as possible. Special thanks goes to these guys :
Tiffany T. (Anet sales representative)
Steve W. , Atli M.E. , Jim M. ,Peter M.R. (Anet A-series 3D Printer Help & Discussion Facebook group)
Cody S. , Stephen T.E. (Official Anet 3D printer Support Group on Facebook)
March 9, 2026

Eleven of the Best Drones Under $100

Best Drones Under 100 in 2018

Whether you are a new or experienced drone pilot, flying a drone can be very fun and advantageous. You may be thinking of purchasing a drone that can buzz around indoors or outdoors, or as a gift to a loved one. Here is a list of the best drones under $100 in 2018! These drones on the list are catchy and attention-grabbing, because they exude excellent qualities, making them the best drones under 100 for 2018.

Top Drones Under $100: FAQs

Are drones safe for children?

In today’s generation, it is no longer a surprise if a child shows interest in flying drones. The predicament then circles around the idea of how safe can drone flying be for a child. So, is it safe? Well, it depends on a lot of things. Here are some of the things that parents should consider.

How old is the kid? If your child is at least around 8 years old, he or she can start learning how to fly a drone. Although, the choices for child-friendly drones are quite limited. A model that uses a remote control rather than a smartphone or tablet is preferable for kids.

Another thing to consider is the camera. Unless you’re planning to teach your kid about aerial photography, you might want to tick this off your requirements during your drone shopping. Drones with camera tend to be more expensive too which will also cost you more to repair in case your child crashes it. Not to mention how these cameras can potentially be hacked by anyone, risking your family’s privacy.

Adult supervision is the biggest factor that can determine how safe flying drones can be for kids. Even with the right model, without the parent watching over their kids during the activity, things can easily go wrong.

What are the best drones for under $100?

Naturally, the price range of drones can vary depending on their features. While an expensive one can be packed with impressive specs, not everyone can afford them. Fortunately, there are cheap drones that can also provide decent performance for anyone aiming to be a future drone pilot. So, to answer this question, here is a list of the best drones in the market that are just under $100.

The Best Drones for Under $100

1. Holy Stone F181

Flight Time	About 9 minutes
Charge Time	About 80 minutes
Camera Features	720P HD camera with SD card
Max Distance	328ft
Drone Features	One Key Return Headless Security System Altitude Hold Function One Key 360° 4-Ways Flip
Price	Buy on Amazon

If you visit Amazon to find the best drone under 100, you will find out that the Holy Stone F181 is enjoying itself in the spotlight as the website’s current best selling drone. Over two thousand reviews are featured under this specific drone – with most of these reviews being positive. As for its rating, this drone is given an overall rating of 4.5 stars, making it an excellent pick for every drone enthusiast. What are the great things that you can expect from this little fella?

For its features, the Holy Stone F181 boasts a single-key return home, altitude hold, single-key flips, and headless mode. Even though it is not technically a feature, you will be happy to see an extra battery, right out of the box. This is one noteworthy addition to a high quality and affordable drone. As for its specifications, the Holy Stone F181 is highly comparable to all the other competitors on the market today.

This quadcopter can go as far as 100 meters (328 ft) depending on weather conditions and potential interferences. However, most of the time this drone will manage a realistic flight of 80 meters (262 ft). As for its battery life, the Holy Stone F181 can fly up to nine minutes. It’s a decent pick for an affordable and high-quality drone.

Additionally, the drone comes with a built-in camera, employing a sensor that captures images in HD resolution. It is important to note here that this drone is not much of a light-friendly pick because there’s not much light coming into your drone’s lens. A downside which may not be an issue during the day, but at night time, you can just forget about low light or night shots.

2. Tarantula X6

Flight Time	About 10 minutes
Charge Time	About 150 minutes
Camera Features	No camera included
Max Distance	328ft
Drone Features	Hyper IOC Function 360 Degree Flips 6-Axis Gyro
Price	Buy on Amazon

This quadcopter is modified and described by many drone enthusiasts as something neat. This is true to the fact that it comes with a different design which is not common among other drones on the market. It doesn’t have a built-in camera, but you can purchase one separately. The Tarantula X6 has sufficient power to lift certain types of random cameras such as a GoPro. In the year 2015, Tarantula X6 happened to be one of the year’s best-selling drones!

One of the top features of the Tarantula X6 is that you can fix it on your own. For instance, this drone allows you to replace its motors more easily, something that you may not be able to do on other drones today. Replacing the motors is very important for drone users because RC motors are known to burn out and wear out over time.

When motors burn out, you can just order the parts from a trusted drone parts seller and do the replacement procedure yourself. Or, you can watch video tutorials on YouTube to learn the easy and proper ways to replace your quadcopter’s motors. The Tarantula X6 comes with a 7.4V 1200 mAh LiPo battery that lets your drone fly for ten to twelve minutes.

3. Hubsan X4

Flight Time	About 7 minutes
Charge Time	About 30 minutes
Camera Features	No camera included
Max Distance	328ft
Drone Features	6-Axis Flight Control 4-Ways Flip Adjustable Gyro Sensitivity
Price	Buy on Amazon

In terms of price, features, and quality, this particular brand is one of the best drones that you can purchase today. Many people would agree that this is indeed the best inexpensive quadcopter brand. Would you agree? There is one thing that’s for sure though – the Hubsan X4 can be listed as one of the best drones today.

One of the best features of Hubsan X4 is its 100-meter (328 ft) range capability. This makes it comparable to other inexpensive drones of similar size. Another great feature of this drone is its 2MP mountable camera; something that you may not see on other inexpensive drones on the market. While the first two features are simply amazing, it is important to note that the Hubsan X4 comes with a shorter flight time which is only six to eight minutes. However, a matter of importance is that its 3.7V 380mAh battery only takes about thirty minutes to charge.

4. UDI U845

Flight Time	About 9 minutes
Charge Time	About 50 minutes
Camera Features	2MP / 720P / 30FPS
Max Distance	328ft
Drone Features	6-Axis Flight Control Battery Notifier Hands-Free 360 Roll
Price	Buy on Amazon

If you take a closer look at this drone, you will notice that it boasts some excellent characteristics. The UDI U845 looks unique and distinctive when compared to all the other drones on this list. When you see this drone for the first time, you might want to think of it as a UFO. Even though you may imagine it as an alien craft, the UFO-like design is essential to the incorporation of its six propellers. Thus, this would make you think that this drone is not a quadcopter but a hexacopter.

Surrounded by a durable frame, the UDI U845 carries a 720p HD 2MP camera that comes with FPV support. This is indeed a great extra, especially for those people who want to bring their drone flying and piloting to the next level. This particular drone employs a battery that allows it to fly for about eight minutes. When the battery is drained, you need to let it rest for two hours before you can recharge.

As for the features, the UDI U845 sports a single key that allows 360 flips, an FPV, and a headless mode. Giving it additional points is its LCD controller. The only downside to this drone is the wait time between charges; easily solved by purchasing additional battery packs.

5. JXD 509W

Flight Time	About 8 minutes
Charge Time	About 60-90 minutes
Camera Features	2MP
Max Distance	164ft
Drone Features	One Key Return Headless Mode 360 Degree Flips
Price	Buy on Amazon

Earning the fifth spot on our list for the best drone under $100 is the JXD 509W. This drone is the WiFi version of the very popular and widely used 509G drone. Constructed with very durable ABS plastic, this drone comes with propellers that are highly flexible. These propellers can bend about 90 degrees without breaking, which helps to ensure longevity if it hits an object or crashes.

Due to the JXD 509W’s durable construction, this drone can withstand many learning flights, hits, bumps, and crashes. Moreover, this machine sports a very professional appearance and provides a good number of features with highly competent specifications. You can have all of those features for a price tag that’s simply attractive and affordable. Some useful features of this drone include single-key home return, automatic landing, headless mode, 2MP camera, and altitude holder. With the JXD 509W, you can have all your drone-flying needs covered without spending too much.

6. UDI U818 HD+

Flight Time	About 8 minutes
Charge Time	About 60-90 minutes
Camera Features	720p HD Camera
Max Distance	328ft
Drone Features	1 Button Flips Headless Mode Bonus Battery
Price	Buy on Amazon

This particular drone placed itself at the top of the list due to its cool features and amazing qualities. It proves itself to be something that’s very easy to pilot and highly reliable. As it is also extremely durable, you can be confident that it will last for a more extended period compared to other less expensive drones on the market today. The UDI U818 HD+ comes with prop guards that help make this drone resistant to crashes.

As for the features, the UDI U818 HD+ Drone has a headless flight mode and a single-key 360 flips for a fantastic watching experience. This drone also comes with an alarm that will tell you when the drone’s battery is running low on power. The LED lights on the UDI U818 HD+ drone make it much easier to spot. These features are well rounded with a built-in HD camera that’s more than solid.

The camera of the UDI U818 HD+ drone captures and records 720p HD at thirty frames per second. It is definitely the best camera for a drone that you can buy for less than $100. In summary, the UDI U818 HD+ drone is a fantastic entry-level drone that’s capable of providing tons and tons of fun for everyone who flies it.

7. Blade Nano

Flight Time	About 7 minutes
Charge Time	About 30 minutes
Camera Features	No camera
Max Distance	200ft
Drone Features	SAFE Technology Extremely Small Powerful Lift
Price	Buy on Amazon

As suggested by its name, the Blade Nano is a miniature type of drone in the entry-level category. Small as you can see, this particular type of drone is of a sleek design that also features two colors and yellow/white schemes. With such an appearance, this little drone is pleasant for everyone’s eyes.

One of the best features of the Blade Nano is its SAFE technology which is patented by Blade. SAFE stands for a technology that has to do with Sensor Assisted Flight Envelope. This particular technology helps and supports the drone’s overall stability and agility, assuring you that it is safe to fly in both outdoor and indoor scenarios.

As for its flight time, the Blade Nano can fly and hover in the air for a maximum of seven minutes. Its battery life may sound a little short to those who expect more flight time, however, take into consideration that this drone is miniature. On the brighter side, it has a recharge time of less than half an hour, which is an impressive advantage.

One big downside of the Blade Nano is the fact that it does not come with a controller on some models. If you make use of a BNF drone, you need to acquire yourself a controller or transmitter and bind it to your drone beforehand. But for those who already have controllers or transmitters, opting for the Blade Nano can be an excellent option. Flying this drone can be insanely fun, especially when you pair it up with goggles (FPV), which gives you massive immersion boost.

8. Syma X5UW

Flight Time	About 6 minutes
Charge Time	Less than 30 minutes
Camera Features	720P HD Camera
Max Distance	160ft
Drone Features	Auto Hovering Easy To Use App One Key 360 Roll
Price	Buy on Amazon

When it comes to physical looks, the Syma X5UW happens to be a good option when choosing from the list of the best drones for under $100. This particular drone is also known to be one of the newest on the list. Offering modern and advanced features, the Syma X5UW boasts an FPV, mobile app control, and altitude hold. While it may not be tagged as the most stable of drones, you will be surprised to see its fast-flying ability. During high-speed flights, the drone’s motors are expected to be a little noisy.

Durability is not a question for this kind of drone. Syma X5UW features an extremely durable frame that can survive and withstand multiple crashes. It comes with phantom-like batteries that can provide you with a flying time of six to ten minutes. It can also fly to as far as 80 meters (262 ft), which is a flight capability comparable to other drones within the similar price range.

9. Syma X5C1

Flight Time	About 7 minutes
Charge Time	About 100 minutes
Camera Features	2MP Camera
Max Distance	160ft
Drone Features	6-Axis Flight Control Blade Protectors Durably Built
Price	Buy on Amazon

The Syma X5C1 is known as the leveled-up version of the famous Syma X5C, a model which brought great success to Syma. People who are highly enthusiastic about drones have coined the Syma X5C as the best budget-friendly and affordable drone. Once you take it out of the box, you can fly it immediately if you so choose. This one is also known as one of the best selling drones on the market now.

Syma X5C1’s four strong motors allow the drone to lift and transport light objects, especially if the camera is removed. The 2MP camera is easy to mount, and if you are not using the camera expect the drone to increase its flight time from five to six minutes. Its 3.7V 500mAh battery powers both the camera and the quadcopter itself. This specific drone is an excellent pick for both indoor and outdoor flying.

10. Syma X8C

Flight Time	About 8 minutes
Charge Time	About 180 minutes
Camera Features	2MP Camera
Max Distance	164ft
Drone Features	Intelligent Orientation Control 6 Axis Gyro Colorful Lights
Price	Buy on Amazon

You might have noticed that this list comprised of the best drones under 100 features three that bear the name “Syma.” This is not a surprising fact since the Syma brand is well-known when it comes to quality affordable drones or quadcopters. Many of Syma’s products have become truly successful on the market, and one of the best products is the Syma X8C, basically resembling the famous DJI Phantom.

Weighing 601 grams, or 1.3lbs (with the camera and battery installed), this aircraft is somewhat heavy. To manage its weight, the drone employs large propellers and makes use of a big 2000mAh battery to power up its brushed motors. The battery allows the drone to fly up to 50 meters of distance for about 8 minutes. Since it is a larger drone, it is highly stable, resistant to wind, and durable. Without its 2MP low-performance camera, the Syma X8C can fly much better. If you want a better camera, you should try a Mobius or 808-type camera.

11. HS170 Predator

Flight Time	About 8 minutes
Charge Time	About 50 minutes
Camera Features	No Camera
Max Distance	164ft
Drone Features	Headless Flight System 6 Axis Gyro Stabilization Wind Resistant
Price	Buy on Amazon

The HS170 Predator is an awesome drone that can provide you with endless fun and great flying experience. Apart from the flight experience this drone offers, its price point is also a nice treat since you can purchase this drone for just below $100. With its easy-to-use controllers, you can pull off moves and stunts like 3D flips and barrel rolls.

HS170 Predator features a headless mode, as well as LED lights. It can fly for a period of six to eight minutes. This drone is not rechargeable, so every time you wish to fly it, it is important to bring along extra batteries. You will also be surprised to see that this drone flies steadily, and is very resistant to wind. From your location, you will be able to fly this drone as far as thirty-five to fifty meters (115 ft to 164 ft). The HS170 Predator is also highly durable as it can survive multiple crashes, thanks to its high-quality construction.

Best Drones under $100: For Specific Needs

Here’s a bonus list of drones under $100 based on different categories.

Best Drones for Beginners under $100

Quadcopters are generally the easiest ones to operate, so they are an excellent choice for beginners. A quadcopter drone can also be equipped with some basic autonomous-flying modes and even a low-quality camera. Here’s are some models you should consider. In fact, we have included some of them in this review.

Hubsan X4
Syma X5C
Parrot Swing
Horizon Hobby Blade Nano QX

Best Drones with Camera under $100: Selfie Drones

Sure, any drone with a camera can easily be a good selfie drone. However, not all of them have a price tag of below $100. So, for those on a budget, here are some of the best alternatives for you. Although, you might need to stretch your expectations a little in terms of image quality. After all, these are under $100.

Ryze Tello
Syma X5
Force1 UDI U818A HD+
Force1 U28W WiFi FPV Drone

Best Real-Time Video Drones under $100

Drones capable of providing its pilot with a real-time video is probably the most coveted ones. They used to be very expensive too. Fortunately, there are now a few ones out there that offer a decent first-person view at a lesser price.

Holy Stone F181
UDI U845
Force1 U28W WiFi FPV Drone
Syma X5UW

Best Stunt Drones Under $100

Drone racing is easily the most exciting thing you can do with this device. But, for those who are still learning, it won’t be practical to invest in expensive models right away. The good news is, there are drones under $100 that can also pull off some stunts. Check out a few of them below.

HS170 Predator
Holy Stone F181
U45 Raven
U28W Peregrine

Final Thoughts on the Best Drone Under $100

With rapid technology growth, all drones have significantly come down in price. With even a small budget of just $100, you can purchase a high-quality drone that can be used for training, photography and/or sheer fun. We hope our comprehensive list has helped you pick your next drone.

Don’t forget to see our in-depth Xiaomi Mi Drone 4K review.

March 9, 2026

SJCAM SJ5000 vs SJ4000 – What is the difference?
Ever since SJCAM launched their new SJ5000 camera which comes in three versions, we have been wondering what is the difference between it and SJ4000. It is a known fact that SJ4000 became one of the most popular action cameras in just a year. But can SJ5000 beat it?
different sjcam models compared
You want short answer? The answer is YES. In terms of features, software, chip-set and video quality, the newer is nearly always better.
The big question : SJ5000 plus is nearly as twice as expensive as SJ4000 WiFi. Are the new features worth the money?
In this post I will compare the two cameras in terms of specifications, video and photography quality.
Since SJ4000 comes in WiFi and non WiFi version, I decided to compare the WiFi model, since that is literary the only difference between these two SJ4000.
On the other hand, 5000 has 3 different models. SJ5000, SJ5000 and SJ5000 Plus. If you would like to see what is a difference between them, check out this comparison I wrote recently.
To sum up, this comparison will include three models :
- SJ4000 WiFi (link)
- SJ5000 WiFi (link)
- SJ5000 Plus (link)
[go_pricing id=”sj4000vssj5000vs5000″]
SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi vs SJ5000 Novatek 96655 WiFi
The biggest difference between these two cameras, except the price is sensor. The first one has the Aptina AR0330 where as the other has Panasonic MN34110PA. For a regular users this might not be a huge difference. Quite simply said, Panasonic sensor preforms better according to tests. It is also better in low-light conditions.
Another difference comes in image resolution. Where as the maximum still shoot resolution in SJ4000 WiFi is 12M（4000×3000), SJ5000 WiFi can shoot in 16M(4608×3456). The more pixels your image has, means it can show more detailed photograph.
Final, and the least important (at least for most of users) is the size of LCD display. 1.5” 960*240 is the size of the SJ4000 LCD. SJ5000 WiFi has 2” 960*240 LCD display. The reason display is smaller could be the different size of the chip-set. Though it is not much larger, SJ4000 display looks better.
SJ4000 vs SJ5000+ (plus)
The biggest advantage of SJ5000 Plus is its ability to record videos in 60 fps at 1080p. No other SJCAM product before it was able to do that. In addition to higher frames per second in 1080p mode, this camera offers better image resolution and better sensor. Obviously, it preforms better in low-light condition and has slightly more natural colors.
With displays being the same size, there is no feature in which SJ4000 can beat the SJ5000 plus, except, wait for it… Price.
Are all improvements worth the price difference you may be wondering? Well, that really depends on your needs.
The truth is that people used to love SJCAM products because of its affordable price and rich features. With all the previous product, I was under impression that I was getting a better deal. I was the winner in consumer vs manufacturer battle. But not with the SJ5000 plus. Its price tag currently says 169$.
While on one hand it has better features then the 4000 WiFi, you can add few more bucks and get an action camera from an established brand like Sony or GoPro. I know that this is not comparison of the Sony AS100V vs SJ5000+, but if you are patient enough, you can get the Sony´s camera for around 199-219$ (This is what I paid for mine. Ordered directly from Sony).
Coupons and discounts on SJ4000 and SJ5000
If you already decided which one to get, on our deal page you can take a look at hand-picked coupons and discounts on these cameras.
So if you want to save few bucks, check these deals out.
To be sure you’re buying an official SJCAM product, you should probably go with one of the following sellers/stores.
- SJCAM Official Amazon Store – link to the store
- SJCAM AliExpress Authorized Reseller – link to the seller
Final thoughts on SJ5000 vs SJ4000
If you are just a regular on budget user trying to capture video of your trips, surfing, playing soccer or anything else, SJ4000 is still the best sjcam when you compare cameras. Unless you need 60fps and slightly better video and do not want to stretch your budget beyond 170$ SJ5000 plus is the way to go. I would not recommend SJ5000 WiFi since it does not offer as much as Plus does, but does not recommend tremendously better features then SJ4000. I also wrote quite lengthy article and review about SJ4000 so make sure to check it out if you are interested in in-depth feature analysis.
March 8, 2026
Best Upgrades for Anet A8 3D Printer
You bought your first 3D printer, an Anet A8. It was a bit scary at first, I know. You took time to assemble it and made few mistakes along the way. Perfectly fine. You plugged it in, started printing and the end result was good, but lets make it better with several Anet a8 upgrades.
Pimp my 3d printer – Episode 1. Before and after the overhaul and upgrades – Anet A8.
Good is just that – good. But did you know that there are things you can do to make your A8 run even better? Make better prints, be less noisy or be more secure?
There are two ways to have Anet A8 improvements:
1. 1. Printing the upgrades
  2. Buying new parts which provide better performance
[amazon box=”B06XPRCMJS,B07BPNCNXN,B06XY5HBFX,B00ME5YAPK,B0761TLRNY,B07B2673QY,B00D7CWSCG,B07B3NBVPV” template=”table”]
Upgrades for Anet A8 which you can print
Good thing when you already own a 3D printer is that you can use it to print the parts with your A8. Hell, if you’re a crafty fella who knows how to 3d model, you can design parts yourself. Even though I already listed most of the printable parts in my Anet A8 in-depth review, I’d like to clarify what I am using currently and why.
Before I begin, just little thank you to all the authors of the A8 upgrades who uploaded their designs for free, so that other users can improve their printers at no additional cost.
Here is a list of printable A8 upgrades which I’m using. All of these files are free to download and most of them are extremely easy to print.
A8 Duct Fan
An Anet A8 fan duct cools your prints. The original duct fan which arrives with the A8 is not that good. As a matter of fact, replacing the Anet A8 fan is first things most owners do.
I found semi-circular fan duct to work the best
While there is a variety of duct fans and modifications available, I’ve been using the Semi-Circular Fan Duct by the user named lockster.
The only downside of this semi-duct is that you have to remove the side fan in order to mount it. This, however, gives a better seal and gives better air-flow. One more downside can occur if you’re used to removing a regular fan duct while leveling your bed. You won’t be able to see the nozzle distance properly, and removing it each time would require taking off the fan. But if you’re using an A4 paper method to level it (which is highly recommended), it shouldn’t be a major problem.
Personally, a semi-circular duct, fixed one more problem. If I wanted to record smaller prints with a camera it would be slightly harder to catch a perfect angle if you’re using the completely circular duct. That’s why I mount my camera in the opposite direction. I must admit that the original A8 duct gave me the best angle for time-lapse recording. I’d rather have better air-flow. So semi-circular it is.
A8 Extruder Button
Pressing the hex screw in order to replace a filament is one of the worst experiences I had with A8. Especially if you’re starting out, you’ll be doing it quite a lot. The screw that needs to be pressed causes a pain in the thumb. Luckily enough, there is a solution. Extruder button is one of the simplest and fastest prints you can do.
I tried out three button designs :
- Extruder Button Anet A8 by dryas
- Extruder Hex Button Anet A8 by carnivoreci
- A8 Ergonomic Retained Release Button by danohpsp
While all three work and protect your fingers well, I found Ergonomic Button the best. It has the most comfortable pressing surface and it has a mechanism to attach it tight by using plastic tie-wraps which came with A8. Its concave shape of the top prevents slippage as well.
So, I recommend that print out the ergonomic button. It takes no more than 20-25 minutes depending on your printing speed. Your thumb won’t hurt anymore. Try it out, thank me later.
A8 [amazon fields=”B078MWXPL3″ value=”thumb” image_size=”large”][amazon fields=”B078MWXPL3″ value=”button”] Filament Guides
Guiding your filament to avoid its misguidance can be considered as a good upgrade as well. Even though it might have visible effects on your prints it reduces chafing of the filament. Also, it looks cool.
- Anet A8 Filament guide (extruder Anet A8) by jrwells
- Anet A8 Filament guide horizontal (top of the frame) by papinist
I personally tried two guides and both worked well for me. I use them both. One serves as an upper guide, the other is mounted above the extruder hole. One thing though, even though I found the extruder guide helpful it makes inserting filament slightly less comfortable. It requires me to hold the filament below the tiny space from the guide and the hole to be able to put it into the hole precisely. Still, I think it’s a good upgrade.
So my recommendation is to print them both.
1. anti-vibration dust caps 2. T corners 3. Filament Guide (horizontal)
I am still testing if the dust-cap really reduce vibrations. Once I am sure I’ll post more info on that.
If you are looking for an A8 extruder upgrade, you can print a Bowden extruder from Thingiverse.
I needed an A8 extruder replacement for testing reasons, and found this highly rated Anet A8 hotend DIY kit. View it here
[amazon box=”B01N12G2PV,B01MZBGFQ7,B00J0ECR5I” template=”table”]
A8 – Anti Vibration and stability upgrades
We are all aware of the fact that acrylic frame of the A8 is not the most firm nor most stable one. There are few modifications you can do to improve the stability and reduce vibrations with printed parts.
So far I tried these.
- T corner by Electrico
- Front brace by Leo_N
T corners are one of the most printed upgrades. It’s simple and it works well. These corners will make your frameless wobbly and more firm. There are tons of front braces available, I printed the one by user Leo_N and it fitted my printer perfectly. I also noticed the reduction in vibration.
A front brace by Leo does not require too much filament opposed to the others and it fits perfectly. Gave my printer quite a lot of stiffness.
A8 Belt tensioners
Though personally my most favorite printed upgrades, I left them for the end of this part, since I still believe these upgrades can improve. I’ve been using these two belt tensioners which made my belt tightening easier and helped me improve my prints making them less wobbly.
Belt tensioners are an important upgrade. Photo illustrates X axis and Y axis improved tensioners
So in my experience, these two printed upgrades had the biggest influence on my print quality when I started. This is mostly because I had no idea that the belts should be quite tight since the A8 Assembly Video did not go through that in much detail.
For now, I am using the :
- Improved X belt tensioner
- Improved Y belt tensioner
There are cons of each of these. First of all, I noticed that the X belt improved tensioner puts a bit more pressure on a steel rod and if you over-tighten it, it can move it in the opposite direction. I would rather if the tension pressure was elsewhere and not on the rod itself.
Secondly, I noticed that the Y tensioner vibrates just slightly and causes additional noise. Also when put directly the screw it uses can scratch the acrylics.
Despite the cons, both upgrades worked well for me, but I hope somebody will listen to the feedback and remix and improve them further since they are essential modifications.
Be aware that I tested these with my rubberized belt which allows much better stretching compared to the plastic belts which arrived with A8. Over-tightening the plastic belts may cause them to snap. So my the advice is to buy better belts, then try belt upgrades. I yet have to try these tensioners with a (eBay link) fiber-glass reinforced belt I ordered.
Heatbed Upgrade Printed Improvements
Update 2/15/2017
Since I moved to printing on a Anet A8 glass bed, I decided to permanently modify my heat bed. I really hate the way the bed has to be adjusted with a screw. So by printing wingnuts, you can modify it permanently. It’s much easier and faster. Furthermore, this adjustment allows me to use the full width of the glass bed 220 x 220, since I no longer need access to the screws.
Here are two heated bed upgrades to print. The second one should be printed only if you’re using a full-size glass.
- Hotbed Glass Corner Holder by thfo
- Wing Nut bed level screw by ozfunghi
Someone posted this image in one of the A8 groups and it really helped me when mounting my modified thumb-wheel. Be aware that this modification is permanent, you have to drill the holes into the Y carriage to expand them, so there’s no way back.
Since printed wing nuts will wear and tear over the time since they are plastic, I decided to order metal thumb wheel. You can get them on this link.
Additionally, you can purchase an Anet A8 hotbed replacement here.
Anet A8 Parts you can’t print
While the upgrades you can print with Anet A8 offer a good base for improving your 3D printer, there are Anet A8 parts you need to purchase in order to enhance the performance.
Anet A8 Belts
If there is one part that I tested extensively, that has to be the belt. I tried three types of belts for A8 :
- original plastic belts (arrive with the printer)
- rubberized belts
- (eBay link) fiber-glass reinforced belts
(eBay link in photo)In my experience, rubberized belts are the most stretchy ones. Also, they are quite cost-effective, since they are 5 times less expensive compared to the (eBay link) fiberglass reinforced belts which are quite hard to find anyway.
But after finally buying a fiber-glass reinforced belt, I must admit these ones are the best I tried so far. They are quite firm. My prints simply looked better when I installed these. The only downside is that I was having trouble finding them online. You might want to hurry up and get yours on time, who knows when they will run it out of stock.
[amazon box=”B07JCS5BFK,B07DFHQ5SF” template=”table”]
Mosfet Anet A8
Even though I did not experience any problems with my connectors on a motherboard burning or anything similar, some people have. This is one of the preventive measures to make electronics on your A8 more secure.
By adding a mosfet you will bypass the motherboard heating and put way less “pressure” on it. I am really not an expert in electronics, but plenty of people say this is an essential upgrade which will make your 3d printer safer.
Buy a mosfet Anet A8 expansion| Amazon| BangGood
I am still waiting for mine, and once I upgrade my printer, I will write a separate article on how to connect a mosfet. Detailed instructions on and how to guide can be found on this Wiki Page created by Anet community.
After doing throughout research, we have found this Anet A8 MOSFET package to be highly rated and very affordable. For only $17 you get 2 heatbeds.
[amazon box=”B06XY5HBFX,B01HEQVQAK” template=”table”]
e3D V6 Anet A8 HotEnd
According to the Anet community, you should upgrade to e3D V6 hotend, once you mastered other things. It takes a little time, but if you really want to get serious with your printing quality, replacing existing A8 hotend, with high-quality e3D V6 makes a huge difference in printing quality and speed as well as the versatility of materials you can use.
e3D V6 is not a necessary upgrade. It’s considered an advanced upgrade which further improves printing quality, speed and expands variety materials you can print with.
There are plenty of stories that this upgrade is too costly and that it’s not cost-effective to spend nearly half of the money you spent on a printer itself. I partly agree with this statement. That’s why I ordered both original and 7$ clone V6 hotend, to test if for you. Once both arrive, I’ll let write another article on it.
So far, there are two options :
- Buy original e3D V6
- Buy clone e3D V6
Titan Extruder – Replaces Anet A8 Extruder
Like with a hotend, E3D Titan extruder enables you to print wide variety of materials without clogging. According to people who own it, it’s an expensive, but worthy upgrade if you plan to print with different types of materials. The Titan Extruder preforms leaps and bounds better than the Anet A8 extruder.
For now, I did not try this extruder, as currently I have no need to print anything else but the PLA. Once I master my A8, I might test the Titan.
Similar to the e3D hotend, Titan also has cheaper, knock-off clones.
- Buy original Anet A8 Titan Extruder
- Buy Titan Extruder Clone
Hotbed improvements
Since this is quite a controversial topic, I’ll just list the things people use to improve their heat-bed adhesion. Currently I print with PLA on a yellow painters tape and have no problem with it, but I plan to try BuildTak and glass very soon.
- Glass (you can get it locally)
- buildtak/ Vertex cover
- Insulation cotton (for achieving temperature faster and temperature regulation)
- Blue tape (you can get it locally)
Anet A8 Glass bed
Update 2/15/2018
As promised earlier, I have upgraded my heatbed by putting 220 x 220 x 3 mm thick glass on top of it. If you intend to still level your heat bed with a screw, you should get a slightly smaller glass and these clips to hold it better. On my printer, I have 220 x 220 size glass with slightly drilled and extended holes, glass angle holders, and printed wingnuts.
Personally, I have noticed visible improvements in printing quality of the first layer. Not only is the first layer much smoother on a glass, but the glass bed is way easier to maintain. I usually clean it with acetone after few prints. While I had to replace yellow tape every now and then, the glass is here to last. In the end, glass is a more cost-effective option.
Models are slightly harder to remove from the glass than the yellow tape. Also, I have noticed an improvement in object sticking better to the glass.
I print all my larger models with brim (Brim Adhesion in Cura 2.3.1). As a result I do not use a hairspray, but people suggest it might be a good idea to use it if you can’t get your objects to stick onto a glass.
The only downside of printing on a glass opposed to a yellow tape, is that the heat-bed takes a little bit more time to heat.
[amazon box=”B076V38M7R,B07B2YLWF9″ template=”table”]
Igus DryLin Anet A8 Bearings
Anet A8 is one noisy fella. Luckily , thanks to magnificent bearings from Ignus, it can be much quieter. Check out the test here.
Wow. Just wow. I am amazed with how well these things are working on my printer. I was ignorant to buy only 4, so I replaced only under the heatbed.
I bought them here, but perhaps you can find better deals on eBay, here’s the link. You will need 7 of those.
Here is an installation video of the Anet A8 bearing upgrades. The process is fairly easy, especially if you have a ring plier tool.
YouTube Video
Spare parts
Like it or not, like most of the 3D printers A8 requires regular maintenance. Even after you’ve done upgrades, things can go wrong for various reasons. In my experience it’s always good to have few spare parts for A8, so here are my top 3.
- Anet A8 Nozzle (mix various size)
- screw + pfte tube
- Aluminum heater block
Filaments
Whereas there’s a wide variety of materials you can print with your A8, there’s no “best” one. This is because due to insane amount of modifications people do to their printers, it’s always hard to recommend a universal solution. Below list includes some of my favorites, but yet cost-effective 3D printing materials for my A8. Be aware that what might work for me, might not be the best option for you, due to differences in our setups.
- PLA 3D Printing Material (made by Anet) – link
- PETG 3D Printing Material – link
- Flexible 3D Printing Material – link
- Wooden 3D Printing Material – link
[amazon box=”B06XRPYXP2,B07CVKK44J,B00TI3JUTM,B07JPL5WRC” template=”table”]
Anet A8 Power Supply
Some users believe that the stock Anet A8 power supply unit (PSU) is underpowered and have opted to upgrade to the eTopxizu 12v 30a Anet A8 power supply. From our experience, you will see tremendous improvements if you add both a MOSFET and power supply.
Purchase the upgraded Anet A8 power supply
[amazon box=”B00D7CWSCG” template=”table”]
Summary
As you can see, printed or bought, there are plenty of modification which will help you improve Anet A8. Once again the community behind this printer is enormous and the upgrades are evolving each day. Each and every day someone from the community prints something new designs something new. The list is not definite. It is ongoing and I’ll try to keep it updated whenever I discover something better then what I already had.
What is your favorite Anet A8 upgrade?
Due to my inability to test each and every upgrade, I would like to ask you for help. If you are using particular printed part or you bought something that works well for you – leave a comment below and help me and other readers improve our printer. Which upgrade do you find the most useful and why?
Feel free to leave a link, but it would be good if you can elaborate in which way particular upgrade helped you make better prints or secured your printer.
March 8, 2026

Author: Zach

History and evolution of action cameras

Early action cameras

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

GoPro Era – Everyone can be a hero.

What the future holds?

Summary

Additional Resources

Eken H9 Review – Best Beginners Action Camera for 2024?

Eken H9 technical specification

Video Quality

Photo Quality

Sound quality

Packing and accessories

Design and built quality

Dimension and weight

Buttons and functions

Operating Modes

Video and Photo mode

Settings

Video resolution

Looping video

Time Stamp

Exposure

Photo resolution

Burst photo

Time Lapse and continuous lapse

Power frequency

Language

Sound indicator

Upside down

Screen and power saver

Other

Eken H9 Battery performance

Using SJCAM batteries on Eken H9

Results with 900mah battery

Customer Support – Knock, knock, anybody out there?

Firmware updates

Final Eken H9 Summary

Final judgement

Pros

Cons

Conclusion

Where to buy Eken H9?

Questions

Best Anet 3D printers compared : Anet A8 vs A6 vs A3 vs A2

Anet A8 vs A6 vs A3 vs A2 comparison table

Anet A8