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Technical Details
- Zoom brought unrivaled stereo sound to your movies with the Q3 Handy Video Recorder. Now, with the Q3HD, there's only one handheld camcorder that does it all in 1080p. The Q3HD Handy Video Recorder takes Zoom's renowned audio technology and combines it with HD video, allowing you to capture every moment with stunning clarity and resolution. With the Q3HD, it's never been easier or more fun to shoot great videos. Select 720p or 1080p for amazing clarity and detail no matter where or what you're s
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Product Description
From the Manufacturer
| Q3HD – Handy Video Recorder Brilliant Stereo Recording… Now with HD Video. Zoom brought unrivaled stereo sound to your movies with the Q3 Handy Video Recorder. Now, with the Q3HD, there's only one handheld camcorder that does it all in 1080p. The Q3HD Handy Video Recorder takes Zoom's renowned audio technology and combines it with HD video, allowing you to capture every moment with stunning clarity and resolution. It's an HD World. With the Q3HD, it's never been easier or more fun to shoot great videos. Select 720p or 1080p for amazing clarity and detail no matter where or what you're shooting. It also includes two standard definition (SD) formats for those times when a smaller file size is needed. With a new lens and imaging sensor, the Q3HD captures exceptionally clean video that is compressed with the high quality H.264 video codec. It also has a larger aperture, which lets more light into your movies. And with its 4x digital zoom, the Q3HD gets you closer to the action. Turn it sideways… Zoom made on-the-go viewing better than ever with the Q3HD. Simply turn the camera on its side and press play. Watch your videos anywhere with its "widescreen" color LCD screen and built-in reference speaker.  Bring up the lights. With the Q3HD, you can choose among three different lighting settings. This makes shooting video in challenging lighting conditions easy. For most situations, choosing "Auto" will give you the best, clearest results. You can also select "Concert Lighting", which will automatically adjust for rapid changes in stage lights and compensate when the stage goes dark. Choose "Night" for maximizing any available light in the lowest light conditions. | |
 | Sound makes the movie. The Q3HD uses the same microphone capsules as Zoom's industry-leading H4n Handy Recorder. From live musical performances, rehearsals and recitals to journalism, education, sports or travel, the Q3HD's pristine audio is so realistic your movies will transport you back to the moment, to relive over and over again. With two on-board, studio-quality condenser mics configured in a wide 120 X/Y pattern, the Q3HD gives you true depth and stereo imaging, making your movies sound as if they were recorded on a Hollywood soundstage. The Q3HD also displays audio meters, allowing you to quickly monitor and set your levels. Set the gain to High or Low to record in soft or loud environments. Or use the Q3HD's Auto Level to automatically set the right recording level for any given situation. And now with two settings for Auto Level Gain Control, we've made it easy to get great sound no matter what you're shooting. For outdoor shoots, we highly recommend using a windscreen over the mics to prevent wind noise. |
| Get intuitive. The Q3HD sports a new icon-based user interface that makes navigating through all its functions easy and intuitive. Play your movies, select video and audio formats and a host of other functions, or delete unwanted files with ease.   | |
 | Share your vision. When your shoot is complete, the Q3HD's built-in USB cable lets you download your movies to your computer for editing and sharing. In addition, the Q3HD's new file divide function lets you edit your video right on the unit and save time by transferring only what you need. Use the included HandyShare software to edit your movies. And you can now add effects like reverb and normalize the audio for consistent levels, making your movies sound even better. Or, bring them into more sophisticated editing software like iMovie or Final Cut for more extensive edits, effects and titles. HandyShare can also be used to upload your videos to YouTube. And because the Q3HD includes an HDMI output, you can watch your movies at home on your HDTV. And the Q3HD's incredible audio will sound amazing on your home theater setup. |
| Applications HD matters to YouTube musicians. With the Q3HD, there's never been an easier way to promote your music. Now, all your videos will look amazing and sound like they were recorded in a professional studio. Classical to metal, solo to full orchestra, the Q3HD is ideal for shooting any kind of musical performance and sharing it with the world. Accelerate the learning curve. Music educators and students alike know that seeing and hearing your performance helps you play better. And because the Q3HD is so small, you can place it anywhere to focus on something specific, like a fingering or bowing technique. From the classroom to the practice room, educators and students will find the Q3HD is ideal for recording auditions or making video lessons. Get personal. There's never been a smaller HD camera that sounds as good as the Q3HD. For videographers, this means there is an amazing array of options for incorporating Q3HDs into your setup. Imagine using a Q3HD to capture unique moments that are unscripted. This footage, with outstanding video and audio quality, will make any wedding video even more personal and intimate. Sports Center in HD. Stay close to all the sports action with videos that look and sound amazing. Capture all the details with incredible depth and sound that will make you want to relive every touchdown, homerun or slam-dunk again and again. Live, from your HD World. Journalists and bloggers will love the Q3HD for its ability to gather both pristine video and audio in the field. On-the-scene video, interviews, events – just about anything can be effortlessly shot, edited and uploaded with broadcast-ready video and audio. And because the Q3HD has a standard tripod mount, you can use common video accessories with ease. Your Personal HD Travel Channel World-travelers… the Q3HD is a "must pack" on your next excursion. No other HD camcorder can match the movies you'll shoot with the Q3HD. With sound and picture so realistic, you'll be seeing the sights all over again, just like taking a return trip! For shooting outdoors, you'll want to use a windscreen… HD Movies… Out of the box. The Q3HD is packaged with everything you need to make your movies right out of the box. It includes a 2GB SD card, HandyShare editing software and two AA batteries. With a 2GB SD card, you can record up to 45 minutes of HD video. The Q3HD will also accept SDHC cards of up to 32GB for a staggering 7 hours of HD moviemaking. | |
 | Accessorize your moviemaking with the Q3HD Accessory Pack! To further enhance its versatility, a Q3HD accessory package, including a soft shell case, windscreen, AC adapter, HDMI cable, AV cable and tripod, will be sold separately. |
Features:
All of the Q3HD's functions are as clear and comprehensive as the audio and video that they capture. On the front of the Q3HD, you'll find two condenser mics, lens and a recording indicator that lights up red when recording. The battery compartment is also located on the front of the unit.  In addition to the screen/interface, the back of the Q3HD features the unit's reference speaker and transport controls. Menu, record/select, play/pause, delete and a directional button are all easily accessible from this location. The Q3HD also features its USB 2.0 cable and tripod mount on the bottom of the unit. On the right side of the Q3HD you will find the input and output functions. Use the Line In to record sound from an external mic. A Phones/Line Out sends audio to headphones or external speakers. You'll also find an AC adapter connection, a TV output for use with standard definition TVs and an HDMI port for watching HD content on HDTVs. A three-level Gain Control switch is also located on the right side of the unit.  The best sounding stereo recorder… now with HD video. The Q3HD brings HD video and audio together for great looking videos that sound better than ever. | |
Product Description
The Best Sounding Stereo Recorder. Now Offers HD Video! The Q3HD from Zoom 160 combines breath taking 1080p HD video to their and brilliant stereo recording for an off the charts portable video recorder. It's an HD world and the Q3HD makes it easier than ever to create high quality videos and have fun while doing it. Select 720p or 1080p for amazing clarity and detail no matter where or what you're shooting. AC_FL_RunConten'Zoom Q3HD Portable Video and Audio High Definition With an upgraded lens and imaging sensor, the Q3HD captures exceptionally clean video that is compressed with the high quality H.264 video
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
103 of 107 people found the following review helpful
By J. Weber
(See addendum at the bottom for update)
The video sensor size of this unit is 1/3.2 inch. This is a miniscule sensor that can not possibly deliver high quality HD video.
To put it another way, if Blu-Ray video quality is a "10", an $800 HD camcorder is a "7", a cellphone is a "2" and this unit is about a "4" in video quality.
To put it yet another way, if you watch video from this unit on a computer and set the viewer to half size, the video looks great--sharp and detailed. Increasing the size to 100% doesn't seem to add much. Most of the quality issues are loss of detail, especially noticable in faces. Like all sensors, in bright light, quality is much better than dim.
Audio is top notch. The stereo separation is perfect--not too wide or narrow. The unit has pretty flat EQ in recording audio--just slightly hot on the treble end giving a bit of brightness, but this is mild. It can record 24 bit audio, which is very useful for live recording as it preserves audio detail even if the sound gets quiet.
It also has an interesting feature where it can be set to automatically turn down the gain if there's any clipping, but it is one way only--it won't turn the gain back up again. So you aren't getting artificial "automatic gain control" type changing of the gain, yet you avoid clipping. There is also the standard automatic gain control (constantly adjusting input gain to the volume level) which is useful for recording voice, interviews, classroom lectures, etc. Manual gain control is limited to either "high input" or "low input"--there is no input level control. Bottom line: the audio recording is a huge success, with very high quality stereo reproduction.
Battery life is about 2 hours of continuous recording, with the display on. Unfortunately there is no way to turn off the display, so it just stays on and uses up battery power. Hopefully this can be fixed in a firmware update.
So we end up with great audio, and fair video. For my application--recording my band's gigs, this is all I need to see how we look live, and to hear excellent and detailed audio. There aren't any other alternative products for great audio + video in this price range. You just have to realize that you get what you pay for in video quality.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
1) My unit was randomly stopping recordings until I updated the firmware, so suggest doing that off the Zoom website.
2) 1080p recording is noticeably better than 720p on this unit, so would definitely record at 1080p.
3) Be sure to set the battery type correctly to either alkaline or rechargeable, or the unit can shut off prematurely thinking the batteries are dead.
4) It's almost impossible not to get fingerprints on the lens--be sure to clean it just before you start recording. There's an excellent product called LensPen which is quick and very effective.
5) The "glass" on the user screen display on the back side is actually soft plastic and it scratches very easily.
6) The "concert lighting" setting desaturates the colors, while the "dark" setting pumps up the video gain.
A quick tip about the HandyShare software that comes with it. It is not a video editing suite by any means and is actually quite primitive. But it does a few things very well--you can trim video clips and it doesn't re-encode them, so it retains the original video and audio quality. It can save the audio separately. It can also normalize audio (adjust it to full volume) without re-encoding the video. It does not join video segments, however.
OVERALL: Perfect for applications where audio quality is a higher priority than video quality. There aren't any other units currently in this price range out there which can do that. If you want pristine audio AND video, you'll need to spend much more, investing in a top quality camcorder with external microphones.
ADDENDUM: After a while I noticed a problem: with long recordings, the unit randomly stops recording. I tried multiple memory cards (including up to Class 10), new batteries, tried all settings. Not better with the latest Firmware 1.15. Finally I returned the unit for a replacement. The replacement unit had the same problem! I use this to record my band so need it to record at least 45 minutes. I would find the unit had often (but not always) turned itself off somewhere in the 45 minute set, so I'd keep losing the rest. Sadly, I have returned the 2nd replacement unit, and am now looking for another option. Hopefully a future firmware update can fix this. Until then, I have lowered my rating to 1 star.
The video sensor size of this unit is 1/3.2 inch. This is a miniscule sensor that can not possibly deliver high quality HD video.
To put it another way, if Blu-Ray video quality is a "10", an $800 HD camcorder is a "7", a cellphone is a "2" and this unit is about a "4" in video quality.
To put it yet another way, if you watch video from this unit on a computer and set the viewer to half size, the video looks great--sharp and detailed. Increasing the size to 100% doesn't seem to add much. Most of the quality issues are loss of detail, especially noticable in faces. Like all sensors, in bright light, quality is much better than dim.
Audio is top notch. The stereo separation is perfect--not too wide or narrow. The unit has pretty flat EQ in recording audio--just slightly hot on the treble end giving a bit of brightness, but this is mild. It can record 24 bit audio, which is very useful for live recording as it preserves audio detail even if the sound gets quiet.
It also has an interesting feature where it can be set to automatically turn down the gain if there's any clipping, but it is one way only--it won't turn the gain back up again. So you aren't getting artificial "automatic gain control" type changing of the gain, yet you avoid clipping. There is also the standard automatic gain control (constantly adjusting input gain to the volume level) which is useful for recording voice, interviews, classroom lectures, etc. Manual gain control is limited to either "high input" or "low input"--there is no input level control. Bottom line: the audio recording is a huge success, with very high quality stereo reproduction.
Battery life is about 2 hours of continuous recording, with the display on. Unfortunately there is no way to turn off the display, so it just stays on and uses up battery power. Hopefully this can be fixed in a firmware update.
So we end up with great audio, and fair video. For my application--recording my band's gigs, this is all I need to see how we look live, and to hear excellent and detailed audio. There aren't any other alternative products for great audio + video in this price range. You just have to realize that you get what you pay for in video quality.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
1) My unit was randomly stopping recordings until I updated the firmware, so suggest doing that off the Zoom website.
2) 1080p recording is noticeably better than 720p on this unit, so would definitely record at 1080p.
3) Be sure to set the battery type correctly to either alkaline or rechargeable, or the unit can shut off prematurely thinking the batteries are dead.
4) It's almost impossible not to get fingerprints on the lens--be sure to clean it just before you start recording. There's an excellent product called LensPen which is quick and very effective.
5) The "glass" on the user screen display on the back side is actually soft plastic and it scratches very easily.
6) The "concert lighting" setting desaturates the colors, while the "dark" setting pumps up the video gain.
A quick tip about the HandyShare software that comes with it. It is not a video editing suite by any means and is actually quite primitive. But it does a few things very well--you can trim video clips and it doesn't re-encode them, so it retains the original video and audio quality. It can save the audio separately. It can also normalize audio (adjust it to full volume) without re-encoding the video. It does not join video segments, however.
OVERALL: Perfect for applications where audio quality is a higher priority than video quality. There aren't any other units currently in this price range out there which can do that. If you want pristine audio AND video, you'll need to spend much more, investing in a top quality camcorder with external microphones.
ADDENDUM: After a while I noticed a problem: with long recordings, the unit randomly stops recording. I tried multiple memory cards (including up to Class 10), new batteries, tried all settings. Not better with the latest Firmware 1.15. Finally I returned the unit for a replacement. The replacement unit had the same problem! I use this to record my band so need it to record at least 45 minutes. I would find the unit had often (but not always) turned itself off somewhere in the 45 minute set, so I'd keep losing the rest. Sadly, I have returned the 2nd replacement unit, and am now looking for another option. Hopefully a future firmware update can fix this. Until then, I have lowered my rating to 1 star.
77 of 79 people found the following review helpful
Ok, first you have to know why this 'camcorder' was created. Samson (Zoom) specializes in equipment for musicians. The Q3hd started life as a field recorder. Thus the stereo mics placed in x/y positions. The audio quality was superb for recording dynamic sound like a live performance. Then they added a video recorder. The video wasn't that good, so they upgraded the video to HD. Now, it's perfect. If you set the video to 1080p and the audio to 48kHz/320kbps, turn on the 'concert lighting' feature, you will be blown away by the result! Most camcorders crap out on flashy lights and loud punchy sound. Not this puppy. It is what it was designed to do. It listens to the sound and automatically sets it's record levels to the loudest sound it hears, so you never distort the audio. The bass is low and punchy, the mids are clean, and the highs are crisp and clear. We use it to record all our shows. And we LOVE it.
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
It works exactly as advertised. The sound quality is uncompromising and the video is not bad if you are willing to take a few simple steps.
In natural light, the video is as good as any camera below the $600 range. By using the correct camera setting with the correct lighting, even the night videos come out fine.
For critics who claim the editing software is not good, I say they are either too lazy to read or they are possibly learning disabled. It is simple and effective for cutting your videos to length. It is excellent for normalizing the sound to broadcast levels, widening or tightening stereo fields and adding any needed effects.
The files are excellent quality .mov files (Quicktime) but there are any number of freeware programs out there to change it to a poor quality .avi or .mpeg file if that is what you want.
In natural light, the video is as good as any camera below the $600 range. By using the correct camera setting with the correct lighting, even the night videos come out fine.
For critics who claim the editing software is not good, I say they are either too lazy to read or they are possibly learning disabled. It is simple and effective for cutting your videos to length. It is excellent for normalizing the sound to broadcast levels, widening or tightening stereo fields and adding any needed effects.
The files are excellent quality .mov files (Quicktime) but there are any number of freeware programs out there to change it to a poor quality .avi or .mpeg file if that is what you want.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
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I gave this product one star because I can't give it no stars...I could not have been more disappointed with this product. First and foremost... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Greg D
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good for Small Concert Venues
Great 2 channel sound, but HD video could be better. Got a great video and recording of Los Lobos at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, Ca.
Published 1 month ago by Mike Minturn
5.0 out of 5 stars
For a musician its just as necessary as a metronome!
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Published 2 months ago by Paul Daloia
3.0 out of 5 stars
I am extremely disappointed
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Published 2 months ago by Pam Mills
1.0 out of 5 stars
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Q3HD Video Audio recorder.
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Published 3 months ago by darren storey
5.0 out of 5 stars
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Published 3 months ago by Lua Wells
2.0 out of 5 stars
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Published 3 months ago by Tara N. U. Ren
4.0 out of 5 stars
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Published 3 months ago by V. Belanger
