Which audio recorder to buy for movies? Cheap and HQ please :D

[timeflight]

So I bought the 60D, including 2 lenses and some other stuff so I'm almost ready to roll, except for the sound department

What I would like to have?
Cheap and HQ of course! (I know that's usually impossible)

Lots of people recommened the H4N in another topic I read, but that is 330 euro... So what are cheaper alternatives?

For the mic, I want to buy a Rode NTG2 shotgun as I heard good things about it.
Does the H1 for instance has a input for external mics? And how is the sound quality of the preamps of that one compared to the H4N? (230 euro difference)

Other recommendations? (note that I want to use an exernal XLR shotgun mic so it should have an input for it)

Bonus question: Do you lose audio quality when an XLR out is changed to a mini-jack input with an adapter?

[MikeFairbanks]

Originally Posted by timeflight

Lots of people recommened the H4N in another topic I read, but that is 330 euro... So what are cheaper alternatives?

Zoom makes the H2, I think it's called. IT's the same as the H4N for the most part, but it's much cheaper (about $150 US dollars) and gets just as good of sound. They say the cost difference is that it's a little weaker in build quality.

Here's a link to one for $139 USD: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...tal_Audio.html

NOTE: It has almost 300 reviews on that website alone and it's rated at 4.5 stars out of 5. That's pretty consistent.

[timeflight]

So can I put a Rode NTG2 in it through the jack with good quality?

[sk8rdi16]

I went for the H4N. Hope it gets here on Friday!

[Red Tie Photography]

I bought an H4n, and have no idea how to use it. I guess I'll have to learn...

[peter nap]

Originally Posted by timeflight

So can I put a Rode NTG2 in it through the jack with good quality?

Yes and no.
All the small recorders like the H4N have sissy preamps. Plugging the mic directly will work but the levels may be unacceptable.

If they are you need to use a preamp. This gets to be a weight and space gobbling monster at some point. After you hook up a preamp, you need to power it so you need a battery.

Addons can get to be a nightmare.

[timeflight]

Originally Posted by peter nap

Yes and no.
All the small recorders like the H4N have sissy preamps. Plugging the mic directly will work but the levels may be unacceptable.

If they are you need to use a preamp. This gets to be a weight and space gobbling monster at some point. After you hook up a preamp, you need to power it so you need a battery.

Addons can get to be a nightmare.

Hmm, but it is a major improvement over plugging the Rode directly in the 60D right?

And is there a difference in preamp between the H1/H2 and H4n? Or do you recommend another fieldrecorder with mini-jack / XLR input?

Cause I have like 400-500 euro to spend on audio recording... What's the best quality I can get and how?

[peter nap]

Originally Posted by timeflight

Hmm, but it is a major improvement over plugging the Rode directly in the 60D right?

And is there a difference in preamp between the H1/H2 and H4n? Or do you recommend another fieldrecorder with mini-jack / XLR input?

Cause I have like 400-500 euro to spend on audio recording... What's the best quality I can get and how?

That's a difficult question to answer so I'll preface it with some sour notes.
As far as the best...My opinion is the H4N is the best bang for the buck.

Sour notes on..

Many of the answers you get here are based on experience, including mine. I have a lot less experience than the pros that will answer..I hope.

Many other opinions are from people that flat don't know what they're talking about. A long time ago I was discussing a photo I took at an event that was not all that good. A kid, three years old or so, standing in the middle of the street with a flag during a protest, blocking a dozen motorcycle cops way.
I had maybe two seconds to set up and take the picture.
One idiot on the board said he'd have gone to manual, gotten all his settings just so, taken a test shot,checked the histrogram then taken the picture.

End sour notes about people that don't know what they're talking about.

No sound you get from the camera or a recorder mounted on the camera or frame, is going to be as good as properly set up mics or a boom operator.
For field work, my opinion is that a better setup would be to have a shotgun mic on the camera and going into the camera, to give a better scratch file...in conjunction with another mic placed nearer the subject, going to the preamp or mixer and into the Zoom.

That's not practical in some or many situations. Cost is a factor as well as having the time to set it up.

In that case, my next preference would be a camera or frame mounted mic, preamp, Zoom.

If that is not an option....Yes, the Camera mounted mic going into the Zoom is better than the mic going into the camera.

Last would be the mic to camera audio.

I hope you understand this somewhat rambling answer. You try to get the best out of what you have or can afford.

[MikeFairbanks]

The above is a good answer.

Better to get as much information as possible before spending money.