Zoom Q8 Tutorial (Part 1): Camera Functions

[@jimstrummer5688]

Thanks for this. I just bought one of these yesterday. Your video has helped me get up and running straight away. Excellent.

[@micthelegend9]

You're very welcome! Thank you for your feedback, it is appreciated.

[@CBSEye]

Thank you Michael for your comments on the wide angle zoom function of this unit. I've owned an H2 Zoom from these people for audio recording and I love it so I thought I would investigate their video/audio camera but was concerned that people would look distorted by this lens. I will investigate more but thanks for all the info you have provided. - Guy Kentino (Jersey Guy)

[@micthelegend9]

You are most welcome Guy, and thanks for your feedback!

[@TheFriendlyPsychopath.]

Thanks, I had this exact camera for 2 years and it sat in the box because I didn’t know how to use it, I didn’t understand the functionality.

[@micthelegend9]

You're welcome

[@TheFriendlyPsychopath]

You should make a video for quick start up use and settings for dummies, for not so tech savvy people like me, I’m sure there is a lot of us out there who just want to record and not get fancy with the options.

[@micthelegend9]

@@TheFriendlyPsychopath Thanks for the input, unfortunately I don't have the camera anymore as it was rented by my employer for a limited time and it was returned.

[@anthonykelly5]

how much did it cost

[@micthelegend9]

I did some research online and the camera costs vary by store. One of the cheapest prices I saw was through Canada Computers ($479 + tax).

[@Withcare111]

what settings do you recommend for recording a live band in a rehearsal room?thanks

[@micthelegend9]

Thanks for your inquiry, unfortunately I'm not sure which settings are best as I've never tested this camera in a live band setting, only inside a work office, sorry about that.

[@claul2005]

hey thanks. is there a recording time limit with this camera?

[@micthelegend9]

Hi, sorry for the late response. I tried to do some research as I don't have specific details for the recording time limit. But from what I discovered, my take away is that the higher the storage space of the memory card, the longer the recording time will be. So that could make a difference in the number of hours you could record for. I've attached a link that provides more details: kb.sandisk.com/app/answersweb/detailweb/a_id/8407/~/number-of-minutes-of-video-that-can-be-stored-on-a-sandisk-memory-device

[@CBSEye]

So we can record a video directly to an SD card to upload? Please let me know. Enjoyed your video demonstration.

[@micthelegend9]

Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed the demonstration! Yes you can directly record to an SD card. Once you connect that SD card to a computer, you can transfer the video file to the computer and then upload it online.

[@micthelegend9]

I created a part 2 of this tutorial which outlines transferring the SD card to a computer, feel free to take a look!

[@CBSEye]

@@micthelegend9 Thank you for your quick response. I'm a little concerned about the wide angle fish eye view. Is there anyway to defeat this when making videos?

[@micthelegend9]

@@CBSEye You're welcome. To be honest I'm not sure about the wide angle view. Unfortunately, I don't have the camera with me anymore as it was a rental, so I wouldn't be able to troubleshoot it. My best guess would be to adjust the zoom magnification when using the camera, or going into the settings and changing any default video/ zoom options.

[@queenofmotivation9310]

Thank you for the walk through. Would this be a good recorder for fitness videos?

[@micthelegend9]

You're welcome. I haven't been able to test it outside of an office area, but overall the sound and camera quality would be decent for fitness videos.

[@queenofmotivation9310]

@@micthelegend9 Thank you

[@binhle8731]

Hi, if I play Zoom Q8 with an acoustic-electric guitar and a condenser microphone, could you show me how to connect it? Thanks!

[@micthelegend9]

Hi, unfortunately I've never tested the Zoom Q8 with an instrument or condenser microphone, so I'm not sure how the connection would work, my apologies. My best guess is that the condenser microphone would need to connect to one of the ports on the camera.

[@binhle8731]

@@micthelegend9 Thank you for your reply! I'll try!

[@ShanMichaelEscasio]

how is the low light performance of this? especially filming a live band in a bar scenario which is usually dark with the only source of light coing from the stage lights?

[@micthelegend9]

Hi, unfortunately I'm not sure what the low light performance is as I was only able to test out the camera in a high light environment.

[@MountatinMusic0]

How long can you record in 1080 ? Does the camera record one file for as long as you’d like or does it cut the video into chunks like a lot of other recorders?

[@micthelegend9]

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how long 1080 will let you record for; I don't recall seeing that guideline in the manual. As for the recording, I only made short videos but was able to do them in one take, so I presume that you could record one long file.

[@bobby9727]

Can you record the mic audio at the same time as the audio inputs on the back ? Thank you for any help.

[@micthelegend9]

Hi, to be honest I'm not sure about that, but I would presume that the audio inputs would be able to capture the mic sound at the same time.

[@bsmbf]

Why is the playback volume so low??

[@micthelegend9]

I believe it's based on how high or low you set the recording volume on the camera, that will determine how high or low the playback volume is.

[@christinadulworth3175]

Thank you so much for this! The zoom is my least favorite thing on this camera. It does not zoom in very much. Frustrating!! My own fault... didn't know what I was looking for. Learning the hard way.

[@micthelegend9]

You're most welcome, I'm glad this tutorial was helpful for you!

[@doctorjames7454]

Pressed the power button and nothing. Guess I'll look for another tutorial.

[@micthelegend9]

Do you mean the camera never worked when you tried to turn it on or off?

[@micthelegend9]

Possible troubleshooting: Does the battery need charging? Press and hold the power button for a few seconds? Any other malfunction with the camera?

[@doctorjames7454]

Didn't realize that the battery was not already inserted and needed to be installed. Would be good to know for absolute tech morons like me. Also, looks like this has not come with an SD card, so I can't use it. I have no idea what SD card to get nor where to get it. The user guide is practically useless. Frustrated.

[@micthelegend9]

Yes it can be frustrating as I had to figure some things out on my own as well. Thanks for your feedback. Regarding the SD card, it depends on how much content you plan to record. I'd suggest starting with a 32GB card which can store a decent amount of content. There are options for more or less storage depending on your needs. In terms of where to buy them, any electronic store (example: Staples, Best Buy, Walmart, etc) will sell SD cards for video camcorders.

[@doctorjames7454]

@@micthelegend9 Thank you.