External mic on the coast

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Leadbelly

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Hi,

Looking for advice on buying an external mic for dlsr video with the WIND going to be the issue I am completely new to this I might add. I have just purchased a Nikon D5300 and although its out of the box I have not switched it on yet. I will be shooting at the coast about 50% of the time and the other 50% in my workshop so I need it for duel purpose. I don't want to buy too cheap just to save money then find I should have spent more only to lose the cheap money. From looking on youtube it appears that the Rode videomic pro is the answer but would really appreciated any advice given.
 
Yes get the Rode, or consider a separate sound recording system e.g. a Zoom - a bit more hassle at editing but more versatile (both ideally)
 
It really depends on what you want your microphone to record, ambient sound, voices etc. Different sound sources may require different mics. And also you need to know what you want to do with the sound in the edit and how much time you want to spend crafting your sound.
 
I got an extrnl mike for my camera D300 and D800 Nikons and also for my camcorder. i wanted a directional mike against a stereo one and got a Sennheiser MKE400. not the cheapest but excellent bit of kit. also you will want to get a dead rat ( furry covering for any extrnl mike ) to cut down wind noise as well. You won't stop it all, Ignore those you see on TV unless you have thousands of pounds spare.



and on top of the camera looks like this



I will mention that if you use a zoom lens you may well hear the lens or camera clicking as you zoom in and out, even with an extrnl mike on it. The only way I have found to avoid this is to buy a microphone extn cable and keep well away from the camera.

The other alternative is a radio mike but not having one I can't comment on it

As mentioned a Rhode mike is very popular make as well

This video of mine will give some idea of the mike range even though it was on my camcorder at the time

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQI23VmWeCc


Hope this helps a bit
 
Last edited:
Leadbelly said:
Hi,

Looking for advice on buying an external mic for dlsr video with the WIND going to be the issue I am completely new to this I might add. I have just purchased a Nikon D5300 and although its out of the box I have not switched it on yet. I will be shooting at the coast about 50% of the time and the other 50% in my workshop so I need it for duel purpose. I don't want to buy too cheap just to save money then find I should have spent more only to lose the cheap money. From looking on youtube it appears that the Rode videomic pro is the answer but would really appreciated any advice given.
Click to expand...

What are you trying to record?
 
The dead cat on the rode works , well sort of. It will help reduce some wind noise bit it's still connected physically to the mike and hence some ( or a lot) of the wind noise can still be heard. Without spending loads of money it's difficult to eliminate wind noise. Depending on what you are recording you could try and shelter the mic from the wind, this would help. However if you are recording dialogue rather than just atmos then it could be a bit difficult. If it's dialogue then try a simple wired mic, with a dead mouse ( smaller version of cat) . You can see this on some reporters on TV it looks like a large piece of fluff. Works well I have found especially when the talent has it's back to the wind
 
Chappers said:
The dead cat on the rode works , well sort of. It will help reduce some wind noise bit it's still connected physically to the mike and hence some ( or a lot) of the wind noise can still be heard. Without spending loads of money it's difficult to eliminate wind noise. Depending on what you are recording you could try and shelter the mic from the wind, this would help. However if you are recording dialogue rather than just atmos then it could be a bit difficult. If it's dialogue then try a simple wired mic, with a dead mouse ( smaller version of cat) . You can see this on some reporters on TV it looks like a large piece of fluff. Works well I have found especially when the talent has it's back to the wind
Click to expand...


Sorry I can't help at all but I just love the terminology you're using - I guess videographers are a different sort to togs :lol:
 
Ok,
I hoping I will be able to record myself for youtube videos in coastal areas doing various activities ( fishing, shooting, kiting, combing, family weddings and don't forget wakes:( ) ALSO in the workshop again youtube type videos of various projects.

I am on a budget BECAUSE MY WIFE SAID SO but I intend to take her shoe shopping at the same time, thus problem solved.

I guess it's all down to experience and technical know-how I am willing to learn, not afraid to ask questions and your advice is both welcome and taken on-board.

Not sure about the terminology a videographer or a tog might use mine is openly chancer but when I grow-up.........................:LOL:
 
If you're recording speech, a levalier clipped to your lapel with a wind cover will work better than a cheap shotgun mic 10 feet away. Easier to shelter from the wind too.

An OK wired one will set you back £15.
 
Sorry I can't help at all but I just love the terminology you're using - I guess videographers are a different sort to togs :LOL:

Photographer first then videographer a couple of years ago. Both have there own different phrases and terminology. Mind you you could always opt for a Blimp to help with wind noise, but then you'd also need a dead wombat :)

http://cvp.com/index.php?t=category/blimp
 
I use a Zoom H1 (Amazon Link) with just a foam windshield most of the time, although for higher wind noise a dead cat works better.

The only trouble with the Zoom is any knocks to the mic whilst recording make a thud. I get around this by using a Rode SM3 hot shoe shock mount when recording and filming at the same time.

For voice stuff I plug a lavalier mic into the Zoom. I use an Audio Technica ATR 3350 which is great for the money, but a pain if the batteries are going as there's no LED or anything to tell. Because of this I'll change the lavalier to another soon, probably the Rode Smartlav+ (Amazon Link). This mic needs an adapter cable to work with the Zoom, but you could plug it straight into a smart phone and use that to record audio.

Not saying this is the way to go, but I like this set up as small and quite cheap. I record from the beach etc quite often as in Cornwall, but also from my home studio.
 
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