Zoom F1-SP 2-Input / 2-Track Portable Field Recorder with Shotgun Microphone

UPC's:
MPN's:
construction is worst than amateur
I am on my second Zoom F1 unit; the first one was exchanged thanks to the benevolence of the zoom staff after a minor fall the broke the latch of the battery compartment. To my surprise another unit was sent to me with no changes to the design that allowed this catastrophic failure that makes it unusable as designed. Another minor fall (which are almost inevitable on the road) and the latch brakes again in the same place. Who cares how good the r... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
replace recordist?
For my documentary style video shoots when I need to run solo I use these attached to the primary talkers and just let 'em run on auto level. Sync it all up later. I have not been disappointed. No more wireless receivers dangling from the camera or mixer on my belt.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Disappointing build
Have used this recorder for nearly two years, mainly for wildlife audio but have recently noted that the battery-compartment door does not close properly and cannot be switched-on. The only option appears to be to use an external power-source with micro-USB connection (power-pack)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
This unit WILL fail you, the question is when
This unit should get a lot of good reviews from people who have not put it through its full paces. This unit treated me so good for a while and the only downside was its bulk. Then the weirdest thing happened. I pulled the mic off of a groom after the ceremony and noticed the unit was powered off. I'm thinking to myself, hmm I know I triple verify settings to make sure this doesn't happen to me. Power on, check record settings, hit record, activa... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Awsome Recorder!
I think, its the best tiny Mp3- Recorder for DJ-Set or Video Recording. Best Options and very small. Including a top Mic, what i like so say, take it!
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
A decent plan B.
Good: We have been able to make use of the shotgun, lavalier, XLR, and X/Y capsules. We have found the battery life acceptable. It is easy to teach other staff how to use it. Bad: We did catch some radio interference a couple of times using the shotgun capsule. A memory card is crazy diffult to remove unless you are a small octopus. Battery door will try your patience also. The unit is not especially quiet. Assessment: Manage your expectations... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Excelente
Es un equipo de buen material, puedes elegir entre cortes de frecuencia, pero en idioma ingls, mucho cuidado con configurarlo al chino, graba con buena calidad, puedes seleccionar .wave o .mp3, ecualizar de manera bsica el audio, viene completo, el tema es lo complejo que es colocarle el hardware de registro de audio al presentador, tiene una pequea solapa para meterlo a la correo o similar, pero las orejas metlicas que contiene, no facilitan su ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great Portable Audio Recorder
Excellent device when in need of a portable audio recorder. Easy to use interface, and very impressed with recorder and microphone
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Good Recorder Cheap Built Quality
Great little recorder with excellent audio, great options to swap mic capsules but stills poor design and made of cheap plastic, belt clip not easy to put on and off, after few weeks of use battery door broke sent back to zoom and replaced it with a refurb unit, I paid for a brand new unit but now I have a refurb one. I will recommend a tascam DR-10L instead.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
good but
Very portable. But theres no second track with lavaliere mic at -10 Db, thats bad (you only get the dual recording with the zoom modules). The soud quality is just there with Sennheisser or Rode, but you loose the wireless monitoring, not a problem for me, but you should consider that. The design is very messy, the battery and SD covers feel cheap and unsafe, and you need an extra accesory to mount the thing on the hot shoe of a camera or even into a tripod, wtf. Also the belt clip is very bad designed, haha it always falls apart.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
great recorder ...but
If you want to use this recorder to record only from the mic supplied or other zoom accessories it is really great. But if you expect it to work with more pro Lavaliers check that it is compatible with them, both wiring and voltage may not be compatible. Since purchase my expectation of its use in my kit has gone right down to basically occasional use.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Amazing audio but poor quality battery door
This is totally a game changer when it comes to audio recording, but after only using it for 3 events the battery doors lock just broke! It cant hold batteries anymore
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Good start, but disappointing
Im a huge Zoom fan as as I own, or have owned, the H6, H5, H4N, H1 and Q2N. I also own a pair of Tascam DR10s. I like the build and large display of the F1, but a lot of things make me scratch my head. The preamps are really disappointing - if you use any other lavs than the provided Zoom the gain is low. The unit is also bulky and they could have just totally nixed the protruding belt guides. Not only do they interfere with the belt clip, they m... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
This Recorder Is Awesome!
I have used this recorder several times now and continue to be impressed with the sound quality and flexibility. I also have the larger H5 recorder, yet still find myself gravitating towards this one. The small size, auto gain setting and limiter work in combination perfectly. Currently considering purchasing another as a backup unit.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Works great!
Used for the first time last night to record a short commercial for my company. The mic is easy to set up, sounds great, and is super portable. One note - it doesn't come with a micro SD card, which you need, so be sure to pick one up before you plan to record.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Excellent audio recorder
Just used it for the first time and very pleased. Surprising good quality sound from the microphone that ships with the unit, though the fuzzy cover kept coming off. Compact enough to fit in the subjects pocket. The mic clip is plastic and not as solid as I would like, though it worked ok. would love to see some microphone options for using a more hidden mic. Tried the Tram that I use with a Sennheiser evolution series and the levels were quite low. Probably have to make some adjustments, but otherwise a solid performer.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Not as good as the competition
Unless you can get this for dirt cheap or have blinding loyalty to Zoom, you should steer clear. I've used the Zoom H4n and Zoom H5 and had decent performance with those. I figured they knew their audio game and I picked these up the day they came out. I was debating heavily between the Zoom F1 and the Tascam DR-10L which is also sold on B&H. I really regret getting the Zoom F1 because I've already ran into some near heartbreaking probl... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Pretty good
I bought two of these because they're significantly less expensive than a good pair of wireless lavaliers. I think they will work out fine, but the inability to monitor the audio will be an ongoing concern. Regardless, I am happy with the sound quality I have gotten from them. I have also used them with the Zoom XLR capsule and a Rode NTG2 shotgun, and the F1 performed very well in that capacity. My two biggest concerns are the battery and m... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
This has saved my career - have one in your bag ready..
Some of the best voice audio I have obtained in truely difficult places. Recently we were filming in a busy restaurant kitchen and I placed this on the head chief with an additional wireless and this Zoom F1 was so clean plus it killed the background.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
It works well, but it could be better
Before this product, I used a Zoom H1 for this purpose. The H1 is light and relatively small, but the X/Y mics are unnecessary, and you have to know which lavalier will work, etc. The Zoom F1 is purpose-built, and it's about time they made this. The recording is solid. The functionality is stripped down to just the things you need on a small device like this, which makes it easy to use. The user-interface is well designed and intuitive. T... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great product but there is a surprise
Compact, Easy to use, But 4 stars rather than five...If you already have other Zoom Mics, getting the F1 kit with the Lavalier seems like the way to go. After all you can simply get the Shock Mount for an F1 hot shoe camera mount as an accessory. Think again! Zoom does not sell the shock mount separately. The only way you can get the shock mount is to buy the F1 - shotgun mic kit. It only comes with that kit. Maybe you want a second shotgun mic and a spare F1 recorder. I don't! Don't try asking Zoom to sell you the shock mount as an accessory - they won't.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Frustrating
Useful with the lav mic, but if you already own other Zoom mic capsules, do not plan on using this to record audio using the capsules unless you want tons of handling noise. They made a shock mount to help with that (and to mount the recorder on a camera shoe), but the shock mount is not included in this package with the lav mic. It's only in the box for the version with the shotgun mic, and they don't sell the shock mount separately. There's als... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great Lav System for Weddings
I love this recorder and will be purchasing more of them. I got this to replace a similar (but less refined) recorder by a company that no longer seems to be in business. The Zoom F1 has a very solid, high quality feel to it. The included mic sounds great and is about 6 dB louder than my Sennheiser lavs. The size is a little chunkier than I would like for hiding in coat pockets, but it hasn't been a problem so far. The belt clip is also a bi... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Disappointing if you want to use to full potential
The sound from the recording is fine, my frustration likes with the add-ons. I have all the attachments for the H6 and while this does advertise you being able to use them, there is currently no way to mount this to your camera, or secondary setup. IF you want to do that you have to order the other field recorder that comes with the hot shoe mount. Kind of a bummer if you already own the shotgun attachment. And i think buying two recorders just so you can mount one is ridiculous .
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video