This worked very well.

I don't personally own this item, but I did use it while shooting a short film with some people. It worked phenomenally! You could pick up a whisper from 50 yards out, that sounded like somebody was talking right in front of me, it was incredible. It also didn't have any problem recording scenes with people yelling 10 feet away, you just turn down the volume, and it's that simple.
It's very easy to use, I picked it up right away and had no problems with it. I gave the value 3 stars because I think $300 is a lot of money, but I also have no clue how much these products typically go for. I can say this, it works terrifically.

Works like a dream

There are a lot of handheld recorders out there these days but the H4n is still just a great product. The sound quality is awesome (admittedly I've only recorded in stereo and not the 4 channel option yet) and has recorded every instrument I've thrown at it, from voice through guitar and piano, with fidelity. Either on a mic stand or on the kitchen table you can set it up anywhere quickly and easily. I haven't really come across any negatives with this thing yet and for simple room demos or just recording the kids reading their stories to send to grandma this thing does the job.