Zoom F3 vs Sound Devices MixPre-3 II
Updated 26 Oct 2026
Both record 32-bit float WAV at up to 192 kHz, so neither needs gain riding to avoid clipping. That's where the overlap ends. The Zoom F3 is a two-input box that runs on a pair of AA batteries and costs under £300. The MixPre-3 II is a small mixer-recorder with three XLR inputs, five tracks, built-in timecode and a touchscreen, at roughly three and a half times the price.
Specs below are from Zoom's F3 page and Sound Devices' MixPre-3 II page. UK prices were checked at three retailers on 26 October 2026.
Specs side by side
| GEARMATH page | Zoom F3 | Sound Devices MixPre-3 II |
| XLR inputs | 2 (mic or line) | 3 (mic or line) |
| Other inputs | None | 3.5 mm stereo aux or mic, 2 channels of USB audio |
| Recorded tracks | 2 | 5 (stereo mix plus 3 ISOs) |
| Bit depth | 32-bit float | 16, 24 or 32-bit float |
| Sample rates | 44.1 to 192 kHz | 44.1 to 192 kHz |
| Preamp noise (EIN) | -127 dBu or less (IHF-A) | -128 dBu (-130 dBV) max, A-weighted |
| Phantom power | +24 or +48 V | 48 V on the XLRs |
| Timecode | Only with the optional BTA-1 adapter and a Timecode Systems UltraSync Blue | Built in: generator, LTC in and out on 3.5 mm, camera TC over HDMI |
| Headphone output | 50 mW + 50 mW into 32 Ω | 300 mW + 300 mW |
| Screen | Backlit LCD, 96 × 64 | 1.6 inch colour touchscreen, 320 × 256 |
| Media | microSD, up to 1 TB | SD, up to 512 GB |
| USB audio interface | 2 in, 2 out, up to 96 kHz 32-bit float | 6 in, 2 out, up to 96 kHz 32-bit float |
| Power | 2 × AA (over 8 hours on alkaline), AC adapter or USB | 4 × AA sled included, optional 8 × AA or L-mount sled, USB-C |
| Weight | Not listed on Zoom's page | 0.48 kg without batteries |
Who each one suits
The F3 is a recorder, not a mixer. Two XLRs and 32-bit float make it a very good way to put a boom and one lav, or a stereo pair, onto a card with no risk of clipping, and it runs on two AAs. Timecode needs extra hardware, so it suits single-camera work and anything you'll sync by waveform.
The MixPre-3 II is what you buy when you're the sound department. Three inputs give you a boom plus two radio mics. You get a mix track as well as the isolated tracks, real timecode in and out, and HDMI record triggering from cameras that send a record flag, and the headphone amp is six times more powerful. The touchscreen and the optional battery sleds also make it easier to run all day from a bag.
On preamp noise the two are close on paper, at -127 dBu for the F3 and -128 dBu for the MixPre. A 1 dB gap is small next to the self-noise of most film microphones, so pick on inputs, timecode and workflow rather than this number.
UK prices seen on 26 October 2026
| Wex Photo Video | Zoom F3 | £269 | wexphotovideo.com |
| Thomann | Zoom F3 | £279 | thomann.co.uk |
| ProAV | Zoom F3 | £294 | proav.co.uk |
| Wex Photo Video | Sound Devices MixPre-3 II | £926 | wexphotovideo.com |
| ProAV | Sound Devices MixPre-3 II | £936 | proav.co.uk |
| Thomann | Sound Devices MixPre-3 II | £1,019 | thomann.co.uk |
If you need more inputs
The next step up is the MixPre-6 II, which we compare with the Zoom F6 on its own page, and the MixPre-10 II after that.
Sources
Specs from Zoom's and Sound Devices' product pages, checked 26 October 2026. Prices were seen at the linked retailers on the same day and change often, so check the retailer before you buy.
Related
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