Rode ntg2 not enough as ambient mic? wich is better?
 

Hi,

I was reading somewere that the rode ntg2 (mounted on my XhA1 for documentary use) isnt really fit for that..I know its a shotgun but are they really so bad for ambient?
if so, wich would be a better choice in the same pricerange?

grtz niels

Hi there
You can spend loads more money on a shotgun mic and if you mount it on the camera it will not really give you any better performance than the Rode.

I find the NTG-2 just fine as a boom mic, and the general consensus on the forum is that for the money its a darn good mic...
Ok a Senny 416 will be a better choice for a lot more money.. I work on the premise that a half way decent mic used properly will give decent audio.

Otherwise you might want to look at the Audio Technica 897 which is in the same price range as the Rode, in my experience not quite as hot, but pretty decent again for the money. I use the AT as my on camera mic and the Rode on a boom pole.

I think though for anything other than ambient audio you want to get your shot gun mic off the camera.

Regards
Gareth

A shotgun on the camera is not really well suited for DIALOG but it should be fine for ambience. If you've tried it and found it lacking, what specifically is wrong?

hi,

So far I only listenend to my footage on my sony viao who doesnt has the best speakers...but it was good as far I could judge..
read that a stereomic should be better..

Not necessarily. Ambo is broad diffuse sound wash difficult to locate to any single point. Recording mono and then sending the track equally to the left and right channels in post would be as good as recording stereo in most cases. Listen to your recording on good monitors and see how it fits into your production - good stereo mics are relatively expensive.

OK, then step up to the Rode NTG-3. Problem solved.

Regards,

Ty Ford

Is there a mic that is equivalent to the NTG-3 (10" L) or 416 (11" L) that is a little shorter than those?

Same application as the OP, on-camera ambient, but 8" or shorter to keep it out of the frame.

I know of no RF condenser shotgun mics that short. The MKH60 may be shorter.

Regards,

Ty Ford