Best mic for direct to camera

[Jim Bachalo]

Considering either the RODE Video Mic Pro $140 or the Sennheiser MKE400 $240.

Going direct to mic jack on 5D2 and also the 1DC.

Trying to avoid dual sound.

Any other recommendations?

[Gary Nattrass]

AT 875r but as stated on the other forum you need to get the mic near the sound source and not just mount it on the camera!

The 875r has a nice focused sound and it low cost so you can also add a rode Pg2 grip and a ws6 softie, a nice gitzo carbon fibre boom and some sony 7506 headphones will also help!

You will also need a phantom power box but they are low cost.

[D.J. Ammons]

I own the Rode Videomic, Videomic Pro, and the NTG2. The NTG2 is a great microphone but favorite of the three is the regular Videomic. It is pretty amazing.

[Richard Crowley]

Wrong question

Your microphone should fit WHAT you are recording, and WHERE, and HOW. What you are recording TO doesn't really even make the top 5-10 list of important factors for serious microphone selection.

OTOH, if you are recording to a DSLR, then your camera is a much greater limiting factor than choice of microphone, and indicates that sound isn't very important to what you are doing.

[John Willett]

Personally I would go with the Sennheiser MKE 600.

[Predrag Vasic]

When I read "direct to camera", I had assumed he meant that the talent is speaking while looking directly to the camera (as opposed to the interview style, with over-the-shoulder shots, or a two-shot, etc). It didn't occur to me that he may have meant a mic plugged directly into the camera (rather than using an audio recorder).

In either case, a mic choice will only depend on what is being shot, where and how. My personal order of preference (which depends on the circumstances):

1. handheld mic pointed directly at the mouth of the speaker (acceptable when it is clear the person is interviewed by a journalist);
2. lav, clipped to the lapel or similar place close to the speakers mouth (when interviewer isn't supposed to be in the shot);
3. concealed lav (when mic would spoil the illusion);
4. boom from above (when the movement or wardrobe prohibits a concealed lav);
5. boom from below (when light casts boom shadows into the shot, or when framing requires a lot of space above the talent);
6. shotgun from somewhere outside of the frame, pointed at talent;
7. If all else fails (one-man show, no boom operator, etc), extremely good shotgun mounted on top of the camera.

What doesn't make the list is built-in camera mic, regardless of how good it may be, as it is never good enough.

Bottom line is that the ultimate goal is always to get the microphone as close to the mouth of the speaking talent as possible, by whatever means possible. If you can't shove a handheld in his face, clip a lav; if that isn't acceptable, hide it somewhere on his person; if that doesn't work, boom him/her from above/below. Practically in every conceivable situation, one of these options will work, and you won't need the "all else fails" fallback.