Microphones

[bert_man 0]

I know microphones arent really photography, nor are they video. But bear with me.

I'm curious to know what one might expect to spend on a decent microphone, which would mostly be used to capture voices in a relatively calm, indoor/outdoor setting, that wouldn't record audio that sounds like it's coming out of a tin can.

It would be used mostly for interviews and voice-overs.

Also, if this mic were plugged into any old camcorder (or, say, an HC3?) would the quality suffer? do you need to have a good recording device to go with it?

Thanks

-Ghetto
"The reason death cannot frighten me, is because life has cured me of fear."
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Cleveland Skydiving

[Mikki_ZH 0]

I have bought the Gun Zoom Microphone ECM-HGZ1 for my Sony HC3.
It is connected to the Active Interface Shoe from Sony.
Costs around 100 USD here in Switzerland.

Michi (#1068)
hsbc/gba/sba
www.swissbaseassociation.ch
www.michibase.ch

[vid666 0]

all i can tell you is that HC3 has no mic input - you will have to use whatever works with its yet-again-redesigned proprietory hotshoe

how ghetto...

[Laszloimage 0]

The HC-3 does have a mike input.
Just check out the "hot shooe" on the top of it, and your manual...
Otherwise I recommend B&H photo video ( bhphotovideo.com ) to find the most suitable microphone for your needs.
-Laszlo-

[newshooter12 0]

the biggest problem with trying to get good... aka... not like a tin can audio. out of a consumer camera is that they all have auto gain for their audio. if your camera has some form of input you can get around that by getting a small audio mixer to plug inbetween the camera and the mic (or mics). then just ride the audio levels yourself so you can cut out the ambient noise(s).

if you want that option on the run there are a handfull of manufacturers that sell through bhphotovideo.com and make smalle 2 channel mixers that attach to the bottom of your camera and have the mic level control knobs on them.

matt

[FeFe 0]

well in proper wording HC3 does NOT have a mic input - though you can use some (very limited) makes of mics to attach via a hot-shoe or use a hot-shoe adaptor accepting jack/XLR input
hot-shoe is the worst thing Sony has produced ever (being second only to the docking station )

[Laszloimage 0]

...but a good quality external mic. even if it's through the hot shoe, still suppose to provide better audio than the built in one. Please correct me if I'm wrong because I never used that optin on the HC-3, but I did it on other Sony models.
-Laszlo-

[velocityphoto 0]

Brett I have 3 wireless mics you can try and voice your own opinion then .My sennheiser is around 400.00 or 500.00 i think.....

A friend will bail you out of jail , a REAL friend will be sitting next to you in the cell slapping your hand saying "DUDE THAT WAS AWSUM " ................

[DSE 3]

Lazlo,
the HC3 uses the Active Intelligent Shoe, which is really sweet for consumers that aren't producing anything really worth looking at, but for people looking to "produce" vid vs shooting pix of uncle Albert and his amazing suspenders...the AIS is incredibly stupid. Nothing can connect to it except Sony's junky consumer mics.
On a different side of the question, a guy on DVInfo.net has come up with a working hack to buy an AIS microphone and plug XLRs into it. Bear in mind though, you have zero level control, and you're limited by the built in limiter/gain system.

[Laszloimage 0]

Thank you very much Doug! I knew you would know the real answer...
Otherwise the image quality of the HC-3 is very impressive on the outside light. But I guess the real solution is to spend some more money and get the A1U.
-Laszlo-

[SabreDave 0]

Hmmmm, I 'll send this thread to BASE 736. He bought some sweet stereo mics that are about the size of earphones. ($800 Cdn I think) and the sound is stellar! He mounted them on a Protec right above each ear. Gives great realistic sound and they don't start to distort until around 7-8 seconds in. They are sweeeeet!!

2 good examples.... http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=2552&string=Jason%20Cooper & http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=1702&string=Jason%20Cooper

And remember this is compressed!

SabreDave

[base736 0]

As Dave says, I've done all of my camera stuff with high-quality stereo audio. I've had a lot of success with a pair of DSM-6S/M's baffled by Micro-Cats. I've gone without a filter generally. Take a listen to the links he's given -- the first one in particular -- with a pair of headphones on.

[DSE 3]

You might want to check out the custom micromics that Darren at Giant Squid manufactures. They sound incredible and are very small. But...like any other mic input to the HC 3, it requires some modding of the HC3 external mic housing.