[Bob Mark]

Yes, I wish they still made the larger one. 5.6″ is too small for me.

Bob

[Bob Mark]

What brand are the SDHC cards? Could someone have locked them to protect the contents?

Bob

[Bob Mark]

The problem you are experiencing comes from using microphones that do not have a high enough SPL (sound pressure level) rating. Many shotgun microphones have this problem. The ME66 is well know for this overload issue. The Sony shotgun you mentioned does not have a better SPL rating than the ME66. They are both around 125 db SPL. Some mics like the Shure SM81 (not a shotgun) have a built in pad that will take the SPL up to 146 db. AKG makes some nice mics for music recording as well. Shotguns are designed to reach for sound, so that comes into play too. Is there any place you can rent some mics to test? Good luck.

Bob

[Bob Mark]

I was looking at the format specs for the JVC and Swit and they do not accept 720p 24 and 30 frame signals. This was confirmed to me by an email from JVC.
Kind of strange, since they accept 1080p 24 and 30 frame. That’s a deal breaker for me because I use 720p 30fps quite often.

Bob

[Bob Mark]

All very true. That’s why you need to monitor the camera audio with very good set of headphones that will let you know if the audio is too hot. Relying on the meters alone is suicide.

Bob

[Bob Mark]

The Swit and JVC have almost identical specs too. Seems easier to get your hands on the JVC.

Bob

[Bob Mark]

I have seen some negative comments on the Ikan brand. I was looking at Manhattan too, but heard some negatives on a pro users board.
https://www.manhattanlcd.com/ There will always be good and bad reviews.
The JVC looks promising.

Bob

[Bob Mark]

You did not say how many performers there are. I would put two matched mics on stands or you could hang them. Then you will have a stereo mix. People are used to seeing mic stands at live performances. True cardioid mics might not have the reach you need. Again, the number of performers is important.

Bob

[Bob Mark]

This is always a challenge. Some add a 35mm adapter like Letus or Redrock Micro. All the suggestions mentioned are helpful. If you have too much light you can also increase the shutter speed a bit, but be careful not to go too far. I sometimes do the shallow DOF in post, as mentioned, with a matte, that can be difficult if you have someone moving or waving their arms. :>)

Bob

[Bob Mark]

You have the G3 set very close to consumer line level. My sound mixer uses G3 into a mixer and then sends mic level to the EX1 set to -53db. I would try something like that. Drop the G3 level to mic and set the EX1 to match.

Bob