Topic: Zoom H2, H4 or Edirol R09 for a nature and all around recorder?

[morvak]

Hello! n00b here 

I am primarily looking to record nature sounds from rain and thunderstorms to buzzing bees and crickets to forest ambience, ocean waves, babbling brooks... as well as everyday sonds like water dripping , pouring drink into a glass, etc. etc. street stuf

My budget is $400. I initially planned to spend $1,000, but being an amateur, and not sure if i'll do anything with this beyond hobby purposes leads me to start off small and go with Edirol or Zoom.

I have ideas like making a CD of ocean sounds and giving it to friends or selling like for $5 on my website you know, or putting music to it, or recording bees to go with my bees macro photos , things like that. Who knows, I'm a hobbyist is all I am for now with a full time desk job lol.

So which would suit me better? Thanks in advance!

[guysonic]

R-09 has best measured quality, but H2 is too new to discount without trying out. 

You really need to at least double your budget for getting better than in-deck mics that come with any of these, and likely quiet external preamp, but again H2 is not tested for this purpose, and personally not expecting it better than R-09 in the least.