I'd love to get people's thoughts on the "optimal" capturing audio for narative shorts. So far I've used the following techniques:
- mike to camera. adjust at camera
- mike to mixer. mixer to camera. adjust at mixer
- mike to laptop w/ pro tools. recorded audio to camera using separate boom. hand synced audio once post processed using the boom audio as a matching track.

Out of these techniques, the last two provide more control. It seems like maybe I'm overlooking some obvious solution that gives me the best of all worlds. So I pose the question; how do you capture your audio?

-Laudon

In most cases it's from the mic to a mixer then to the camera. We use a Sennsheiser MKH60 shotgun mic and/or Lectrosonics wireless with Countryman lavs. Mixer is a Shure FP33, cameras DSR500WS and DSR250. Sometimes we shoot double system sound, like for steadycam or dolly shots where cables would get in the way. We have a Tascam DAT recorder for that. No time code, just a clapboard.

I'd agree with Bill. I see no need to use your first option - if you have a mixer, use it. It will give the sound guy more control, feedback, and flexibility and give you better sound. If you have a reasonable means to record the audio on a dedicated device, I would do so. I use a Sound Devices 722 and it rocks.

Traditional clapboard works fine for syncing.