I'd hire an audio person for serious projects but for a secondary on camera use to back up primary lavs and shotgun. I'm looking at the Panasonic MIC 150.
Does anyone have any experience with that or possibly a better suggestion?
My recommendation for a mic is Rode NTG-2 if you want a good mic at a reasonable price (~$250), and if you want to invest in something that is excellent and will last you for life, then the Seinheiser 416 is the way to go (~$1000).