@peaceonearth in a pretty quiet room. And it's Finnish ;)

Sounds pretty ok, I do not see much noise.

Thanks a lot @WalterH, your infos have been really helpful. I can now sleep a little ok knowing that the sound will be taken care of lol. Yup, all my little research point at getting a good cardioid for indoor use but that's a battle I will start next time.

I still love my NTG-3, Juicedlink combination...and I got them both used from a reputable seller to save a few bucks.

@peaceonearth for a one man team I have started using a mic stand (cost around £10-15) to hook ntg-2.

So the mic comes from the top facing downwards completely escaping the view from the camera with 14mm lens.

Worth a try I'd say...

I remember one problem with ntg-2 - it captures a wind hiss, shooting outdoors even with a dead cat. So rode tech acknowledged the issue and advised to use a sticky tape on the rear end of the microphone, covering the small hole.

@jleo I tried that out before. In deed it improves a little but doesn't save the recording

@ahbleza stamina mode restricts audio to 44.1 kHz, normally I go for 48kHz

I dropped the idea of the ME-66. I found are commendention of a Beyerdynamic MCE86 but heard also that it is too noisy. I think I will follow thecommendation of tascam recorder and MXL FR 300. What about using it directly at the camera?

To get a better level from NTG-2 without a preamp. Try changing the H4N settings to MONO MIX mode.

Here's why you should consider using a field mixer too, and not just an external recorder.

I decided to sell H4n right now and go for a new field recorder. I will see how it works with NTG-2 and decide what will I do with the mic later. I got a recommendation for a Sennheiser ME66. What's your opinion?

Roland R-26 vs. Tascam DR-100 MKII - no decision yet.

I've been using the Roland R-26 with the NTG-2 and am very happy with the results - it's all in the placement of the mic.

Zoom H4n maybe the POPULAR choice but that doesn't make it the GOOD choice. I'm glad I did the extra research and bought the R-26.

@WalterH starting basis was my testimonial shoot, quite similar to interview / docu. sometimes I can take a person for a boom but sometimes it has to be done all alone. I guess quite the same as in your shooting conditions.

Cool. Yes, under the Softie and a shock mount the 875 basically disappears. I do like its size for mobility, whether on camera or packed away traveling between locations.

@Straffi, I also looked at the the Roland R26 which was described to me basically as the Edirol electronics (preamps, etc.) of the R44 stuffed into a smaller package. I bet its quality is very good, ie. low noise floor, etc. I did not go for it as it due to its size (a bit larger), cost (a good bit more), and the quality of the 100mkii was plenty good enough for me at this stage. I don't think you will get a lot more out of the R44 than the R26 unless you have a separate audio person working that machine - pro, dedicated gear at that stage.

re. the NTG-2, differences in that level of recorder won't matter beans if you have poor mic placement. My understanding is that the NTG-2 shines when placed within 18" (perhaps a bit more, but not 3' away) of the subject, just out of the camera view. Since I can rarely have someone boom for me... The R44 vs. R26 won't make the difference vs. mic placement as I understand, but I've not tested those units directly.

(p.s. don't mean to be a thread hog, but this is the one area I've spend a lot of time and energy as I'm learning this whole dslr gig. I have learned so much from others and there are great solutions out there other than mine. I just freaked a little when seeing another H4n/NTG-2 thread.)

Lastly, most of this conversation does not mean a great deal unless people say what they are hoping to record and in what conditions they expect to be doing it in. Me, I am doing a lot of docu, narrative, indy-journalism, both indoors and out. Realizing the necessity of a good lav at this stage.