SMALLEST affordable mic for 5D mkII

I'm looking for a sub $200 mic for 5D mk II that is smaller than the Sennheiser. Any suggestions and pics if possible? Some of these mics look larger than the camera body. I like the look of the small DM-50 Canon mic used on the HV30/HV40 but it apparently does not work with the 5D mk II.

Azden SMX-10 for under $75.00 from Adorama listed by amazon.com.

My son has one and dang if it doesn't sound pretty close to my $250 Rode StereoVideoMic! Had I known about this one I could have saved a bundle. Comes with a foam windscreen but I would order a "furry" windmuff from www.thewindcutter.com which fits over the foam. Without this you will have a heckuva time with wind noise with any mic outdoors.

I even ordered one for my ZoomH2 and whatta difference! I ordered the "Storm Chaser" which ran about $5 more but very well worth it.

Here is a link to the Azden SMX-10 mic. Also comes with a mount that fits a standard shoe, and the foot of the mount is female 1/4 X 20 thread so you can mount this mic on a light stand with inexpensive ball mount. Use with a 16' shielded mini stereo extension cable from Radio Shack to get this mic close to your talent in some situations.

http://www.amazon.com …ics&qid=1252392​651&sr=8-1

It is small, pretty lightweight, and delivers great sound. Read the reviews for more info.

I like the sound (sorry ) of this microphone ... Although I've taken very few videos with my 7D so far, I've already been irritated by the fact that every adjustment to the camera (jog wheels, fingers moving over the camera, the IS, etc) is picked up by the onboard mic. I'm looking for a small mic that can fit onto the hot shoe and will eliminate these noises (well, at least make them much less audible).

I'm aware that one can get superb quality audio by spending hundreds, but I'm not that sort of photographer ... the onboard mic quality is adequate for me, so any improvement over that, including the reduction of handling noises is what I'm after.

Does anyone else have this SMX-10 who could comment on its performance in real-life?

Many thanks


David

Cheap mics make for crappy audio.

Would you use a $75 lens on the front of you new 7D? Probably not. So why use a crappy $75 mic? When you watch TV, a music video or any video for that matter, most people will accept marginal video. But once the sound is also crappy you'll turn away instantly. We just don't put up with crappy sound. In proffesional video creation a lot of attention is paid to the camera department. Less attention is paid to the sound department. But if something goes wrong with a shot or two, another one can be made or used in the edit to cover the mistake. Think of any talking head video, there are always cut aways to different shots, but the sound stays constant. Sound can also be editted, but to a lesser degree. A constant flow of someones interview is the driving factor in many of the shows I work on and so there is no room for mistakes. Crappy audio is not allowed in my world, so I don't use cheap mics.

My point is, spend a bit more on a mic and you'll be much happier. Look at the Rode NTG-2. It is available for right around $269. And then you need to look at a proper mic mount. The biggest complant from most people using these DSLR with video recording is the handling noise from the jog wheel or and other function you are messing with. That's because these cheap mics have solid bases on them and are attached directly to the camera body. The mic needs to be isolated from the body by a rubber mount. A shock suspension if you will.

Look at this site and call them. I love working with these people. Friendly, honest and they listen to you and give you what you want.
www.trewaudio.com
Just tell them what you are trying to do.

link to NGT-2 http://www.trewaudio.c​om …product.php?pro​ductid=715
link to shock mount http://www.trewaudio.c​om …product.php?pro​ductid=323
link to Sennhieser MKE400 http://www.trewaudio.c​om …cts/sennheiser_​mke400.htm

Honestly if I'm just shooting video for the heck of it, I'm not wasting $269 on a stupid mic. Not everything being shot is for the Sundance Film Festival. And yes, plenty still use the 50F1.8 on expensive cameras and the 7D does come with an expensive, but still as some would say, crappy lens that is the 28-135.

Just sayin...

y'all prolly just stick to internal mic. it does a decent job w/ capturing sound w/o clipping and whatnot like on T1i.

_aravena wrote in post #8925124
Honestly if I'm just shooting video for the heck of it, I'm not wasting $269 on a stupid mic. Not everything being shot is for the Sundance Film Festival. And yes, plenty still use the 50F1.8 on expensive cameras and the 7D does come with an expensive, but still as some would say, crappy lens that is the 28-135.

Just sayin...

Well now, you didn't ask the question did you? So why not just stick to the internal mic and not spend any money on a stupid mic. And while you're at it, just keep taking snap shots with your 50 f1.8 as well. I'm sure you'll just love all those wonderful pictures you take and video you shoot of Christmas at mom's house. Those'll be real winners!

As for people who do care about such things as sound and getting it right, take a look at those links. Probably the best and least expensive external mic options out there.

They also never said what they're using it for...so stick to not reading people's minds and stop being so arrogant.

_aravena wrote in post #8927251
They also never said what they're using it for...so stick to not reading people's minds and stop being so arrogant.

Arrogant? Me, I'm not reading anyone's mind, just your annoying critique of my post. "stupid mic" I think is what you posted. You think it's a waste to spend good money on a quality piece of equipment to get a better sound. That's fine, like I said before, you go ahead and get you sub-par results. Other people will get better results after spending a little bit more for a better mic. That's all I'm saying, so you stop putting words into my mouth.

Hey guys no need for the squabbling!

I'm with _aravena to a point ... I'm not into shooting professional-grade interviews / documentaries / films, and the internal mic is satisfactory. However, if I did want to shoot a series of videos where I wanted better pickup, I would want something better than the internal mic. Sure, if I had the money I would get the best, most compact solution there is (something like the NTG-2 which looks superb). However, unless I'm doing this on a daily basis I can't justify the cost. As it is I only get out with my camera on weekends, and videos serve more as an aide-memoire of my trips rather than anything more. So in these cases, something between the quality of the internal mic and a $$$ professional shotgun mic would be useful.

And as for the 50 1.8, it's an excellent lens given its cost ... sure it flares a great deal, the focusing is noisy and not particularly accurate, but it's very sharp! ...

I think I will just make do with the internal mic for the moment, at least until I find myself creating many more videos where I need better pickup (although chances are I would need to invest in a better tripod first ... with a fluid head).

Thanks for the suggestions Any more are most appreciated!

Cheers,


David

PS. I stumbled across the MKE400 in my earlier research, but many people say the quality isn't very good? And that there's too much hissy treble response ... shame as the form factor looks excellent!

Hogster86 wrote in post #8931408
Thanks for the suggestions Any more are most appreciated!

Cheers,

David

PS. I stumbled across the MKE400 in my earlier research, but many people say the quality isn't very good? And that there's too much hissy treble response ... shame as the form factor looks excellent!

David,

I think my Sennheiser MKE400 produces audio that sounds every bit as good as my Rode NTG-2, although I think I need to be a bit closer to my subject with the MKE400.

That said, my 5DMKII auto volume control produces very noisy audio in the dead spots. That hissy audio is not a function of the microphone but rather a result of the automatic volume control.

Otherwise, to my way of thinking, the MKE400 is an excellent microphone for the money.

Hi Rog,

Hmm that's interesting to hear ... I can't remember where, but I read a review comparing the MKE400 and a Rode VideoMic (I think ... it may have been the NTG-2), and the reviewer said the Sennheiser gave the audio quite a tinny, trebley feel, whereas the Rode was much more natural ....

I'm generally not so interested in recording people speaking, but rather recording ambient sounds more accurately than with the internal mic. Would you say that once the Magic Lantern firmware becomes available for the 7D where the AGC can be disabled, the MKE400 would become a very viable option as a small form-factor high-quality external mic?

It seems any external mic that plugs into the camera directly will be affected by this AGC ... and I don't want to get into having an external audio recorder / having to use a clapper to get the sync etc .... the Magic Lantern / small onboard mic is the way I'd like to go ideally.

Many thanks for your help!


David

Hogster86 wrote in post #8939051
Hi Rog,

Hmm that's interesting to hear ... I can't remember where, but I read a review comparing the MKE400 and a Rode VideoMic (I think ... it may have been the NTG-2), and the reviewer said the Sennheiser gave the audio quite a tinny, trebley feel, whereas the Rode was much more natural ....

I'm generally not so interested in recording people speaking, but rather recording ambient sounds more accurately than with the internal mic. Would you say that once the Magic Lantern firmware becomes available for the 7D where the AGC can be disabled, the MKE400 would become a very viable option as a small form-factor high-quality external mic?

It seems any external mic that plugs into the camera directly will be affected by this AGC ... and I don't want to get into having an external audio recorder / having to use a clapper to get the sync etc .... the Magic Lantern / small onboard mic is the way I'd like to go ideally.

Many thanks for your help!

David

David,

Sorry for the late reply. I didn't see your post.

I haven't used Magic Lantern. Some folks seem to think it works well.

I use the Sennheiser MKE400 simply because (1) it produces a good sound and (2) it fits so well on the camera. It seems to me my Sennheiser and MKE400 both produce a good useable sound...with perhaps the edge going to the NTG-2. But not a big deal there.

Audio his can be edited out in Adobe Primier but it's a bit of work. However, it's an option if you don't want to use an external recorder etc...which I don't.

Here's a link to a site that deals a lot with these issues.

http://www.dvinfo.net/

Good luck.

Hi Rog

Thanks for your reply! It certainly sounds like the MKE400 is what I'm looking for ... regarding the hiss, do you have any videos online that have audio which was taken with the MKE400 that I could listen to? Although I guess that's not representative of how the mic would sound on a 7D but I imagine it would be similar ...

I've signed up on that DVInfo site twice now and I've never had my account 'accepted' by a moderator ... so I've never been able to post anything there!

Thanks again for your help


David

If you already spend 3k for a good camera, why do you want to use a cheap mic?