Samson today hoped to bring quality to pocket video cameras and launched the Zoom Q3. It records video in standard VGA (640x480) but adds two large condenser microphones borrowed from the audio-only H4n, giving it 48kHz, 24-bit stereo sound. The enhanced audio can additionally focus on a particular point independently of the fixed-zoom lens to capture sound at a distance.

A 2.4-inch LCD supplies an easier preview than usual of the footage, which is captured in MPEG-4. A 2GB SD card is provided and gives about an hour of video, but SDHC support extends the maximum room to 32GB. Bundled software provides editing and YouTube uploading for those computers that don't already have it, and Windows users are given a copy of QuickTime to ensure they can play footage on a PC.

The AA battery-powered camera should be available very soon and will cost only slightly more than some of its closer competitors at $249.