I bought the NTG2 but I just now realized that it didn't come with an XLR to XLR but rather a XLR to stereo 3.5 mm. Should I buy the XLR to XLR or stick with what it came with? I'm surprised the NTG2 didn't come with an XLR to XLR.

And if I did get an XLR to XLR, would this one work well?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/283353-REG/Remote_Audio_CAXJCOIL2_Right_Angled_Coiled_XLR.html

I've never seen a shotgun mic come with a cable, so you're one up on most people. If the right angle XLR connector fits OK without interfering with any switches or anything, it would be fine, but you might take a close look first. You'll need longer cables, of course, for when you use the mic on a boom, but that one should be OK for camera mounting.

How much quality difference is there between an XLR to XLR or just using what mine came with? I also have an adapter I could use that makes the 3.5mm to an XLR...Is that worth it?

It's not a quality difference... it's a convenience difference and a peace-of-mind difference. XLR is a more secure and robust connection.

I bought the NTG2, but mine never came with any cable. I made a XLR to XLR lead using a 90 degree bend on the camera end. This way the plug doesn't stick out to far and catch when I put the camera back into the bag.

Mark

You will need XLR-to-XLR to use the A1's phantom power with the mic. Phantom power is not available at the 3.5mm mic jack.

Also, there may be questions as to what sound is recorded on the left and right channels depending on the details of your XLR-to-miniphone adapter. From your post it reads as though you will get equal-but-out-of-phase sound on the left and right channels.

And if I did get an XLR to XLR, would this one work well?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/283353-REG/Remote_Audio_CAXJCOIL2_Right_Angled_Coiled_XLR.html

I use that cable with my A1/NTG2

I've never seen a shotgun mic come with a cable, so you're one up on most people. If the right angle XLR connector fits OK without interfering with any switches or anything, it would be fine, but you might take a close look first. You'll need longer cables, of course, for when you use the mic on a boom, but that one should be OK for camera mounting.

The XH-A1 manual indicates a 3-meter length limit on the XLR mic cables.
That's not quite 10 feet but I was thinking about picking up a 25' XLR and a rode shotgun mic for my two day old XH-A1. Do we need to observe this limitation when using a boom or is there something else to consider, alternatives?

The XH-A1 manual indicates a 3-meter length limit on the XLR mic cables.
That's not quite 10 feet but I was thinking about picking up a 25' XLR and a rode shotgun mic for my two day old XH-A1. Do we need to observe this limitation when using a boom or is there something else to consider, alternatives?

You will be fine.

I don't know why they would cite that length. I've routinely run 50-100 feet of audio cable with no problems.

The 3 meter limit maybe driven by the mechanics of connecting to and dragging cable without additional strain relief. A careless user (none of those here are there?) could damage or break the XLR connector on the camcorder if they try to drag too much cable with the camcorder. Similarly, long cables not secured or gaffer-taped to the floor could get snagged by the dainty foot of a random passing klutz and you end up with a spilled camcorder and tripod. Aad if used with an on-board mic, more than 9.5 feet of cable becomes an issue with dragging on the floor, tripping the operator, extra weight, etc.

Practically speaking, you can run balanced, low impedance microphone signals several hundred feet without a problem.

That would be true for any camera made if some dude drug a couple hundred feet of cable across the floor using the camera for a handle.