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(More customer reviews)I have had the chance to check out the LS-20M recently and compare it to the Zoom Q3 HD and Olympus audio recorder LS-11.
BUILD: The LS-20M has a more solid feel than the plasticky Zoom, but I sure wish the LS-20M had an all metal chassis like the LS-11, which feels weighty and much more durable. I like the all button approach of the Zoom and LS-20M, as opposed to the dials for the levels and volume control on the LS-11. I am one of those that feel the less moving parts, the better. I would like some kind of protection for the lens on the Zoom and LS-20M. They seem exposed and liable to scratching.
DESIGN: The camera of the LS-20M is placed right on the top of the unit between the microphones. Seems to be designed for tabletop use. Or perhaps journalistic/interview purposes, where you hold the unit towards an interviewee like a microphone and you can get a decent video at the same time(although with such a viewpoint from below the subject would look unflattering). I intend to use the LS-20M for recording gigs and rehearsals so the position of the camera in relation to the LED screen for this purpose is awkward, and I find the Q3 HD easier to set up and work with in this regard. The big disadvantage with the LS-20M design, as noted by the other reviewer, is that you can't use any type of wind blocker otherwise it would cover up the lens. The Zoom design is definitely better here.
OPERATION: I found the buttons, menus and functions of both the Zoom and LS-20M are fairly intuitive and easy to navigate, similar to a smart phone. Its probably even possible to operate all functions of the LS-20M with just one hand. I really prefer the total manual audio level control of the Olympus units as opposed to just the 'hi and low' settings of the Zoom.
FILES: My biggest complaint with the LS-20M is that after the max 4GB per file is reached the recorder does not automatically start another file for continuous recording like the LS-11. I haven't recorded anything on the Zoom long enough to see if it creates a new file or not. The Olympus LS-10 had this problem and was addressed with a firmware update, and the LS-11 didn't have this problem at all. I am hoping that this is something that may be fixed on the LS-20M with a similar firmware update.
VIDEO: I have only done a few hours of testing with the LS-20M, but based on what I've seen the video quality of the LS-20M is far and away much better than the Q3 HD. The Zoom video is very noisy, artifacty and jittery, but the LS-20M is much cleaner, 'richer' and smoother with some noise in low light. I recorded a backyard gig during the 4th of July weekend and the image seemed to get 'wavy' whenever I hit certain notes on my bass. Not sure if this was from the tripod vibrating when I hit the note or if it was something inside the LS-20M doing it. Here is a video link of this curious phenomenus: youtube dot com/watch?v=GH51yq0WvmE
AUDIO: I have always liked the audio quality of the LS-11 over the Zoom, so much so that I would record with both the Q3 HD and LS-11 and replace the Q3 HD audio with the LS-11 audio in post. Since the LS-20M has similarly excellent audio, at first I thought I could get rid of both the LS-11 and Q3 HD. But with the aforementioned wind blocker problem, it looks like I will be holding on to the LS-11 (with wind blocker) and replacing the audio again if there is excessive wind noise on the LS-20M.
BATTERIES: I usually use a power adaptor for audio/video units like the Zoom and LS-20M. That being said, I haven't been able to test the charge life of the rechargeable battery that comes with the LS-20M. The Zoom uses two AA batteries and sucks them dry in less than an hour. Since the LS-11 is audio only, the two AA batteries last several hours and with lithiums can last over 15 hours.
ACCESSORIES: Accessories include the rechargeable battery, 2GB SDHC card and power adaptor (the Q3 HD power adaptor is an annoying separate purchase, and the battery life of the LS-11 is very long so I don't use a power adaptor). The LS-20M didn't come with a carry pouch like the LS-11 did, and the grammar of the users manual is sort of dodgy.
CONCLUSION: Overall, so far I like the LS-20M very much and immediately sold my Zoom Q3HD. Olympus has great audio and video quality with the LS-20M, but its the design of the unit that seems to be the major weakness. I am hopeful of design improvements for future versions of this unit, and a firmware update to address the continuous file problem of the LS-20M.
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