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External Audio - Small camera, no mic input (GX7 / LX100)?
  • sgreszczsgreszcz

    I'm looking at ways to augment the sound capabilities of my GX7 and LX100 cameras for run-and-gun event shooting. Neither of them have microphone input jacks, and both have hotshoes. I'm trying to find a small solution, since these are small cameras, to use with my benro video monopod. I already own a Zoom H1 recorder, but I'm wondering if a small shotgun mic would be more appropriate for directional sound recording.

    Some of the ideas I've looked at:

    Rode videmic go (£60) -> Zoom H1 (own it) or something like the new Tascam DR-10c (£200).

    Shure Lenshopper VP83F with built-in recorder (£300).

    Any experiences with small external-audio setups would be appreciated. The first project I'm going to use this for will be trying to video an outdoor winter bobsled/skeleton event at the end of January.

  • 5 Replies sorted by
  • MrZzMrZz

    Videomic GO is quite "big" actually so I'm not sure about that (olso I don't like it's sound). Maybe you can try it out somewhere to check if the size is ok for you. still you would need to mount the recorder somewhere, using a hot shoe sled or something to mount both the mic and the recorder on the cam, which decreases on it's "mobility", no?. I would probably go with either the zoom + windshield -> nice stereo atmo sound (and because of the XY pattern of the mics it's still more directional than AB pattern) or in the case you are in need of a set-up for interviews & statements (and have the time to set it up), why not take the zoom off of the cam and use it on the subject in combination with a lav-mic (around 30 bucks)? Or you could leave it on-cam and just buy something like a philips dvt4000 (internal battery) or dvt3500 (aa batteries) voice recorder. It has a mic input and the preamps are quite usable for voice (dvt4000 has better ones). Cheers!

  • sgreszczsgreszcz

    Thanks for the tips.

    I forgot to say, that I do own an Olympus lav (which I've used with Zoom H1) and the Rode Smartlav (which I've used with an iphone. I do have a windshield for the Zoom H1. I guess the problem that I have with the Zoom H1 is that it picks up a lot of handling noise as well as that it seems to pick up all sound around.

    I like those philips recorders although they are only slightly thinner and shorter in length than the Zoom H1.

    I think that I'll experiment a bit more with the zoom H1 and a set of headphones over the next week and see what I come up with.

    I'm still not sure exactly how best to mount the H1 to my camera/monopod to keep everything together...

  • MrZzMrZz

    I don't know your view on diy stuff but there are several neat ideas of shock-proof mounting which could easily be adopted for the zoom ;)

    looking slightly unprofessional but it's cheap and can be improved upon (black textured spraypaint, smaller pipe, cutouts to reduce weight etc.):

    Similar Versions:

    https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/3080602/all

    http://www.wiremonkey.com/diy_shock_1.htm

    Here's how to build a cheap Hot shoe mount:

  • kin869kin869

    If you don't want to mess around with DIY solutions. I use this shock mount for my Zoom H1 and it fits perfectly: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NM5M8K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

  • trafficartetrafficarte

    Be aware that the H1 sometimes sports a "pulse" noise that "sounds like a helicopter hovering in the distance, with the woop-woop-woop of rotor blades cutting through what should be silence", as this blog describes well. I've sent mine to assistance for this woop-woop-woop, that's present also with the low cut filter switched to on.

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