I am, like you, mostly a beginner who came to field recording from photogra=
phy a few years back and didn't want to dive in to thousands of dollars of =
commitment right away for what is really just a hobby. I do record birds a=
nd natural soundscapes, but my primary interest is anurans and "frogscapes"=
. I have learned a LOT from this list and more importantly, from countless=
hours standing out in the field, waist deep in water in the middle of the =
night.=0D
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My advice would be to get a recorder that will accept XLR inputs since you=
will eventually end up there anyway. There are some nice little recorders=
that take 3.5mm TRS inputs (the Sony and Olympus recorders for example), b=
ut I find those limiting in the field because they come unplugged at the w=
orst possible moment and the plugs can get bent if you are a clutz like me.=
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My concern about the Fostex is that it isn't really a "field friendly" rec=
order because it is a bit large and clunky for field use outside of a bag. =
My other concern with it is that it uses CF cards. I have had cameras tha=
t used CF cards and now have bodies that use SD cards. I find SD cards muc=
h more reliable for field use because there are no pins that can be acciden=
tally bent or broken. That was one of the primary things that has kept me =
from going with the Fostex. I do wish SD cards were a bit larger so they =
would be easier to find when they fall to the bottom of your gear bag, but =
that's only a minor inconvenience.=0D
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Also consider that CF cards are an older technology and will probably be o=
bsolete and may not be available in a few years. SD cards are also cheaper=
and much more widely available. Here in the US even local convenience sto=
res and drug stores sell SD cards.=0D
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If you do want a larger recorder, consider the Tascam DR-680 since B&H pho=
to in New York recently significantly dropped the price on this great recor=
der. It also is too large to fit in a pocket, but it is easy to use in the=
dark out of doors in my few weeks experience with it. I love this recorde=
r and you might put it on your "to be considered" list.=0D
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If you want a smaller recorder that can fit in a (big) pocket, the Tascam =
DR-100 is a pretty good recorder for the price and a lot of people here rea=
lly like the more expensive Marantz PMD-661.=0D
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Lastly the microphones. I started out with a Sennheiser ME66/K6 shotgun m=
icrophone several years ago and I still use it today. I do have a paraboli=
c and some pairs of cardiods for stereo recording, but the ME66 is my "go t=
o" microphone most of the time for getting a bird song or a distant frog ca=
ll. It has proven very field hardy, the self-noise is very low and I am ve=
ry happy with it. I have used this microphone in the cool wet temperate ra=
inforests of New Zealand, the steamy tropical rainforests of Amazon Basin a=
nd it the cold wet cloud forests in the Andes and it has never let me down.=
I have not ever recorded in bitterly cold temperatures because I don't li=
ke being out in the cold, but I have never heard a bad word about this micr=
ophone combo.=0D
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If you get a shotgun mic for your bird calls and a recorder with decent st=
ereo on-board mics, that should meet your needs to start out. You can then=
shop for a stereo pair later on?=0D
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Good luck, and whatever you buy, get outside and make some recordings. Ju=
st like with photography, the gear is less important than the subject and t=
he technique.=0D
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Be warned....this is a really addictive hobby!=0D
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Chris=0D
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