Visit our Business Solutions website >>

Zoom Q3

93 reviews

Jun, 2013

Positive
Usability (24)
Zoom (11)
Battery (9)
Portability (7)
Build quality (6)

Negative
Features (2)

General overview
Price comparison
Product Specifications

alaTest has collected and analyzed 93 reviews from magazines and websites. People really like the build quality and portability. The battery and zoom also get good opinions, but many are less positive about the features.

usability, zoom, battery, portability, build quality

features

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Camcorders the Zoom Q3 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 86/100 = Very good quality.

Review analysis

(Based on 93 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

(41% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews (40% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews (13% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews (3% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews (2% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

Usability
Show positive (67%)None yet(Show all)

Zoom
Show positive (20%)Show negative (2%)(Show all)

Battery
Show positive (40%)Show negative (20%)(Show all)

Portability
Show positive (50%)None yet(Show all)

Build quality
Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)

More features

Showing 84 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

Showing 1 - 10 of 84 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (12)

Expert review by: Daniel Dumas (wired.com)

Fetish: Mini Camcorder Boasts Serious Audio Cred

The rise of tiny, easy-to-use video cameras like the Flip has been a boon to wannabe Soderberghs. But the sparkly hi-def video is accompanied by lo-fi audio

Sep, 2009

Read the full review

Consumer review by: (cnet.com)

Zoom Q3

The bottom line is, with the external line-in/mic jack this would be a sure buy. They probably cut the feature so as to not compete with their other audio only recorders. The video quality being only average doesn't help. As is, 3 stars.

The H4n has reasonably great sound quality for the price. Since I use this for band practices and friends bands, this is a huge plus

No external mic jack is a dealbreaker, period. You'll never record a soundboard feed of your band, and you'll never be able to step up to a better microphone (especially one placed in a better location)

Jan, 2010

Read the full review

Consumer review by: (cnet.com)

Zoom Q3

Bottom line, it works for my wife's needs. She's a singer and needs the audio feedback when reviewing her lessons and practices more than the video. The video is definitly a plus. If there was another company out there i would consider them, but as of...

Bought the Q3 for my wife for her voice lessons. It's an improvement over the Zoom H2 for us. The video feedback on top of the great voice recordings are a plus. The auto gain feature is ok (i think it's better than the H2)

A little big. Lacking on some features that the H2 has. only has low, high, and auto gain (no mid). Not 720p

Jan, 2009

Read the full review

Consumer review by: (cnet.com)

Zoom Q3

If you are a musician like me and you want to record your rehearsals, gigs etc in excellent sound quality, Go for it!

Superb soundquality

Image quality could be improved

Jan, 2009

Read the full review

Consumer review by: (cnet.com)

Zoom Q3

May serve a music teacher's needs for a year or two (but at a fairly steep price). Most would do better to stick with their Zoom H2 or H4n along with their old Flip or comparable videocam. Wait for a device combining even better audio with HD and a...

Possibly useful for music instructors, musicians who want to watch themselves practice, and youtube compulsives

Youtube is moving to hi def, many buyers already have a good videocam (even a Canon Elf has HD video capability), and many have a Zoom H2. This model duplicates existing equipment, is not state of the art, and will soon be outdated

Jan, 2009

Read the full review

Consumer review by: (amazon.com)

Amazon review summary for the Zoom Q3

alaTest has collected and analyzed 67 user reviews of the Zoom Q3 from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.5/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.0/5 for other Camcorders on Amazon.com.

usability, zoom, portability, value for money, battery

features

85% of reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Jun, 2013

Read the full review

Consumer review by: D. Crowe "few hit records" (amazon.com)

super useful tool for band practice:

i had a little tascam digital 8-track and with that, i'd record a new song at practice and i'd have to come home and find it in the midst of unintelligible, unrecognizable file names and then set up the in/out audio on my computer and then record it...

Jul, 2012

Read the full review

Consumer review by: Rena M. Urso-trapani (amazon.com)

LOVE my Zoom Q3!

I could not possibly be happier with this video camera. It is very easy to use. The picture and sound quality are excellent.

Jun, 2012

Read the full review

Consumer review by: Dan Walker (amazon.com)

Great

I purchased this specifically to record our live performances. It performs outstandingly and is extremely simple to use. The video isn't the best but the sound is great. It is also durable. I fell from a height of over 8 feet onto a hard tile floor...

May, 2012

Read the full review

Consumer review by: samsonsand (amazon.com)

Awesome Zoom Q3

I bought this for our band hoping it would do better than all the other camcorders we had tried.

Apr, 2012

Read the full review

Product Specifications

Anyone who's ever experienced a film with great audio knows how vital sound is to the movie. The Q3 Handy Video Recorder brings the renowned audio technology to the camcorder, making it the best sounding video camcorder you've ever heard.The Q3 has two condenser microphones on-board, engineered in the same X/Y pattern that gives recording pros the best stereo recording possible. Arranged with the right and left microphones on the same axis, this design ensures that the microphones are always an equal distance from the sound source for perfect localization without phase shifting. The result is a great sounding recording with natural depth and highly accurate stereo imaging every time... all at the touch of a button.The Q3's X/Y microphones are directional, so you can "focus" the microphones on your sound source like an "audio zoom" function. Use the onboard audio meters to set the gain to low, high or auto so you can record in very loud or very soft environments. Or use the Q3's auto record level function to automatically set the appropriate recording levels for the situation! Shoot your video with the confidence that the Q3 is capturing great audio at the absolute best level possible.To play music better, seeing your performance can be almost as important as hearing yourself. With the Q3, you get both capabilities. Music educators and students alike will find a plethora of applications for the Q3 from the classroom to the practice room. Ideal for recording auditions or making video lessons available to students, the Q3's amazing stereo recording will capture every nuance while the video rolls.The Q3 makes an excellent accessory for anyone who does videography as a full-time occupation or as a hobby. Imagine being able to use the Q3 for individualized video shoots of the bride and groom before a wedding. Or give a Q3 to everyone in the wedding party for personalized video clips. Capture the wedding music with ease. The possibilities are truly endless. And with pristine, focused audio, you'll never miss a moment, even in a noisy environment.