Interview recording question

I just purchased my first DSLR camera, Nikon D5500 and will be recording my first interview in outdoor environment tomorrow. As I was advised to buy an external mic, I purchased Rode Smartlav+. Please advise whether it is better to record with the Rode mic to my mobile phone (Sony Xperia) or directly to the camera?

I'd go directly to the DSLR audio. Otherwise you have to sync it in later. Surely the DSLR can do anything the phone can.. Use the wind filter outdoors.

Depends on whether it's convenient to wire directly into the DSLR. If not, record to the smart device and synch later..... it's easy to do when you clap your hands at the beginning of recording.

Yes, it is convenient to wire directly into the DSLR, as the interviewee will stand a feet away from the camera. I have tried to wire the smartlav+ into the DSLR, but the camera still records audio through it's built-in mic. Do I need to change any settings?

Also, will be any differences in audio quality recording directly to the DSLR vs to my phone?

You may not be inserting the plug far enough into the camera to engage the contacts properly.

Should be very little difference whether a phone or DSLR records the audio.

Thanks for the reply!

Also, I have another question. As I am a newbie, with literally 2 days of experience with a DSLR camera, how can I make the background as blurry as on this video (skip to a minute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ud2VoKE5-w)?

I did some testing today in a park where my friend was staying a feet away from the camera which was in AUTO mode. I touched the face of my friend on the screen to focus just on her face, but the background is not nearly blurry as on the video above. Thanks in advance.

Katani said:

I have tried to wire the smartlav+ into the DSLR, but the camera still records audio through it's built-in mic. Do I need to change any settings?

Click to expand...

Plugging an external mic into the camera should disable the internal microphone. It's an automatic switch in the connector.