Own one for years, and I'm still surprised today, the sound quality is excellent, it can cope with full rock concert sound pressure levels without a complaint, and can record almost silence, like birds in the spring, without any noticeably noice at all.. The video it captures is sharp, responsive, low low noise. It eats batteries, but I could probably fix that buying better batteries, so. Some kind of UFO tech is going on here, and it also tells me it can be better to just fork out the money and buy from companies that know what they do, rather than than to pay for cheap crap and sit there like a fool As a side note, I have a pair of big 'over the ear' closed chinese headphones, and if i monitor the audio of the Q3HD, I can hear people talk hundreds of meters away, very strange, you can 'listen to the world' :) Strange Machine :)
Brilliant, informative video, as you said in your commentary:- 'there are a few quirks, but nothing that would be a dealbreaker', I bought a Q3HD recently, fantastic little camera, recording acoustic guitar 'dry', is a treat, you get a true representation of the sound, gets my vote!
Thanks for this great review. Very helpful. What do you edit your Zoom footage with? I got this for someone who doesn't like computers much, and I want them to be able to film one hour of footage, drag it into imovie and then burn a DVD through iDVD. The files sizes for just a few minutes were almost one GB. I'm just wondering if iMovie has the capacity to compress tons of GBs down to a DVD size? What do you edit yr Zoom footage with?
Hi there, I'm trying to decide between this an the H4N. I'm a classical pianist, trying to do acceptable/decent audio recording on a budget (I don't want to be tied to studio time) Video is secondary, but nice. Can you plug better quality mics into this device, like the H4N? or is that an H4N exclusive feature. thanks so much, Mike
@MiekMiester123 I'm saying that the Q3HD's mic port is 3.5mm and the H4N's mic port is XLR. I've seen 3.5mm to XLR adapters but not the other way around, it would require a bit of googling. And yes, you could always use the H4N separately from a video camera and sync in post. Why would you buy either of these though if you just plan on throwing a different mic on them?
My camera is the standard def model, priced about $200. The hi def hadn't come out yet. I've owned my camera for a couple of years and no problems at all. Steggy mentions the screen getting scratched fairly quickly, so I checked mine just now and the screen looks great. I've shot hundreds of videos with it. My battery live is 30 to 60 minutes with the rechargeables and over 2 hours with akaline. (I have an 8gb card in the camera) The video quality is kinda lacking, but the audio is great!
@Mrimposibl Never had the chance to do it when I had the Q3HD, but the logic seems sound, as long as your audio mixer is able to output analog to the 3.5mm jack that would go into the Q3HD. Just plug in a set of headphones to the Q3HD to monitor the audio levels, and change accordingly.
Not when recording. The way the lens/sensor is set up to record while holding the q3hd straight up. Doing it sideways would be uncomfortable (believe me i know this from having to do this with other devices). However, while the preview screen is small when taking the video, you do also get to see audio levels when recording and stuff like that, pretty handy, and when you go to playback, THAT's when you turn the q3hd over to make use of the widescreen.
@MLGSteggy Well the main reason for asking is because I have a USB mixer and I'm having latency issues on it I get a half-second delay when I play an instrument through either the VST or the DAW (I just use a plug-in anyways) and I figure mayber some ideas of why it's doing that from people would give me some kind of indication.
My question is what can you do about the low light situations... or is there another high quality audio video recorder out there that is comparable and has a light...???
@MLGSteggy I was interested in these two models because of the all-in-one capacity from the get-go, but the option to plug in better mics (that my friends have for example) but, I don't have the funds to purchase preamps, mics, and laptop. The mics on these seems acceptable, but certainly not studio quality - so it'd be nice to be able to use these for casual recordings, and then plug in better mics for more important recordings. Am I going about this wrong?
Thank you for this interview! How does this product compare with the Zoom Q3. Obviously there is a big price difference. Will the Q3 meet my needs if I plan to use it to record piano students in a Studio setting? I would be uploading the recordings to my you tube channel. Thank you.
@MLGSteggy That's what one of my professors told me just because of the interface that it'll cause the latency, that and how the signal had to be converted A/D and vice versa. I wasn't really planning though to try to play along with the recorded track since he said it wasn't suggested but would it be possible to find the answer in the .pdf file that came with the mixer or could I possibly be screwed over?
Hi, Question: So it runs on double A batteries, right? But it has that power input on the side... does that mean it also comes with a built in battery that you recharge it? like a phone? You know? I'm thinking about getting this, I just don't want those batteries issues ;s
Would this camera be good for drum covers??? I use my iPod touch 5G camera and i don't think it's that good. Any suggestions would be great. Plus my drums are in a small room.
It has a 'Night' setting, but the result is a semi-bright but blown out image with a pink hue. However, it's better than the alternative, which is seeing almost nothing in the dark.
really good video I am planing on it for live shots! curious question does the windscreen help on gigs? and do you get full screen when hold it side as you do with lets say a iphone or something?
T1i=500D. I'd go with either the 550D or 600D, as they have the same video capabilities/sensor as the Canon 7D/Canon 60D. The reason I went with the 60D is because of its intermediate ISO feature and better body build than the 550/600D as those are still in the rebel bodies, but if you're getting your first DSLR, they would do you fine. The 550D is super cheap right now, like 500 in some stores. But the 600D has better video features like an articulating LCD screen and lossless digital zoom.
I will be broadcasting a live piano concert soon. For this I use the platform Zoom. My question: is it possible to use the Zoom Q3 HD for live broadcast? Thank you for your answer in advance
hey steggy i got a question for you,im looking to buy a video recorder because i want to start taking better quality picture and sound quality photos at the concerts i go to,i go to edm/dubstep shows,what would be the best video recorder with good picture and amazing sound quality to really capture the visuals and the bass? thanks
@KissMeImPunk The fact that the mixer goes through USB is most likely the culprit. Unless you can output analog on your same mixer, the only thing i can think of is to play your instruments like you are now, but sync them to the other tracks in post. So you might have recorded it at a half second delay, but just move the track back afterward.
hey there, i feel like this is possibly a stupid question, but the camera came with a little safety strap (or perhaps it was in the accessory kit thing), but the point is, i cannot figure out how to attach it to the camera. It is not the safety strap that attaches to the camera case, but it has two wierd almost earphone looking ends. I cant figure out how this is suppose to connect and i cant find anyone online with a picture of it connected. It doesnt fit in the strap hole. HELP!!!
i personally would have recommended the T5i that thing is AWESOME and has built in Stereo mics as well as the articulating screen. haven't heard the audio that the stereo mics produce yet but i like everything else about the camera that i have seen so far. to be fair this was over a year ago and then the T4i was the only thing available
hey buddy i just need some help..i just bought q3hd...m not getting hd video quality it supposed to be...is there written on ur q3hd box...made in japan..assembled in china??
Hi there, thanks a ton for such a wonderful and helpful review. We have bought a similar recorder for lecture recording of both audio and video in a temple. I have a couple of questions. Is it possible to record with high resolution video for longer times (1.5hrs)? we could not do so. So, we have set it in low resolution so whole lecture is getting recorded but still sound is too low.whats the solution for that? I appreciate your help in this connection. thank you.
@MiekMiester123 The Q3HD has a 3.5mm mic port while the H4N has XLR mic ports. So it depends on what kind of mic you want to hook up. Check out my channel though, I have a video sample of a Q3HD recording a grand piano. An out of tune one at that, but all the same.
@KissMeImPunk I don't really have experience in DAW's, I do use audio mixers, but for broadcasting purposes rather than recording music or anything. But the trick is to be able to get enough equipment to compare to one another. Right now I use a behringer x1204usb, but don't have anything to compare it to for a review, know what I mean?
@MLGSteggy Thank you for your quick reply! So, are you saying I could take an XLR mic with the Q3HD, and then convert it down to 3.5mm (using external power) or is the Q3HD only able to capture one, 3.5mm mic? Audio is far more important than vid for me, but I do want video if poss. I also could just take a video camera, and clap the H4n and vid camera together, and edit them on my computer right? thereby making the Q3HD unnecessary. any tips / thoughts are greatly appreciated. Mike
Thanks for the review Steggy. I noticed that at the end of your review you didn't blink your eyes once, was that coincidence or did you intentionally do that? Cheers.
You seem to know alot about video/audio equipment, would you ever to reviews on more audio related items such as mixers or DAWs or even just helping out people with them?
The only missing aspect of this review is examples of your friends band playing and/or a link to the megadeth concert for further example of the audio capture
I'm a singer and looking into shooting some videos of rehearsals, live gigs, recordings in my room etc, would you recommend this product for my needs? Thankyou
Hi, I know this comment is old, but yeah, I have this particular video camera. It's perfect for filming live shows that are really loud, so it should work well for rehearsals and things like that. :)
Good question actually. Earlier videos of mine were shot on a Canon T1i, and my current videos are shot on a 60D, but to be honest, I kind of forget when I bought the 60D to remember which one this was shot on. So...a canon dslr. one of them.
Hi Steggy! thanks for a good review! Ive just purchased on of these and am happy with it. however, (sorry if dumb question!) do you have to use the handy share software? I want to make video but want to upload text ect, I normally use vegas pro 9 but if I open up a video ive saved from handyshare, the audio effects dont work and theres no picture?? can you please help :) xxxx
You're overthinking this, with trying to use an external mixer. The camera has mics in xy pattern on board. Placement of the camera is important. You might experiment with that a bit. My channel is all ZoomQ3 recorded except for the first video (Metal Jam 2009-"Sober" by Tool) You'll see rehearsal footage and vids taken at different venues. Hope this helps.
hi thanks for the review, i'm having trouble with the sound levels, when i record and upload to my computer it comes out quieter than my iphone videos. its at aac, 48kHz, 192kpbs, mic gain at auto. idk
I have a Q3 and I think it would work great in the teaching environment. The video quality is not that great, but the audio is fantasic. My channel is all music, live, and loud. All recorded with the standard def. Q3. Hope that helps.
I use a Zi8 for recording concert footage, and its great minus the fact that it only has a mono mic. The mic itself handles high volumes well but having a true XY stereo pair would make concert footage much better. check out the videos on my channel to see what I'm talking about.
nice review, found one of these NIB for $125.00 and was debating if i should try it or not. one pet peave of mine and something i noticed on this video is you REALLY need a pop filter. you did a good job with the stats and i appreciate all the detail in your description and assessment of the camera but the thump of your p's and b's took away from the overall quality of the sound on this video. and it looks like you spent a bit on your equipment. pop filters are cheap too so maybe?
Great video man! I have a question for you about using the line in. I am trying to record a video of me playing drums to a song and use the line in option for the audio of the song. However I have noticed that the Zoom only records the song, when you plug into in, and not the active mics. Is there a way with the Zoom q3hd to record on the mics as well as using an audio input source??? Thanks for your time man.
No, the line in jack on the Q3HD is a mic jack. It is meant for you to plug in a microphone for a situation where the XY mics are not optional -- it won't do both. What you're going to want to do is record your drum track on its own using the q3hd and its xy mics, and use a video editing program to throw in the rest of the song track and you'll sync it up there.
I have a friend who has Zoom Q3 HD. After he upgraded the firmware he is unable to create a file that youtube varifies before it uploads. You know anything about that? Thanks!
Very well presented and you have certainly done your homework but you fail to mention a couple of major flaws (at least for the blue pre-HD model). The main one is that there is no way to manipulate the recording volume. It gives you the options of selecting between Low-High and Auto which will select between the two. I ALWAYS need something in between. You can't manipulate the volume level from their software either. If it wasn't for these flaws it would be a great unit. btw: The software has quit working with my Mac and won't let me upload anymore.
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Hi, I have this recorder and I know also that it is bothersome to choose between Hi and Low volume recording. There is anyway included a software called HandyShare free downloadable from internet, that has a beautiful option Mastering: Ultra Maximize.You can also add little reverb and trim your clips. This tool is a must have and you need it every time after you record something. At least this works for me, if I record low volume... Hi is best but sometimes it goes over the top...
Yes, I've used the (Handyshare) software. It's OK but still does not have the provision of letting you manipulate the volume which, for my purposes renders it useless. I-Movie offers MANY more options and lets you upload to youtube but will not accept the videos from the Q-3. Guess I'll bite the bullet and invest in a high quality video camera and external mic.
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I understand. I always use Ultra Maximise to make it as loud as possible.
I was wondering about the supposed software for editing that has to downloaded with a new Q3HD. I couldn't get mine to load up. Know that I did purchase the camera after seeing your quality review as well., Thanks for that. As a music writer this comes in real handy...
Hello! great video thanks! i just have some questions. if i choose the high quality video HD 1080/30 does it compromise the sound? cause i observed that the sound its better in low video choices. Also, the volume of recording its too low, and when I put recording high then it peaks do you recommend anything? of course i test it different corners and sounds so it doesnt peak but is any other quicker safer and better way? thanks!
I bought mine over a year ago and when I put the sd card in it and turned it on it only recorded like 3 seconds of video. Have any idea what can cause this? I bought the largest sd card I could find and I finally have the time to play around with this. Of course my warranty has expired by now. So if it wasn't a bad card I'm in trouble probably. I assumed I had the quality set too high and a very small card. I tried all the settings but nothing changed. I now have a 64gb card so hopefully I can get one song on it with high quality audio and video surely? Do you have to format an sd card every time you put one in the camera? I can't find a user manual at all.The little brochure that came with it to me is no help do you know where I can get a step by step manual ? I really appreciate you posting your video, it helped, but I still need a manual with step by step guides, since I am having issues maybe a troubleshooting chapter and a step by step guide would get me on the right path. .Do they make one? Thanks for your help !
Hey Stegs ...thanks for sharing this (...years ago :) I found a new Q3HD at a local music store (!?!) and am considering buying it. I really can't find a modern equivalent in this form factor, and I think it will be very useful for my (3) bands ...I love the idea of a single sturdy HD field recorder that I can throw in my gig bag and capture shows/rehearsals on the fly. I really dislike all the Zoom follow-up product formats (Q4HD, Q2N, Q8), and very much dislike the GoPro and it's proprietary purchase traps to do simple things. Some of these newer products to also seem have a mandatory hokey fish-eye/wide-angle video mode. What are these fkn companies thinking? Do you still have/use your Q3HD? Does it not come with a power adaptor? Any other suggestions? Thx bud!
Very nice informative video. I was going to buy one on Craigslist but I was too late. $150.00, a bargain, correct? You could slow down on the narration a bit. Maybe it is my age though.
mine keeps saying Card full so I bought a brand new 32 GB card and brand new Ultra Lithium Energizer batteries and did it fix my problem NO, it will record for 15 seconds and kick off saying SD Card is Full
The Plastic Female threaded screw in the recorder will crack eventually. Why they did not put a Stainless steel thread in there tells me the wrong Jackasses are designing this or making the decisions. Anyone have this issue or fix it ?????
Very useful review Steggy. I need to improve the sound recording capability when filming my friends band. My Sony DSC-HX1 does a great job on the video, but can't cope with rock band sound levels ! I might decide to get a Zoom H4n or Tascam DR-40, and try to synchronise the soundtrack. Thanks !
Got one of these cameras, sound quality is excellent, -picture quality-mmmm, jury's still out on that one, you have to be careful handling it also, as you can smear the lens easy, and the sound-choice menu is confusing, if, like me, your not up on the jargon, great device though, wish you could upload to UA-cam direct from it though.......
Purchased mine in Dec. 2010. It died after only 50 recordings over the course of 5 years. It constantly froze up on longer recordings (15 min+) Tried all the "right" memory cards. Nothing changed. Complete piece of shit and the build quality made it feel like a kids toy. Not worth $300. I took it apart and saved the mics--the only good part about it. I see it's been discontinued. Good riddance. I hated it.
+rts ...sorry to hear about your old Q3HD ...I really want to like it. Have you found anything in a similar form factor? There's a music store that still has a new unit, and I was considering buying because I haven't found a modern HD/field recorder I like. I've done tonnes of audio recording over the years with my H2, and am lured by the prospect of having a similar unit with an HD camera. Thx bro - any input is appreciated.
Good video bro but..............................are you gonna answer any questions from the other fellows?? I mean what good can your video be if you're not gonna answer any doubts we might have about this product, considering you already know this product!!
Please, breathe between your sentences, slow down a bit. If you want followers then remember that not all the world is born with English as their mother tongue. To the subject: I have both ZOOM Q3 and the ZOOM H4n which I use frequently with my Canon 7D and my Legria HD20. The difference between the sound recordings is quite astonishing. Espcecially the H4n is
Own one for years, and I'm still surprised today, the sound quality is excellent, it can cope with full rock concert sound pressure levels
without a complaint, and can record almost silence, like birds in the spring, without any noticeably noice at all.. The video it captures
is sharp, responsive, low low noise. It eats batteries, but I could probably fix that buying better batteries, so.
Some kind of UFO tech is going on here, and it also tells me it can be better to just fork out the money and buy from companies that
know what they do, rather than than to pay for cheap crap and sit there like a fool
As a side note, I have a pair of big 'over the ear' closed chinese headphones, and if i monitor the audio of the Q3HD, I can hear people talk
hundreds of meters away, very strange, you can 'listen to the world' :) Strange Machine :)
Brilliant, informative video, as you said in your commentary:- 'there are a few quirks, but nothing that would be a dealbreaker', I bought a Q3HD recently, fantastic little camera, recording acoustic guitar 'dry', is a treat, you get a true representation of the sound, gets my vote!
Brilliant review; clear, concise, knowledgeable and excellent video and audio quality - this combination is very rare to find on UA-cam! Thank you!!
Thanks for this great review. Very helpful. What do you edit your Zoom footage with? I got this for someone who doesn't like computers much, and I want them to be able to film one hour of footage, drag it into imovie and then burn a DVD through iDVD. The files sizes for just a few minutes were almost one GB. I'm just wondering if iMovie has the capacity to compress tons of GBs down to a DVD size? What do you edit yr Zoom footage with?
Hi there,
I'm trying to decide between this an the H4N. I'm a classical pianist, trying to do acceptable/decent audio recording on a budget (I don't want to be tied to studio time) Video is secondary, but nice.
Can you plug better quality mics into this device, like the H4N? or is that an H4N exclusive feature.
thanks so much,
Mike
@MiekMiester123 I'm saying that the Q3HD's mic port is 3.5mm and the H4N's mic port is XLR. I've seen 3.5mm to XLR adapters but not the other way around, it would require a bit of googling. And yes, you could always use the H4N separately from a video camera and sync in post. Why would you buy either of these though if you just plan on throwing a different mic on them?
My camera is the standard def model, priced about $200. The hi def hadn't come out yet. I've owned my camera for a couple of years and no problems at all. Steggy mentions the screen getting scratched fairly quickly, so I checked mine just now and the screen looks great. I've shot hundreds of videos with it. My battery live is 30 to 60 minutes with the rechargeables and over 2 hours with akaline. (I have an 8gb card in the camera) The video quality is kinda lacking, but the audio is great!
@Mrimposibl Never had the chance to do it when I had the Q3HD, but the logic seems sound, as long as your audio mixer is able to output analog to the 3.5mm jack that would go into the Q3HD. Just plug in a set of headphones to the Q3HD to monitor the audio levels, and change accordingly.
Not when recording. The way the lens/sensor is set up to record while holding the q3hd straight up. Doing it sideways would be uncomfortable (believe me i know this from having to do this with other devices). However, while the preview screen is small when taking the video, you do also get to see audio levels when recording and stuff like that, pretty handy, and when you go to playback, THAT's when you turn the q3hd over to make use of the widescreen.
@MLGSteggy Well the main reason for asking is because I have a USB mixer and I'm having latency issues on it I get a half-second delay when I play an instrument through either the VST or the DAW (I just use a plug-in anyways) and I figure mayber some ideas of why it's doing that from people would give me some kind of indication.
My question is what can you do about the low light situations... or is there another high quality audio video recorder out there that is comparable and has a light...???
@MLGSteggy I was interested in these two models because of the all-in-one capacity from the get-go, but the option to plug in better mics (that my friends have for example) but, I don't have the funds to purchase preamps, mics, and laptop.
The mics on these seems acceptable, but certainly not studio quality - so it'd be nice to be able to use these for casual recordings, and then plug in better mics for more important recordings. Am I going about this wrong?
When is the Q2HD review coming out?
Thank you for this interview! How does this product compare with the Zoom Q3. Obviously there is a big price difference. Will the Q3 meet my needs if I plan to use it to record piano students in a Studio setting? I would be uploading the recordings to my you tube channel. Thank you.
@MLGSteggy That's what one of my professors told me just because of the interface that it'll cause the latency, that and how the signal had to be converted A/D and vice versa. I wasn't really planning though to try to play along with the recorded track since he said it wasn't suggested but would it be possible to find the answer in the .pdf file that came with the mixer or could I possibly be screwed over?
Hi, Question: So it runs on double A batteries, right? But it has that power input on the side... does that mean it also comes with a built in battery that you recharge it? like a phone? You know? I'm thinking about getting this, I just don't want those batteries issues ;s
Would this camera be good for drum covers??? I use my iPod touch 5G camera and i don't think it's that good. Any suggestions would be great. Plus my drums are in a small room.
Can we plug any professional external microphone for this unit , thank you for your upload. Shyaman from Australia
It has a 'Night' setting, but the result is a semi-bright but blown out image with a pink hue. However, it's better than the alternative, which is seeing almost nothing in the dark.
really good video I am planing on it for live shots!
curious question does the windscreen help on gigs?
and do you get full screen when hold it side as you do with lets say a iphone or something?
T1i=500D. I'd go with either the 550D or 600D, as they have the same video capabilities/sensor as the Canon 7D/Canon 60D. The reason I went with the 60D is because of its intermediate ISO feature and better body build than the 550/600D as those are still in the rebel bodies, but if you're getting your first DSLR, they would do you fine. The 550D is super cheap right now, like 500 in some stores. But the 600D has better video features like an articulating LCD screen and lossless digital zoom.
I will be broadcasting a live piano concert soon. For this I use the platform Zoom. My question: is it possible to use the Zoom Q3 HD for live broadcast? Thank you for your answer in advance
Zoom Q3HD Handy Video ua-cam.com/video/GiRhIv3kxuI/v-deo.html
hey steggy i got a question for you,im looking to buy a video recorder because i want to start taking better quality picture and sound quality photos at the concerts i go to,i go to edm/dubstep shows,what would be the best video recorder with good picture and amazing sound quality to really capture the visuals and the bass? thanks
@KissMeImPunk The fact that the mixer goes through USB is most likely the culprit. Unless you can output analog on your same mixer, the only thing i can think of is to play your instruments like you are now, but sync them to the other tracks in post. So you might have recorded it at a half second delay, but just move the track back afterward.
Cool review. Have you had the chance of reading the reviews on amazon? Would you agree or disagree with a few?
hey there, i feel like this is possibly a stupid question, but the camera came with a little safety strap (or perhaps it was in the accessory kit thing), but the point is, i cannot figure out how to attach it to the camera. It is not the safety strap that attaches to the camera case, but it has two wierd almost earphone looking ends. I cant figure out how this is suppose to connect and i cant find anyone online with a picture of it connected. It doesnt fit in the strap hole. HELP!!!
what model would you recommend for recording video and audio inside a comedy club?
i personally would have recommended the T5i that thing is AWESOME and has built in Stereo mics as well as the articulating screen. haven't heard the audio that the stereo mics produce yet but i like everything else about the camera that i have seen so far. to be fair this was over a year ago and then the T4i was the only thing available
hey buddy i just need some help..i just bought q3hd...m not getting hd video quality it supposed to be...is there written on ur q3hd box...made in japan..assembled in china??
hello Question ? if i plug my piano in input, dos' it cancel the microphone ? thank 's Jacques Quebec Canada .
Hi there, thanks a ton for such a wonderful and helpful review. We have bought a similar recorder for lecture recording of both audio and video in a temple. I have a couple of questions. Is it possible to record with high resolution video for longer times (1.5hrs)? we could not do so. So, we have set it in low resolution so whole lecture is getting recorded but still sound is too low.whats the solution for that? I appreciate your help in this connection. thank you.
I'd love to hear what you have to say about the Q2HD especially in comparison to this one.
@MiekMiester123 The Q3HD has a 3.5mm mic port while the H4N has XLR mic ports. So it depends on what kind of mic you want to hook up. Check out my channel though, I have a video sample of a Q3HD recording a grand piano. An out of tune one at that, but all the same.
For image stabilization how about bolting the camera to a heavy object?
@KissMeImPunk I don't really have experience in DAW's, I do use audio mixers, but for broadcasting purposes rather than recording music or anything. But the trick is to be able to get enough equipment to compare to one another. Right now I use a behringer x1204usb, but don't have anything to compare it to for a review, know what I mean?
@MLGSteggy Thank you for your quick reply!
So, are you saying I could take an XLR mic with the Q3HD, and then convert it down to 3.5mm (using external power) or is the Q3HD only able to capture one, 3.5mm mic?
Audio is far more important than vid for me, but I do want video if poss.
I also could just take a video camera, and clap the H4n and vid camera together, and edit them on my computer right? thereby making the Q3HD unnecessary.
any tips / thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Mike
Thanks for the review Steggy. I noticed that at the end of your review you didn't blink your eyes once, was that coincidence or did you intentionally do that? Cheers.
You seem to know alot about video/audio equipment, would you ever to reviews on more audio related items such as mixers or DAWs or even just helping out people with them?
How would you compare the Zoom Q3 to the Zoom Q3HD?
Is the 1/4-20 inch tripod thread in plastic or metal?
The only missing aspect of this review is examples of your friends band playing and/or a link to the megadeth concert for further example of the audio capture
I'm a singer and looking into shooting some videos of rehearsals, live gigs, recordings in my room etc, would you recommend this product for my needs? Thankyou
Hi, I know this comment is old, but yeah, I have this particular video camera. It's perfect for filming live shows that are really loud, so it should work well for rehearsals and things like that. :)
Is that the Blue Yeti in front of you to the left? :)
please I bought this camera and my question is how can you connect as webcam appreciate if you give me the information
Very informative. What video recorder did you use to make this video?
Canon 60D camera and Audio Technica ATR2500 microphone.
what is the bigest sd card ? memories wise !
can i use the audio input Jack and at the same time record videos ??
hey I have a question do you know if the q2 Hd zoom has a charger?
Good question actually. Earlier videos of mine were shot on a Canon T1i, and my current videos are shot on a 60D, but to be honest, I kind of forget when I bought the 60D to remember which one this was shot on.
So...a canon dslr. one of them.
Hi Steggy! thanks for a good review! Ive just purchased on of these and am happy with it. however, (sorry if dumb question!) do you have to use the handy share software? I want to make video but want to upload text ect, I normally use vegas pro 9 but if I open up a video ive saved from handyshare, the audio effects dont work and theres no picture?? can you please help :) xxxx
You're overthinking this, with trying to use an external mixer. The camera has mics in xy pattern on board. Placement of the camera is important. You might experiment with that a bit. My channel is all ZoomQ3 recorded except for the first video (Metal Jam 2009-"Sober" by Tool) You'll see rehearsal footage and vids taken at different venues. Hope this helps.
has anybody experience in opening the q3hd? one side micro is not working. All screws are out, but dont check to open the case. Need help please.
Can you use this device as an external mic?
how do you plug in a microphone line in?
or headphone output?
hi thanks for the review, i'm having trouble with the sound levels, when i record and upload to my computer it comes out quieter than my iphone videos. its at aac, 48kHz, 192kpbs, mic gain at auto. idk
Can one use it as a webcam? On skype for example?
does it have manual sound controls?
I have a Q3 and I think it would work great in the teaching environment. The video quality is not that great, but the audio is fantasic. My channel is all music, live, and loud. All recorded with the standard def. Q3. Hope that helps.
I was wondering if you could show us the clip of your friends band so we could hear the audio for ourselves. Thanks =)
whats the microphone u use?
I use a Zi8 for recording concert footage, and its great minus the fact that it only has a mono mic. The mic itself handles high volumes well but having a true XY stereo pair would make concert footage much better. check out the videos on my channel to see what I'm talking about.
nice review, found one of these NIB for $125.00 and was debating if i should try it or not. one pet peave of mine and something i noticed on this video is you REALLY need a pop filter. you did a good job with the stats and i appreciate all the detail in your description and assessment of the camera but the thump of your p's and b's took away from the overall quality of the sound on this video. and it looks like you spent a bit on your equipment. pop filters are cheap too so maybe?
Great video man! I have a question for you about using the line in. I am trying to record a video of me playing drums to a song and use the line in option for the audio of the song. However I have noticed that the Zoom only records the song, when you plug into in, and not the active mics. Is there a way with the Zoom q3hd to record on the mics as well as using an audio input source??? Thanks for your time man.
No, the line in jack on the Q3HD is a mic jack. It is meant for you to plug in a microphone for a situation where the XY mics are not optional -- it won't do both. What you're going to want to do is record your drum track on its own using the q3hd and its xy mics, and use a video editing program to throw in the rest of the song track and you'll sync it up there.
I have a friend who has Zoom Q3 HD. After he upgraded the firmware he is unable to create a file that youtube varifies before it uploads. You know anything about that?
Thanks!
Billy Barton I have the same problem bro!!!!
Very well presented and you have certainly done your homework but you fail to mention a couple of major flaws (at least for the blue pre-HD model). The main one is that there is no way to manipulate the recording volume. It gives you the options of selecting between Low-High and Auto which will select between the two. I ALWAYS need something in between. You can't manipulate the volume level from their software either. If it wasn't for these flaws it would be a great unit. btw: The software has quit working with my Mac and won't let me upload anymore.
Hi, I have this recorder and I know also that it is bothersome to choose between Hi and Low volume recording. There is anyway included a software called HandyShare free downloadable from internet, that has a beautiful option Mastering: Ultra Maximize.You can also add little reverb and trim your clips. This tool is a must have and you need it every time after you record something. At least this works for me, if I record low volume... Hi is best but sometimes it goes over the top...
Yes, I've used the (Handyshare) software. It's OK but still does not have the provision of letting you manipulate the volume which, for my purposes renders it useless. I-Movie offers MANY more options and lets you upload to youtube but will not accept the videos from the Q-3. Guess I'll bite the bullet and invest in a high quality video camera and external mic.
I understand. I always use Ultra Maximise to make it as loud as possible.
I was wondering about the supposed software for editing that has to downloaded with a new Q3HD. I couldn't get mine to load up. Know that I did purchase the camera after seeing your quality review as well., Thanks for that. As a music writer this comes in real handy...
Hello! great video thanks! i just have some questions. if i choose the high quality video HD 1080/30 does it compromise the sound? cause i observed that the sound its better in low video choices. Also, the volume of recording its too low, and when I put recording high then it peaks do you recommend anything? of course i test it different corners and sounds so it doesnt peak but is any other quicker safer and better way? thanks!
I bought mine over a year ago and when I put the sd card in it and turned it on it only recorded like 3 seconds of video. Have any idea what can cause this? I bought the largest sd card I could find and I finally have the time to play around with this. Of course my warranty has expired by now. So if it wasn't a bad card I'm in trouble probably. I assumed I had the quality set too high and a very small card. I tried all the settings but nothing changed. I now have a 64gb card so hopefully I can get one song on it with high quality audio and video surely? Do you have to format an sd card every time you put one in the camera? I can't find a user manual at all.The little brochure that came with it to me is no help do you know where I can get a step by step manual ? I really appreciate you posting your video, it helped, but I still need a manual with step by step guides, since I am having issues maybe a troubleshooting chapter and a step by step guide would get me on the right path. .Do they make one? Thanks for your help !
how to get aa battery for long use
Hey Stegs ...thanks for sharing this (...years ago :)
I found a new Q3HD at a local music store (!?!) and am considering buying it. I really can't find a modern equivalent in this form factor, and I think it will be very useful for my (3) bands ...I love the idea of a single sturdy HD field recorder that I can throw in my gig bag and capture shows/rehearsals on the fly.
I really dislike all the Zoom follow-up product formats (Q4HD, Q2N, Q8), and very much dislike the GoPro and it's proprietary purchase traps to do simple things. Some of these newer products to also seem have a mandatory hokey fish-eye/wide-angle video mode. What are these fkn companies thinking?
Do you still have/use your Q3HD? Does it not come with a power adaptor? Any other suggestions? Thx bud!
Zoom Q3HD Handy Video ua-cam.com/video/GiRhIv3kxuI/v-deo.html
Very nice informative video. I was going to buy one on Craigslist but I was too late. $150.00, a bargain, correct? You could slow down on the narration a bit. Maybe it is my age though.
you can go XLR to 1/4" and then 1/4" to 3.5MM adapter..one more connection, but possible.
Extremely professional and comprehensive review. Thank you. Helped me make my decision to purchase.
mine keeps saying Card full so I bought a brand new 32 GB card and brand new Ultra Lithium Energizer batteries and did it fix my problem NO, it will record for 15 seconds and kick off saying SD Card is Full
@SPIDER Audio-Technica ATR2500-USB, check out my channel for the review.
Se le puede poner un tripode?
97juanz Si, puedes poner a un tripode.
gracias
97juanz yes
The Plastic Female threaded screw in the recorder will crack eventually. Why they did not put a Stainless steel thread in there tells me the wrong Jackasses are designing this or making the decisions.
Anyone have this issue or fix it ?????
Very useful review Steggy. I need to improve the sound recording capability when filming my friends band. My Sony DSC-HX1 does a great job on the video, but can't cope with rock band sound levels ! I might decide to get a Zoom H4n or Tascam DR-40, and try to synchronise the soundtrack. Thanks !
dude thanks for the professional work you have done. I got double thumbs up for your presentation style and substance.
Greate
For a nerdy review dude, you do an AWESOME review. Thx !
You certainly answered all of my questions, very good, THANKS!
Got one of these cameras, sound quality is excellent, -picture quality-mmmm, jury's still out on that one, you have to be careful handling it also, as you can smear the lens easy, and the sound-choice menu is confusing, if, like me, your not up on the jargon, great device though, wish you could upload to UA-cam direct from it though.......
Superb work, your best review and video so far!
Well done - great review. I am thinking of buying this unit and this is very helpful.
Thank you! This is an awesome in depth review!
I like this! The reason why you don't have software to add audio
Thank for your review! Clear, informative and profetional.
This is a very good review. You really makes it understandable.
Great commentary, very well done!
a very talented speaker
good review
Well said Sir.
it work with skype
Thank you
Purchased mine in Dec. 2010. It died after only 50 recordings over the course of 5 years. It constantly froze up on longer recordings (15 min+) Tried all the "right" memory cards. Nothing changed. Complete piece of shit and the build quality made it feel like a kids toy. Not worth $300. I took it apart and saved the mics--the only good part about it. I see it's been discontinued. Good riddance. I hated it.
+rts ...sorry to hear about your old Q3HD ...I really want to like it. Have you found anything in a similar form factor? There's a music store that still has a new unit, and I was considering buying because I haven't found a modern HD/field recorder I like. I've done tonnes of audio recording over the years with my H2, and am lured by the prospect of having a similar unit with an HD camera. Thx bro - any input is appreciated.
Good video bro but..............................are you gonna answer any questions from the other fellows?? I mean what good can your video be if you're not gonna answer any doubts we might have about this product, considering you already know this product!!
Great Review
Such an amazing review!
Please, breathe between your sentences, slow down a bit. If you want followers then remember that not all the world is born with English as their mother tongue.
To the subject: I have both ZOOM Q3 and the ZOOM H4n which I use frequently with my Canon 7D and my Legria HD20. The difference between the sound recordings is quite astonishing. Espcecially the H4n is
THANKS