Zoom H5 Shotgun Shootout: SGH-6 vs. Rode NTG-2 vs. NTG-3

The third and final video in my exhaustive, three-part analysis of the Zoom H5 portable recorder is a shootout of shotgun microphones. I compared the sound of the separately available SGH-6 shotgun capsule against the Rode NTG-2 and NTG-3 shotgun microphones. To keep things interesting, I also included the Audio-Technica AT4053b hypercardioid microphone and the XYH-5 stereo microphone capsule Continue reading “Zoom H5 Shotgun Shootout: SGH-6 vs. Rode NTG-2 vs. NTG-3”

Audio Test: Zoom H5 vs. Zoom H4n vs. Tascam DR-40

When you’re looking for a budget-friendly yet capable audio recorder, three models will likely show up on your radar: the Zoom H4n, the Tascam DR-40, and the Zoom H5. All three feature good sounding stereo microphones, dual XLR inputs for external microphones and signals, and, most importantly, entry-level price tags. In addition to how you feel about the layout of their various controls, and the overall vibe of each recorder’s design, it’s important to determine which model sounds best to your ears. This last differentiator is the reason I created this post.

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Zoom H5 Review + Why It’s Useful in Video Production

There are several budget-friendly audio recorders available that are capable machines for recording sound in video productions, and the Zoom H4n and the Tascam DR-40 stand out as popular favorites. The new Zoom H5 recently arrived on the scene, and I finally had the chance to use it. On paper, I was aware of the new features it offered video people before I ever touched the thing. When I used the H5 for an extended period, I discovered a few more things that make it more attractive for video production, and I found some things that could be improved as well.

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Don’t Like Me on Facebook

I want you to like my Facebook page, but not the real me, Sam Mallery the person. I want you to like the Sam Mallery Brand Page. Why? The more Facebook followers I have, the more clout I have as an entity.

The reason you shouldn’t follow me on Facebook (even though you should), is there’s a good chance you’ll never see anything I post. If you want to keep up with me, the last place you should look is your Facebook feed. This is the point I’m trying to make: if you have a Facebook Page for a business or non-profit, you probably shouldn’t be wasting energy on trying to get people to follow it. Continue reading “Don’t Like Me on Facebook”

Youth is Restored to My 2011 Camera: Hands-on Review of the Eye-Fi Mobi

If you were instructed to visit an electronics store and purchase a smartphone that didn’t have the ability to shoot HD video, you would have a tough time. This feature was only found on select high-end phones a few years ago, but now it’s nearly universal. The same rule now applies to digital cameras and built-in Wi-Fi. If you’re a manufacturer and you’re releasing a new camera in 2014 that doesn’t have built-in Wi-Fi, you’re taking a big risk.

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A Message to the Supreme Court: Over-the-Air TV Doesn’t Work

On April 22nd, 2014, a small technology company called Aereo goes head-to-head against the might of the major TV networks in the Supreme Court. If you’re not familiar, Aereo provides a service where you can rent a physical TV antenna, located in a remote area of your city. The antenna acts like any TV antenna should: it enables you to watch local broadcasts of over-the-air TV. The networks are suing Aereo because they consider this a retransmission of their content, which requires hefty licensing fees. My issue is that Aereo solves a fundamental problem that many Americans face: over-the-air digital TV simply doesn’t work.

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Two Months with the Nest Protect

In our post-2007, post-iPhone world, it can be misleading to define oneself as a “gadget geek.” When you consider that the majority of people in the United States now own a smartphone, this particular term becomes distinctly trite. To truly be a gadget geek, you need to do better than being a smartphone or tablet nerd. You need to embrace bleeding-edge gadgetry in unusual product categories. You need to be a true dork.

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A Major Reason Why the iPhone Doesn’t Auto-Upload Pictures to iCloud

As a former long-term iPhone user, I was always a bit perplexed why Apple didn’t configure the device to automatically upload every picture you take to iButt. As a recent user of Android, the reason seems embarrassingly obvious: it can devour the average person’s allotted data plan in a matter of hours.

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One Month with the Nexus 5, After Five Years of iPhone

I did it. After five years of nonstop iPhone, waking up with the iPhone, sleeping beside the iPhone, keeping the iPhone with me at all times… all the time, I finally switched to an Android phone. I’ve had the Nexus 5 for an entire month. Would I recommend other iPhone users make the switch? The answer is no. Kind of.

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Camera Hackers Beware: Feds Can Raid Your Home

Did you know that making a vague reference to “hacking” on the internet gives the federal government the authority to raid your home? An Idaho court ruled this week to invade the home of Corey Thuen, confiscate his computer, and duplicate its data for investigative purposes, all on the grounds that he loosely referred to himself as a hacker on his website.

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