Mic's for HV40, film short
 

I'm looking for a decent shotgun mic to capture dialogue. I've been taking a look at Rode microphones, but I just don't know enough about them to find any difference in quality and what not. Anyone have advice?

We put together video kits for reporters at the newspaper I just retired from , HV20's with the Sennheiser mke400: Sennheiser | MKE 400 Compact Video Camera Shotgun | MKE 400

This is a remarkably capable mike for one it's size. It is scaled nicely to fit the HV40 camera --- if you plan to use it on-camera---a larger mike will overhang your lens and get in the way. And it plugs directly into the 1/8 inch mike input on the camera.

You can, of course, get a Beechtec or equivalent XLR interface and use a larger mike --- the Audio Technica AT875 is a good size, if your interface provides phantom power, or the AT897 which will operate on an AA battery, might be a good choice, but again, out of proportion to the camera for on-camera work. The Rode Video Mike gets good reviews but again, is rather large for this application.... hth / Battle Vaughan

Hi Battle
 

Thanks for this tip. The MKE 400 Looks like a very useful compliment to HV40.

Regards,
Pavel

Yes, Pavel, we found it to be a very nice on-camera mike. It is surprisingly small but does the job nicely, fits the camera, the accessory shoe and the mike input to a "T". /BV

The Videomic is good value and would be an improvement on the top mounted built in mic. It comes with the shockmount built in.

The NTG-1 is a step up in quality, but uses phantom power so complicates the setup.
The NTG-2 has a battery option but that makes it even longer. Care required to avoid getting in shot.

Both would need a SM-3 or similar shockmount. Neither are particulary good where there is wind, even with the deadwhatever fitted. You need to tape up the xlr socket and the switch and/or get the full blimp to be reliable outside. Also an xlr to minijack cable is required.

Top of the range is the NTG-3. Phantom power only - needs a supply. Great mic, but probably overkill for an HV-40.

I use an NTG-2 with HV-30s because I had one for use with an XH-A1.

Do be realisitic though. No camera mounted mic is going to do a very good job capturing dialog. You can improve on the stock in-camera mic, certainly. But the crisp, clear dialog you associate with theatrical movies or network broadcast TV is just not in the cards. For optimum sound pickup the mic needs to be much closer to the subject than the camera would normally be placed, and shotgun mics don't get around that fact of physics. Shotguns isolate the subject they're pointed towards from surrounding noise but they do NOT magnify distant sounds. On-camera shotgun mics can get usable sound for news gathering where getting the story and bringing home the footage takes first priority but rarely produce high enough quality results for dialog.

I really appreciate the help you guys. Slowly but surely i'm learning this mess, and honestly Steve I agree with you. I think a mounted camera is out of the question. My cousin and I were actually talking about this. I want to eliminate that 'humming' noise as much as possible, so I think a shotgun is my best bet. Once again thank you guys so much for the advice! I'm using it so much lately

Shotgun-Outdoors
Hypercardioid-Indoors

Remember the pickup of the dialogue is most important. As Steve House mentioned you want to get as close to the subject as possible. So booming or a stationary boom close to the subject is your best bet than having it on an actual camera. If possible try using a mic mounted on your camera to record your cousin and then put the mic on a boom closer to your cousin and tell me which you like better.


Nicole