Zoom F3 Recorder | Detailed Review (32-bit float)

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CHAPTERS
0:00 - Intro
0:45 - What's in the box?
1:05 - Recorder overview
2:30 - Side note (cheap table tripod)
3:00 - 2 days of use
3:50 - LCD screen
4:40 - Menu options
6:55 - Track options
8:05 - Waveform and gain
9:20 - Record button
10:15 - Markers
10:50 - Bluetooth app
13:00 - 32-bit audio tests
14:15 - Sound samples
15:50 - Zoom F3 vs Tascam X8

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[GearTestTVTech]

Update: After showing the high pass filter options in this video, I mistakenly left the filter turned on. The filter was applied to the audio of the Rode PodMic and the sample of the VideoMic GO II. My apologies! I'm going to re-record those samples and upload the new tests as an unlisted video. I will update the description and this comment with the link once the video is uploaded. Thanks to viewer Chris Robinson for catching this mistake!

[mattalber]

Terrific review man! Thank you for demonstrating the 32 bit float noise floor and clipping recovery-- astounding. Good luck on the big build of your new studio and thanks for making such great vids.

[brianmonarchcomedy]

Pretty sure if you slide the record button to record and then move it to "hold" you won't have to worry about it bumping or buttons being hit.

[wormhole]

I have the zoom h8 which I love and I thought 32 bit would be something cool but unnecessary. I decided to get this f3 for its size to use on a camera rig. Boy was I wrong about 32 bit. It’s a game changer. While technically unnecessary it simplifies audio so much that you could give this to someone with zero know how and they could get good recordings. and and the recovery is just amazing. I’ll probably just use my h8 as an audio interface when recording music or more controlled environments where I need more than 2 inputs.

[RothrockGaming]

That first clip of the Podmic scared me until I realized you still had the 240 Hz high pass on. 😂

[WestonNey]

I use the F3 with a shotgun mic and it’s perfect for that purpose. It doesn’t have a lot of the features my zoom H6 has, but all I need it for is one input on my belt well I hold a boom pole. The 32 bit float is an absolute must for audio recording these days! It’s like when I shoot raw video on the RED cameras I use, but for audio!

[AllThingsFilm]

I've had my F3 for a few days now, and I love it. I see it as a "set it and forget it" audio recorder. Because its 32-bit float, you can adjust the levels in post. The main concern being that you have a good microphone for capturing the audio. Beyond that, the F3 will take care of capturing high quality audio. As a low budget/indie filmmaker, that's a no-brainer right there. And thank you for this walkthrough. I learned some things about the F3 that had questions for and now you gave me the answers. Many thanks.

[Ozpeter]

The dealbreaker for me, and for many others working in the field of video or acoustic music, is that inexplicably they haven't offered support for M/S mic monitoring. So if you use M/S mics, you'll have to hope that your mics are correctly placed in relation to the sound source, or you'll have to use something (what?) between the headphone output and the headphones themselves to dematrix the M/S so you can really judge the stereo image. I really hope they can fix that omission in a FW update - I would have thought it wouldn't be at all hard to do.

[NasnuvenPaulo]

Thanks for this review! Congrats on your knew studio!

[bleeooptv]

thanks for this, very thorough review, really showing off the capabilities!

[CraftedBricks]

What a brilliant, thorough and well presented video! Thank you! I've ordered a Zoom F3 and I look forward to using it. BTW what is the microphone mount your are using for your AT4053b? (I have the same microphone - and currently use the mount from the Rode NTG video mic.)

[totoroutes]

F3 noise floor is less than the x8 noise floor. F3 does not have 3.5mm mic input.

[PatrickRambles]

Hey man, just picked one up and this was helpful. I have the F2 which I picked up in a pinch when I forgot my mics on a trip and loved it, so the F3 was an easy decision. Regarding the missing 3.5mm jack, I wonder whether Zoom left that off to avoid cannibalizing the F2, since the F3 would be small enough to use as a lav unit.

[ladmandiola]

I do have to say that this vid was INCREDIBLE! Thank you for all the detail that you put into explaining how the Zoom F3 works. One thing I would like to ask, I'm currently using the Zoom F2-BT for basic voice over dialogue (outside). I was hoping is to test how much better the F3 would sound using the same lav mic (LMF-2) with the F3. Now I know you'll need a voltage XLR adapter. I already have one (the ROD VXLR Pro). So attaching that to the F3 and testing it. I just was looking to see if the F3 would sound better than the F2. That's all. I already ordered the F3 and should be receiving it in a couple of more days to test it out. The one main thing that I like about the F3 is you can increase the sound level before you record your audio (which is something that you can't do with the F2). I know I can do that in post with other audio apps, but I was desiring to see if doing it on the F3 would make it sound better. Let me know if it will make any difference or not. Thank you.

[mch]

Did the F-3 come in a bag as shown in the unboxing? They now come in some cleverly folded cardboard.

[samionurzaim]

I loved the part you lower and increase the levels and reflected on the video so I felt I was using it on the field while adjusting the volume. The silence and clipping test are what I really whated to at home now when mine arrives I can go to field and start using.

[OnlyThomasHayes]

I enjoyed this review. Can't wait to get my hands on my own F3

[michaelbowyer]

Excellent video. The comparisons with the Tascam are also helpful.

[ayse-umitonder]

Amazing review. I liked the most when you speak through at4053b. Which pro mic would you suggest for violin recording to use with zoom f3?

[MichaelScrip]

Great review! I'm planning on renting a Zoom F3 for filming a dance recital next spring. I can shoot two of the nights but I can't be there for the third night (I have another recital). So I will leave my camera and the F3 for someone else to shoot that night. The F3 looks easy to use after I initially set everything up. I'll tell them to press record on the camera and press record on the F3 and we should be good to go! My main recorder is a Sound Devices MixPre 6-II and I'll keep that with me for the other recital since it's a lot more complicated. And if the F3 works as planned... I might end up buying one to have as an additional/backup recorder. I have quite a collection of audio recorders already: Zoom F1, Zoom H1, Tentacle Track E, MixPre 6-II... so what's one more? 😎