Best Shotgun for DVX100A under $200?

L

loganv

New member
ALright, so I just bought the dvx100a and I have a little money left over and what I was wondering is what is the best Shotgun mic for under $200? I was looking at the Panasonic AG-MC100G because of the price. I really want to get the best mic for the money, I will mainly be shooting dialogue, music videos, live music, short films, etc... If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.



Logan
 
Hi Logan.

You're new here so I'll save you some grief. Your question is asked about five times a week and you would do yourself good to read through some of the recent posts in the audio forum.

There are no microphones that will work well for "dialogue AND music videos AND live music AND short films" My suggestion would be to educate yourself about sound, then ask questions.

Here's my advice on dialogue: The best service you can do for your audio is to get the mic as close to the source as possible. If that means using a broom stick as a boom pole, then do it. Unless you're shooting a documentary, there is no reason to put the microphone on the camera. Period.

Here's my advice on music: Always best to get a "tap" from the mixing console rather than use your own microphone. Even it means you're tethered with a cable to the sound board, that's better than having multiple angles that sound bad.

Try a search for Audio Technica 897 on this forum. People say it's a pretty good mic.
Good Luck.
 
Here here... The Audio Technica is amazing. It's a bit more then you want to spend ($275), but for dialogue, it sounds as good as $1000 mics I've rented. If you've spent that much on a camera, don't buy a crappy mic just to save a few hundred bucks, you'll have beautiful images which will be ruined by terrible sound.
 
i recently got an Azden sgm1-x for a documentary i shot with on cam mic all the time and it worked great. also, it comes with a shock mount which fits the camera shoe.

got it at bhphotovideo.com

Only thing, if you plan to shoot with a wide angle lens, you will need a slightly higher mount otherwise it gets in the frame.
You could also consider the sgm2-x (very well reviewed) but not for mounting on camera. too long.

Andrea
 
Check out the Rode NTG-1 / 2. The NTG-1 is just over $200, but it is Phantom Power only, no AA battery option. Where as the NTG-2, is both Phantom and battery. Ther specs are almost identical otherwise. As with most Rode mics, a $200-300 mic from Rode sounds like a $600-700 mic from some other manufacturers.

-intro
 
I just bought 2 NTG-2s. If you want the nation's best price from an authorized dealer, call my friend Brad at Music Center in Kenosha, WI (888-697-9393 x234 any time between 11-6 CST). Tell him Bart sent you.

He is an experienced audio engineer, and the store he works for is a 2nd generation mom 'n' pop that does a crushing level of volume because they give frighteneingly good pricing. I used to work there about eight years ago and know firsthand that the place is perfectly legit.

Get your best price from online first. Then give hima a call. You'll be pleasantly surprised at what he'll shoot you for a price. I hesistate to say more because I don't want to create any issues between Brad and his vendors!

TODAY I am testing out the NTG-2s, which I intend to use for an upcoming wedding videography project. But all my other mics are Rode (NT1-A for vocals, and two matched pairs of NT5s for surround sound acquisition) and they deliver very clear sound and ridiculously low self-noise. I'll let you all know how the shoot goes this Saturday.
 
Baluardo said:
You could also consider the sgm2-x (very well reviewed) but not for mounting on camera. too long.
Click to expand...

Well, yes and no. The 2X comes with a short and long barrel, so you could still easily use it with the short one.

And the long one just barely peeks into the top of the frame if foam-coated and mounted on the "hot shoe".

Dan
 
I have the AT 897 and have been very pleased.

It will mount on the camera without encroching on the frame UNLESS you have a fur softie on it (foam softie works fine). I'd like to configure a mount that will allow use of the softie.
 
Bart, any chance you could post a clip or two from the new Rode? I've been interested in hearing it for a while now.
 
Samples

Samples

Shaw,

Let me see what I can do. I'll be about 15' away from the bride, which is undoubtedly the max distance anyone should ever attempt for recording dialogue. I'll be recording @ 96k/24bit w/my 896HD. Maybe I can A/B it with the DVX built-ins (which I only use for back-ups if my main rig fails). Brides are notorious for half-whispering/mumbling their vows, so this will be a critical test.

The other option in this situation is to use wireless lavs, but brides hate them--$10,000 dress with a cigarette-pack-sized lump in it! My marketing shtick is "no one has to wear a friggin' wire," and I'm hoping that the Rode shotguns will work for my clients. I'll get more room sound than lavs, but that's ok as long as the speech sounds decent and is discernable.

BTW, I record at overkill sample rates/bit depth so that I can get better fidelity at low volumes. When I engineer sound in post, I can push quiet parts and still have decent resolution, all without using any inline compression/limiting during recording. I more or less set for the highest possible clip level and then leave the audio alone for the entire event. I am too busy operating three or four cameras at the same time.
 
Flowers and such everywhere, right? Take a page from Jerry Lewis and plant mics throughout, running to a mixer and someone competent.

Of course, that assumes you have the mics, or can beg/borrow/rent/steal them. Which, from the subject, might not be the case.

But thinking other than lav/boom/on-cam can't hurt.

Dan
 
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