Shotgun Microphone

[Mike Kujbida]

The Rode VideoMic Pro Compact Shotgun Microphone and the Sennheiser MKE 400 Compact Video Camera Shotgun Microphone are quite often recommended.
$200 and $230 respectively at B&H.

[Graham Bernard]

[Mike Hinkel] “What is a good choice without breaking the bank.”

What is your budget?

To date, in terms of “shotguns”, I have

1] 2 x Senni 66 & 1 x 67

2] Rode VidMic & VidMic Pro

What are you wanting to get to? And where will the audio be captured on?

Grazie

Video Content Creator and Potter
PC 7 64-bit 16gb * Intel® Core™i7-2600k Quad Core 3.40GHz * 2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 560 Ti
Cameras: Canon XF300 + PowerShot SX50HS Bridge

[Mike Hinkel]

I’m looking to do outdoor stuff where I want to pick up animals walking in leaves and sounds in front of the camera. I never knew I had a nasal whistle or breathed so heavy until my in-camera microphone pointed it out, lol. I am shooting a Panasonic TM900 which really plays back some good sound. Unfortunately, ducks on the wing don’t mix well with wheezing…..8^(

[Mike Hinkel]

I’m liking the price a bit better on the Rode, Grazie. I read mixed reviews on the Sennheiser. I imagine it comes down to how in tune the ears are. Audiophile’s disagree on a lot of things.

[Graham Bernard]

[Mike Hinkel] “I’m looking to do outdoor stuff where I want to pick up animals walking in leaves and sounds in front of the camera”How far in front of the camera?

G

Video Content Creator and Potter
PC 7 64-bit 16gb * Intel® Core™i7-2600k Quad Core 3.40GHz * 2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 560 Ti
Cameras: Canon XF300 + PowerShot SX50HS Bridge

[Graham Bernard]

[Mike Hinkel] “. I imagine it comes down to how in tune the ears are.”

No, it comes down to how much you WANT as opposed to much you DON’T want being recorded.

Also, reading your responses IMO you aren’t really after a Shotgun. You are really after a parabolic. Animals, ducks shuffling through leaves produce very low powered amounts of sound energy. If you were far enough aware to not scare them you would have tiny amounts off on-axis sound to be enough to be separated from the side noises that you wouldn’t want – and that’s how a shotgun works.

G

Video Content Creator and Potter
PC 7 64-bit 16gb * Intel® Core™i7-2600k Quad Core 3.40GHz * 2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 560 Ti
Cameras: Canon XF300 + PowerShot SX50HS Bridge

[Mike Hinkel]

Everything I read on outdoor videography talks of using shotgun microphones. I don’t mean to say I want to pick up finite sounds. More of the ambient sounds from the direction of the source.

[Stephen Mann]

“Everything I read on outdoor videography talks of using shotgun microphones”

And they would be wrong. Shotgun microphones don’t increase the range of your pickup, they only suppress the sensitivity from the sides. If you want a very sensitive microphone, look for a parabolic as Graham said.

Steve Mann
MannMade Digital Video
http://www.mmdv.com

[Mike Hinkel]

Where might I find one of these where I won’t have to give up my gold fillings, Steve. I found 1 for $1400 which would be taking the fillings and part of the titanium plate in my head…….

[Stephen Mann]

They range from $29 to infinity. Quite a spread. I built one from an old satellite dish by removing the LNA and gaff taping a shotgun element in place of the LNA. it was bit bulky, but it works.

Steve Mann
MannMade Digital Video
http://www.mmdv.com