The Rode NTG-3... the poor man's 416?

@MattinSTL
This is a reply to a very old post, but I want to thank you.

Thank you.

I'm teaching myself sound design, and reviews like this are one of the only reliable sources of information on location equipment. I am only partway through this thread, but every time you explain why you're posting, I am the imaginary person on the other end of your reasoning.

"it seems that unless you maintain a voice for the underdogs, they'll be overlooked... usually in favor of a proven choice, and in this case a far more expensive one." My local music shop doesn't carry Rode. I have been researching shotguns, and this thread is how I first learned about the NTG-3.
"Rode is really coming of age in the video industry and I'm thrilled about it..." Yeah, the reputation I always heard wasn't for location sound. I didn't know. Thanks for taking the time to talk about it.

"because in case you hadn't noticed times are tough and [...] it makes me glad to see that very soon after Sennheiser did an across the board price-increase... Rode stepped up to the plate." I am unemployed, retraining myself to do what I love and I'm good at. I'm putting all my savings into it. I've listened to enough clips to understand why the Sennheiser mics are industry standards. But the MKH-60 is $1500.
I'd have to have the experience and the job to afford Sennheiser's pro offerings. I have been grateful for every high-end product that has neared my price range. I pay attention. I look at gear I wouldn't have. I'm on a lean budget, and that's exactly why I'm willing to pay more, to get the absolute best piece of gear I can afford. I'm looking at two mics from Rode, both of which are more expensive than I was initially prepared to spend, because they are obviously a caliber above my other options.
I'm not questioning the quality of Sennheiser's gear. I don't know anything about it, and probably won't for some time. And that's my point.
EDIT: Sorry, I keep forgetting about the K6. I looked at it while I was trying to figure out if I wanted a capsule system, which I decided against for unrelated reasons. I had never checked if they have a shotgun capsule, and sure enough they do. So thank you Sennheiser and I'm sorry if I said anything untoward.

"….one of the areas that frustrate people with a 416 happens to be a STRENGTH in the NTG-3... and that's the polar pattern" The tradeoffs the Rode makes are ones I am hunting for. I can afford one shotgun. If the coloration in the recording is the environment, I still have options. If the coloration is the mic, I'm screwed. I'm abstracting a bit, but that's my experience at the mixer. I find the ear can be remarkably forgiving of ambient noise. It's a nuisance, and often it has to be dealt with. But it was a part of the recording environment. But even very slight coloration from the signal path kills the illusion of natural sound for me. No matter how beautiful, I am listening to a recorded voice. I understand that “not sounding recorded” isn't always necessary. For me, at present, it is.
In my price range, there is the AT4073a. I have not used it, but from reviews I've learned to recognize it, and I don't like it. The polar pattern is hoarked and it's hotter than hell. It doesn't sound "in your face" to me, it sounds unnaturally amplified.

"but if I didn't have one... and I was in the market for a shotgun, I might like knowing that a particular mic could handle that job in a pinch."

Yes. On my budget, it's all pinching. I don't have the 5K+ to drop on-the-spot and wake up tomorrow with a functional variety of location mics. Some situations have cheaper solutions. And there are a lot of 'em. I'll be learning about most of them on one or two mics.

And should I want to use an RE50? I have very little recording experience, but all of it is with human speech, and I would do pretty much anything to avoid using a handheld dynamic. Shopping for gear, I'm going out of my way to give myself flexibility. Over and over, I find my local dealer doesn't carry the equipment I seek, doesn't know about it, it is not well advertised or reviewed often enough. In sum:

Without threads like this and posts like yours I do not find the best solutions for my needs. Thank you.
 
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Well Damn!,
You did some research, then you say thank you to Matt in your very first post?
Talk about bucking the trend-- most people ask for something to be handed to them in their first post.
Dude, that is impressive and very classy. Thinking ahead with an attitude like that, you should do very well.
Welcome aboard!.
Fwiw, the NTG3 has wonderful clarity without the accentuated highs of the 4073.
 
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