AUDIO 

Okay, the Zoom H1essential is now my #1 budget recommendation for an audio recorder. I used to recommend the original H1 (even when the H1n became available) but the 32-bit float feature of the H1e made it an easy decision. One underrated thing I like about the H1essential is the NUMERICAL headphone out level (perfect for a passthrough!)

I actually like the older H1 (because of the numerical gain and the "lock" switch) but this recorder is small and lightweight and can be a good tool as well. Most of the time I use this as a "passthrough" to back up audio coming from an external microphone (on the way to the camera) but its stereo mics can be good for capturing "ambient" nat. sound (just make sure to use a furry windscreen). This version doesn't have a "LOCK" feature (as version 1 does) so I would so don't leave the recorder in someone's pocket, where the REC. LEVEL dial could get moved.

This is the first audio recorder I would buy. Not only does it provide a good learning experience (as opposed to getting into a 32-bit float recorder right away) but it also has a lot of features that make it a great tool to keep on hand, even when you grow out of it. The features I really like are the numerical gain control (more precise than a turn dial) single button start and stop, as well as it being small and lightweight (good to mount on a camera cage without adding much weight).

This recorder has the perfect form factor for mounting to the top of a camera cage, so I can use my #1 tip for audio recording: "Always back up your audio (using a passthrough)." I would prefer more numerical gain steps (0-100) vs. the LOW, MID, HIGH increments. It doesn't include built-in stereo mics (like the H1, H1n) but Zoom does offer a variety of add-on mics. P.S. The battery door is a pain.

Okay, so I just got this little audio recorder (and have big plans for it). The first thing I'll say about this recorder, is that even though it records a 32-bit float file, it does NOT use dual A/D converters to capture as high of a "dynamic range" as say the Zoom F3 or F6. Having said this, I've still got a few experiments to try because I believe this thing could have a real impact on my audio workflow. (More to come on this, but you can listen to my podcast about this for a teaser.)