Mini-DV Camcorder Microphone

Question

I make some videos for youtube and I can get some pretty decent quality that's good enough for me off my sony handycam after rendering. The annoying buzz the tape makes when recording is annoying, and also the sound the camera makes when you move it around. I was looking at Azden microphones, so I was wondering if any of these would work good. There is one made for mini-dv cameras, but the others are more professional.

Answer 1

Little Dog is correct. The Sony DCR0HC28 does NOT have a microphone input. In that case, you will not be able to connect a microphone directly to the camera. But don't fret. There are some work-arounds. You could purchase a digital audio recoder-you could get one for a good price with the consumer quality 1/8"mini stereo input, or spend a bit more money for the professional XLR terminals. The mini-stereo will probably work.

        You can record the sound on the recorder while recording video on the camera, then sync them up later in post production.

As far as mics go, I like some Azdens, especially the Azden SGM-X which is about $110. There is another one (don't remember the model #) that goes for about $50, which I would NOT recommend- it's only a minor upgrade in sound. The Audio Technica ATR-55 is another choice, but I would NOT recommend it either. I found that it produced a distinct hissing noise.

No question, the BEST mini-stereo mic is the RODE VideoMic for about $150. I am still amazed at its sound quality (for a mini-stereo mic) especially when placed on a boompole, pointed at the subjects' mouths.

The Sennheiser MKE300 (I believe that's the model #) is decent too.

For professional XLR mics (if that's the case):

-Rode NTG-1 or NTG-2  -Sennheiser ME66  

-Sennheiser MKH-416 is an industry standard, but I doubt you want to spend that kind of $$.

Answer 2

Before you buy a mic, does your camcorder have a mic-in jack? Most do not. Since you did not tell us the Sony model number, we have no way to check.

I would suggest Audio Technica...