Don't quite understand, why do you think @DrDave that the DR-680 would give better sound with lower noise?

Came across a few more recent reviews, they're even more detailed:

http://mixeli.us/technology/zoom-f8/

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=175264.0

http://www.sam-mallery.com/2015/11/should-you-buy-the-zoom-f8-field-recorder/

@IronFilm

Just remember that sound/music guys have different approach to such devices. Usually they look to ones that handle loud and proper level inputs perfectly and with max features.

For film and such you need best preamps with big range to pull up low level sound and best analog(!) limiters.

@Chaos123x , I can assure the DR-70D pre amps are much better than the H4N :) I used a DR-70D this week as a sound guy on a feature film

Hmmm do you think this would be better than a used SD 302 with a Tascam DR-680 recorder?

I'm looking to get a better audio setup to record sound effects for radio dramas and build my own library, might also use it for it some corporate video and reality show sizzle reels. I will also be getting a rode ntg-3 and blimp.

All I have now is a H4N and a Videomic Pro.

Or is all this over kill? The DR-70D looks to fit my needs just worry the preamps will make it sound like crap and I already have H4N for that....

Good review

Input limiters and high pass filters are after the analog to digital conversion stage, and much after the microphone pre-amplification stage, rendering them pretty much useless for analog inputs. Any overloading signal and/or low frequency energy will be amplified at the mic pre stage, before it is converted to digital and processed through either the limiter or the HPF.

Tracks 1 through 8 are the ISO tracks, and tracks 9 and 10 are the stereo mix. For anyone who’s ever dealt with or knows about double-system sound, dailies syncing and editing, you know the huge issue this can be in post. Editors expect for the first one or two tracks to be the mix track(s). This is what they use for dailies and for editing, and sometimes even for syncing when using tools such as Plural Eyes. If the first tracks are ISOs instead of mix tracks, can you imagine the phone calls you’ll be receiving in the middle of the night asking what happened to the mix tracks? This is only made worse by the fact that the tracks are unlabeled, since there is no ability to name tracks. HUGE issue in my opinion.

During the recording at Gotham, as I monitored both the Zoom F8 and the Sound Devices 744T, I was under the impression that the 744T had a lot more transparency and that the F8 had a lot of coloration. It wasn’t bad, but it definitely made me doubt how good the F8 pre amps could be. I didn’t want to make any final judgments then, though. I wanted to get back home, and playback the files to make sure of what I was listening to.

And hold and behold, after playing back the files on my computer, I realized that it was not the recordings, but rather the headphone amp on the F8 that was coloring the sound. I have to be honest and say that I am completely blown away by how incredibly good the Zoom F8 mic pre’s sound. I can hear very little difference against the Sound Devices 744T, playing back from my laptop’s DAC using ATH-M50X to monitor. There’s no audible self-noise, unlike its siblings. There seems to be a good amount of dynamic range too.

http://mixeli.us/technology/zoom-f8/

I don't think it would be limiting in production. The recorder still records isolated channels. Usually the output is sent to a camera and it's fairly common to be sent mixed. (Though often one or more channels are panned full Left and others are panned full Right to effectively create iso channels within a mixed stereo output.)

audiovideopro.net claims the following: "However, unlike some more expensive recorders or standalone audio interfaces, the Zoom provides only mixed analogue outputs, rather than iso-channels for each audio input. It can, though, pass four audio to a computer or iPad over USB, or to other devices by combining the two sets of output sockets."

How limiting this would be (namely, the lack of individual iso-channels) in a "normal" production?

Expected delivery: mid September http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1140426-REG/zoom_zf8_f8_field_recorder.html

Presented officially

• Phantom power (+24V/+48V) can be turned on and off for each preamp individually.
• Plug in any Zoom mic capsule.
• 10 tracks—8 input channels, plus a stereo mix track*—allow you to simultaneously record stereo and surround sound.
• An onboard mixer with flexible routing of all inputs and outputs (pre- and post-fader). Each channel has controls for pan, input/output delay, filtering, and limiting.
• The F8 can be mounted to a tripod and attached to your camera using the included mounting bracket.
• $999

https://zoom-na.com/products/field-video-recording/field-recording/zoom-f8-multitrack-field-recorder

Any more news about this? Zoom had said they'd release more info "this summer" including pricing.