Hi. Hoping to get some advice on which to buy. I am mounting the mic on the hotshoe of a Canon T3i. My main thing is, which one would minimize focusing/zoom noise from the camera? There is also an Azden ecz-990 that I heard good things about. Any help woould be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Looking for budget mic...Audio Technica Pro24cm or Azden smx-10?
- Thread starter Singhman
- Start date
I will be mostly shooting random clips of family functions and then making them cinematic (baby showers, weddings events, birthdays etc.) Just need something better than on board mic, and something that will lessen the camera noises.
You should check out the Audio 101 sticky. You'll find a link in there to a mini-shotgun comparison.
Also notable: "making them cinematic" is pretty ambiguous. What exactly do you mean? If you're talking about making the footage look and feel like a motion picture release, then sound is hugely important. The veiwer's eyes and ears work together to translate what is seen and heard into the experience, and really nice pictures are not going to be as nice with really poor sound. In fact, the average viewer will forgive a slightly-sub-par image with really good sound before a perfect shot with terrible sound.
Sam Mallery
Well-known member
Neither of those mics are good. I tested out the Audio Technica Pro24Cm last year and it was pretty dreadful sounding.
8string
Well-known member
I shot this video with the Azden SMX-10 mounted on a T2i. I agree, it's not great, but it's ok for a cheap price. It got me through the day, and the video was a success.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKB8H5sLSKQ
I would look at the Rode Video Pro. Pay the money. Get something better than cheap. If you really can't afford anything more, then the Azden is a good bargain. Likely to die sooner than later with the cheap cable construction.
I haven't used the Audio Technica, but I do use their shotgun mics and dual lav reciever. I like their stuff, though it's bigger than comparable single channel lav gear, that most video people seem to use. Harder to mount on a camera's gear mount.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKB8H5sLSKQ
I would look at the Rode Video Pro. Pay the money. Get something better than cheap. If you really can't afford anything more, then the Azden is a good bargain. Likely to die sooner than later with the cheap cable construction.
I haven't used the Audio Technica, but I do use their shotgun mics and dual lav reciever. I like their stuff, though it's bigger than comparable single channel lav gear, that most video people seem to use. Harder to mount on a camera's gear mount.
Steve House
Veteran
There isn't a mic made that won't pick up handling and focus/zoom noises when mounted on your camera. When the noise source is a couple of inches from the mic like that, any mic directivity becomes moot
Noiz2
Sound Ninja
Well see this is why people ask what you will be shooting. Other than the lack of isolation the interviews sound pretty good. BUT that would never fly with a narrative film.
However I think you are working closer to what the OP is aiming at so this is very useful to him.
And to the OP. You should not be zooming and focusing as a general rule while your rolling. It reeks of home movie when the frame keeps zooming in and out and you have auto focus wanking around. Those are the bit's you should be cutting out. And as long as you have a mic mechanically connected to a motor you will hear the motor. You can do it manually and that should minimize the noise but your still mechanically connected so any noise you do generate is going straight into the mic.
However I think you are working closer to what the OP is aiming at so this is very useful to him.
And to the OP. You should not be zooming and focusing as a general rule while your rolling. It reeks of home movie when the frame keeps zooming in and out and you have auto focus wanking around. Those are the bit's you should be cutting out. And as long as you have a mic mechanically connected to a motor you will hear the motor. You can do it manually and that should minimize the noise but your still mechanically connected so any noise you do generate is going straight into the mic.