Discover the Best Shotgun Microphones
1. Rode VideoMicro
Camera-mount Compact Microphone
Compact Solution
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
With the introduction of the latest GoPro Hero 4, it's 4K capabilities, and compact form factor, I now predominately use those to film. There are a few cons about using the GoPro cameras and one is definitely the sound quality from the built in microphones. I've been debating over which on camera mic to get teetering between the Rode VideoMic Pro and the Rode VideoMic Go, but with such a compact set up those mics would have defeated the purpose of compact shooting. With my subjects never being over 10 feet away from the cameras the Rode VideoMicro was the perfect solution. It cut out and toned down virtually all background noise and gave a nice clean sound for the subjects in front of the camera. For anyone using compact size video recorders like mirror-less cameras, this would be the perfect solution. Also, even with the widest setting (SuperView) and windshield installed, the Rode VideoMicro does not come into view when recording. With the included Rycote Lyre shock mount and Deadcat windshield, and metal construction, there are really no negatives to say for it's intended use. For situations where your subject might be further than 10 feet away, going with a powered boom mic would probably be better as this mic does not amplify sound. ... More
Utilitarian Bang for the Buck
Reviewed by Dave on B&H Photo Video
People with far more technical background have already written about the VideoMicro, so my take on this will not be on technical aspects. I'm a stills shooter who has stumbled and bumbled my way into video. For me, one of the larger hurdles has been audio. I'm on a tight, hobby budget and every piece of gear has to be carefully selected. Moreover, I also want everything to fit into one bag. First I'll say this, no, it isn't a good as my Rode NTG2. If you're expecting that kind of performance at this price, then save your money and get something else. That being said, for me it isn't that far off the mark, and it can do some things that larger shotguns can't. For example, be in your camera bag all the time so you can set it up at nearly the drop of a hat. Since it doesn't need batteries and is small, it fills a great place in my audio/video toolkit. Maybe it is like an audio version of the Swiss utility knife. Useful in a lot of situations but not perfect. There can be a noise floor if you plug it directly into the camera, but for general use, that doesn't matter much of the time. For the times that it does I plug it into my Zoom H1 and even with both mounted on the camera, they are less obtrusive than my NTG2 in its shock mount. I've used it in Church settings to grab nice audio clips without looking like a documentary crew. At this price point, that alone might be enough value. But the deadcat that ships with it is quite good. I've gotten good audio with some pretty stiff wind gusting at 12-20 mph. If you are like me, a stills person who is learning audio I think this mic represents a unique value. Darn good audio, flexibility, and value. Combine that with the ease of taking it with you just about everywhere, and for me, this microphone was a natural choice. I have zero regrets with the purchase and love having a portable shotgun with me all of the time. ... More
2. Zoom SGH-6
Hyper-Directional Shotgun Microphone for H5/H6/H8 Recorders
SGH-6 Shotgun Mic
Reviewed by livewolf on B&H Photo Video
Superb mic that makes the H5 a great recording device. Only thing missing is a protective cover which could protect this device when not in use. The base recording unit H5 does have its own plastic container.
Surprisingly good sound quality
Reviewed by chris c. on B&H Photo Video
I was surprised by this mic's quality. Upon listening to it though headphones attached to the h6, it sounded like there was a rather high noise floor. But upon inspecting it on my computer it was clean as a bell. Great unit.
3. Audio-Technica AT875R
Short Shotgun Microphone
Excellent minimal noise vibration
Reviewed by ArtVideo on B&H Photo Video
The primary reason I bought this mic is because most shotgun mics were making a lot of bumping noises on my C100 Mark II camera. I researched many mics but I trusted to order this one and that was it! Well... This mic does not come with Low Cut-Off and I was afraid when I ordered as my sony NX5 shotgun on the C-100 Mark II produces unwanted bass when handling. Thing is, the C100 cameras don't have low cut available on the menus... Believe that???! So... Problem solved! This mic in review doesn't come with low cut either but it's like it's already built in it seems... Very low and thin handling noise while it captures all the lows needed for voices or anything else you want to capture but still quiet on handling regardless if you're using this on camera or on a Boom... Wow. I can now touch the camera body and bottoms all day... I have this mic mounted on my Canon C-100 Mark II AND this is the ONLY microphone that I've seen at this price that has such a narrow pickup rivaling big shotguns. The bigger the tube the narrower the pick up is. It's amazing that one this tiny can be so narrow. Having the subject in front, audio is clear, then turn this mic a tad away and the sound drops considerably which is great. I also made a test right in front of my super loud window air conditioner outside. I turned 180 degrees, the noise was almost gone. Testing The mic on its sides, the audio was still quiet while nice and strong on whatever is in front of it. Very direct mic with excellent sound rejection on sides and back. When I have to touch and operate buttons on my camera, there is near zero bump noises. There's nothing worse than those bumps especially at full frequently which adds unwanted BASS on it thus damaging your headphones and speakers when reviewing the footage on camera of computer. Again, this mic took care of that issue. it comes with 2 O Rings. Many people don't know what those rubber rings are for! A lot of people complain that the shotgun mics is either too thick or too thin. The O Rings are EXACTLY FOR that! it it's too thin, put the rings on!! Simply slide them on the mic... I included 2 pictures of this mic in review attached to my camera with the O Rings which most camera mic holders are already designed to receive the O rings in between the spaces. Please see images. Bottom line: 1- excellent handling vibration /bump noise (even though it does not feature a low cut 2- excellent narrow pick up pattern even bring a short shotgun. Amazing... 3- Cheap and nice. 4- some noise floor at a minimum and that of course depends on the quality of your camera pre amps. Very quiet on the C-100 Mark II ... More
This is a great mic!
Reviewed by Teaching the children on B&H Photo Video
I bought this to replace my Rode NTG 2. I was using the Rode with the Zoom H4n and there just wasn't enough sesitivity from the Rode, and not enough gain from the preamps on the Zoom. I often had the input gain up in the 90+ range (0-100 scale). Now I am using the Tascam DR 100 II with the AT 875, and it is a diferent ball game.The AT 875 is very senitive and enables me to use much less gain on the recorders, making for a much cleaner recording, now I only need a gain of 3-4 on a 1-10 scale.It is a good mic for booming because of the sensitivity and because it is so light. Pushing the gain on any of the prosumer recorders is asking for noise and hiss.I liked this mic so much I bought another one. So I have one on my Canon XA-10 and one with my audio kit. I also have the Sennhiser MKE 600 which is very nice, but not as senitive as the AT 875. The Sennhiser has a little better sound and has better side rejection, and can run on battery, but it costs 2+ times as much as the AT 875. Between my Rode NTG II, the Sennhiser MKE 600, and the AT 875, I use the AT 875 the most!I consider a must have in my kit. ... More
4. Rode NTG1
Shotgun Microphone
Making TV Better In a 'Short' Way
Reviewed by Matthew on B&H Photo Video
Recently, I acquired a Sony PXW-X70 and needed to find a quality mic in a compact design and without breaking the bank. This camera would be primarily used for recording outings/trips that would end up on some Hunting/Fishing TV shows so I knew that I need to invest in a quality mic. In my initial research of compact shotgun style mics, I found a few that would fit within the maximum length requirement. I was leaning toward a shorter and less expensive mic from another manufactorer but then a filming partner of mine reminded me that good video is 90% audio. With my experience of filming, that hit home so I broke some piggy banks and vacuumed my cars out to find loose change and I purchased the Rode. In the bigger scheme of things, this is by no means an expensive mic and it is well worth the few extra dollars. After getting it delivered and performing the 'Fro Knows Sniff Test,' I put it on the PXW-x70 and started doing some simple audio checks to find it's sweet spot. After spending about an hour of speaking and setting changing I found that the NTG1 needed the 20db boost from he camera pre-amps with the gain at 80% (this should vary between cameras). I was hoping that the signal strength of the mic would be a little stronger but even at this higher gain setting the noise floor is still really low (approx. 40-38db). I also did a few similar tests with the Tascam DR-60Dmk2 and the gain settings were similar as well but the noise floor was a little lower (approx. 42-40db). Which made me feel better about this purchase because I now knew that I could use this mic along with the Tascam for recording interviews (scoop or boom position). I did notice in these tests that the optimal max distance from the speaking subject was about 2-2.5ft. Once you moved the mic further away the echoes in an untreated room would become more and more noticeable. The off-axis audio is noticeable but with a satisfactory fall-off that wasn't too quick/steep. This would bring me to point out that you have to pick the mic for JOB THAT YOU WANT IT TO DO THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME. If you do not want to hear much, if any, off-axis or echo audio then this IS NOT the mic for you and you should be looking at HYPERcardioid. This mic is very directional but the fall-off is a steady and constant pattern which is what I need this mic to do. Being that this mic would be recording nature sounds and at times from a great distance, I wanted to have some of the surrounding audio present with the primary source. The size and weight of this mic fits perfectly with the PXW-x70 (and cameras of similar size, Canon XA20/25). The camera package stays small and compact without loosing quality. When I reviewed the test audio the clarity was very impressive. The sub-100hz frequencies were very clean and not boomy. This was true of the high end of the frequency range and there didn't appear to be any hot spots of frequencies that needed to be cut a few db from the start. Very balanced and true reproduction of the audio source. After all, this is a Rode mic. I have not tested the mic with the low shelf (high-pass filter) turned on so I can't commit on how that feature performs. The XLR connection spacer is a nice bonus. I am currently using mine to keep the mic connection as tight as possible to prevent any unwanted clicking noise to be recorded when on the move. The Kopul (Neutrik) cable appears to be doing its job very well being that the optimal recording levels have a low noise floor. I have not yet used the shock mount yet but it does have a snug fit around the mic. If you are looking for a great mic to put on your compact professional camera then the NTG1 would be a good option. I have been very pleased with mine. Matt P. ... More
Good mic, great price.
Reviewed by Dave on B&H Photo Video
The NTG1 is a really nice little mic. In the price range, I dare say even compared to Mic's twice this price, the NTG-1 is the best. Like other Rode products, it's hot. Especially with this kit, it makes a great on-camera mic for run & gun stuff, picking up good quality sound even from 6-10 feet away. On a boom, it's even better. The tone is great, the sensitivity is great... it's definitely worth it for someone who wants a good phantom-powered mic without spending a fortune. Expertise: Professional Problems Encountered: The mount that comes with this kit may need tightening with a screw-driver (under the shoe mount) but that's all. Items I Recommend: Gitzo G-557C Boom pole ... More
5. Sennheiser MKE 600
Shotgun Microphone
The best audio of video choice I've made
Reviewed by Matthew on B&H Photo Video
I used to use WL lavs for all interviews. The sound was good, but not great. Being and audio guy-turned-video guy, I knew that I wanted a shotgun mic to make my audio more natural-sounding. I initially looked into the Rode Videomic series, but I knew that I wanted to us it in boomed situations as well as on-cam, so I ruled them out early because they are less-than-ideal for that context. So,knowing that I wanted an XLR mic, I then looked at the Rode NTG series. After listening, I found the Rodes to be decent, but a bit too tinny or thin-sounding. A lot of people who talked about the Rodes also talked about the MKE-600, so I listened to some clips recorded with this mic. Immediately, I hear the full-bodied sound, warmth and clarity for which I was searching.I purchased it from B&H about 2 months ago and, as mentioned, I use the MKE-600 in a boom and as an on-cam mic. When boomed, I plug into my Tascam DR-60D (also highly recommended for DSLR use and purchased from B&H), through which I monitor with its headphone out and send audio to my Rebel T4i with its camera output. I thought that I wasn't going to be able to get a clean sound recorded directly to the T4i. But I can get a very clean and full sound! It's all about gain structure. I simply max out the level of the camera output on the Tascam DR-60D and turn the T4i's audio input down to about 25%. This almost completely bypasses the DSLR's terrible audio preamp and all the sound recorded is from the Tascam. As an audio tech, I am very happy.When I use this on-cam, I plug directly into the T4i's mic input using the Kopul LMT-100 cable (also highly recommended for DSLR use and purchased from B&H). I believe this cable has an impedance-matching XFMR in it, but I'm not quite sure. I do know that, when using only this cable to connect the MKE-600 to my T4i, with the cam's audio input set to 50%, I get VERY clean, full-range sound. Again, as an audio tech, I am very happy.I love that I have the same single AA batt installed since day 1 and it is still going strong. I even left it on overnight once...I am not a fan of the shoe shock mount, but I still use it because it is adequate. Although I fear that it may not last very long. The jury is still out on the Senn version of the deadbeat. Not sure about my thoughts on that... Seriously, the best audio for video choice I've made. Second best if the Tascam DR-60D. I mount them all to the same rig using shoe mount rails. I mount the Tascam behind the camera instead of underneath it. This allows me to have everything in one neat and compact package. ... More
Very Happy with the MKE 600
Reviewed by Reidowitz on B&H Photo Video
I purchased this to be dual purpose. One as an on-camera mic for my D800 run n' gun shoots. I'm very happy. I tested this next to the Rode Video Mic and was much happier with the build. I also like the sound quality. It's a little more open/live than the Rode, but has a very clean open sound to work with. Next, I use it a b/u during on-camera interviews. I run this to my 2nd or 3rd channel on a Sound Devices 302 mixer. One thing I really like is the battery power. It saves the batteries on the mixer so I don't need P48. I've run almost all day on 3 AA re-chargables on the 302. I haven't used it next to a 416 yet, but for the price, I'd say it's the best on-camera alternative to a 416. During the interviews, I could almost toggle between the tram hidden on the talent and the MKE 600. That would be the best description I could give you next to a sound sample. I was really surprised I couldn't find a sample of this on-line to compare to the 416 and say a Rode Video Mic. The build is excellent Sennheiser quality and I think you can't go wrong. I also like their mount. Very simple and effective. The coiled adaptor cord for going to a DSLR should have a 90 degree bend on the back instead of being straight. That would be my only complaint. The included mount works great on my KTek Tadpole for a b/u boom. Also, get the Senn dead cat as it's less than buying the Rode and effectively does the same. With the included pouch it stays with my Nikon D800 ready to go at all times. Enjoy, I think you'll be happy with your purchase. Nice job Sennheiser! ... More
6. Rode VideoMic
Camera-Mount Shotgun Microphone
We would recomend this product
Reviewed by R B. on B&H Photo Video
Assignment: shoot a documentary series for Internet presentation consisting primarily of interiors and talking heads. For this we used the following lighting and photographic equipment purchased from B&H. Our Interfit Fluorescent Lighting set-up consisting of 3 x Super 5's and a Prolite 9 instrument. For photography we chose 2 VIXIA HF R400HD cameras, together with 2 PNY 32 GB class 10 High Performance memories, 2 SONY 32 GB class 10 memories, 2 Duracell 9 V batteries for our mic and a Rode VideoMic. Lighting: the Interface Fluorescent Lighting set up worked great. All of the instruments were lightweight, easy to set up and break down and provided excellent lighting with the diffusers in place. All of our energy consumption was handled easily by two circuits (it could have been one) and we would highly recommend this system for productions that want quality lighting on a budget. Microphone: the Rode VideoMic easily attached the hand bracket that was attached to the camera and the mic consistently provided professional quality sound for our 12 foot throws. Memory: the PNY 32 GB class 10 High Performance memories worked flawlessly in recording and reading our video project. He depended on them and making The SONY 32 GB class 10 memories worked flawlessly in recording and reading our video project. We depended on them and they came through. Batteries: one Duracell 9 V battery provided all the power necessary for the Rode VideoMic. It is rated at 100 hours. We can rely on it with confidence. Cameras: the VIXIA HF R400HD best met our criteria for the shoot. We locked down one camera and roamed with the other during panel discussions. Camera Pros: Excellent picture quality at 35 Mbps, 60 P. Excellent Canon optics. Excellent zoom ratio 35mm equivalent of 32.5 mm x 1,723 mm (but the HD format is as wide as a 35mm 4 x 3 format at 20 mm). Excellent zoom snap manual zoom plus three motor zoom speeds worked fine. Microphone input for professional sound we used the Rode VideoMic. Earphone output we used ear buds. Memory Two hour recording time with the 32 GB SBHC memory cards was essential for the success of this project. Camera Cons: Color temperature the cameras seem to be warm, but they cut well together. No hot shoe we used our own hand bracket for the Rode VideoMic. No threads on lens for additional lens or filter mounts but, we didn't need anything else. No manual control of exposure however, we were able to keep the lighting set-up consistent with the use of a handheld meter. Camera is slow we rated the1/4.85 CMOS at ISO 160, but easily maintained the recommended 100 Lux minimum illumination through the numerous lighting controls and metering. We've been working with B&H for over 20 years in still photography and they have always answered all of our technical questions. Their expertise has been indispensable during this media transition. B&H has always helped us get the quality results we want for the price we want to pay. ... More
Great mic, like it for DSLR video
Reviewed by Malte Strauss on B&H Photo Video
The Microphone is larger than I would anticipated it. It is a full size professional looking microphone with a fantastic sensitivity. I had to adjust the little switches inside the battery compartment as the sound came in too sharp for the Canon Eos 60d in the factory settings. The switches are tiny so you have to have good eyesight or a magnifying glass. After that it was much better. The only drawback is that the Canon 60d produces some background noise. I read up on it and the culprit is not the microphone but the signal processor inside of the Canon. So if you want excellent sound quality that is truly professional an external Amplifier and recorder is the best bet. The microphon has an excellend sensitivity. The sound from 10 feet is almost identical as from 3 feet away. So it picks up conversations very micely. If you do not plan to bring your footage onto the big screen the external mic with the DSLR works great despite a slight camera noise. I tried it outside with some ambient noise and wind with the furry diffuser on (seperate item) and its directional orientation helps to buffer sound from the back. It truly picks up nicely from the front. I bought also the generic fuzzy Windjammer for Shotgun Mic as it is cheaper than the original dead cat from Rhode. It fits quite OK over the rhode Mic so you can save $ 10 and still get a nice windscreen. I also bought the extension cable in 10' length. This is great to mount the microphone with some rubber band on a broomstick for an instant boom. One thing though, with the microphone on your DSLR the Rig looks like you mean business. No way to hide it. You can not shoot undervocer with it. On the bright side, if you are getting paid to shoot a video, this will add not only to your video sound quality but to your credibility. So there is no one doubting you got the goods to do the job. I am using it for a web series of informational videos, hoping to get picked up for a TV series at some time. Another positive the hot shoe mount is secure and easy to use on top of the camera. The microphone is relativ leightweight so it works great top mounted on the Canon. The shock mount with the rubber bands is effective and genius. They even provided some replacement rubbers. I am considering getting H4n zoom recorder for better amplification and backup sound recording. ... More
7. Sennheiser MKH 416
P48U3 Moisture-Resistant Shotgun Microphone
THIS IS THE BEST QUALITY SHOTGUN MIC - PERIOD
Reviewed by Anonymous on B&H Photo Video
Sennheiser MKH-416 (P48) Super-Cardioid Short Shotgun MicLet me give a little back-story on this one. I have been working in post production at Warner Bros Studios as a supervisor in post production for almost 10 years now. I have been in charge of overseeing dailies coming into the studio. I have worked with all the best sound mixers in the industry. Not only have I had equipment and spec meetings with every sound mixer coming into the studio, but I have also had the opportunity to talk to the dub stage mixers during the mix of our features. Back in 2006 I was looking for a great microphone to do ADR recording for a professional trailer. One of the older experienced mixers said there is only one mic that has the most dynamic yet clean recording for dialogue - both on set and in the ADR studio. The Sennheiser-MKH 416. He gave it such a stellar review I didn't even think twice about considering a different microphone.Now after a full year putting it to use in the ADR studio as well as (mostly) on a boom pole I am still amazed each and every time I use it. Just last month I was doing an indie shoot using free crew and I only gave our boom operators 10 minutes of instruction before handling the boom for the shoot. This is obviously not enough time to learn but the mic saved me like you wouldn't believe. The on-camera backup mic picked up nothing but echo even for the close up shots where the subject was 2' in front of camera. We were shooting using a prosumer HD camera in a standard living room with hardwood floors. The Sennheiser on the boom (more than 5' away) had absolutely no echo and recorded perfectly clean feature quality dialogue on the separate channel. The sound mixers at Warner Bros use it. I use it. There is no better microphone. Period. Expertise: Worked at Sony, Universal and now Warner Bros Studios in post production. I have been in charge of dailies coming in from production for all of my now 17 year career. Problems Encountered: Phantom power required to use this mic. Previous Equivalent Item Owned: I only use the Sennheiser MKH-416 Items I Recommend: Boom Pole ... More
THIS IS THE BEST MICROPHONE FOR ON SET RECORDING - PERIOD
Reviewed by Travis Dultz on B&H Photo Video
Sennheiser MKH-416 (P48) Super-Cardioid Short Shotgun MicLet me give a little back-story on this one. I have been working at Warner Bros Studios as a supervisor in post production for almost 10 years now. I have been in charge of overseeing dailies coming into the studio. I have worked with all the best sound mixers in the industry. Not only have I had equipment and spec meetings with every sound mixer coming into the studio, but I have also had the opportunity to talk to the dub stage mixers during the mix of our features. Back in 2006 I was looking for a great microphone to do ADR recording for a professional trailer. One of the older experienced mixers said there is only one mic that has the most dynamic yet clean recording for dialogue - both on set and in the ADR studio. The Sennheiser-MKH 416. He gave it such a stellar review I didn't even think twice about considering a different microphone.Now after a full year putting it to use in the ADR studio as well as (mostly) on a boom pole I am still amazed each and every time I use it. Just last month I was doing an indie shoot using free crew and I only gave our boom operators 10 minutes of instruction before handling the boom for the shoot. This is obviously not enough time to learn but the mic saved me like you wouldn't believe. The on-camera backup mic picked up nothing but echo even for the close up shots where the subject was 2' in front of camera. We were shooting using a prosumer HD camera in a standard living room with hardwood floors. The Sennheiser on the boom (more than 5' away) had absolutely no echo and recorded perfectly clean feature quality dialogue on the separate channel. The sound mixers at Warner Bros use it. I use it. There is no better microphone. Period. Expertise: Worked at Sony, Universal and now Warner Bros Studios in post production. I have been in charge of dailies coming in from production for all of my now 17 year career. Problems Encountered: Phantom power required for this microphone Previous Equivalent Item Owned: I only use the Sennheiser MKH-416 Items I Recommend: Boom Pole ... More
8. Rode VideoMic NTG
Camera-mount Shotgun Microphone
My favorite shotgun mic!
Reviewed by Tobin on B&H Photo Video
I have two gripes about this mic, but that won't stop me from giving it a 5 star rating. First I'll cover what I love about this mic as a novice film maker/vlogger/podcaster. Hands down it's the most versatile I've tried. Here's what I love: * Auto-sensing output takes the thinking out of switching between camera and mobile devices. (I would often forget the adapter for my lav mic.) * Long lasting rechargeable battery (via USB-C) * Volume/Gain control * Monitoring when using as a podcasting mic via my computer * Frequency filters * Safety channel (-20dB) I've used this for run and gun vlogging and also podcasting on the go. Output quality is really great for the price. Now for the downsides. * no battery level display - I ran into a situation where the mic somehow was left on while connected to an external recorder. The mic died while I was using it on a camera and I had no idea. There's no way to check the battery level of the mic. which brings me to #2 * battery not removable/swappable - I'm sure I won't experience this any time soon, but I suspect that there will be a point where the battery life becomes poor and will need to be replaced... but, I won't be able to. I hope this won't come for many years. In the case of my battery dying on me, it would have been great to have a backup. However it seems to charge fast enough. ... More
A Lot of Mic for a Little $$$
Reviewed by Paul on B&H Photo Video
I do not have a video camera currently that uses a shoe mount , although I am hoping to get one in the future. I picked this mic up specifically for use with Zoom calls and live streaming, in the hopes that it would also be useful for video recording when I have a suitable camera. My kids have group meetings for a choir and unfortunately due to the pandemic they have moved everything online. I wanted to try to get better audio for their calls than we were getting out of a built-in laptop microphone, especially since they are asked to stand and sit and sing a few feet away from the computer so they can't maintain a position close to the built-in microphone. This microphone is quite well-built and solid. I have some Rode NT-5 microphones I bought a dozen years ago and this seems to have a similar feel. I plugged this into a Windows laptop and it worked immediately, with the driver installed automatically, with no issues at all. It usually acts as a mono device, sending the same audio to each channel, but there is a neat trick it can do. If you turn on a special mode, it will send the normal audio level to the left channel, but send an attenuated level on the right channel. If you are recording, and something causes the mic to clip, this means you might be able to repair the recording by using the right channel data, which is less likely to be clipped. The auto-sensing headphone/audio out jack is a neat feature as well. It allows you to plug a pair of headphones directly into the mic to monitor what it is recording. You can also use this jack to plug it into a camera or recorder. That's a nifty feature. The built-in rechargeable battery is also a nice touch. I'm not really using it yet since it is plugged into a laptop using the included USB cable, but it is nice to know that I can also unplug it and use it to feed a recorder. I want to try it with my Sound Devices MixPre-6 II at some point, although I have not experimented with that yet. The audio quality is quite good. It might not impress a location sound engineer as much as one of Rode's large, thousand-dollar shotgun microphones, but to me it sounds very clear, with a low noise floor, and is quite crisp. So I'm very happy with it. I'd like to point out that it uses Euro-style mounting hardware. I was originally planning to use tripods or mic stand adapters with 1/4 diameter mounting screws with 20 threading. Be aware that this fits 3/8 diameter mounting screws with 16 threading. So you might need a stand mount adapter. Some of the B&H bundles come with adapters that might be suitable for you. I initially took mine out of the included shock mount and put it in one of the clips that came with my Rode NT-5 microphones, and that worked fine, but later found a Rode mic stand adapter that works fine and allows me to use the included shock mount. Overall, I'm very pleased with this device, a solid and very cleverly-designed little product. ... More
9. Rode VideoMic Pro
Camera-Mount Shotgun Microphone
Finally, Rode produces a real pro with user features
Reviewed by Gene on B&H Photo Video
I've long been a fan of Rode since their Film Maker Kit. However, when I previously bought one of their shotgun mics, the battery cage design was so horrible and hard to use that I returned it. I just finished shooting my first wedding with the new Video Mic Pro Plus. The first thing that made me fall in love with it is the 100 hour rechargeable battery. Next were the L.E.D. lights on the back that show if the mic is working and the levels you have it set at for filtering and gain up to 20+. Finally, Rode is paying attention to the users of the equipment. Thanks, Rode for the better engineering design! ... More
Great Microphone....Great Store!!
Reviewed by Micheal on B&H Photo Video
Just got this microphone in today and put it through a quick test on the camera and it was great. My expectations were for it to record well at 3 feet but it has done a great job at 5 and 6 feet away. I purchased a Rode VideoMic and it had an issue where it wasn't working properly. This was my first purchase with B&H so I wasn't sure how they were going to be with a return. When I called up they said it was not a problem at all and they sent me a label to send the bad microphone back, which went out today. I was impressed with the way they handled the issue so I ordered a Rode VideoMic Pro after speaking with the representative from B&H, he said it was the best microphone under 400. After testing it I would say it is safe to say he is correct! As a first time buyer at B&H I am glad I purchased through them, I will be making future purchases with them because of the way they handled my issue with the bad microphone and because the representative I spoke to was knowledgeable. In short: If you need a great microphone and want to do business with a good place then buy this mic. from B&H. ... More
10. Rode NTG4+
Shotgun Microphone
Happy with the mic
Reviewed by Dan on B&H Photo Video
I am not an audiophile, but as a videophile I work with audio all the time. I'd say my discerning ear is middle of the road. With that disclaimer... I have worked with the ME66, MKE600 and AT4037a shotguns extensively in the past. I picked up the NTG4+ after much debate and without much info on the web. As such, was nervous to buy this blind but I have been very pleased with the NTG4+, the sound quality sounds cleaner and just flat out better (to my ears at least) than the mics I mentioned above. I have been running it with Low pass & high boost enabled in a zeppelin and dead cat exclusively for my tests but this is fitting my needs very well. As far as the battery, I know that freaks some people out - but I've left it on without charging multiple days in a row for shoots and it's still green (it gives different colors when you are at 20 hours and 10 hours remaining and I haven't even hit that yet). And yes, I have had a backup mic available. Seeing as how it can charge to 80% in just over an hour off a little USB battery pack or any USB charging port, this works a lot better for me personally than AA or AAA batteries. All in all, definitely happy with the purchase. No complaints and to my ears, the sound quality is very good - better than anything I've had in the past, and I find it highly unlikely that anyone other than the most intensely critical audiophiles would ever complain about the sound quality. ... More
Worth Every Penny
Reviewed by Brendan on B&H Photo Video
I've used this while shooting both indoor and outdoor interviews where there was a lot of background noise, and the NTG4+ did an amazing job. The quality is really fantastic. I know some people are hesitant to go with a mic that has a built-in battery, but a single charge on this thing lasts a ridiculously long time (I haven't clocked the 150 hours yet that Rode says it will give me, but I've seen nothing to make me think that estimate isn't accurate). Plus, the Power LED light will blink Orange when you're at 25%/50 hours remaining, Red at 10%/20 hours and Red Blinking at 2%/4 hours, so there's really no reason to be caught off guard by how much battery power is left when on a shoot. If you're on the fence, check out Philip Bloom's massive shotgun mic blog post where he posted comparisons that you can listen to between the NTG1, 2, 3, 4 and 4+ along with some others. ... More