Confused by all the choices in Rode microphones for dslr or camcorder: Which do you recommend and why? Thanks in advance for your advice.

genocolo Loc: Vail and Gasparilla Island

Which do you recommend and why?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

genocolo wrote:

Which do you recommend and why?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

You chose mic's based on purpose (build/features), just like you chose your camera, based on it's features/performance, it's the same thing! Then, once you narrowed it down to a couple of competing models, you may ask why some prefer one over the other.! Right now, your question is just like one seen here quite often as well, Canon or Nikon, which one and why?

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

genocolo wrote:

Which do you recommend and why?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

I'd recommend this Shure instead of Rode, although I'm sure they make fine mics.

https://www.adorama.com/shvp83.html?msclkid=d007e78082ce12274e7ebd7163cac6c5&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%5bSHOPPING%5d%20%5bADL%5d%20%5bPLA%5d%20-%20Manufacturer&utm_term=4587299952415568&utm_content=%5bPLA%5d%20-%20Manufacturer

genocolo Loc: Vail and Gasparilla Island

Sorry did not mean to make it sound so generic. But that is the problem. I am looking for a good mic for my Canon 80D and a sony camcorder. They vary dramatically in price from $60-$300 generally. Just asking what experienced people use and why.

BebuLamar

It depends a lot on how you use the mic. Are you going to mount it on the camera hot shoe? Are you using it separately? How far are you to the sound source. I think you would need several mics.

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

genocolo wrote:

Sorry did not mean to make it sound so generic. But that is the problem. I am looking for a good mic for my Canon 80D and a sony camcorder. They vary dramatically in price from $60-$300 generally. Just asking what experienced people use and why.

Well I've had my Shure for some 3 - 5 years. It's easy to use and the sound is balanced and good. Shure is one my favorte brands - that's all.

genocolo Loc: Vail and Gasparilla Island

I intend to mount on hot shoe. Distance 20-30 feet away from a wedding ceremony.

I will look at Shure at your suggestion.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

genocolo wrote:

Sorry did not mean to make it sound so generic. But that is the problem. I am looking for a good mic for my Canon 80D and a sony camcorder. They vary dramatically in price from $60-$300 generally. Just asking what experienced people use and why.

I would consider Jimmya's suggestion, since he does have a good background with video. I have a basic Rode video mic, mono, but it does a good job with both my T3i and 80D.

I would avoid the cheap knock offs and get a dead cat for outside use, so probably $100 and up would be realistic.

Here's one of the first times I used the T3i and the Rode video mic, hand held, it'll give you an idea...., : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLrZHQYuw98

genocolo Loc: Vail and Gasparilla Island

Sounds great! Thanks.

jimmya wrote:

I'd recommend this Shure instead of Rode, although I'm sure they make fine mics.

https://www.adorama.com/shvp83.html?msclkid=d007e78082ce12274e7ebd7163cac6c5&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%5bSHOPPING%5d%20%5bADL%5d%20%5bPLA%5d%20-%20Manufacturer&utm_term=4587299952415568&utm_content=%5bPLA%5d%20-%20Manufacturer

jcboy3

genocolo wrote:

Which do you recommend and why?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

If you are plugging straight into the camera, then the VideoMic Pro is recommended because it has self power, -10db attenuation, and 20db boost. You can use long extension cables, the boost avoids taxing the camera preamps, and it is still pretty compact. Sound is noticeably inferior on the Micro and Go, but the Micro is really small and portable.

They also make a lav mic, and a condenser style (the Reporter). Those are better for their specific purposes.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

If you want Rode stereo it is this one:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1152351-REG/rode_videomic_pro_r_videomic_pro_with_lyre.html

If Rode monaural is OK you can save money with this one:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1183909-REG/rode_videomicro_compact_on_camera.html

As mentioned, there are other brands of good mics.

Whatever you use from 20 to 30 feet away, it won't be good. Doing weddings you have to be included in the management. You have to be able to get mics all the way in to the ceremony. You can't be kept discreetly out of the way.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

genocolo wrote:

Sorry did not mean to make it sound so generic. But that is the problem. I am looking for a good mic for my Canon 80D and a sony camcorder. They vary dramatically in price from $60-$300 generally. Just asking what experienced people use and why.

What sort of sound recording are you going to use it for? If you want to use it to capture ambient sounds and perhaps interviews and nature you might use one microphone, if you're going to use it primarily to capture live music you would use a completely different microphone.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

mwsilvers wrote:

What sort of sound recording are you going to use it for? If you want to use it to capture ambient sounds and perhaps interviews and nature you might use one microphone, if you're going to use it primarily to capture live music you would use a completely different microphone.

Yep. A decent mic, Shure, Rode or whatever will be better than the camera's mic, but to get a really good result you may need a good audio engineer to "wire the place for sound".

It can get complicated, but it can be done. Weddings can be tricky audio environments, when my wife and I got married we called in a lot of favors from professional friends.

It worked out very well, but it took a lot of work which is a much longer story.

larkahn

Microphones on hot shoes are not like zoom lenses. Sound does not zoom in from a distance the way a lenses does. As has been mentioned, you need to be close to the speaker for the highest quality audio, even with a quality microphone. Having said that, if at a wedding, are wedding vows, etc being put through a sound system? In that case the ambient sensitivity settings might pick up useable audio.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

genocolo wrote:

Which do you recommend and why?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

I know what you mean - too many choices with very small differences between them. I got a Rode VideoMic years ago. That's the only name I have for it. It makes a huge difference when recording video, and I suspect any quality external mic would work for you.