Sayonara Flip Cam?

I come across technology, toys and gadgets almost every day, but this my friends has me a wee bit excited.

Zoom is a Japanese company best known for their line of audio recorders which are popular with radio journalists worldwide.

They’ve announced their new Zoom Q3, a pocket video camera. But don’t let those eyes deceive you, this ain’t no flip cam clone.

Flip cams let anyone easily capture video and upload it straight to youtube in a snap. So why get excited about this new Japanese kid on the block?

In my short media career in London I’ve been presented with the same scenario over and over again. The new/social/multimedia revolution means anyone can pick up and camera, and increasingly do. Great? No.

The problem lies with audio levels. Many treat pocket video cameras like compact cameras and point and shoot. Audio is so often overlooked, especially in noisy environments like conferences.

In reality this means hours of post editing, boosting audio levels and desperately applied audio filters to no avail. I’ve sadly had to reject so many clips because without the audio, they’re useless.

Cue the new Zoom Q3, with wait for it… a proper built in mic. But what’s really got my attention is the level meter, right there in front of you on the screen. Get the audio levels right and you’re halfway there to getting top quality video. Zoom claim broadcast quality, and a tripod mount for avoiding the shaky shaky.

Other specs include a standard 640x480 resolution and 30 frames per second which sounds perfect for web. When I need full HDTV style quality I’ll get my full size camera, mics, tripod and kit out, but even when I’m out and about I don’t want to sacrifice audio quality for those spontaneous clips.

I haven’t seen one in the flesh, but even from the marketing sell you can tell this is a device designed by people who know broadcast.

I’ve requested a review with Zoom, and will hopefully be blogging again soon complete with more info and sample videos.