I use a Rode NTG2 shotgun mic with my Z1 which is a pretty decent mic by all acounts.

I set the manual mic levels to about 8 on the dials for both channels and the sound levels peak at about - 6 db without using the onboard Z1 limiter or NR.

The problem is, I do seem to get a lot of hiss and when compared to news reporters talking on TV for instance, I must be doing something wrong. I just want to get good sound without all the hiss.

Any suggestions most appreciated!

The very smart man Barry Braverman (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578202892/104-2583920-4505564), who taught a class I attended, told me that setting the manual levels over 5 was not conducive to getting good sound on a Sony(and that 5 was pushing it). My own experiences have supported this.

I use the same Rode on my Z1 in some cases and it works quite well, but if you're shooting news I'd use either a handheld or a lavalier. I use a Sennheiser MD46 Handheld and it's been fantastic (though I have nothing to compare it to). It's delivered a nice full sound in some quite noisy enviornments.