These Changes Would Make The Zoom F3 Perfect!!!

Two month review of the Zoom F3 32bit Float Multitrack Field Recorder.
Purchase the zoom f3 Here:
US - amzn.to/3UjYfOv
UK - amzn.to/3BrPvgM
Time Stamps
00:00 Intro
02:54 Lack of Accessories
05:06 Screen Space
05:51 Funky Headphone Output
08:02 DB Meters
12:16 Internal + USB Recording
13:42 Colour Screen + Battery
14:24 Built In Bluetooth
15:20 Combo XLR/Jack
16:01 Bigger Screen
16:48 Fix The Screen
17:20 Outro Final Thoughts
My Gear
Main Camera - Sony ZV-E10 With Zeiss 24mm f1.8
B Camera - Sony A6400 with 18-105 f4 + Lumix s5
Gimbal - DJI Ronin-SC + Zhiyun Crane M2
Streaming Lights - Godox ES45
Extra Lights -£15 umbrella 120w 5600k bulb + Raleno small and large led video panels.
Monitor - Lenovo Legion Y27q-20 1440p 165hz Nano IPS
Keyboard - Drevo Calibur V2 with Cherry MX Brown, upgraded with better dampening foam and pudding keycaps
Mouse - Glorious Model O Wireless
Headset - Beyerdynamic DT990 pro with Topping DX7-pro Dac Amp
Mic - Rycote HC15,
Interface - Presonus io 24 + Zoom f3
Speakers - SMSl AO200 AMP + Definitive Technology Demand D&
On the move editing rig
MacBook Pro 14 M1 Pro 2021
PC Specs
CPU - Ryzen 5600x
GPU - PNY RTX 3070 xlr8 gaming revel epic-x
Motherboard - Gigabyte B550i
Ram - 16Gb Crucial DDR4 3600mhz CL14
Case - NZXT H1
Cpu Cooler - NZ
Storage OS and Origin library - Crucial p5 plus gen4 1tb
Game Drive - 1tb Sabrent rocket pcie 3.0

[@ww1www]

I picked up a used F3 for like half of the new price. I added the BT dongle as well. I have not used it for anything serious yet. I like how small and simple it is. I dont like the on/off switch (too easy to press accidentally), same with the REC slider switch. I have a Tascam X8 and a Zoom F8nPro, they are super cool and versatile, but quite a bit more fiddly too.

[@sammymorales6838]

Biggest issue for me is Lack of Timecode options.....if I could use Diety or Tentacle sync instead of using that Atomos one

[@thepropolys]

I use the IFOOTAGE phone tripod mount to attach the Zoom F3 to my camera, it fits it perfectly :)

[@vilagivideos3020]

Thank you for the detailed review, very good. I am planning to purchase a F3 to replace a H1n witch is currently used with a cheep lav mic. I had a chance to buy a Sony ECM-77B for £50 with that huge XLR dongle at the end of the cable. F3 seams to be a good choice I believe. Any thoughts on ecm-77b + F3 setup. We are recording in a car workshop which is very echoing place to start with. And this would be a body pack. Thank you for your time.

[@chrissgardiner]

I just got myself an F3 and one thing that surprised me more than anything is that a USB cable to connect it to your PC wasn't included.

[@drakegostream]

Hello Setup, thank you for your impressions video. I was searching web particularly in regards of that funky headphone amp sound. Good to know it's not an issue of my particular unit. And yes, you are absolutely right, there is a miniscule amount of delay - probably just couple of milisecs, but enough for a trained ear to notice that. It's coming from DSP inside of this device, you can even see all that processing on a circuit diagram in manual, so this is already not a classical analogue "zero latency monitoring". I wonder if more expensive equipment is better in this regard. Anyways, luckily I didn't buy it for home-recording / self-monitoring kind of scenarios, but still wanted to make sure I didn' get a dud.

[@taimur_org]

Thanks for this review. On my Zoom F3, I noticed that the headphone out was not producing enough low end, and was accentuating the highs. Was that also your experience?

[@lewisadvidz]

Ive already started to buy the extras to accompany this recorder. I agree about the bluetooth, in fact Ive emailed Zoom today to tell me exactly which bluetooth to buy as they only seem to include 'ios compatible' for the apple fanboys as though owning apple is cool...

[@thefullsetup]

Is it’s still iOS app only then? It’s a big reason why I switched to iPhone last year I prefer android but app support is just so much better for a lot of the camera and audio devices I use. Or I was finding that features where missing out n android apps especially for gimbals.

[@hozae6368]

Should I wait for the next version? I hate the fact that they dont have trs line in:(

[@pajlatek]

Hi I see You have changed the Oktava MK-012 to Rycote HC15. I am looking for upgrade after my RODE NTG which is quite bad for indoor talking head video even with sound treated room. Also wanted to record 2nd audio on external recorder like ZOOM and wanted to ask which one (simplest) for 1 INPUT would be the best ?

[@thefullsetup]

Honestly In my new space boom mics are a bit of no hence why I have the hc 15 so close to my mouth. I really like the ntg as a do everything Swiss army type mic but never really liked it as my main mic. I sold my Oktava a while back and did plan to pick up a set for indoor dialogue at work but they are very hard to come by now and morally I wouldn’t buy from Russia at the moment. Since the Oktava I’ve actually also owned the rode ntg3, audix scx1 hc and Neumann km185. Didn’t like the rode indoors and find the low end too much but very good when your forced to be further away than optimal as it keeps a good bass response. Really liked the audix regret selling it just a nice sounding mic. The Neumann had that typical lovely Neumann sound but it was a bit to bright on female voices at work and I’m not a fan of de-essing unless I’m force to. I’m a bit of a bargain hunter though paid £220 for the ntg 3, £250 for the audix and £375 for the Neumann alll sold for a profit and managed to get the hc15 on sale for £480. The hc15 is almost my high end version of an ntg I don’t think I will use it for my main mic long term, but it’s great on a boom indoors, can be used outdoors, super low self noise great sound and really low sensitivity. With Oktava being hard to find the only real alternative in that price point is the sennheiser e614 really nice sounding mic but rather high self noise and takes a lot of gain by all accounts. Outside of that it’s a big price jump to either the audix or audio technica at4053b. For a short shotgun the deity smic 2s is an option. I find there better in the used market though as I don’t really think it’s a £300 sounding mic. As for external recorders honestly I don’t know much about them to make any recommendations outside the zoom f3 I wanted solid pre amps and 32bit float and this came in at a Price I could afford.

[@pajlatek]

@@thefullsetup Thank You, I was thinking about Shure SMB7B but it not great when mic must out of view. So either smal lavalier mic or some shotgun mic with nice low boost, to make voice sound more crispy and pleasant. Anyway thank You so such great response. I will be in touch with +1 subscribed.

[@thepropolys]

@@thefullsetup Rycote has some new pencil condensers

[@thefullsetup]

@@thepropolys I know thery are hopefully sending me the supercardiod version to compare to the hc15 😃

[@thepropolys]

@@thefullsetup I hope they make a figure 8 version capsule for M/S, I feel like that's what they will do next.

[@kr8s]

What's your microphone

[@thefullsetup]

Rycote hc-15 in this video

[@thepropolys]

@@thefullsetup Favorite mic :)

[@gcprost]

I don't like using micro SD cards.

[@davidh1187]

Not impressed with the Zoom F3 - mine throws random artifacts on each channel. Artifacts are identical in shape but vary in amplitude. Tried different mikes and different cables but the artifacts are always there. Tried contacting Zoom and Distributor and both simply ignore me. Buyer - beware.

[@thefullsetup]

I have since replaced mine with the mix pre 3 a rather expensive upgrade but it’s an awesome bit of kit

[@robertleger4986]

Good device but WAY overpriced.

[@thefullsetup]

I feel it’s price pretty fair for 32bit float and 2 high quality mic pres

[@robertleger4986]

@@thefullsetup OK