Zoom H1 vs H4n

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Phil_UK

Well-known member
Hi Guys,

I am on a pretty Tight Budget here but I am asking, if the Zoom H4n is worth it much more than the Zoom H1.

I will be shooting a feature, but id also like it for documentaries and so on.

So, I only need to plug a Rode Videomic or Rode NTG-2 in the Recorder and some Headphones and thats pretty much it. No fancy mixers or anything.

So what is your opinion?

I found a Test somewhere, where the Zoom H1 sounded nearly exactly the same, although some clarification would be awesome.

Regards,

Phil
 
The H1 is very simplified and has limited I/O.

The H4n offers XLR inputs with phantom power, which are themselves huge upgrades from something like the H1. Be advised, though, that the combination of the NTG-2 and the H4n have been widely reported as less than ideal. Apparently, the pre-amps in the H4n are not strong enough to drive the NTG-2 (or NTG-1). It's been discussed at length here before... do a search and see what pops up.

If you want flexibility and the ability to use various mics, the H4n is a no-brainer between the two. Yeah, you could use a VideoMic with the H1, but then you're running unbalanced audio which will have to be extended if you expect to have the VideoMic on a boom pole while maintaining access to the H1 for monitoring and control.
 
I got the Zoom H1. The included stereo-mic sounds almost like the one of the H4n as some people told me. So it's the same for atmos. But for dialogue you probably want more options.

What really sucks on the Zoom H1 is it's cheap plastic housing. The battery cover plate rattles like crazy. But I'm not sure if the housing of the H4n is any better. It's made out of plastic as well. Take a look at the Marantz PMD 661, I probably will get it later.
 
Thanks for the fast response.

But doesnt the NTG-2 not need Phantom Power, as it can be used with batteries? Correct me if I am wrong.
 
Phil_UK said:
But doesnt the NTG-2 not need Phantom Power, as it can be used with batteries? Correct me if I am wrong.
Click to expand...

Yes, the NTG-2 can use a battery, but that still doesn't help the interplay between it and the H4n. That said, using it with battery and an H1 means that you have to get a cable adapter that dumbs the signal down to unbalanced.

You can take short cuts and cheap out audio, but it will cost you in the end. I'd even suggest looking at a recorder above the H4n, and if you're even considering the Marantz PMD-661 then take a serious look at the Fostex FR-2LE.
 
If you wanna just have a recorder to record wav. mp3, no further usage. Get a H1, but if you wanna something professional, (low end professional is still profession). Get H4N, like C2V said, with H4N, it offers lots features that H1 doesn't have. In a documentary shoot, there are so many things are unpredictable. You really need to prepare the best you can. H4N is not the best recorder in the field. But we are talking about between H1 and H4N, so comparing with H1 , it's definitely have more features then H1...so ... if you wanna get serious about your work, get a H4N.
it will save you lots of trouble in lots of situation. Like the XLR input. Think about on the shoot, your 2 XLR inputs to a mini jack cable doesnt work, how you can deal with that; have a 416 , need to be go straight in to H1.. HOW?? Not every shortgun mic has a battery compartment..... you can even use a lav directly input into H4N ... ( technically it works, I have never tried, posing theory ;) .... so... H4N.
 
So, a Rode NTG-2 will not really work with a Zoom of any kind? A quick question about the NTG-2 I have, what kind of plug does it have? Is it an XLR one or a 3.5mm?

Regards
 
Thanks for the Answer. Would i loose any sound quality when i would use a converter from XLR to 3.5mm?
 
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