Note post #3 here: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-xh...mic-xh-a1.html

If I may suggest, look at the NTG2 rather than the NTG1, as for a small amount more it offers battery operation as well as phantom power, making it useful for other recorders or situations which don't provide the phantom power. NTG1 is phantom-only. I made that mistake once...

I had an NTG-2 for all the reasons Battle mentions. FOr me it was a mistake and I sold it then got an NTG-1. On the A1, I found the NTG-2 was too long. When pushed back, it gets in the way of the audio block and you hand. When mounted properly and with a dead cat, the hairs end up in frame. The extra length is also wobbly.

Les has a good point, but there's a fix: my work camera had a Sennheiser ME66, which is fairly long. To move it back and up from the lens, I cobbled up an adjustable-position mike mount using pvc pipe and a Rode shockmount --- and then Rode came along and manufactured the same thing. I should have gotten a patent...anyway, here's a link:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/463089-REG/Rode_SM5_SM5_Shotgun_Microphone.html

Battle .. merry Xmas from Rode :)

Cheers.

Thank you, Allen, and Merry Christmas back at ya....Usual disclaimers apply to my comments, I have no connection with Rode but they make nice stuff at good prices in my experience...