Zoom Q3HD with 1x Optical Zoom 2.4 LCD Screen, Gray

I am a karaoke jockey trying to better my stage show. I have had this recorder for a few months, and I am a novice using this sort of device. I needed a recorder that would capture great sound no matter what setting and video was secondary and that is why I decided on the Q3HD. This is my first HD video recorder. Now, this unit is definitely better if you are more interested in what the video sounds like rather than what it looks like, but the sound is phenomenal for a handheld all in one. I used this for recording some of my karaoke vocals with videos in a practice setting to make my performances stronger. I did have some trouble in lower light situations but I failed to have the camera set to night setting. My mistake...learning curve. Have not tried video since switching over, so I hope that will help improve. The videos were recorded on the 720p/60fps setting. They were not as clear as I had hoped, and would have expected a crisper image. If you are viewing it on YouTube or fb size, it should look crisp enough though. All of my video recordings were done with the camera mounted on a tripod. A sample video I shot can be found at[...] on YouTube. This video size is too large to upload and link to my review. I'd say the video quality is alright on this one, the lighting was a little better than some of the others I did.I have mostly transitioned to recording audio only for studio recording purposes. (no need for video). This recorder is very simple to use. I have used both DANE (class 4, 8 gb) and Transcend SD (32 gig, Class 10) cards that the camera had no problem recognizing and were plug and play (nothing special to format or anything like that).I have only had the unit shut off one time prematurely. Not sure why that happened. I may have been operating on battery only. Most times I use the AC adapter that I had to purchase separately and have not had any notable issues with that kind of power. And, batteries get devoured by this unit, so make sure you have an ample supply if recording at an event.When you do power off the unit, and you had previously had it set to record audio only, it will reset to include video each time you turn it on. Using the control is very simple though, bit rates, video quality, etc.Honestly, this camera is great. I have had no major issues (twice it froze because I pushed buttons I shouldn't have - but just removed the batteries put them back in and was up an running again) and I keep it in the case when not in use to protect the lens. I am glad I bought the HD version, it's much better than the prior model.I hope this review helps you.

I am a dedicated Zoom user (H4, H1), and my primary purpose is to record lectures as a graduate student. I especially love Zoom H1, and recommended it to my classmates, and they bought their own and love H1.This semester I am taking a lecture and the professor use projectors and didn't give the notes in order. I found it's very difficult to find the right page and write down the notes on time, therefore I look for a video recorder to record the class, so that I can take the notes after class.Since I trust the audio quality of Zoom and I got Zoom Q3HD without hesitate, however there are a few problems.1. Instead of silver color, I prefer black color which is more low profile. Some professors don't mind being taken the video, but if the recorder is too obvious, they feel uncomfortable.2. The video direction, there should be a function when the recorder is placed horizontally, the video direction should be corrected directly, that function on Zoom Q3HD doesn't work for some reason. I have to find software to convert them into the right direction and some videos look twisted and weird after conversion.3. Since there is no power supplier in the classroom for students, the battery life is very important. Unfortunately it won't last more than 35 min with newly charged, newly purchased 2850mh Ni-H batteries in HD mode. Therefore, there is no way for me to take a 45 min long lecture without changing the battery in the middle. I sit in the first row usually, this really disturbs me and finally made me to return this product. Amazon is wonderful,and refund me promptly.4. There is no button to turn off the video display when it's in recording, which can save some battery.Pros:I think the audio quality is excellent as usual, and video quality is ok, good enough to read the screen of the projector. While image stabilizer could be improved.I really think the battery is the killer, if people use this to take videos less than 30 min or have the power supplier, there should be no problem. But to record a lecture, you will always worry when the video will be stopped due to the inadequacy of the battery. I am wondering why can't zoom use lithium ion battery instead like other cameras. If you want to be a decent cam recorder, this has to be the change.

As others have said:- Great audio- Video is sub par -- about the same quality as I can get from my cell phone camera (maybe a bit better).Regarding battery life:- I use Samsung Eneloop rechargeables. I put them in, set this up on the tripod, push the button, and have no problems recording a 2-hour show.Regarding premature shut-off:- See above. I have recording multiple shows longer than one hour, and had no problems with the camera shutting off.I rate this device a 5 for the following reason:- It gets the great audio I want for my musical performances- It gets me a little bit of video too, all for under $300- I looked into pairing up a higher-quality video camera with an external microphone. I could not find a way to do it that would not set me back at least $700.A tripod is *highly* recommended. Stick it on the tripod and walkaway... come back at the end of the gig and have a video/audioready to upload to my computer, youTUbe, or whatever...Misc Tidbits:- The on-camera controls are a bit cheesy: playing back a piece ofa long recording is just plain painful.- When I transfer a multi-hour recording to my mac, it is broken intomultiple 1-hour segments in the process of the transfer.