Long-term reviews of budget photo & video gear.

KIT PLAN RECOMMENDATION:
Aiworth E-36
This image is 100% REAL, and no A.I. (or Photoshop compositing) were used to make it, and I know because I took it myself.
Quality?
LIGHT USE OK
Yes
MEDIUM USE OK
Yes
HEAVY USE OK
?
Portable?
Yes
CAMERA BAG
Yes
Yes
Common?
ON AMAZON
Yes
ON EBAY
No
Easy To Use?
SKILL LEVEL
MEDIUM
OVERVIEW:
...
MAIN POINTS:
PART 1: IS IT PORTABLE?
PART 2: IS IT AFFORDABLE?
PART 3: IS IT COMMON?
PART 4: HOW’S THE QUALITY?
PART 5: IS IT EASY TO USE?
PART 6: NEEDS ADD-ONS?
PART 7: WHERE DO I BUY?
PART 1: IS IT PORTABLE?
Yes, it's very portable and is smaller than most of the audio recorders I've tested.
PART 2: IS IT AFFORDABLE?
Yes, it's affordable, but the price seems to change frequently.
PART 3: IS IT COMMON?
It is common when purchased new, on Amazon, but I haven't seen it anywhere else.
PART 4: HOW’S THE QUALITY?
I have to admit, this little generic audio recorder works REALLY well when used with the Shure VP-83 Lenshopper shotgun mic at the "CLOSE" proximity of 3.5 in. / 8.89 cm (but you must use the recorder in "line-in" mode and set the MIC. BOOST to +20.
PART 5: IS IT EASY TO USE?
No, this recorder has a couple of major quirks, so it's not easy to use, but when you use my workarounds it can produce a good quality audio recording. The first quirk is the "microphone" mode DOES NOT MUTE the built-in mics when an external mic is plugged in. This means you get handling noise while recording, because you’re still using the built-in mics in addition to the one plugged in! This means you won't get the isolation you were looking for (by using an external mic). There is a workaround, and it is kind of odd, but it’s to use the LINE-IN mode. This attenuates the built-in mics enough to remove the handling noise (and still doesn’t mute them) but results in a very good recording, as long as you can boost the level enough. Strangely enough, this problem exists on every one of these inexpensive 1536 kbps audio recorders I've tested, but the quality at 1536 kbps is so good it’s totally worth the workaround!
PART 6: NEEDS ADD-ONS?
Yes, if you're using this professionally, it needs some way to mount the recorder. I use 3M Dual Lock fastening tape.
PART 7: WHERE DO I BUY?
I bought this on Amazon.
RECOMMENDATION:
I don't recommend this audio recorder in most scenarios...the only thing I use it for is as a non-live podcast audio recorder (with a Shure VP83, at +20 db).
These reviews are just my opinion and are focused on my Q.P.A.C.E. packing method, so they're not comprehensive. I wrote these mostly to help me remember what items worked for my KIT PLANS (and which didn't). If I said anything negative I apologize, as these products still may work well for you in your situation, but they were not Q.P.A.C.E (Quality, Portable, Affordable, Common, Easy-to-Use) enough for my budget filmmaking KIT PLANS.
