You want cheap? Here's the mic I use - good sound, just don't drop it too many times:
Review: HTDZ Condenser Boom Microphone

or goto ebay and type in "14.37'' microphone; you'll find more than one seller with one. The actual cost of the mic was only $14, but shipping from Hong Kong cost $16, more than the mic itself.

Whoa that's really cheap! Thanks John. I'll check out some videos to see how it sounds when I get back home. I don't have access to vimeo/youtube at work.


Edit: Going trough all the forums, everybody has their own opinion on the subject. Some will recommend a certain mic, others will dismiss it unless you use it with another piece of equipement, then others will recommend another mic, some will dismiss it for other reasons etc. As a sound noob you really don't know where to put your money at, especially on a tight budget. That little 25$ lavalier mic seems to give good results from what I've seen on vimeo. I'll check out the HTDZ mic when I get home.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/444022-REG/Azden_SMX_10_SMX_10_Stereo_Microphone.html
this gets the job done for me

This is a bit dated, but still provides lots of good info. Three cheers to Dan Brockett!

Low Cost Shotgun Microphone Comparison

I'll second what John Vincent recently posted about the 14.37" microphone.
I bought one and have used it extensively. Mostly I have used it with an XLR cable
Plugged from the mic and into my Panasonic HPX170.
It doesn't come with an XLR to XLR cable. It comes with an XLR to 1/4 cable.
The mic is powered by a AA battery and has a standard balanced XLR plugin
Like any other pro mic. It has an OFF/LO/HI switch.

I used it today for a shoot with the T2i for the first time. I used the cable it came
With along the 1/4 to 3.5mm adapter that came with the kit. I had Magic Lantern
Running on the camera. The mic worked fine plugged directly into the camera.

I also switched over to using my Sennheiser wireless lav into the shotgun cable and
Adapter plugged right into the camera. It also worked fine.

The footage is being used in an internal Capitol/EMI promotional video. We'll see
What these guys say about it.
(Pardon the weird large caps usage in this response, my phone does this)

I've been using that HDTZ microphone and it works quite well. I'd probably only use it as a backup track if I used it on anything narratived based though.

My suggestion with the type of projects and budget you have is to install the free Magic Lantern firmware which will give you control over AGC and manual gain to mic input. It will also allow you to monitor the audio on headphones through the mini USB port. This is what I do and it works good for me. Then, all you need to do is add a self-powered shotgun microphone to the mix, since the camera will not provide phantom. To complete the connection, get a 25' or so XLR to mini adapter cable. As long as the run is short and the cable is well shielded, you should get decent sound. Here are a couple mics to consider. One is really inexpensive and the other is in the range of the Videomic.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/746730-REG/Nady_SGM_12_SGM_12_Shotgun_Electret_Condenser.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/669429-REG/Fostex_MC_32_MC32_Switchable_Pattern_Condenser.html

Re: What kind of mics are you guys using with your t2i?
 

Where did you get the headphone to usb adapter?

Re: What kind of mics are you guys using with your t2i?
 

Keith,

You have to use the mini USB breakout cable that comes with the camera. The one that breaks out to 3 RCA plugs. Then, get a stereo RCA to female mini adapter. Like this:

For only $0.22 each when QTY 50+ purchased - 3.5mm Stereo Jack to 2 RCA Jack Splitter Adaptor - Gold Plated | 3.5mm <--> RCA Adapters