small Microphone alternative. Would this work?

[Gene Sung]

I don't have an FS camera, but will be getting one soon. Therefore, I have no way of testing this out.

Since the FS cameras do not have an internal mic, I was hoping to rig together a small microphone for when I do not need good sound, and just need an overall ambient / reference sound; and when I need the camera to be smaller and lighter.

I attached a pic of a 1/8" mini microphone + RODE XLR to 1/8 adapter which would attach to the XLR front port of the FS700.

My question is, does the XLR port on the FS cameras provide PHANTOM power since the mini-mic does not have it's own power source? Will a little mic setup like this work on the FS?

Thanks for any help.

 

[joy new media]

The FS100 has phantom power, but the placement of the inputs (back of the camera above the battery and on the right side near the rear) would make it difficult to get any sound without constantly bumping the mic. If I was going to do something like this I would just get an XLR lav so you don't monkey with adapters and mount it to a small cold shoe adapter on the camera's shoe or find a place to just gaff tape it near the front of the camera. The add-on side grip could be another place to tape a lav. Having that thing pictured sticking out of the side or the rear of the camera would get in the way when shooting IMHO.

 

[paulears]

Those small stereo mics are ok. They sound ok and the stereo field is, well, ok. However - it seems you will be spending a lot of money on quality visuals, and trying to save money on the audio. However - if you want camera mounted microphones, then it's going to be a compromise anyway. The trouble with 3.5mm sockets is that they are inherently unreliable unless they are the locking collar variety (like Sennheiser use). The small recess on the tip means contact is never 100% secure. The mic is often sold for laptops and the one I had wasn't too bad audio wise really, but suffered terribly from handling noise - it picked up very clearly the taps of the keys. I'd guess the same thing would happen as you adjust the camera and move it. Perhaps, for the money - worth a try!

 

[Gene Sung]

Yeah, the mini-mic would definitely would be only for reference sound when quality is not needed and when I need the camera smaller and lighter such as on a Glidecam.

The lavalier idea sounds pretty cool. Thanks for that suggestion.

 

[legrevedotcom]

The FS100 came with a stock microphone which is fine enough for ref. sound.... isn't there a mic in the FS700 package?

Needless to say... you should never use on camera sound unless you have absolutely no other way... I would rather work the extra mile to find a solution than use on camera sound. Add to that... never mount a stereo mic on a camera?

In short... why are you looking for a mic solution? In regards to glidecam / steadicam, I've used the stock mic several times. I really doens't weigh anything significant.

 

[Gene Sung]

legrevedotcom. People are always looking for way to customize a camera to their own needs. Everyone is different. I current have a Glidecam 2000 HD. The max weight is 6lbs. by adding the Mic and the handle, I will probably go over that. Furthermore, the less stuff you have on your Glidecam, the easier it is to balance and the less weight the easier it is to work with. Glidecams are extremely sensitive to weight and balance

For me, I just like a low profile, light weight set up. Last year, I shot a doc. in Peru where I was up in the mountains, I constantly had to put the camera into and take out of the backpack because i was constantly hiking in rough terrain. In situations like that, the last thing I want is a large microphone on top of the camera to where I cannot fit it into the backpack. But I still would like some ambient sound.

Plus, sometimes you are in situations where stealth is required and the microphone + Handle on top makes the camera look 2x as big and just screams attention.

If you look at the BTS shots of someone like James Miller, he shoots a lot of handheld and the camera is stripped to just core elements (no Mic). I like to shoot a lot of handheld and like him, I like to keep it lightweight. But it would be nice to have a tiny mic. just for reference sound.

Some people like a gigantic flashy rig. For me, I like it to be stripped down to the bare essentials of what is needed for a shot.

I have no problem using the stock mic. It's just in certain situations a smaller one will work better. It would be nice to have an internal mic, but that's not an option.