I was looking for a portable field recorder and decided to give the Zoom H2 a try. I payed $169 for this unit. There are competitive units out there but they really do not match the value that the Zoom offers for anywhere near this price point.
Some of the features I like are:
- records onto cheap SD memory cards
- records in WAV or MP3 format
- is very portable
- can record up to 4 hours on 2 AA batteries
- can be mounted on a tripod
- has 4 microphones which allows for flexible recording options
- You can monitor recording through headphones

The Zoom H2 come with everything you need except batteries. The unit includes headphones, a case, wind screen, a neat little tripod for table top usage and more!
I removed the unit from the packaging and was able to figure out this unit without the manual. My type of gear! Zoom does include a quick start guide and a full fledged, very complete owners manual.
The included 512MB card can record well over 3 hours of 320Kbps MP3 audio. You can also use up to a 16GB for insane recording times.
Zoom H2 Sound Samples
Hear are untouced sound samples from The Zoom H2. Notice the nice stereo image. You can also hear crickets in the background of the recordings.
Zoom H2 Sound Samples – Dog Barking
Zoom H2 Sound Samples – Cars on the road
Overall I’m impressed. The Zoom H2 makes is a great choice as a recorder for students, videographers and musicians