External stereo mic suggestions??

lostnomore

Senior Member
The D750 has me interested in taking video clips since it's much more capable than my previous other-system DSLR. However, I took my first video today and immediately noticed the in-camera AF noises. I did some preliminary research into external stereo mics, but I'd like to know which ones you folks have actually used? I think that one mounted on-camera, like on the hot shoe, might also pick up AF and VR noises - maybe I'm wrong. Correct me if I am. If not, are there also kinds you can get to pin to your shirt or something? Thanks.
 
I had a project I did a while back that was video. It was doing short video pieces for a guy running for a local office. I tried the onboard mike first and you know the results there. He was also not close enough so lots of extraneous noises and in a room it was very hollow. I did get a lavalier mic and it sounded great but you had to deal with how far away you could get and also hiding the cable could be a hassle. If you can deal with it that is the way to go, I did end up getting a small shotgun directional mic that was a nice compromise between the two. As far a stereo you are not going to get much of a stereo effect with a single mic no matter what you do. There are probably some very, very high end ones that do a good job when run through $5,000 audio board but I would guess you aren't willing to spend that kind of money.
 

lostnomore

Senior Member

Spgreen65

Senior Member
Most folks don't record in stereo. They fake it in post by duplicating the mono signal and panning so you get a "stereo" signal.
 

csgaraglino

Senior Member
I have the Rhode as well but not as good as this Audio-Technica (less than $100) and love the AT more!
Amazon.com: Audio-Technica PRO 24-CM Stereo Condenser Microphone: Musical Instruments

It is stero, and if you do anything other than a talking head shot, you will get noticeable stereo sound from it.
It's small and compact, very good sound quality and with a deadcat, really handles wind well.

I shoot a lot of action sports with a D7000 and now a D810 and am very happy.

I don't use autofocus, so I can't comment on that, but if you have a noisy lens, there really nothing you can do but grease it and try to make it quieter, any descent mic will pick it up. I have head that some folks will use a lens wrap lightly wrapped around the barrel to make it quieter.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
I use a Sony ICD-UX522F digital recorder with an ECM-CS3 lapel mic. I synch it to the video's soundtrack in post then must the video's audio.

Oldest trick in the book.
 

Jr1

Banned
I personally use a Sennheiser ME66 with power pack but more importantly do NOT use the cameras internal processing/amps, the results are poor, even with my D810, I always use a Tascam DR60D and record using that pre amp to the camera
 

spb_stan

Senior Member
I personally use a Sennheiser ME66 with power pack but more importantly do NOT use the cameras internal processing/amps, the results are poor, even with my D810,
What was the problem with the recorder in the camera? I do not have a D810 but I do have a D800 and the S/N, frequency response and distortion measurements I did when I first got it impressed me, surely better than the typical mics used for video recording. Were you using the K6 adaptor, might have been a matching imbalance. It is an electret condenser that will work but too low a voltage from the mic jack of the camera, so needs the K6 for powering. It is also a 200 ohm termination z so maybe it loaded the mic input of the D810. The Me66 is a pretty good mic, one of the only short shotgun mics that are actual shotgun mics that have popped up in the video field. But shot guns are always a compromise in response and polar pattern so if one can use a conventional condenser or dynamic for fidelity and low self-noise.
 
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