dandev Loc: Enumclaw, WA

During my last few photoshoots, clients have asked me to "take a quick video" while I was there. This is typically someone speaking at an event, or doing a demonstration of a piece of equipment.
I have a Canon 5D3, so the videos are OK. But the sound is not. Any recommendations on microphones or audio solutions? I'm not looking for a sound board, but maybe something along the lines of a shotgun mic that mounts to the hot shoe, or a wireless mic that I can pin onto a lapel of a person. These are not broadcast quality videos, but I would rather spend more money on a good, robust solution.

I know this is a photography (vs video) forum so I'm happy to take this off line.

Thanks

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

I suggest a hot shoe bracket. It should hold at least two additional add ons such a flash or LED light and a shotgun microphone. That way you don't need to switch back and forth between the two accessories. The microphone does no need to cost a small fortune. Perhaps about $40 should do it. Make sure it has a cover for outdoors when windy. A monopod can steady the camera if a tripod is an issue. As for being a photography blog, I'm not an elitist. This is a forum for all of us to share our experiences.

BebuLamar

If the speaker has a mic then I would use a separate audio recorder and tap into his PA system. I would use the built in mic to record the audience. Then I would mix them together in post.

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

Sorry, can't remember the brand but I picked up a directional stereo mike that fits on the hot shoe for my D7100 and it did a great job. Got it from Amazon and the price was in the $125 price range and there were others in the same general price range. You can look at the customer feedback to evaluate them.

blackest Loc: Ireland

You might like something like the Zoom H1 recorder it records upto 96Khz has a stereo microphone pair and records to micro sd card runs off a single AA battery plugs into ipad , iphone laptop as a card or usb audio device. You can plug in other microphones to it. Not sure how long the battery life is but my 16gb card is good for just short of 30 hours as uncompressed wav you can pretty much set it up near your speaker and pick it up later when they are finished.

One nice audio tip you can run in a non linear editor the camera audio and mic audio as left and right stereo when the two tracks are in sync you lose the echo effect and then you can run them as stereo again. If you have an ipad check out lumafusion its an amazing non linear editor that lets you run 3 video channels and 3 more audio channels together in real time upto 4k 30 fps and its faster than realtime exporting the edited movie. Absolutely incredible software , it leaves my mac for dead.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I often use a large Rode mic when shooting video with a camcorder. It makes a big difference.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Whatever you do, get the mic CLOSE to the sound source (6” to no more than three feet).

A shotgun (hypercardioid) mic belongs on a boom pole, NOT a camera hot shoe — unless you are a blogger holding the camera, or you’re doing a “talking head” scene from three feet.

A $30 wired lapel mic at 6” sounds better than a $1000 shotgun mic at ten feet. And the noisier the environment, the better it sounds!

Skip the cheap wireless systems. Good ones start at about $500 to $600. Keep wireless phones away from the receiver.

You may need an ‘L pad’ (level attenuating cable or adapter that drops the line level signal to mic level input) between your wireless mic receiver and camera audio input.

Consider recording sound separately, on a portable digital audio recorder, and synchronizing it with the camera audio in the timeline of your video editor. If you do that, the audio sample rate must be the same on both camera and recorder (i.e.; 48 kHz). Otherwise, the sound will creep out of sync over time.

Many thousands of pages have been written on audio for video, as well as thousands of hours of video. Google search “audio for video.”

Just avoid anyone who tells you it’s possible to put a mic on camera — or anywhere else — and break the inverse square law. (Sound dissipates as the INVERSE of the square of the distance from the source... 1/D^2) By that law, at ten feet, you have 1% of the sound volume you had at one foot from the source! Then, you have to crank up the input gain, which amplifies ambient environmental noise AND pre-amp electronic noise AND electro-mechanical noise AND radio frequency interference... The result sounds like crap.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Given your description of the situation, having a wireless mic you can place near the speaker is your best option. Being asked to "take a quick video" sounds like you would not have enough time to tap in to the venue's system, so a wireless in your bag allows you react quickly. Also a low cost compact Steadicam would be nice as well. Hand holding a 5d3 for video is iffy at best. Or a tripod if not needing to move around.

Al Beatty Loc: Boise, Idaho

Hi
I'm with Bill Burkholder and use a wired Boya By-M1 Lavaliere microphone for all of my video. It is inexpensive and produces really good sound considering the less-than-$20 price. When I need to shoot video with more distance between the subject and the camera than the 18' cable I run it into an audio recorder mounted on the subject then sync the audio/video in post. Here is one for sale on eBay https://www.ebay.com/itm/BOYA-BY-M1-Omnidirectional-Lavalier-Microphone-for-Canon-Nikon-DSLR-Camcorders/323495908580?epid=0&hash=item4b51dbd4e4:g:z4UAAOSwmudaKEWm. Take care & ...

G. Crook Loc: Linden, TX

I take photos at our families roping arena using my Fuji X-T20 and various lenses. Occasionally, I shoot some short video clips if a team makes an exceptional run. The sound is irrelevant to other ropers, however, the sound on my Fuji’s built-in microphone is impressive. You hear the chute opening, the horses and cattle running, the ropers talking, everything (sometimes, even the old guy behind the camera breathing). The sound is clear and crisp. These photos and videos are uploaded to our arenas Facebook page. The next shoot I will try video using my Rode microphone just for comparison.

Marvelton Loc: Little Rock, AR

So I was running into the same issue. I need to occasionally shoot a video now and then and didn't want to rely on my camera's internal microphone. I looked at all the shotgun type microphones and this $30 mic got similar reviews to the more expensive brands. Hoping this will work for me. It is in transit as I type. You might look it up.

TAKSTAR SGC-598 Photography Interview Shotgun MIC Microphone for Nikon Canon DSLR Camera (Need 3.5mm Interface)

Tomcat5133 Loc: Gladwyne PA

Good advice here. Here is my 2 cents. Shotguns are great. My rode NTG 4 I believe has great sound quality.
But as said here on the camera is not going to do it unless you have the speaker right up close to you.
It does screen out most of the sound around and in back of you concentrating on where it is aimed.
As said a shotgun on a pole or rigged above the speaker on a stand is great.
Wireless mics are great I have Seinnheisers. But can you always count on clipping it on the speaker.
And having produced AV shows for corps the sound techs chase the mics on the speaker they get
easily lost. My pair cost $600. One pair.
A handheld wireless mic on a stand with wireless model or planted on the podium would work great. Are their mics and a sound system for the speaker. That could be conflict with other sound sources.
How many speakers and the time to change over gear and not have the miced person disappear is problematic.
Doing a job next week with lots of runners and sound bytes etc. Have a girl producer who will ask
questions and either hold a wireless hand mic or the shotgun on a cord or small pole.

All these methods work well. And you will really appreciate what sound technicians do in their work.
Good luck

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Bill Burkholder and Al Beatty have it right. Cheap lavaliere mics do an exceptional job as long as you don't mind the wire. This one comes with an adapter that allows use of a smart phone as a recorder. At $29, you have little risk!
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1037063-REG/audio_technica_atr3350is_lavalier_mic_with_smartphone.html

Today is your lucky day!! There was a product announcement yesterday from Rode they call the "Wireless GO Compact Wireless Microphone". It costs $200, but being from Rode, might be perfect for what you do.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1471382-REG/rode_wireless_go_compact_wireless.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjxbq9FDAuE

Sony has been offering a $170 system that operates on Bluetooth frequencies they call the "ECM-AW4 Bluetooth Wireless Microphone System". I have had one for a couple years and it works very well. It comes with some straps and minor gadgets, including a windscreen. Operation is simple. You clip the transmitter/mic to the person and plug the receiver into the camera. Frequency range is a little compressed might not work well for music
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1029165-REG/sony_ecmaw4_wireless_micro_for_mic.html/?ap=y&gclid=CjwKCAjw-ZvlBRBbEiwANw9UWkpB3BVPvkue7eYzPHVOdqTOc79pJVdTdpbROTxnRTzQ4sRrvnvBshoCx_sQAvD_BwE&lsft=BI%3A514&smp=Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHxeZx8xUhc

Nikon has a $200 version that appears identical to the Sony.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1127273-REG/nikon_27159_me_w1_wireless_microphone.html

Nicholas DeSciose

Call up the BxH Audio department tell them what you need. They will be very helpful. Recently there are some exceptional wireless microphones very reasonably priced. Sound acquisition is a huge industry, possibly more complicated than photography itself.

BebuLamar

I suggested to tap into the speaker PA system using a separate recorder. Using the built in mic for audience sound and ambient sound. Mix the 2 together in post to get the right effect.