field recorders: Sony vs Zoom

Sound, as a photographer there was a time not too long ago when I didn’t think at all about sound. But now, I have to think about it a lot. Publishing on the web means putting sound as well as images on the screen. The new dimension means adding new machines. Here are 2 field recorders that I like the Sony PCM-D50 (about $460 ) and the Zoom H4n (about $300 ). Both are small, and light weight, both of them can make stunning field recordings, both take AA batteries and are easy to use.

First things first, I have used the Sony for a year and used the ZOOM for about a week.  So lets start with the Sony:

On the up side, the PCM-D50 is a tank. The recorder is all metal, the high quality mikes are protected by a strange but useful cage that gives the recorder an odd Jules Verne sort of appeal. I’ve carried this recorder into caves, across Africa and Madagascar it still looks and functions as if it were brand-new. It has 4 gb of internal memory and 4 AA batteries run the recorder forever. The built in stereo microphones are very sensitive, and are easily adjusted. If you need more memory you can add a sony memory stick, but the 4GB internal has always been enough for me.

Handheld recorders in general are very susceptible to handling noise and the PCM-D50 is no exception. If you are using the internal mikes you will hear noise as you press the buttons and move the recorder around, also if you are going to use the internal mikes buy a windscreen to go over them because even slight wind will produce a pronounced rumble.

The PCM-D50 has almost everything you would expect in a 500 dollar machine, low cut filter, 5 second pre record, a very good limiter and multiple sampling frequencies and bit rates. It will only record wave files but that is not a big deal.

The Sony would be perfect except that it only has a 3.5 mm stereo input. This means that if you are using xlr microphones you need a xlr to 3.5 mm adaptor and things get a little cumbersome. However, this recorder coupled with something like an Electro Voice RE50b is an almost fool proof sound gathering system. My high school aged assistant gathers good sound with it, my Ugandan translator gathers good sound with it. Even I can gather good sound with it.

The trouble comes if you want to do more complex things with the recorder. Say if you want to record separate tracks, or if you want to use phantom powered xlr mikes (ie a good shotgun) things then get expensive. Sony’s phantom power xlr adaptor is 420 bucks. You could also ad a sound devices preamp for about that amount. But suddenly your little device is not so little and not so simple.

The Zoom H4n shares many qualities with the Sony. It is about the same size, has quality built in microphones, has multiple sampling rates, and runs on AA batteries (2 not 4). It produces good stereo recordings with the built in mikes. It is a little more cheaply made than the Sony. There is lots of metal, but plastic too, I’ve only had the recorder for a week or so and I can’t tell you how well it will put up with abuse in the field. The Zoom records to changable SD cards. 

What sets the Zoom apart is that it is a 4-channel recorder. You can record with the built in condenser microphones alone, with mikes hooked to the xlr ports, or with both at the same time. A built in mixer lets you adjust the recording volumes of the stereo and xlr inputs separately.

The xlr inputs can also supply phantom power (24 or 48 volt) to external mikes. That lets me use a good and compact shotgun. Be warned that phantom power kills the batteries pretty quickly so have spares and change before you think you need them.

The built in mixer is ok, but if you really require mixing you might want to upgrade to an external mixer. It will be easier to adjust on the fly. Then of course you have moved beyond small and easy to use. But if you've read this far you are probably headed that direction anyway.

There are many many more features on the Zoom than the Sony. How does the sound stack up? Well it is fine. The Sony sounds a little better with it internal mikes. With externals the Zoom wins simply because you can put better mikes on it.   With an the Electro Voice RE50b plugged in, I really can’t tell the difference between the recorders, but with a shotgun, phantom power is going to beat an internally powered microphone any day.

-Stephen Alvarez

Comments

[jay]

i beat the crap out of an h4 until it got soaked and stopped working. for the few years i used it though it was great. the cheap plastic is a draw back, but it does have the option to record directly into an mp3 which is nice. really easy to use too.

[Jon T]

I'm still using the older Zoom H2 and love it.

It seems to have put up with considerable -unintentional- abuse as well.