C100: Videomic Pro vs. XLR Shotgun for Run and Gun

W

wgtwo

Well-known member
Decided to offload some old bits and pieces I still have lying around, and have run into a dilemma: should I sell my Rode Videomic Pro?

For those of you who shoot run and gun event type stuff, is the Rode a valuable piece of kit? How big of a difference, practically, does it make when shooting low profile and trying to avoid attention? I tend to find that I get people staring no matter what.
 
I just started using a Rode NTG-2 but have a few Rode VMPs as well. The problem I'm having with the NTG-2 is that it doesn't fit in the Canon mic holder very well and is always sliding forward or backward depending on the angle that I'm shooting. I like the audio controls with the XLR mics but it's a bit of a pain to keep messing with the mic to keep it in place.... It also makes the rig a bit unwieldy for run and gun where the VMP keeps the C100 nice and compact.
 
I think the VMP is one of the easiest way to get sound into a DSLR that could be used for a quick b-roll ambience clip. Personally, I think the stereo mic pro is a much better sounding mic and more useful for picking up the sound that I might possibly use an onboard mic for. All that being said, I don't think it is possible to truly be low profile anymore. No matter how small my set-up is, almost everybody makes some comment about how impressive the camera appears. At this point in time, people are so used to only seeing cell phones and point and shoots, that even a DSLR seems oversized. About the only thing that people don't seem to notice in my kit are my EOS-M's. Unless you are actually trying to add kit to impress a client, you might as well just not worry what your rig looks like.
 
I would keep the VMP, very useful for run n gun shooting with it's integrated +20db mode, and also very useful for better B Camera audio for post synching in multi cam shoots.
 
AT875R is a great mic for the price. Very tight pickup pattern and voices pop on it. I use it without hesitation and I also have a Sanken CS1. I actually find the 875R a better interview mic, it isolates the voice better. But get a better foam windscreen. The one that ships with the 875R is too thin.

Another method which I find better is to use foam tape wrapped around the mic. O-Rings can transmit more vibration.
 
I also use a foam padding rather than an o-ring to mount a mic. I had a foam cylinder from a hand grip that I slide over top of the mic and into the C100 shockmount.
 
Ditch the RVM. Unless you want really general sound that's pretty thin. I bought one and returned it within 2 days. My Sennheiser ME66 is much bigger but way better for full focused general ambience. It can even do a decent job as an interview mic.
 
The Rode videomics do not sound great. The other options being suggested, however, are all much larger and are designed to be used with XLR cables. The idea would be to replace the handle on the C100 with the just the relatively tiny videomic pro in order to make it seem much less like a video camera. It's not a bad option for people trying to reduce the size of the camera. The videomic pro also has internal gain available which makes it sound quite a bit better with most camera's 3.5mm microphone input preamp.

My main concern with the videomic was that it picks up the IS motor on some of Canon's older lenses. The newer lenses like the 18-135 STM and the 16-35 F/4 are so quiet that this is not longer a problem.
 
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Nothing will match the performance of the larger and more expensive shotguns, but they do add to the footprint of the camera. The video mic pro does a remarkable job considering its cost and size. Can't count the number of times I thanked my stars it was in my bag.

Do yourself a favor and never sell that mic, it will always be useable in some scenario:)
 
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