True, I guess there isn't going to be a low cost combo that will work for every application (otherwise everyone would use it lol). I guess my application would mainly be outdoor based and that's why I sort've steered towards Shotgun mics. For indoor dialogue I'd probably stick to Radio mics.

I understand that £300 isn't the biggest of budgets either, my expectations aren't high I just want to be able to capture clear enough audio outside with people walking by and be approximately no more than a meter from my subject. Do you think the NTG2/H4n combo would be able to achieve this?

Additionally, would a GH2 cripple the audio or significantly degrade it if it was hooked up directly? (NTG2>H4n>GH2) Of course if this is actually possible? It's not that it matters however as I wouldn't mind syncing in post.

I appreciate the help @kingmixer

There are already a few shotgun/recorder related discussions http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/5199/low-self-noise-shotgun-microphone/ http://www.personal-view.com/talks/categories/sound

@Hakosuka What camera do you have? The NTG-2 also runs on an AA battery allowing you to use it with devices without +48v phantom power like the GH2 and other cameras. You lose a bit of sensitivity but it works.

For people on tight budgets, I see lots of creative combinations with audio that many people don't think about. For instance very good electret lavs can be built for as low as $10. You could actually buy 2 cheap but decent mini-recorders (Tascam DR5, Zoom H-1, Olympus LS-3), use one for ambiences and hide one on your subject (or wire up both for a dialogue), which is great to have for your post-mix. These recorders are smaller and lighter than most radio mics and have a range of functions.

You just have to remember to push all the buttons, which honestly, seems to be one of the main reasons why people shy away from creative solutions with audio. Its so much harder to push 3 buttons than one ;)

But audio synching comes with the click of a button in Final Cut X or you can use a program like Plural Eyes. Both work magic in most cases.

I use a Roland R-26 and have been very happy with it. I also have a Sennheiser ME66. The sound is ok, but can sound a little tinny to my ear. There are lots of tests of these mics on Youtube. I recommend listening to them with good speakers or good headphones. Makes all the difference.

@hakosuka since you have an H1, don't get another recorder but a dedicated preamp. You can plug your preamp into the H1 line-in. It makes absolutely no difference in terms of sound quality if the input is 3.5 or XLR. It just means the signal through the 3.5 jack is unbalanced - not a big deal as long as the jack from your preamp to your H1 is under 5 metres.

If you are recording mainly indoors you don't need a dedicated shotgun mic, you can use a small diagphram cardioid microphone of which there are many to choose from. The Oktava MK012 are pretty cheap and sound very good. An even cheaper option that at first listen sounds fantastic for dialogue is the Suerlux S241. It sells at www.thomann.de for just under £74. I will be shooting the first part of a corporate video on Sunday and will be recording dialogue with it for the first time but so far I can tell you it sounds great. It has a flat response with a bump over 10k which adds really nice air to vocals.

Sorry, mirrorman, but that is false information. A mini-jack in no way lowers a signal level nor does it add noise.

Another advantage to xlr would be a more secure connection that goes in and stays in all the way – it won't disconnect on you as easily.

@spacewig yes, you're right. I should have explained that more clearly. I was referring to the general use of battery/mini-jack vs phantom/XLR with the NTG-2. From my experience the output signal when using the battery and an XLR>mini-jack cable is lower and noisier than when I go via XLR to a good preamp. With a lower signal its normal to turn up the gain on the recorder which possibly introduces more noise. You're explanation is technically better though.

So it seems that a logical idea would be to build from my H1. Could anyone recommend a good pre amp that would work with an H1 but also be affordable, the one's I've been recommended are well over £300 for the pre amp alone and I'd still need to get a microphone on top of that. Would the preamp allow me to use XLR? Or would I need a 3.5mm mic?

Thanks again guys!

@duckpark My experience has been a brief one, long enough to make sure the unit was functional + about 30 minutes of a/b'ing against the Oktava's 012. It sounds very good to my ears for dialogue. The real test will be in real world situations. I was going to shoot this Sunday but that was put off to April 7 as the location is in the path of a major parade that will be occurring at the same time. However, I will be shooting another product presentation on the 24th and would be happy to pm you snippets so long as they are strictly for scrutinizing sound quality.

@balazer I've used the DR100 mkii and I can assure you it is not as quiet as a dedicated mic pre. I wish it was as it would be a much cheaper and leaner solution than having to deal with multiple devices, batteries, cables, etc. But you realize how important clean gain is when you're trying to get rid of white-noise in post... I am curious if anyone has tried and compared the Olympus LS-100 to other popular portable recorders?

@spacewig I am curious as how those dialogue recordings with the Superlux S241 came out. I have not been able to find a single test/sample of the microphone used for dialogue on the internet.