Get The Job Done with the New Zoom H1

 Any idea on the cost of the accessories kit?

Thanks - Mike T.

 let me know when this is available to see at the store

Hmm... Interesting device. I'm wondering if I could use it for on the go recording for my podcasts? Are there other setups that might be more appropriate for mobile podcasting? I really like the price though.

I'm an old hand at still photography, but new to videography.   I recently bought a Canon 7D, understand that I should consider an external mic for videography, and have been considering the likes of a Rode VideoMic.

Three questions about theH1:

1) I understand that dSLRs easily transfer control-button and even AF noises
    to their internal mics and even to non-shock-mounted external mics that
    are attached to the camera. Does theH1 include an integral shock mount
    for its two mics?

2) If using the H1, I'd want to simultaneously record audio in the camera
    (for those times when I'd like to post a quick file, before doing extensive
     audio/video editing).  Obviously I can record from the dSLR's internal
     mic, but can the 3.5mm output from the H1 be connected to the camera's
     camera's external mic input, or is it voltage far enough above normal
     "line level" that I would not be able to safely record the output of the 
     H1 in the camera itself?

3) Do you know of a more effective windscreen (wind muff) for the H1 than
    the foam one that comes with it?   Say, something similar to the WindTech
    Mic Muffs or the Rode DeadCat muff?

Does anyone know how this unit stacks up against the Olympus LS-10 and LS-11 for recording quality?

They appear to be similar in size, although there are no dimensions listed for the Zoom H1. For the money it looks like a pretty decent option.

 I sure hope you can turn off the AGA - that's the problem with DSLR audio. I was very interested in this unit - until I saw it had AGA, now I'm thinking, if it can't be turned off, it'd defeat the purpose of having an external recorder.

Please tell me you can switch it off : ) and put me on the list for when they arrive. 

Also, a little dead cat by itself would be a great accessory. 

N

For outdoors use, it seems those mic diaphragms will easily pick up nasty wind, and the foam is a paid accessory. But the foam itself won't be very useful beyond calm breezes. 'Don't know how quickly Rycote or WindCutter can create an H1-specific Windjammer or fur, but it will be imperative to shield those mics outside.

Although I shoot with a consumer camcorder, the mic level snafu is akin to the DSLR. I recall M-Audio used to make a 1/8" TRS -20(?)db inline adapter, and I have a similar inline adapter, but it seems to introduce noise. Anyway, I think you need -40db to match line-to-mic level.

If you're into post-production, you can shoot with the H1 and internal mic, then sync manually or with PluralEyes or DualEyes software. It's more work, but the H1 will likely give you very good audio, especially for serious projects.

Almost guaranteed the H1 will be a stellar product. I've owned the H2 for years doing dual audio for video, as well as interviews, podcasts and concerts, and it's still going strong. BTW, the H1 (like the H2) can handle high SPL. You'll need that for concerts. 

MY SUGGESTION: Use a small slate board w. clapper for every take that you want to sync the sound for. You can only expect to stay in sync with pic for the duration of the take, and maybe not even that long if it is a longer take, like 2+ minutes. AVC H.264 is notorious for sync slippage and drift, unfortunately. 

MY TAKE:  No int. shock mounts for the built-in mics in the H1, of course. However, as this is a rather slim unit, so I am wondering if you cannot simply get a large diameter shock mount (w. the rubber bands) and suspend the entire Zoom H1 that way, as it were a microphone? That would make the onboard mics shock mounted as well and separated for camera body noise and shocks. Just a wild shot on my part, mind you.

Re. question 2, yes you can definitely feed H1's line OUT to the mic INPUT on the Canon 7D or similar camera, but you probably need to attentuate the line out signal strength downward to mic levels. Whatever you end up being able to be recorded with the camera, will still be a better-sounding audio track than what you can record with the camera's mic. Plus, the H1 will give you a double system sound of the same audio recorded to its micro-SD card. Ingenious!

As for #3, I am not sure which mic muffs will fir the H1.

The H1 is an improvement over the H4s in that its dual mics are in a protectve cage. The H4s in this respect is a bad design -- the mics are completely unprotected from bumps, hits and falls. And since they are made out of plastic and not metal, they will break or at least bend upon impact. The H1 seems to correct this shortfall with a stunning new mic cage design. Congrats to Zoom of Japan, they now appear to be dominating the low-end audio field recorder segment.

I was also thinking, since audio is so easy to replace these days when one uses a clapboard and/or Singular Software's DualEyes, the Zoom H1 can also be used as a substitute wireless mic for interviews, for instance. Record the interview front of the camera using the Zoom H1, then in editing simply replace the scratch audio recorded by the camera with the pristine audio recorded by the H1. Pronto, you are a pro. 

Since I hate CMOS sensor and their notorious rolling shutters giving me jello, skew, bent verticals, and other nasty rolling shutter related artifacts, I use a Nikon CCD-sensor camera with global electronic shutter for my non-critical video recordings. Downside is the camera has no 3.5mm EXT. MIC input. But with the Zoom H1 and DualEyes, one no longer misses this.

How about a wired or wirless remote control for the H1?