Zoom’s portable recorders have long earned a place of respect amongst podcasters, musicians, journalists, and other folks trying to get decent records of performances, interviews, lectures, and other material—and now Zoom is upping the ante for its video recording technology with its new Zoom Q3HD Handy Video Recorder. The Q3HD not only offers Zoom’s X-Y stereo audio recording capabilities (at up to 24 bits/96KHz) but can capture 1080p high-definition video at 30 frames per second—and 720p video at either 30 or 60 frames per second.
The Q3HD features a 2.4-inch 320 by 240-pixel display, SDHC removable storage (supporting up to 32 GB), USB 2.0 connectivity, HDMI output for pushing content to an HDTV, and saves video in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format. The Q3HD features a new wider aperture for improved video recording quality and the unit sports three lighting settings—including a “concert lighting” setting that enables quality video capture even in high-contrast stage settings. The Q3HD also features a new icon-based user interface, runs on two AA batteries, and comes with HandyShare editing software (Windows-only, we believe).
The Q3HD is available now at major retailers for a suggested price of $299.99; an optional accessory package with a windscreen, tripod, soft case, HDMI cable, AC adapter, and AV cable is available for $39.99.
