All user reviews for the Zoom Q3HD

Purchased primarily for:

Sound: very good stereo, beautiful stunning clarity and vibrant! The level can be adjusted easily between modes HIGH / LOW / AUTO and format can either be saved in WAV or AAC compressed. The low cut allows a clearer recording and clean, as it reduces the bass and so much of the noise!

If you want a camera but you make fun of her, do not take the Q3HD Zoom: In the dark scene image sharpness is greatly bruised, there is no optical zoom, there is that digital zoom (it crops the image). But the image is of good quality when conditions are favorable!

Here's a test (compressed to give his power, and some acute accents):

I love:
- The sound
- The picture
- The low pass filter which eliminates handling noise and low parasite when taking a related speech.
- The possibility of the HD

I hate:
- Grave problem when the SD card supported! only a very limited number of cards are supported. And it is for me the limit of dishonesty. The last day of the firmware (1.15) has more than a year and no solution is proposed.
- Very sensitive to light conditions: A great light will give a good result ... good light poorly.
- Anchor consisting of a net cut in the plastic
- Aspect of the capsule cheap micro


In short, the big downside is the story of Zoom SDHC card which is really not the pub and on which not much seems to have changed for almost a year ... damage.

Zoom Q3-HD First Impressions
Original English version from Vardaro


Zoom Q3-HD: first impressions.

Why the Q3?
Reviews showed disappointment in the video, but the initial bugs seem to have been corrected in the 2010 firmware, (v.1.15), and the unit seems reliable, and very practical.
I am a classical violinist and choirmaster, and so I need basic «natural» stereo. (XY 120 deg gives mono compatability but keeps the overall room acoustic).
I hesitated between the Q3-HD and a PlaySport in parallel with my Zoom H2 what decided me was the 2-second startup, the one-press rec/stop button, and above all the removable sd card and the standard, instantly replaceable batteries.

Superglue?
I am sorely tempted to stick some black loud-speaker mesh in the microphone compartment to protect the mics; and rims of plastic round the lens housing and screen ( I sometimes have to put the thing down!)
I shall also keep an elastic band in my pocket for when the little tags on the battery cover break!! (I'll be opening it rather often, I fear.)

Pleasantly surprised?
The default settings are sensible: 720/30 auto, AAC192 auto; but I was pleased to find that my own settings remained valid even after removing the batteries.
The Auto sound setting can be changed to High or Low at the flick of the external switch.
The two Auto sound settings are ingenious: Up & Down (default) levels everything; Down Only reacts to loud sounds, and then stays low to respect the expressive dynamics of the music – very important to the classical musician. Normally, I shall not be using Auto.

My settings?
Stop the beeps! Stop the speaker for playback! (My neighbour might be recording the concert too.)
PCM 16-bit 48Kz (I'll compress the sound later, if necessary).
720 (wider angle) 60ips (fluidity).
Concert Lighting (considerably reduces glare from facing lamps or windows).

Batteries?
Alkalines give 1.5v, NiMh only 1.2v, so it is important to adjust the settings, or the unit may give up early.
The official figures, (2 hours video, 4 hours audio) probably only apply to the very highest capacity alkalines, at the very lowest quality settings. The very highest settings give file-sizes 3-4 times bigger for the same timing, and so they must use considerably more current...
I shall set up an external battery box, or keep a huge supply in my pocket. At least there is no 4-hour wait for an unpredictable USB charge.
Remember that NiMh rechargeables lose their charge when not in use : (

File size?
Limited to under 4 GB (Fat32 limit on SD cards). This limits the recording time to betwwen 30 mins (highest settings) and 120 min (lowest settings). After 4GB, a new file is started, but I don't yet know how much is lost in between.

Precautions?
To avoid annoying neighbours, musicians, lecturers, union officials etc., I shall put a sticker on the little light under the lens, and a cloth flap over the screen (which will otherwise turn my face into a Halloween mask!)
For hand holding, I will hold the tripod – tight shut – with a cloth, to avoid creaking and rubbing noises.

Well, that's all for now, time for a full trial!


First test (a week later)

Settings: 720/30 concert lighting; PCM48kHz auto; Batteries NiMh (1.2v)

Batteries:
Fully charged NiMh 2500mAh lasted nearly 3 hours;
so, 2 3/4 hours with 2300mAh and 2 hours with 1800mAh batteries.
See above for warnings.

File size:
After the 4GB limit, a new .mov file starts automatically; I did not notice any loss during the switch. On the unit itself, the two files appear as one big file.
Also, when the SD card is full, the recording stops with no loss of data.

So, I know I can leave the unit running on a tripod, or attatched to a pillar,for the whole concert. (The lack of image stabalisation makes hand-holding rather cramp-inducing!) The mics pick up the slightest finger contact, or floor thump through a monopod, so I might use the conical adaptor wrapped in foam in a stadard mic-holder .

So, until I test the unit in poor lighting, etc, I am very pleased with my Q-HD!

Q3HD is smaller in person than I expected. Much like the Korg MicroX orange case looks a lot bigger once you have it sitting on your table for the first time. This ZOOM little wonder is pretty much like the TARDIS: it's got a lot more talent packed inside than the size would indicate. It comes on in a second, records like a dream. Depending on choice of format, a 2GB SD card can hold up to 28 hours of audio. The video is really, really good, definitely DVD quality, as is the audio. This is a bloody good piece of electronics. The control panel is easy to navigate. Definitely get the accessories pack. It really shouldn't be optional. You're going to need all that stuff eventually. I can't recommend this enough. It is tough, well thought out, easy to handle and performs as a video cam and sound station with an astonishing excellence. This is a must-have item for anyone, not just musicians and fans. I've been using mine as a bench recorder for the sound coming out of my Kaossilator and Kaoss Pad. Those three instruments together make for a battery powered pocket movie studio.

So, The camera was better than I expected. Picture quality was good and the sound quality was unmatched. Only cons are you need a wind screen most of the time when shooting outdoors, no light on the device for low light situations and you defiantly need to use rechargeable batteries. outside of those little issues, I'm very satisfied. If I had another chance to purchase I would do it all over again and get the same thing. Its not too high of a price but its not cheap either, plus its really delicate so don’t drop it. It would probably break on the first drop so be careful. But this is the best you will get for this price range.

* How long have you use it?
A few months ago. I could shoot some demos of stuff, a few repetitions.

* What is so special that you like most and least?
Plus:
- Video quality,
- The audio quality,
- Storage on SD cards,
- Getting started "easy you die"
- In the line,
- Possibilities for encoding audio / video
- The possibility to use it without video audio recorder.

Minimum:
- The plastic housing (no kidding!)
- USB cable with 2 cm long, unless such practice does not exist,
- The record button in the middle of the jog controls and super sensitive, which makes the films two seconds become a habit,
- The software "Handyshare" Zoom: ugly, irrelevant, it seems a freeware so it's 90 years of nase (limit shame on this point),
- The lack of wide angle cruel: difficult to film a whole group,
- The fact that the lens is fixed. To videos of demos of effects pedals, attention as it sucks,
- Pack sold separately for about thirty euros and indispensable (includes windscreen, mini tripod and a dedicated power (forget the diet Boss: This is a mini plug)),
- Battery power for a product released in 2010 (without messing bis!).

* Have you tried many other models before buying it?
No. I had not bought the first Q3 because I was on that walk and that would evolve into an HD version. For once, I did well to wait.

* How would you rate the quality / price?
Good. Most excellent, but not good for a all in one solution. For the same price, you can find a small camescode HD with better video quality and an external microphone jack.

* With experience, you do again this choice?
Yes. For the video hard to film rehearsals quickly not too bad actually make videos of you taking up the Canon Rock and mail it to YouTube, the fact ca.
For events, for concerts, I am less certain because the object will not last long if you do fall into the mud hopped a summer festival. Besides, the battery power that can be hazardous.
In short, good home!