Lights, Camera, Action

Schools that thought that they couldn’t afford to outfit classrooms with video cameras are thinking too big. A new generation of tiny handheld camcorders can create mini-movies that are perfect for playing on everything from computers and iPods to classroom projectors. The latest is Zoom’s Q3 Handy Video Recorder, which can capture high quality audio and video on a Secure Digital flash card and play it on a TV or computer; a 32GB card can hold 16 hours of clips. The Q3 can frame the action and playback video on its 2.4-inch screen and requires a pair of AA batteries. The Q3 sells for $249.