Wireless Lav Suggestions
 

Hey all. Am looking for a wireless, on camera system with lav to be used on location filming documentaries for non profits. Am generall filming in rough territory: desert regions of Kenya, jungle terrain in Haiti. Not looking to get fancy or go broke. Also not looking to buy junk. Have been using on camera Shotgun Mics but would like to add a wireless lav in conjunction with the Shotgun to mic what is typically a local liason/guide. Thanks much..
Dan

I think there seems to be some consensus that the Sennheiser G2 is a good compromise between cost and quality for non-pros.

Although... it must be said that audio professionals only go wireless when they are absolutely forced, and when they do, they tend to want the best. Higher end systems result in much better sound quality and less interference. If you live in a city of any real size, interference WILL be a problem [edit: maybe not so much of a problem in the desert or jungle :) ]. If there is any possibility that you can use a (wired) boom, you should. If you really can't, you should try your best to use a wired lav, which is cheaper and will sound better than a wireless system. If that's really not an option, only then should you reach for the wireless.

On the other hand, I've heard of pros using the G2 system on single camera television productions, and they've come away with usable audio. But I sort of chalk this up to the fact that you can hand a point and shoot camera to a professional photographer, and get some good shots. They'd obviously rather be using something else.

the only time I ever had lectros have a hissy fit of interference was on the beach in Jamaica - the Island. had several systems freaking out. only way to make them work was to C stand the receivers just above frame line, so you never know when wireless will flake out. Never mind I've used them without issue in NYC, which is RF H_ell. that said frequency agile counts, and be sure they are freq legal in the place you plan to use them.

1st time I worked in Jamaica I declared them and paid a $200 fee to use them, next time thru them in my lugguage and use them anyways and all was fine. that won't work in the EU, and in today's security crazy world, but it did 10 years ago :( so much of modern progress.

a decent lav with a Emuel wireless to hardware adaptor could be your best friend. also let it be said, not-for-profit DOESN'T mean, no money...

I've got a wired MKE2 and a wireless with an MKE2.4 gold which sounds considerably better than it.

Personally the advantage of the radio usually wins out anyway.

And then I've got a better wireless with an ecm77 which sounds even better than both. (I don't attribute that to the ecm77 though. It is just a better wireless kit.

My point is that It is still the mic that matters first. And that wireless dose not mean instant crap.

The best thing you can do with a G2 system incidentally is to get a MKE2.4 wired for it's mini jack as the ME2 mic's are poor. Makes a huge difference.

On a side note: searching for the term "wireless" in this forum yields 1,189 existing threads. Just an FYI,