Lavalier Mic for d3200?

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1jd

New member
Hi guys

Ive been interested lately to purchase a lavalier mic for youtube videos. As i was googling for lavalier mics, i noticed people where requesting lavalier mics for specific camcorders. Do i need a specific lavalier mic that will compatible to the d3200 ?

If so, can you recommend any good, lav mics i can purchase? nothing to expensive but i would like the quality to be close to my real voice.

Logically speaking, if you use an external mic to record a video on the d3200, when you upload the vid on your pc, it should have the sound quality of the external mic, correct? It doesn't change the quality because its been transmitted to the camera and then the pc right ?

Might sound stupid...but i really dont wanna make any mistakes on this because i need to buy a whole bunch of these things and they are going to take some time to arrive.

Thank you in advance,
1JD
 
W

WayneF

Senior Member
I use this one on DSLR and video cameras.
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone OLM-10 B&H

It seems quite good, certainly extremely adequate (see the many happy user reviews in the B&H link).

Right, the audio is a digital recording embedded in the video file. It only changes if you edit it.

A wind screen will probably be necessary outdoors. One comes with it, and you can buy more replacements (they get lost). Being cheap, I found these which fit this mic, and work well:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B6KMDU8/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
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1

1jd

New member
Wow man thanks a lot .. ill do my research for that lav mic.

Have you personally tested it out perhaps? its pretty cheap and im cautious about that because i was reading that good, long term lav mics are 500 dollars or so .
 
1

1jd

New member
Hey thanks for your reply

Im afraid i didn't ask an important question first. Can i use any lav mic ? as long as it has a jack for the cam ?
 
D

Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
1jd said:
Hey thanks for your reply

Im afraid i didn't ask an important question first. Can i use any lav mic ? as long as it has a jack for the cam ?
Click to expand...

I am not sure the D3200 has a input for a external mic. I know my D3100 or D5100 did not. I shoot with a D7000 and D7100 now. The above video was shot with the D7100.
 
1

1jd

New member
It does have an input... theres a slot on the side of the cam that sayd "Mic" and it's for a jack . So i assume its fine.
 
W

WayneF

Senior Member
1jd said:
Wow man thanks a lot .. ill do my research for that lav mic.

Have you personally tested it out perhaps? its pretty cheap and im cautious about that because i was reading that good, long term lav mics are 500 dollars or so .
Click to expand...


No, no testing, I have just used it numerous times. It seems very fine to me, and better than the mic in the camera, and has a 15 foot cord which is much better too. (I keep most of that rolled up and in my pocket). The camera mike picks up the noise of focus motors, etc. It is also better than the dynamic mics I've tried.

I have no use for a $500 microphone. :) Maybe if I had a recording studio recording major stars or something, but I get by really fine with this little $23 microphone. If anything happens to this one, I simply buy another one. So far, no need, its been great. I bought a pack of ten Maxwell LR44 batteries for it for $2.75 on Amazon, but they last forever (if you turn it off).
 
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1jd

New member
I just saw a review on it .. damn thats pretty amazing quality for that price... will probably buy that one but amazon and ebay dont have them... I hope that site you linked ships to EU.
 
ANTVGM64

ANTVGM64

New member
Is it normal for an external Mic to only go to one channel? I'm using a Nikon D3200 and it seems that when I plug it in, the Microphone only comes through the "L" audio channel, so when I upload the footage to my video editor I need to duplicate that channel and delete the other one to get anything even close to decent sound quality.
 
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WayneF

Senior Member
Is it a mono microphone?

See the picture of connector here (at right side):
Phone connector (audio) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A mono cable has only the one tip.

A stereo cable has the tip and also another band (and then the base ring). A three wire connection instead of two wires. So a mono mic cable into the camera stereo jack only makes connections with two pins... not all three pins.

The camera can record stereo, but a mono microphone will only go to one channel.

There are some exceptions, some mono microphones that are wired into both channels.

Here is an adapter that should put your mono microphone into both channels
http://www.amazon.com/Cables-40634-...392946&sr=1-3&keywords=mono-to-stereo+adapter
 
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ANTVGM64

ANTVGM64

New member
W

WayneF

Senior Member
There is no evidence that one is a stereo microphone. The picture of the connector is too small to see, but it looks like mono.

Here is a larger picture of it at B&H, and it is a mono connector
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...TR1100_ATR1100_Cardioid_Handheld_Dynamic.html


The adapter I mentioned will convert it into both channels. It won't be stereo, but it will be the same mono in both channels.

The one I use is this one:
Polsen OLM-10 Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone OLM-10 B&H

It is at Amazon too, for a few more dollars
http://www.amazon.com/Polsen-OLM10-...qid=1405393934&sr=8-1&keywords=polsen+olm-10\


I am well pleased with it, for the price.

This is dual mono into a stereo connector, that is, the same mono goes to both channels.

A Condenser mic will have better audio response, and will have more output level than the dynamic.

It needs a battery, a LR44, which costs only $2.65 for ten for Maxell brand, and one lasts a very long time if you remember to turn it off. You also have to remember to turn it on. :)
 
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rijman

Senior Member
I'm going to switch to a lav mic for my D3200, from a Rode mic and Tascam DR-40 recorder, so I can have my audio synced with video. The key issue I'm running into is the lack of head phone jack in the camera to monitor the audio. Just plugging the mic into the camera is not enough because you can't monitor the audio. The workaround is a wireless transmitter and receiver. The receivers I've researched have an extra audio jack so you can monitor the audio plus they provide multiple frequency channels. If you go the wireless T&R route another issue is the mount for the receiver on the camera, which plugs into the camera. One set I saw had a plastic clip to fit in the hot shoe, which is an easy solution.

The downside to all this cost and quality. I get good audio now with my equipment and I'm trying to find a good cheap lav mic set that provides good audio, so the quality won't drop off much if any. So far my research for good low cost lavs points to the JK mic-J 044, for around $30, and the Giant Squid Lab lav for around $40. Then you need the transmitter and receiver and they typically sell with a lav. Still trying to figure out the best way to go.
 
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