Recommend me a video mic

Derek_W

Derek_W

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Derek
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I've looked through Youtube videos and researched so many different microphones I'm less sure than when I started. My first thought was to go for a Rode Videomic Pro but perhaps the stereo version might be better. The Rodes have been around for some time has any other manufacturer moved forward? I know that there's many ways of recording audio but I'm going to keep it quite simple and just have the mic on top of my camera, currently a Nikon D7100. If I'm successful I might branch out into other equipment but it will only be for my own enjoyment and not as a business. I'll only be providing a copy to the groups involved.

My main use will be for recording short shows and a choir so decent quality is quite important but as no-one pays me and I don't make money from this in any way I want to keep a tight rein on the costs. I know I'm not the only person to be in this situation so anyone care to share?
 
Thanks Ken. I did consider a seperate recorder but I find it's it's a faff to add audio when trying to edit video. Perhaps when I gain experience and confidence it would be a good way to go. Common sense suggests that if something can go wrong with an audio source, it will. There's plenty of stories on the net suggesting the same so an additional source might save the day.

I've seen the Videomic Pro on ebay complete with bracket and dead cat for £75 - £100. It's still a lot of money but seems cost effective as I could sell it on with little loss if I decide to upgrade to external audio in the future.
 
Video mic pro is a good choice, the level boost works well with Canon DSLRs & if you can get your hands on one with a dead cat for £100 I would go for it.
 
Thanks Sam. I've pretty well made my mind up on one of those and I've a couple of months before I need it so plenty of time to look about.
 
Rode video mic. Bought one for my son with his video work, get the fluffy as it really cuts down the wind noise. Small, light, very good, the rubber band mountings work well but can be awkward if detached ( or maybe that's just me)
 
Thanks Byker. Do you know if he found the Video Mic hissy? That seems to be the biggest complaint over the Pro version. It looks like worth keeping a spare set of bands too even if it's a krypton factor task to refit.
 
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The hiss comes from your cameras preamps more than from the mic. If you use a low setting on the cameras audio controls and enable the +20db boost on the mic, you should be able to get nice clear audio.
 
That is on the videomic pro. The standard videomic doesn't have a +20db, and when I've used it on my D800, i've been less than impressed with the amount of noise from the cameras preamps.
 
Thanks for the info. t's disappointing to spend that much on a camera and feel let down. At least the mic is not tethered to one make and will work on other cameras and video cameras. I wouldn't be surprised if someone has reverse engineered the firmware and offering different setting similar to Canon.
it's good to get other opinions Cheers.
 
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