New Rode NTG-3 Shotgun on a PMW-EX3

[Andy Wilkinson]

Just a few quick pics to show what the beauties look like together. The mic is sagging a bit in the suspension mount simply because I did not straighten it.

[Markus Bo]

It looks nice but where do you put lights?
Markus

[Ty Ford]

Very sexy 90 degree connector.

Regards,

Ty Ford

[Xan Bonneau]

Originally Posted by Markus Bo

It looks nice but where do you put lights?
Markus

You should look at the Cool-Lux MD3000. I think you lose the "hot" shoe functionality, though.

[Markus Bo]

That's the reason why I like this forum!

Markus

[Marty Wein]

Originally Posted by Andy Wilkinson

The mic is sagging a bit in the suspension mount simply because I did not straighten it.

Did you criss cross the Bands of the Mount? Looking at the images it does not look like you did. Criss-crossing the horizontal bands when inserting a shotgun mic should help.

Originally Posted by Markus Bo

It looks nice but where do you put lights?
Markus

Also see the Rycote Hot shoe extender

[Andy Wilkinson]

Marty, no I did not! Maybe that was in the instructions I should have read with the Rode supsension mount!

So there you have it, I post pics to help people on here see how the two items look and I learn something new that helps me/others as silly as me in not reading them. Thanks Marty.

That Rycote shoe extender also looks highly useful.

[Allan Black]

Great stuff Andy, that's some viewfinder on the cam. The RODE SM3 and 4 shockmounts *just* hold the NTG-3, you have to position it carefully.

Doubling those bands there's too much stretching going on...like to get a big TWANG! right on the money shot. I've got these in a hot cart at BnH, don't know the the diameter for the mic yet.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=292948&is=REG

Cheers.

[Marty Wein]

Allan,
Diameter of the mic is 19mm and the K-Tek should work with the mic but will not work well on the SM3 (if this is what you intend to use it with).

Criss-crossing isn't really doubling it and should work fine and it is certainly worth a try.

[Allan Black]

Thanks Marty. My SM3 mount did come with its four 0 rings criss crossed. The NTG-3 tilts down a tad when it's correctly fitted to it, so I'm currently putting 2 19mm 0 rings on the mic to sit inside against the SM3 rings to stop the G3 slipping forward.

I heard back from BnH confirming your assumption re that polymer K-Tek suspension. The NTG-3 will fit fine they say, I'm ordering some sets.

Cheers.

[Marty Wein]

Originally Posted by Allan Black

Thanks Marty. My SM3 mount did come with its four 0 rings criss crossed.

Allan,
To the best of me knowledge the SM3 is not criss crossed by default.
Here is an illustration of proper criss crossing that I hope helps.

I heard back from BnH confirming your assumption re that polymer K-Tek suspension. The NTG-3 will fit fine they say, I'm ordering some sets.

While the K-Tek will fit the NTG-3, it will NOT work with the SM3 since the 4 points are too large for the SM3 and they will fall off.

K-Tek has a new mount called the K-Mount which should work nice when used in conjunction with the Clamp Mount Adapter or the Shoe adapter. The image of the K-Mount does not do it justice as it is a real beauty IMO.

The NTG-3 tilts down a tad when it's correctly fitted to it, so I'm currently putting 2 19mm 0 rings on the mic to sit inside against the SM3 rings to stop the G3 slipping forward.

Can you post some pictures of this setup?

[Andy Wilkinson]

Well I tried my Rode SM3 mount with criss-crossed O rings and it's way, way too tightly strung for my liking so have reverted to it as it was in my original pictures above. This gives a much more gentle, softer/loose suspension that, in my opinion, despite the slight front end sag (easily correctable with angle adjustment on the SM3) will give much better isolation of the mic from the camera. Of course, as we all know, on camera is about the worst place for a mic anyway but sometimes there is no choice. If you really wanted to criss-cross it would need larger O rings I think/or the alternative above.

On a side note, yesterday we used this Rode NTG-3 inside my Rycote S series (330 kit) on the end of the Rode boom pole for some showreel stuff we're doing. The boom pole was supported by a Boom Buddy on one of my old light stands - not a perfect contraption but sure saves handling the thing all the time/allowed correct positioning etc. Sound came out really nice!!!

[Phil Bambridge]

Originally Posted by Xan Bonneau

I think you lose the "hot" shoe functionality, though.

I always assumed hot shoes were ones that supplied power of some description to what was attached to them- my old 35mm SLR clearly had contacts that connected to the flash gun to tell it when to fire. But when I got my DVX100B, with a hot-shoe as described by the manual, it was just a black piece of metal. So I got to thinking it just meant that it was easy to swap things in and out. But then I saw someone talk of a cold-shoe.

Anyone know? Minor apologies in advance for being only barely on-topic.

[Gary Nattrass]

Yes Phil HOT SHOE is stills camera with flashgun sync contacts, most video cameras like my Z7 have cold shoes with no contacts.

[Phil Bambridge]

So it really is just a widespread mistake when people call them hotshoes, to the point that it's one of those accepted classes of mistake?