H4n Question
 

Okay, I have one last question (yeah right) about this device. Has anyone ever ran their mic into it, then line out directly into the camera? I would assume this eliminates having to sync it up in editing wouldn't it? If so, does it have any affect on the sound quality?

Hah
 

That's about as straight forward of an answer as you can give, hehehe

I did this when using the built-in mics on the H4n. Doing this would be similar using external mics. Here's a post I wrote about it, including a demo video:

Using a Zoom H4n as an On-Camera DSLR Mic | Sam Mallery

Thanks Sam
 

Thanks for that post!! That helped a ton.

Seriously...

I'm not an audioguy... But I got a question about using a cable like Guy Cochran or the need of the super expensive cable that Sam Mallery wrote about? I got a H1 that I will record abient sound with and would like to put that sound in to my 7D too...

$25 is not a super expensive cable! Hard to even get a burger and fries for you and a date at Mickey Dee's for that price!

Well... Ad tax, shipping to Sweden and you are up to $50+ or $5 for the other... And if the audio is good enouth for back up just with the $5 one I don't se the point (I'll still record with the H1)...

If you have an H1 and a 7D, why don't you run a test? Get a regular, inexpensive 3.5mm stereo to 3.5mm stereo male to male mini-plug cable. Plug the headphone output of the H1 into one end of the cable, and plug the other end into the mic input on the 7D. Record a few seconds of yourself speaking a few feet in front of the camera. Listen to the playback on the 7D of the footage you just shot. If it's too loud and distorted, turn the headphone volume down on the H1, and shoot it again. If playback was too quiet, turn the volume up on the headphone output of the H1 and shoot it again. Keep this up until you find level settings that work for good audio, and remember them. If you can't find a good working level, and it sounds loud and distorted no matter what you do, then you need to purchase the Sescom cable in order to work this way.

Thanks Sam... I'll do some tests (my H1 will arrive in 1-2 days). Just asked if anyone do this on a regular bases (use a regular Y cable).

Cheers

I've done some quick tests now and it sounds ok... I was surprised that the H1 was so small, I tried it in my Rode chockmount for my NTG2 and it fits... I'm going to do some fine tuning to find the best set up.
Guy, if you are reading this, have you used your set up "in the fields"?

Can someone splain how this is beneficial?

I haven't tried it because I use the camera audio as a scratch file and backup...and it seems like you'd still need a clapper to sync.

Maybe I'm just being dense...(Daily event) but I am really trying to see how this will help.

With high quality audio from the H4N and scratch audio fed from that to the camera, you can use PluralEyes to automatically and perfectly sync the clips from the H4N with the clips from the camera without a slate.

Ahhh. Pluraleyes.
I guess I'll try it again. I never got it to work when I tried the Evaluation model.