Recording - August 2017 - 52

Zoom
Q2n Handy

Video Recorder

A newcomer-friendly solution for video
capture-with quality audio built in
REVIEW BY MIKE METLAY

ith the explosion of interest in video content for live
shows, blogs, tutorials, and other online content,
the portable video camera has become the recording professional's newest must-have tool. Dozens of companies
offer products with a wide variety of options, the most famous
being the GoPro line of action cameras.
However, there's been precious little attention given to capturing
audio that would be suitable for serious musical applications;
some cameras offer stereo mic arrays or hookups for external
microphones (which are now becoming available for video-camera
use from many pro audio makers like Sennheiser and RØDE),
but beginners in need of a great-sounding field video/audio
recorder that won't break the bank have been searching for a
truly practical solution.
Zoom, which pioneered the idea of video cameras with an
emphasis on top-end audio, has taken this concept to a new
price point with the highly approachable Q2n Handy Video
Recorder. If you're just getting started with video, the Q2n is
a near-perfect way to dip a toe in the water.

On the front, on the sides, underneath

If you're used to the usual shape and size of handheld video
recorders, the Q2n is a funny little beast when you first look at
it. However, its design is eminently practical for the beginner;
with a stable wide base (that's where the batteries are, giving
it a low center of gravity) and nonslip feet, setting it up can be
as easy as putting it on a table.
Weighing only a couple of ounces and small enough to fit
in a pocket, the Q2n packs a heck of a lot of features into
a very small package, and leverages Zoom's expertise with
designing easy-to-use recorders in a big way. If you're the sort
of person who's easily intimidated by menus and features on
devices like this, you should take comfort from the fact that the
Q2n was designed with you in mind.
The mics are set up in a wide (120º) XY array behind a
protective grille; the mic angle can't be adjusted, and the
spread is optimized for sources at 3' distance or more, out to
long distances for recording concerts. All audio is recorded in
standard WAV format. Below that is the F2.0 fixed-focus lens,
52

RECORDING August 2017

which offers up to 160º field of view (FOV). The Q2n has a
3-megapixel sensor and records MOV (MPEG4) files.
The left side of the unit has minijacks for headphone output
(with a volume button) and stereo mic input (the Q2n can provide plug-in power, but any external mic connection disables the
onboard mics). The right side has a large recording gain thumbwheel and micro connections for USB and HDMI. These allow the
Q2n to act as a stereo audio interface, a source for HD playback
on HDMI-enabled TVs, and even as a high-quality webcam (with
installation of the proper drivers on your Mac or Windows PC).
Zoom offers not only those drivers and firmware updates that can
easily be installed via USB, but also a program called HandyShare that's actually a free Mac/Windows video editor.
The base of the Q2n pops off to expose the battery
compartment (2 AA cells, which will last a bit over 2 hours
at 720p) and the socket for a microSD or microSDHC/SDXC
card up to 128 GB in size. There's also a screw socket for a
camera tripod or other mount.

On the back

The rear of the camera has a sharp, if tiny, color LCD for image checking, playback, settings displays, and a color stereo
level meter. The Play/Power, Record, and Settings/Exit buttons
are on the little shelf below it, and it's surrounded by six
buttons to access common features (and they double as menu
selection buttons on various screens). In recording mode, the
buttons' printed labels reflect their functions: Video, FOV, and
Scene on the left, Lo Cut, Audio, and Auto Gain on the right.
The Video and Audio switches select recording quality. For video, there's a choice of 1080p or 720p, at 24 or 30 frames per

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - August 2017