External Microphone

Anyone using an external mic for video shooting? If so, what are you using and how well do you like it?

Thank you

I didn't think to search prior to posting this topic. I have to stop doing that. Much info is out there.

Since I can't delete this topic, no reply is necessary, unless you want to.

Thank you

I have/use three mics: Rode Videomic Pro, Zoom H1, and Audio Technica 3350 (I think that's the number). Rode gets the most use because I can record straight to the camera (T2i with Magic Lantern, AGC turned off). It's a major PITA keeping the little rubber bands in place, though. Stupid design, there. The Zoom does a great job of recording ambient sound, and it's also good for voice if you can get it close enough to the source. Then there's the added hassle of synching the audio and video, which I don't mind but YMMV. The 3350 worked fine for interviews (plugged into the Zoom) until it broke after about 10 hours of use. It was cheap ($20 or so), but still.

I use a Zoom H4N, an Azden SGM 2X and some other Audio Technica. The Zoom is great if you have one of the shotguns hooked up to it. For skits that we shoot in uncontrolled locations, we normally use the Azden, which is a Monodirectional mic to only pick up what it's pointed at. The Audio Technica is an Omnidirectional mic, which pics up much more but echos. We normally only use the omni mic in controlled situations. Check out our channel here:

www.youtube.com/justki​ddingfilms

Meanie wrote in post #13333410
Anyone using an external mic for video shooting? If so, what are you using and how well do you like it?

Thank you

For on-the-camcorder and boom pole shotgun use we utilize Azden SGM1X's, our handhelds for interviews are Electro-Voice 635B’s, PL-91's and RE-50's, our studio microphones are a combination of EV PL-10's and RE-20's, for lavalieres we have settled on Shure SM-93’s with SM-11 lavs used as placed microphones for ambiance, and for applications where we need a miniature non-intrusive shotgun we have a couple of modified AKG C580’s.

The Azden's are decent microphones though battery powered, all of the the EV's are bullet proof dynamics with excellent audio, the SM 93’s are one of the best lavs I have worked with they are extremely small unobtrusive and produce great audio, the SM 11’s while large are dynamic very rugged and cost so little they are almost disposable, and the AKG C580 while designed as a lectern microphone can be turned into a nice directional 4” shotgun and when coupled with a gaffers clamp are great for fill in audio.

Wayne

Get yourself a good mic, a boom and a sound guy.

hire people like me, problem solved.

Rode NTG-2 has been the best-for-the-money shotgun that I've used.

Thank you all for the feedback.

Chippy569 wrote in post #13357499
hire people like me, problem solved.

That’s no joke, many a photographer/videograp​her has failed in business because they insisted on being a one-man-show, and yes I understand many of us run on a shoestring budget, but too many times trying to do it all yourself and not bringing on outside crafts costs much more in the long run once one considers what their time and quality of production is worth.

Furthermore, no one, I don’t care how smart they might be or think they are, nor even I, knows or could understand every little aspect of production, as such bringing on say an audio guy such as Chip adds another mind to the pool and many times a totally different approach to solving problems, which when the production clock is running proves my above point to be true.

Wayne

Chippy569 wrote in post #13357499
hire people like me, problem solved.

LOL! HA, the best answer so far! I don't know how many times I've wanted to say stuff like that here, but...
NICE!

Like Channel 1 said, so many shooters think they can do it all, but the reality is that no one works well in a vaccume.

I just got done doing a documentary this past weekend for CBS Sports called, "A Game of Honor." The shooters used a pair of 1D4's and a RED Epic for the artsy, slow-mo stuff. We shot the Army vs. Air Force Academy football game at Falcon stadium in Colo. Springs, CO. They were armed with a couple Rode video mics on the cameras, but when it came to getting critical sound, that's where me and my bag of sound recordering gear comes in. I recorded all my tracks to my SD 552 mixer with it's built in 2 channel recorder. Timecode and frame rate were set using a Deneke SB-3. Most of what I recorded was gathered using a Scheops CMC6/41 boom mic, but a few times I used a Lectrosonics 411A wireless system with a Sanken COS11 mic, hidden of course. And then afterwards I ran the files through the SD's Wave Agent to rename files and add info to the Metadata to make it easier for the editors to see what was what. Pretty straight forward stuff really, but the critical sound (interviews and other bits) is best recorded but something other than an on camera mic.

Again, hire a sound guy for the bigger projects or be doomed to suffer bad sound.

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …Super_Cardioid_​Short.html

I've had this mic for 9 years now and it's has worked for me flawlessly.