Review on Zoom Q3 Handy Video Recorder (Metal Blue): Unavailable from Manufacturer, but Still Worth Checking Out! by Andrew Britton

I bought the Zoom Q3 after seeing it on Revain for a very good price. My reasons for buying it were primarily to record my guitar playing, recording music at concerts, clinics etc. and also because I was fed up with recording a completely unusable sound with my (very good) Android phone. To record myself, I put a Q3 in front of my amp and record audio only, or use both video and audio if I want to watch myself later. So far I am very satisfied with the results. Sound quality reaches 96kHz (24bit) WAV for audio only recording and reaches 48kHz (24bit) WAV in video mode. There are manual controls for microphone functions, audio quality, etc., but I've only used it in automatic mode so far and it's produced impressive results. In testing, I even turned on my car stereo and recorded an entire song while holding the Q3 in the air in audio-only mode. I listened to it on Q3 with headphones and after downloading it on my computer and was surprised by the quality. Video mode is adequate in decently lit locations, but not great in a poorly lit bar/club. . The digital zoom doesn't get you any closer to the action and affects the video quality to an extent. So it's probably best to get as close as possible while shooting and not rely on zooming to get good footage. My first time filming a friend's group in a pub was overall impressive. It was pretty dark and they were loud but the video came out pretty well and the sound was excellent. It's very easy to use. I didn't fiddle with any settings, I just sat in front of the group and fired on auto mode. It comes with a 2GB SD card, but I now have a 4GB card that gives about 1.5 hours of video and about 3 hours. Audio recordings with maximum quality settings. It uses 2 AA batteries. It can be powered by alkaline or Ni-MH batteries which I currently use. I realized I would need to use a lot of alkaline batteries (2 hours video / 4 hours audio) so I bought an Energizer NiMH charger that comes with 4 AA batteries. I keep 2 in Q3 and 2 as spares which works great and saves money. It comes with a windscreen, a built-in USB cable, and software to edit clips, add effects, and download them right to you. a tube. It's fairly simple software but seems to work well. The ability to trim clips is limited to the beginning and end of clips, but not between them, which would be useful. My conclusion: If you need HD videos, then the Zoom Q3 is not for you. You'll do better with the new Zoom Q3HD, which retails for around $250. However, if you are looking for an outstanding audio recorder with standard definition (640 x 480 pixels, 30 fps) video, you will be hard pressed to find a better device, especially for the price ($90 mid-range) at the time of writing this review. .