Camcorder with microphon (1 Viewer)

Hallo,

I bought an camcorder with internal microphon.
There also external microphon for add.
Has anybody expirience, is it worth to spend additional money for external microphon.
With internal microphon wind noises are disturbing.
I have got Sony DCR-HC1000.


Best regards
Dieter

Internal microphones are typically horrible. They pick up all the camera noises, zooming, little clicks from your fingers, motor hum and they are omni directional, meaning they pick up sounds from every direction.

An external shotgun microphone can be highly directional (ie. rejecting noises substantially if it isn't pointed at the subject making the noise).

I shoot with a Sony PD-150 which comes with a "reasonable" shotgun microphone, but I also have a Shure 58 if I want high rejection for narration or voice overs.

With regard to your wind noise, there are fuzzy looking covers that fit over shotgun microphones that dramatically reduce wind noise, the same goes for hand held microphones.

Not knowing your price range, I don't really know what to recommend for you. Typically for consumer camcorders you would ideally like a small plug adapter and preamp for the highest quality. Professional camcorders have balanced XLR connectors and "typically" but not always have good internal auto ranging pre amps.

External Microphon

Hallo Waterskier,

thank You very much for Your advise.
I have Sony DCR-HC 1000 ( 3 x CCD 1 MPixel ).
Sony recommended price is 1.800 Euro.
An external microphon offered for 160 Euro.
I think I need also 2. battery and 1 GByte memory.
I bought this camcorder for my vacation in Moorea, New Caledonia and New Zealand.
Rainforest sound is very nice.


Best regards
Dieter

Hi,
I think it's a bit late, but there some useful information.
For good wildlife sound recording with a video camera you need a good shotgun microphone and even better a good suspension system for the mic for unwanted noise and also a wind noise filter (not the black one). And the most important, You also need a battery powered mic preamp (like Shure mic preamp, not cheap at around 500USD). Unless you have a way in your camera to up the level of the recording (like the Canon XL serie) or a preamp you gonna find yourself to crank the TV volume to maximum to ear those delicate nature sound.

Hallo Avan,

I did not buy microphon yet.
There is an plug on top microphon for SONY HC-DCR1000.

http://www.speakergalaxy.com/showroom/439.cfm

ECM-CQP1 is an 4 channel microphon.
Price is 130 - 160 Euro ?
I have no idea how good is this microphon.

Best regards
Dieter

I don't know this model, but I think this one are more for ambiant recording than nature recording. What you need it's more a microphone type call shot gun, this type have the ability to pick up the sound from the front (like point and shoot) and not from the side or the back. Sony made one, but it's a low quality mic. The standard (high quality) are like the Seinheiser 66. with this type of mic you also need a mic holder with suspension.

Sennheiser

Thank You for Your advice Avan.
Sony microphon is 4 channel and should coupled with the zoom.

On Sennheiser homepage I found microphon made for camcorder.
MKE 300 starts from 150 Euro.
MKE 44-P starts from 457 Euro.
I have no idea how to test the different of the quality.
Camcorder I bought mostly for vacantion trips into tropical rainforest.


Best regards
Dieter

albatross02 said:

On Sennheiser homepage I found microphon made for camcorder.
MKE 300 starts from 150 Euro.
MKE 44-P starts from 457 Euro.
I have no idea how to test the different of the quality.
Camcorder I bought mostly for vacantion trips into tropical rainforest.

Click to expand...

The MKE-300 is probably as far as you need to go unless you are using a separate field recorder for the soundtrack and are prepared to resync in editing/post-production. You will probably be using the AGC of the camcorder which may be a limiting factor, other than that camcorders offer excellent sound storage at 48kHz 16-bit PCM stereo

Word has it that the humid/tropical environment is hard on microphones, particularly electrets, thoug NZ should be OK? Sadly you get more sensitive to wind noise the more directionality you want of the microphone. If you expect lots of wind you need like a rycote furry windgag - anything using foam doesn't cut it above a light breeze

Hallo Ermine,

very interesting information.
I ordered brochure from Sennheiser.

The Sony microphon ECM-CQP1 is 4 channel microphon.
The wind noise is aweful, especielly in north of Germany is lots of wind.
It seems this year is every sunny day is strong wind. Or maybe I feel like this because the disturbing noise on my movies.
Sometimes I give some comments. There are much louder then the noise of the nature ( I like increase the volume to here birdsongs and insect noises ).


Best regards
Dieter