What microphone for D600 ?

[kkmfoto]

Hi. New to this forum, and a novice with HDslr. (Mostly do photography)
I need some advice. For the Nikon D600, what mic should i get ?
I hate the recordings off everything i do with the camera (focusing/zooming etc) from the internal microphone. I know an external mic is better, but i need something smal and portable. Or is an on camera mic just as bad as the internal mic ?

Røde VideoMic Pro
Røde Stereo VideoMic Pro
Nikon ME-1

?

Its for nature, motorsports (Track and pit) and some around the house recordings. I am wondering if the Nikon ME-1 and VideoMic Pro will record more off me behind the camera because they are stereo mic´s that are not directional ?

Anyone with some advice, knowledge to a rookie like me

?

http://www.kkmfoto.com

 

[David W. Jones]

I hate the recordings off everything i do with the camera (focusing/zooming etc) from the internal microphone. I know an external mic is better, but i need something smal and portable. Or is an on camera mic just as bad as the internal mic ?

To be very honest, while a nice mic might be an upgrade from your internal camera mic, the truth is any mic mounted to your camera is still going to pickup that stuff.

 

[Alex H.]

Or is an on camera mic just as bad as the internal mic ?

Pretty much. The only advantages you get from an external, camera-mounted mic over the camera's internal mic are the isolation mounting (reduces handling/operation noise from the camera) and off-axis rejection. The latter won't do you much good, however, on top of a camera.

You have a challenge with the DSLR anyway, which is that these cameras are not built with audio in mind. Does the D600 even have manual audio level controls? If not, as many DSLRs are, it's likely running with a really nasty AGC as well (automatic gain control) that destroys the signal and makes every little bit of extraneous noise clearly audible.
It's always better to get sound for DSLR through a separate recorder, using better mics that are taken off the camera and put close to the action. Of course, for this to be at its most effective requires a dedicated sound person running alongside the camera.

That said, putting something like the RODE VideoMic on top can, at least, snag you some workable nat sounds, though this greatly depends on being able to turn off the AGC and manually control the audio levels.

 

[kkmfoto]

:thumbup::smile:

Thanks for the reply guys ! I´m not shure what AGC is ? The D600 have manual adjustments on the mic in signal (auto, and 20 steps adjustments), and there is also a headphone jack. This is mostly a hobby of mine (Mostly photography), and is mostly for fun (might try to make some teasers from motorsports events in addition to photos).

I am not going to get a dedicated sound guy (I´m no Pro

But if choosing between these mic´s, who would you choose ? I might get an extension cable to get the mic of the camera when posible......

http://www.kkmfoto.com

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

:thumbup::smile:

Thanks for the reply guys ! I´m not shure what AGC is ? The D600 have manual adjustments on the mic in signal (auto, and 20 steps adjustments), and there is also a headphone jack. This is mostly a hobby of mine (Mostly photography), and is mostly for fun (might try to make some teasers from motorsports events in addition to photos).

I am not going to get a dedicated sound guy (I´m no Pro

But if choosing between these mic´s, who would you choose ? I might get an extension cable to get the mic of the camera when posible......

http://www.kkmfoto.com

The 'auto' of the list of mic settings would be the 'automatic gain control(AGC)' mentioned. The results like most 'auto' things may be ok for 'happy shots', but tend to do the wrong thing in many situations. Similar to 'auto exposure' modes of cameras.

 

[kkmfoto]

The 'auto' of the list of mic settings would be the 'automatic gain control(AGC)' mentioned. The results like most 'auto' things may be ok for 'happy shots', but tend to do the wrong thing in many situations. Similar to 'auto exposure' modes of cameras.

Thanks for the explanation !!!
Wil try to explore more of the manual adjustments. The auto adjustments is definitely not doing anything good for me at this point

Any sugestion regarding if i should choose a stereo or mono (more directional) mic for my uses ?

 

[Alex H.]

Any sugestion regarding if i should choose a stereo or mono (more directional) mic for my uses ?

If you're recording dialog, stick with mono. Stereo is great for ambient tracks, sound beds, etc., by dialog is a mono audio source.

 

[dvxwheelr]

Thanks for the explanation !!!
Wil try to explore more of the manual adjustments. The auto adjustments is definitely not doing anything good for me at this point

Any sugestion regarding if i should choose a stereo or mono (more directional) mic for my uses ?

When I shoot dialogue I use the Zoom microphone with attached xlr shotgun mics. The zoom attaches to the stereo mic input on the camera. Hope this helps.