Polsen SCL-1075 Review
Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
- Attach to Camera Shoe Mount or Boom
- Cardioid and Supercardioid Patterns
- Optimized to Reject Ambient Noise
- Great for Indoor or Outdoor Use
- Foam Windscreen Included
- Mic Clip with Shoe Mount Included
- Mic Clip for Boom Pole Included
- AA Battery Included
Highlighted Customer Reviews
Showing 1 to 20 of 93 Reviews
Solid Option
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Matsugawa on B&H Photo Video
I bought this to use as a vocal mic for recording a podcast with a Tascam DR-05, so while I'm not exactly using this little guy out in the field, it's one of the best mics I've ever used. I'm used to dynamic handhelds and built-in electrets. As far as the range goes, ten to fifteen feet is about the maximum. Even then, ten feet in normal mode was very faint (20 was a whisper). Tele mode improved it, but brought the noise floor up (though I think engaging your recorder' low-cut filter could help with that). My only real complaints about it are no roll-off filter, no decibel pad, no ON LED, somewhat flimsy-feeling accessories (thought I was going to break one of the clips simply adjusting it), and very bulky packaging. I'd have much preferred a reusable plastic case or some zippered pouch, but that would have brought the price up, and that's probably this item's biggest strength. Compared to some rather mixed reviews similarly-priced models from Azden and Audio-Technica were getting, this feels like a sure bet. Normal mode was crisp and clear without any adjusting of the gain or sensitivity on the recorder, which is a very good sign. I'm seriously considering buying a second one for stereo. In short, if you can afford a higher-end model and want greater versatility, go for it. However, if you're on a budget and don't want to make a huge investment in something you're likely to take into the field as an interview mic, this is your best option, and you'll get more than you expect. ... More
Could have been a contender
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by FlowFusion on B&H Photo Video
OK I have used this product a few times (4 to be exact). The first time It worked once and Ioved it. The second time I turned it on and tried to use it the mic didn't work. So I wrote a bad review and I was sent another. The next time I used it, I loved it again and put it away till another even came up that required this type of mic. I'll be honest this is a great mic but it just can't seem to keep working. I am a very careful person and still have fully functional gear from the 80's. But this mic, just doesn't want to work for very long. I really wish it did but the mic has no light so you have to assume it's working. And I for one don't want to have to check every time I record if the mic is working. I have had it sittting on my desk trying to figure out what to do with it but nothing comes to mind. I hate writing bad reviews when it's not the device but the design. I wish I had better luck with it but sorry. The mic is not always going to work. ... More
Warning: Will die without warning!
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Jeremy on B&H Photo Video
Bought this back in March for a quick project. Worked great, and the audio quality was really surprisingly good. I came back to it a few months later (well past the point in which I can return or exchange it, and it seems the warranty has expired as well), and it worked for all of five minutes and then died right in the middle of a test shoot. Delayed (and thus ruined) my project and now I will have to try to find a replacement... DO NOT BUY THIS. It seems others have had this same issue, and there's no apparent fix, or rhyme or reason to the problem itself. It will die at some random point, and if you're anything like me, it will happen JUST after you can't do anything about it... Very disappointed and currently have the world's biggest frown on my face. You do not want this product. How it got past quality control is beyond me. You would think they would have caught the issue (or at least fixed it), but apparently not. I will never buy anything from Polsen again (I still love B&H though!). ... More
Disappointing without pre-amp
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Jesse on B&H Photo Video
I bought this to use as a directional shotgun microphone on my Canon 6d or with a smartphone to record bird sounds (for record keeping, not for studio quality). This microphone has great quality sound, but has very poor directionality, and I could not notice a difference in sound amplitude of a bird call when swinging the microphone from pointed 45-degrees away from the bird, at the bird to 45-degrees the other way. Further, I couldn't notice a significant increase in volume over my camera or phone built-in microphone, although the quality was better. I do not think I could pick up anything additional even with significant db boosts and other filters attempted in Adobe Audition. For my purposes, this microphone is not a worth carrying in my backpack. Also, I echo everyone else's comments that you can't tell whether the battery is good nor whether the mic is on/off. ... More
Polsen microphone
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Nikon for Mike on B&H Photo Video
I purchased this mic from BH due to the positive reviews I read on its site. I compared it to Nikon ME-1, and decided to go with Polsen which costs less than half of the Nikon model. The polsen mic works fine and is easy to set up. I like its design that protrudes its head forward. It may help reduce lens focusing sound. The good: it kills almost 100% of lens focusing noise. Base is easy to secure on cam hotshoe. Protruding design of the mic gives a pro look. The bad: The Polsen mic has no indication of battery power or on/off. Need to watch recording level on cam LCD to know the mic is working. One could forget to turn it off after shooting or forget to turn it on when shooting. The good design of protruding mic head gvies the headache of carrying it. The Nikon ME-1 can be carried in a cam bag, but not this Polsen. It's too long unless you use a backbag. I finally found a place for it: in my travel tripod bag. Overall: it's worth the cost. ME-1 has a battery light, but I doubt it's work the $60ish over the Polsen. I can use the Polsen on my cam and my camcorder. ... More
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amazing mic for video recording
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Health and Wellness on B&H Photo Video
We produce a professional web series and I was never happy with the audio of our segments. We were using a mic cabled to the Canon T3i DSLR through a Zoom H4N, and while it is gave us wide pickup for two person interviews, it was not the same sound quality as when we used our hand-held condenser mics for standup field interviews. The SCL-1075, however, gives us clear, clean, noise free audio for our sit-down interviews and there is no longer a need to set up the Zoom with all of the cables. The SCL-1075 securely clips to our boom stand, and you just need to remember to turn it on before you start filming since it is battery operated and forgetting to shut it off after use will obviously drain the battery. I highly recommend this mic for capturing audio for both personal use and for professional use. I was so impressed with this mic that we have already purchased two for our videographers. I have read other reviews that point out the negative aspect of it being battery operated without any indication of battery life remaining, so I tend to be a bit more aggressive in changing the battery. ... More
Great mic, but beware!
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Ethan on B&H Photo Video
The mic itself is fantastic for the price. Gets decent run and gun audio like the rode vid mics. Tele mode has a decent output and the hiss (background noise) is at a managable level. I brought this mic to a shoot and it worked well the first day, the second day I woke up and powered it onno sound. I Troubleshooted for a bit, and it was definitely a short, or another electrical fault in the mic's circuitry. No sound, even when yelling into it (rare for any mic). The shoo was in easy conditions, 70F weather, and was stored inside overnight, no reason to fail except for manufactural defect. I'm gonna return it, and get another one. If it happens again, I'm gonna get another mic. ... More
Great Microphone for the Price
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Chris Woodland on B&H Photo Video
I am a student who works on independent film projects and was in need of a affordable shotgun microphone. I pick this one because of reviews and price and was skeptical at first, but I am super glad I picked it. The microphone provides high quality sound. It is easy to set up and fixes while on my camera. Some people complain that the microphone is quiet when more than 10 feet away, and while that is true, it is easily fixed by moving the mic off the camera and closer or turning on the build in tele-mode.The only complaint I would have is that there is no way to tell if the batteries are dead or not, but I have a habit of always checking my footage and doing two take so it doesn't affect myself a whole look, just watch out on long shoots. Overall this is very good shotgun microphone and I would recommend it. ... More
Using with the Blackmagic pocket cam
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Singleton on B&H Photo Video
You're not going to go crazy over this mic, but it's worth the price for sure. There's no battery light...get used to that. There's no way to tell when the batteries run out...just have plenty and put a new one in if you're worried. It'd be great if this mic came with a female plug and you could just use your own cable...I'm a little worried about that cable wearing out, but we'll see. It seems a bit flimsy right there. Otherwise, the mic works great...it has a switch to do two different patterns...one a little more omni than the other so it functions really great for small camera use. Keep in mind that the Blackmagic camera doesn't have a hot shoe...so you'll need to buy a cold shoe adapter. ... More
poor quality
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by HCTV on B&H Photo Video
We bought 8 of the Polsen SCL-1075 mics and within 4 months 5 had died and just stopped working. We tried new batteries, different cameras and had the same results. 1 out of the 8 is still working and the other 2 are still in the box and have not been used. Very disappointed that none of them are working.
5-Star Microphone
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Raven on B&H Photo Video
My parents purchased this microphone for me because I needed a shotgun microphone to make films. It sounds very good. It has two settings, one for close range and one for long range. They both work as they should. A lot of people have given it a bad review because it breaks where the cable goes in to the microphone. I taped the cord in a position so that it will not damage the connection. I've used it very often and it is still working well. Anyone who has worked with audio/video equipment before should know to treat it with care. And even though I'm only 14, I've learned this in my years spent recording. ... More
I knew It Was Cheap, But Not This Cheap
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by G Dollar Sign on B&H Photo Video
I bought this mic less than 30 days ago; I've used it about 3 times and it no longer works. I assume some internal cord was disconnected. I bought it because I had some extra money in B&H Rewards so I basically got it for free. For the little bit it did work the audio was alright. Theres no way to tell when it's going to die, which is the biggest flaw ever.
Decent, but not the most reliable
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Timothy on B&H Photo Video
Bought this in Sept 2014 to capture for my video productions. Audio was above quality from the camera I was using, polar patterns fit their description. Didn't use tele, but when I was testing it, found it brought in more ambient noise, which is to be expected. Beginning this year, thing just up and died. I didn't really abuse it, though the exterior construction look and feel more than adequate to handle wear and tear. Switched out batteries, still dead. And seems like that's the case with a lot of other complaints too. Definitely worth the money, as long as it holds up, but I guess the price nearly guarantees that it won't. ... More
Not bad for beginners
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Jason on B&H Photo Video
It's pretty good for doing interviews and review videos. Fits on my Canon 60D. Loving the sound quality from the shoots, so I would highly recommend this mic for beginners. The only downside is that there is no battery indicator on the mic that lets you know if the battery is getting low, so chances are it may die at anytime during the shoot and you would have no sound at all, which is pretty scary if you've been shooting for hours. Just be sure to playback your videos to make sure you have sound before moving on to the next shot is what I recommend. But other then that great Microphone. ... More
A good value, but with a flaw
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Chris M on B&H Photo Video
Purchased this microphone to use with my DSLR along for personal use with another wireless microphone and it was decent audio for the price of the microphone. However, the major flaw that I found is there is no power light to warn you of when the battery dies. At some point during my recording the battery died and the audio drops out. The only way to find out that the audio is gone is to playback the video. There are probably plenty of ways to prevent this from happening, but a simple power indicator LED would have made this product worth purchasing (and 4 star rating). I returned the microphone and went with the Nikon ME-1 since it does not need power with my camera. ... More
Worth the price
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by LeeVanCleef on B&H Photo Video
I needed this mic for low-budget work I do filming Youtube instructional and interview videos in outdoor windy areas. As long as the subject is 6 feet away or less, it does a good job. I read some reviews on here about people upset that it has no battery sensor. That's not actually a problem, since if the battery dies (mine lasted at least 6 hours of continous use), you can instantly tell because your headphones are silent. It's a great price. Now I just need to get the fuzzy cover to break up wind.
Worked Maybe 4 Times
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by K2 on B&H Photo Video
I thought this mic might work for my needs with an occasional video, social media post. Worked great 3-4 times. It was a little tinny on the tele setting, but usable. Plugged it in this week to shoot again in the studio and it was dead, changed batteries 3 times hoping that was the issue. Still nothing. It's dead. It was only used once outside and that was a sunny cool day in February. I can't recommend this based on the limited use I got out of it. This is the first product I've bought from B&H that I've been disappointed with. ... More
Does a decent job at a ridiculous price
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Doc DP on B&H Photo Video
I use it for run and gun documentary filmmaking. I decided to test it out and see if could stand the abuse. I threw in the bag without any padding, I used it on a rainy day shoot absolutely carelessly because, well, it is only $bucks. Surprisingly, has decent sound quality and solid construction.The deal is very simple: at this time, there are no other shotgun mics on the market that do the same job for $$.
Not so good
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by Mr.Puff on B&H Photo Video
Worked well the first time I used it for an interview. The second time was out side and it was absolutely horrible and I could not use the sound clip. It stopped working all together after my third attempted.I tried changing the batteries and using different cameras. I would not but one again, even for a 1$.
I would recommend it to someone
Polsen SCL-1075 Camera Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Reviewed by SaltedOnions on B&H Photo Video
I was looking for a cheap microphone that does it's job well. This is just what I was looking for. It comes with two mounts, one for the camera and for a boom pole, so it is useful for many areas. I find the normal mode on it is much better than the tele function, since the tele function picks up noise from all directions. The audio is great, so with that being said, I would recommend it if you are looking for something on a budget.
