<<I need to figure out what recording device to use (I'm looking at
the Zoom H4N) and if I will need an external microphone for it. A lot
of my recording will be at the beach, so I'm expecting wind to be an
issue and will have to accommodate that. Price is not an issue (says
the newbie with no frame of reference) but I'm expecting to pay around
$600 for a reasonable setup. >>
Having had a Zoom H4N outdoors in mild tropical breezes last week in
Bali, I can assure you you will definitely have big wind issues at any
beach. I don't see the internal mics being useable with anything less
than a Rycote Fuzzy windscreen for any outdoor recording.
If price is not an issue, here's a quick comparison I ran, which for
me constitutes a deal breaker: Zoom H4n from power off to being ready
to record is 41 seconds. Sony PCM D50 from power off to being ready to
record is 7 seconds. As with the Zoom, the Sony internal mics are
extremely susceptible to wind. With the Rycote Fuzzy I was able to
deal with most outdoor wind situations during a week of recording in
Bali. There are a number of differences in the feature set of each
machine, which have been detailed here at length, but in general, the
quality of build is substantially higher in the Sony model. The time
required to boot up is something I haven't seen mentioned in reviews
or feature lists, & I was surprised at the great discrepancy between
the two units.
Scott Fraser
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