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Rode Videomicro: At last a tiny shotgun mic that isn't terrible.
  • suresure123suresure123

    Its been a holy grail of mine to find a low form factor mic that can do the job of much larger shotgun mics. Yes its going to have some compromises in sound but I've listened to a few reviews now and its compared favourably with the Rode Videomic and even NTG2. Plus it costs peanuts at $60. Anyone used one? I'll pick one up in a week or so I think.

  • 21 Replies sorted by
  • Sph1nxsterSph1nxster

    Fantastic.... just got one UK for £35... well chuffed

  • balazerbalazer

    It's not a shotgun mic. It's a cardioid. Shotgun mics are a different type of design that can be much more directional. The VideoMic Go, for example, is a (very short) shotgun.

  • suresure123suresure123

    @balazer technically correct but these days most people are not technically correct on video onboard mics. The truth is many shotguns that people call shotguns are actually cardioid say e.g NTG2 or even the videomic go you mentioned which has actually almost the same pickup pattern as this videomicro which its supposed to replace supposedly. Real shotgun pattern is actually rarely used but often labelled when really all they mean is 'directional' which this mic is...designed to pick up audio infront of the camera particularly voices and block side and rear noise. I think the above clip shows that pretty good.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    The truth is many shotguns that people call shotguns are actually cardioid say e.g NTG2 or even the videomic go you mentioned which has actually almost the same pickup pattern as this videomicro which its supposed to replace supposedly.

    Well, nope.

    Shotgun have nothing to do with pickup pattern itself, but all to do with how this pattern is achieved.

  • balazerbalazer

    @suresure123, a shotgun, or line microphone has an interference tube in front of capsule. The NTG2 is a shotgun mic. 'Shotgun' is not a synonym for 'directional'. I don't know where you're getting the idea that they are. Even the Chinese sellers on eBay mostly get it right.

    http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/site/aa901ccabf1dfc6b/

    http://eu.audio-technica.com/en/resources/tutorials/Polar%20Patterns.pdf

  • AriaAria

    I was wondering if the Rode VideoMicro will work with the Lumix G7? Is the Mic input on the G7 powered enough to give a strong clean signal?

  • eatstoomuchjameatstoomuchjam

    @Aria The third video above was shot with the videomicro on a G7. If you watch it, it might help you answer your own question!

  • balazerbalazer

    The Rode VideoMicro's sensitivity is rated at -33 dB re 1 V/Pa. That's good, but not great. It will work with the G7, but without a good external pre-amp, in a quiet environment you will still hear the noise of the G7's pre-amp.

  • suresure123suresure123

    I get that you guys are technically right but seriously knowing how a shotgun mic works and knowing the pick up pattern are too very different things, one won't make a damn difference to your filmaking and the other will make you sound smart on a forum. My point is the mic is a very good mic for many peoples need for an onboard mic with the kind of cameras many are using here, plus its cheap and very compact....Thats all thats matters here.

  • balazerbalazer

    "Oh, you are right, it is a cardioid, not a shotgun. Thanks for pointing that out. I will edit the topic title to clear up that confusion. And thank you for the links describing the different types of mics and pick-up patterns. I did not realize that a cardioid and a shotgun are so different from each other and they are optimized for very different types of situations." /pretension

  • suresure123suresure123

    Oh, you are right, it is a cardioid, not a shotgun. Thanks for pointing that out. I will edit the topic title to clear up that confusion. And thank you for the links describing the different types of mics and pick-up patterns. I did not realize that a cardioid and a shotgun are so different from each other and they are optimized for very different types of situations.

  • belfrymanbelfryman

    @Sph1nxster Where did you buy it?

  • Sph1nxsterSph1nxster

    it was used on Amazon UK

  • Brian_SianoBrian_Siano

    Will this mike work on a GH4? I'd heard that the GH4's 3.5mm jack doesn't provide the power this mike needs.

  • suresure123suresure123

    seems to be used by the GH4 here.

  • TrumpetmanTrumpetman

    People seem to be confused about this mic. They keep calling it a mini shotgun but it's not. It has a cardioid pickup pattern, while true shotguns have super cardioid patterns. I picked up the MXL FR-310 last year for $69 on Amazon. Its not that much bigger than the micro and works fine for situations that need an onboard small shotgun with much better side sound rejection.

  • balazerbalazer

    @Trumpetman, shotguns don't have a supercardioid pickup pattern. They have pickup pattern that depends on the pickup pattern of the capsule and also on the design of the interference tube. Mostly they have a supercardioid capsule, but the interference tube makes the pickup pattern narrower than that, and in a way that depends highly on the frequency. Shotguns are their own category of mic without a single defined pickup pattern. The manufacturer may list a shotgun's pickup pattern as supercardioid, but that really only describes the capsule. You need to consult the polar plot, because every shotgun is unique.

  • suresure123suresure123

    @everyone Who cares, people can listen to tests on youtube and see for themselves what they can do. Its great for close up interviews plus foley. In the end thats all that matters. All things considered I think its a brilliant budget, small documentary mic that can serve your needs be it interviews or environmental noise.

  • LongJohnSilverLongJohnSilver

    Do you know if GH2 is able to power this mic? Anyone has tested it?

  • MMMMMMMM

    I have a videomicro and it works with the GH2.

    It's a tight fit on the hotshot of my GH2.

  • chauncychauncy

    I finally got the rode videomic pro and dead cat. My review:

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