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Gear / Technical Help => Photo / Video Recording => Topic started by: jkm78 on September 26, 2010, 08:33:06 PM

Title: zoom Q3
Post by: jkm78 on September 26, 2010, 08:33:06 PM

has anyone used this yet?

Title: Re: zoom Q3
Post by: duch on September 26, 2010, 09:36:02 PM

Simply put, the Q3 is a super expensive webcam that can't be used as a webcam. You'll even get better audio and video with a Zoom H1 and an $ 100-150 digital camera.

Stay away from it.

Title: Re: zoom Q3
Post by: Nick's Picks on October 12, 2010, 09:13:56 AM

how about the newer Zoom Q3HD ?
which shoots 1080....

http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/q3hd/

Title: Re: zoom Q3
Post by: Kevin T on October 12, 2010, 10:59:56 AM

I have high hopes they got low lite video fixed . Audio should be at least ok..
Unrealistc?

Title: Re: zoom Q3
Post by: Nick's Picks on October 12, 2010, 01:30:10 PM

we'll see...
:)
I want one.

Title: Re: zoom Q3
Post by: beatkilla on October 12, 2010, 05:59:23 PM

You cant have good low light performance with a small sensor.i dont know what size its sensor is though.1 3rd is good.2 3rd is  better.1 4th   1 6th   1  8th of an inch are terrible.

Title: Re: zoom Q3
Post by: junkyardt on October 12, 2010, 07:56:05 PM

another taper and i hit a show last night where some guy came over to us with one of these on one of those little gorillapods that he used to mount it onto our stuff. he said he was using it more for the audio as the video quality wasn't great (can't imagine the audio is either). it looked kinda cheesy like a kid's toy.

Title: Re: zoom Q3
Post by: SmokinJoe on October 13, 2010, 12:55:15 PM

I've got one.  I bought it used from the yardsale for $150.  The only camcorder we ever had was one of the full sized VHS ones from 1990, and didn't feel like spending $600 for a half decent modern camcorder which would probably get dropped and broken, so I got this for the girls to play with.  Personally I'm not into concert video, it's only for kid's birthday parties and stuff like that.  If you set your expectations appropriately, it's not too bad.

The video quality is a fixed 640x480, and is probably on par with video mode on a cell phone or cheap digital camera.  It is squarely targeted at the YouTube market.  It has a zoom of about 2x.  The audio is much better than you would get with a phone or camera, which will typically be brickwalled loud concert.   The low-light video capabilities are grainy.

The audio settings are 3.... high, low, and AGC.  It has good VU meters (probably on par with my R09), so you will know if you are clipping, but no adjustment other than Hi/low.  High is good for kids birthdays and acoustic shows.  Low is good for loud music... I used it to record Primus at Vibes and was hitting -12 to -6 I think, which is perfect.   I think it would have to be really, really loud to overload. 

So... my daughter and wife think it's great for parties, dance recitals, and horse lessons.  I'm not into video, but I can maybe see myself using it to record audio at a side stage of a festival.

It comes with some really basic software.  You can trim off the front and back of a video, but no enhancement or tweaking.   I think I ended up using DVDFlick to burn a DVD for the living room.

Title: Re: zoom Q3
Post by: Nick's Picks on October 14, 2010, 07:28:05 AM

so that is the Q3 you have, and not the HD version ?

i'm curious about the one that shoots 720/1080p