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Mic/tripod for HMC-150
Hey Jeff & other Cow Readers,
I was wondering if you guys had any recommendations for tripods and onboard xlr shotguns for the panny hmc-150. I finally decided on the camera but I’m having trouble deciding on which mic and tripod.
This manfrotto kit looks ok, and really is at the top end of what I can spend for a tripod kit, but even at this price point I’ve been reading that I’m not really getting what i should…ie, I may still have to worry about the head giving me drift-back problems on pans, etc. So I guess my question is, do you think this is the best I can do at this price point?
And as far as mics go, I don’t think I can drop more than $250. So any recommendations on that front would be much appreciated as well. (Also, do I need to get anything else to mount with the accessory shoe on the 150 or will any mic just fit?)
Thanks!
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3 Replies
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Update: I went with a Libec LS 38 and not the manfrotto…very happy!
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Hey John, I cannot give you an idea on a mic, other than what I learned from the past. I have been in business for 22 years, migrated from a cam op to location audio person because it is so challenging and still enjoyable. First off an on camera mic in most instances is pretty useless. You could use it for ambient sound; forget it for interviews and far shots. As far as price, $200 is not going to buy any product of quality. I would sit down and really examine what kind of video you are going to shoot with your new camera, interviews, docs, weddings or? And that will help to decide what you need. People have misconceptions about shotgun mics, they narrow the pattern of the sound, don’t really bring it closer. Also you just purchased a very good HD camera, and you should strive to get good audio to match it. Hope this helps, not meaning to be negative just hate to see you go thru trial and error and spending money on audio gear. As far as shot gun mics, if I could only have one mic it would be my Sennheiser 416. Note I do not use this mic on camera but on a pole. Before you make a big investment I would try and rent some audio gear and see what works for you.
Tom Maloney
https://www.slatemic.com” EVERY DAY IS A GIFT, which is why we call it the present”
Alfred Hitchcock
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Thanks for weighing in Tom…it is always nice to get the perspective of a seasoned audio pro 🙂
I ended up getting the AT 897 as a temp solution for on-camera or camera-mounted shotgun mic. Of course, this does not compare in anyway to the Sennheiser 416 but my budget being what it is currently, this was my only option. What I’m doing for now is renting out the rest of the gear that I need on a per-gig basis.
And while I’m at it, I would love to get your advice on an upcoming gig that I have…it is a simple camera set up, but it is mostly for audio. Unfortunately, the conditions are hardly ideal for it though. It is an indoor choir recording. Basically the camera will be setup in one spot and various choirs will be rotating in and out. The project is to create dvds to be sent out for each choir’s respective application as part of a competition. Anyway, the important bullet points (ie limitations) are this:
-Location is in a church sanctuary, but I don’t know the acoustics yet (will find this out on Friday)
-There will be no sound board or PA system to tap into.
-I will not be using a mixer
-I have to run single-system; ie I can only use 2 mics as I only have 2 XLR ports on the camera (I will be monitoring L & R channels discreetly through my headphones)The other caveat is that I have to place the camera on the balcony and thus in theory somewhat at a distance from the choir. I may be able to run very long XLR cables down to the choir level and put two mics on stands on each side, but still a few questions arise at this point:
a) if I run 200+ ft of XLR cable per mic, am I going to lose signal quality/get interference? Or perhaps a better question, would it be tolerable?
b) If I can put the mics near the choir, what should I rent? Should I go with dynamic mics? I assume that if I have to put the mics on the balcony (worst case) then I will have to go with shotguns…so any recommendations on those would be good too. I know my AT 897 wont’ cut it, although I don’t know about getting a long hyper cardiod mic either, as I’ve heard they are bad to use indoors.
Any further thoughts are much appreciated…
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