Sony EX1 mic choice?

[Charles Dasher]

I recently purchased an EX 1 and I need to get a mic. I already have a Senn wireless set up. What I need is something I can shock mount on the camera as well as use with a boom. I have been reading up on the Rodes, the Senn me 66 and the 416 as well as AT 875R and the Oktava 12. I also here that getting the best mic you can afford is key.

Currently I am looking at 2 kits from B&H

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...icrophone.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...#goto_itemInfo

I am primarily filming action sports from a tripod and often times I would use a mic stand set up next to my tripod with the mic pointed in the general direction of the action. At other times I will be climbing around rocks and jetties or sitting in boats on water. For these times mounting to the camera is the only alternative. Also run and gun quick interviews are required.

So if anyone has advice for me I greatly appreciate it. The kits from B&H are attractive but if buying a better mic now and waiting to purchase a boom kit down the line is better I will do that.

Thanks

[Bill Ravens]

afraid the answer isn't cheap. for outdoor events a shotgun is prolly best...i use a senn me66, altho' i've heard very good things about AT's. for indoor recordings, you might be better with a condenser, cardoid like the Rode.

[Dan Brockett]

Originally Posted by Charles Dasher

I recently purchased an EX 1 and I need to get a mic. I already have a Senn wireless set up. What I need is something I can shock mount on the camera as well as use with a boom. I have been reading up on the Rodes, the Senn me 66 and the 416 as well as AT 875R and the Oktava 12. I also here that getting the best mic you can afford is key.

Currently I am looking at 2 kits from B&H

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...icrophone.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...#goto_itemInfo

I am primarily filming action sports from a tripod and often times I would use a mic stand set up next to my tripod with the mic pointed in the general direction of the action. At other times I will be climbing around rocks and jetties or sitting in boats on water. For these times mounting to the camera is the only alternative. Also run and gun quick interviews are required.

So if anyone has advice for me I greatly appreciate it. The kits from B&H are attractive but if buying a better mic now and waiting to purchase a boom kit down the line is better I will do that.

Thanks

One practical consideration is your camera mounting situation. Many people aren't aware that using longer microphones like the 416, MKH-60, 70, Schoeps CMIT5u results in the tip of your mic and or windscreen intruding on the upper right of your frame in wider shots. A lot of times people don't notice it until they get into the edit bay and say, "what the heck is that black thing up there?" We recently edited a job where the person who shot wasn't even using the mic on the camera but it was still there, big as life in a lot of the shots.

I would suggest a shorter microphone but still a shotgun if you are shooting exteriors. In my recent microphone article, the shorter shotguns that were designed for camera mounting specifically were the Sanken CS1 and the Audio-Technica AT875r. Neither will intrude in your frame as both are fairly diminuitive in length. Forget the Oktava for camera mounting, it is quite sensitive to handling noise and would not be good for camera mounting.

I have never heard or used a Rode, can't comment on them.

I own the ME-66 and I also own the ME-64 and ME-67 capsules for it. It's okay sounding, nothing amazing, but not terrible. Frankly I like the sound of the new AT875r better than the Me-64 capsule and the Me-64 with the K6 is a about two and half times the cost.

Have you listened to the samples yet?
http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage..._brockett.html

Dan