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Author Topic: alternative to zoom Q3hd  (Read 7897 times)

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Offline carpa

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alternative to zoom Q3hd
« on: January 05, 2011, 03:24:59 PM »
I'd like to record my piano concerts; just need an acceptable video quality placing the device on a stand in the best spot. The aim is to have some videos for the web or - at most- to watch on a tv screen.

If I trusted Zoom gear I would certainly go for it as it is "music oriented" - a plus is the line in which could allow me to plug my naiant mic preamp for a better quality.

An alternative could be a pocket videocamera like Kodak zi8  + external mic ( it has got mic input - hope the preamp don't suck....), or a flip ultra hd + blue mikey. These setups
could be a fast and low profile sound solution, but I could always decide to record audio separately with my Edirol R09hr+Naiant littlebox+mics.

I've read (here and elsewhere) of people using a camera as a videocamera for hd, but I wonder what the video quality is like and if it is possible to record for 60/90 minutes in terms of powering ( don't think cameras can be wall-plugged...).

Last options left is a video oriented cell phone like nokia 8 (1/1,8 sensor and hi resolution) or Iphone, but i relly don't know how is quality compared to pocket camcorders.

I perfectly know the result will be far from a pro video; keeping count of the limitations I simply would like to male the best choice.


thanks a lot for your clearing a bit of my confusion

c

Offline Landshark99

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Re: alternative to zoom Q3hd
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2011, 12:58:51 PM »
I have a Q3HD, if you want a flip style video it will do the best audio but not the best video, the video is ok, with reasonable light.
Mics: AT8010, AT4053b, MC 930, NT4, NTG-3, SM58
Recorders: SD 702, Marantz PMD661/ Oade Super Mod/Zoom Q3HD

Offline fguidry

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Re: alternative to zoom Q3hd
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2011, 02:23:15 PM »
The Zi8 has very poor audio input compared to the Q3HD. It uses fairly aggressive auto-gain control and rolls off the low frequencies heavily. Even with an external mic, I prefer the sound from the Q.

The Q3HD needs plenty of light to do a good job, but that is true of all cameras. Better low light performance costs money, that's about all there is to it. Of course, each of us has a different threshold of tolerance <grin>.

The video quality from the current generation of Panasonic point & shoot cameras is very very good, but you still need plenty of light. The audio can be decent if the the dynamic range is not too great, based on my experience with the ZS3 and TS2, but quiet passages will get noisy. I can generally get 1 hour from my ZS3 battery. AC adapters are available for most small cams including the Panasonics, the Zi8, and the Q3HD, but not the Flip.

Your Naiant combined with the Q3HD will be pretty hard to beat at a sub-$1000 price point, the quality of the video will be a function of the amount of available light.

I have some comparisons of the Q3HD with the Zi8 and a Sanyo video camera at my Homebrewed Music site: http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/2010/11/28/a-first-look-at-the-zoom-q3hd/

Also a comparison to the iPhone 4: http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/2010/12/01/zoom-q3hd-vs-iphone-4/

Using the Zoom H2 as a powered mic for the Q: http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/2010/12/01/zoom-q3hd-with-and-without-the-zoom-h2/

And some different mics plugged into the Zi8: http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/2010/03/18/some-mics-for-the-kodak-zi8/

I just put up a video shot mostly on my Lumix GH2 (this is what you _really_ want for video quality in marginal light, bring money for a fast lens) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwyDhCZWIwg

The audio in this clip is from the Q3HD, placed about 24" from the guitar. At about 1:20 into the clip I used the video from the Zoom for one verse. With plenty of light, it does a wonderful job to my eye, and I'm quite pleased with the audio throughout.

Fran

Offline Gutbucket

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Re: alternative to zoom Q3hd
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2011, 07:55:49 PM »
A belated welcome aboard Fran.

Enjoyed reading your site. Really enjoyed listening to your playing in the clips.
..heading home to pull out the acoustic.  ;)
musical volition > vibrations > voltages > numeric values > voltages > vibrations> virtual teleportation time-machine experience
Better recording made easy - >>Improved PAS table<< | Made excellent- >>click here to download the Oddball Microphone Technique illustrated PDF booklet<< (note: This is a 1st draft, now several years old and in need of revision!  Stay tuned)

Offline carpa

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Re: alternative to zoom Q3hd
« Reply #4 on: February 27, 2011, 05:42:56 AM »
Thanks all for your advice.
@ fguidry:  thank you very much, I watched your clips and found very interesting. 

As far as i have seen on the web probably the best video quality for a few bucks can be achieved by a camera like Lumix. The real problem might be flexibility for a musician like I am.   Given that a pro video needs different gear - at least two cameras and separate audio to mix later, which gets to be to much work - the best compromise is having something you can easily use during your day work (play - listen - erase ) and you can also use for recording a performance for archive/website pourpose.

Considering all this the Zoom q3hd seems to be the way-to-go. I can tape and watch-listen with decend result and in need of a better sound I can plug my littlebox with Naiant mics or maybe a Rode nt4 or an Audio-technica.
Then I consider the Zoom's line audio input better than a mic input, so that the preamp stage is bypassed; the only downside for me is that at present time there's no alternative to q3hd. It would de nice to have more choice as we've had with audio recorder since the beginning; in a few month lots of brands like Sony, Edirol, Tacam ect. followed Zoom , and I'd appreciate this could happen also in the video field.

One thing I can't understand about the Zoom q3hd is why it's not possible to adjust the gain when internals are used; as far as I've seen in the spec sheet there are only two or three fixed positions you can select and I'm not sure if you can get rid of automatic gain control, which is something I hate.

This is  to me the main obstacle in buying this new toy; may I have your comment on this?

thanks alot
c



Offline fguidry

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Re: alternative to zoom Q3hd
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2011, 10:23:21 PM »
The AGC can be turned off completely.

Or you can use one of two AGC modes - in the first mode it drops gain and keeps it down. In the other, the gain comes back up if the input level goes down.

Fran

 

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