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Best Audio Recorder for the Canon 5D mkii

Submitted by Alik on Tue, 02/08/2011 - 00:05
Recently I was on the look out for the best audio recorder for the Canon 5d mkII or for any DSLR in general. After about a day of research, reading reviews, comments, and watching videos, it came down to the Zoom H4n, or the Sony PCM-D50.
They are both very similar in function, and each having some features the other doesn’t. What was nice about the Sony was its construction and build but it will cost you a little more.
Ultimately I ended up choosing the Zoom H4n. It came down to it’s XLR inputs on the back, and the a screw on the bottom to mount to your camera or tripod. Great for attaching a nice shoe hook.
Most videographers I know have been using the H4n. A few people I work with like the peeps from www.youtube.com/partnersproject to http://breaking-down.com/ all have been using it with great results.
The two XLR inputs on the back mean you can attach Lav mics, or a shotgun mic if you want to expand your setup.
Battery life is good. It works well with my Sanyo Eneloop Rechargable Batteries.. A full charge gets you through several hours of recording. Especially in stamina mode.
The only downside I've found to using this is having to sync all your audio to your video. Not a huge deal. There is a plugin for final cut that is great at this called Pluraleyes. Other then that the Zoom h4n is probably the best audio solution for the canon 5d mkii or any dslr camera and just a generally good mic and a great recorder. You can use it for voice over, foly, or even tuning and recording your guitar. It’s a great gadget to add to the collection. I love mine!

Re: Best Audio Recorder for the Canon 5D mkii

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 08/25/2011 - 09:08.
I bought the H1 to play with and the noise when you handle it while using the onboard mic is horrible. Have you noticed this with the H4?

Re: Best Audio Recorder for the Canon 5D mkii

Submitted by Alik on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 22:34.
Yep. Like any mic you don't really want to touch it, or it will pick up any vibrations. I have a halo rig I sometimes mount it to which helps cut down that noise. I also use an External mic most of the time.  When hand held you just have to make sure you keep your fingers still of any movements and also try wearing gloves. Heard that can help.