I’m a rookie at this, I wanted to purchase a shotgun type mic but I also need the light (VL-3) because most of my filming is done inside nightclubs. So how do I use both with out buying MA-300? I almost bought the MA-300 only because I was going to use it to hold the mic….any suggestions……

You can use the light or the MA-300, but not both. The general gist if you want to use the VL-3 light: you'll need to mount a mic via a 3rd party bracket.

See this thread (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10943) for a few additional remarks.

thanks

Berni,
If you want to use the MA-300 to hold your mic and you need a light, there is a way. You can use the MA-300 to mount your mic in and then you could buy the VL-10Li light instead of the VL-3 and mount it on top of the MA-300. This is possible because the VL-10Li light is not powered by the camera, it uses its own battery.

Scott is quite correct. The VL-10Li uses the same type of battery that the GL1/GL2 uses and is not electrically connected to the camera at all. Since it's a shoe-mounted light, albeit a cold shoe mount, it could fit on the top of the MA-300 (which has a cold shoe).

The only issue would be that the light's beam would be aiming much higher than normal and might mainly miss its targets. The beam of the light also cannot be tilted.

My 2 pennies worth. I think Canon lost the design plot here. They just ran out of steam. How difficult would it have been to have the "cold" shoe atop the MA300 having its own supply to a VL3?

NB: There is a "warning" on the MA300 housing, saying, "ONLY FOR MICROPHONES".

I can only think this is to cover themselves that in the event that an individual should use anything more a)heavier b)hotter - than a light weigth cold item like a microphone, they can say we told you so. - No where have I seen any suggestion that a "light" could be slipped into the cold shoe.

Scott, apart from what I said above, the VL10 + Battery [ what size do you use up there! ] IMHO, must produce an inordinate physical forward "moment" being transferred down to the plastic MA300 male foot - yeah?

I've, for the moment, "fudged" this knotty issue by telling myself that I'm unlikely to do interviews where I would be doing/needing the VL3 - like a club, where it's noisy and the light levels are low [ I'm being ironic here! ]. To use my Senni and MA300, I need "usable" liight levels.

. . . interesting thread . . . C'mon Canon - we ARE telling you something! Please listen.

Ken - thanks for the heads up on the, "...beam of the light also cannot be tilted" this was the last nail in the coffin for me to purchase the VL10.

Regards,

Grazie

You could always use a Mini Rover and put the mic in that shoe, and the light on the cam's shoe. I have done this a few times... works great!

Hope this helps,

Yes . . but then:

1) - I've got the MA300

2) - I don't have another XLR adapter!

3) - Seen the Rover, my hand would have to come away from the camera .

Hey Ho!

Grazie

Ok Grazie,

I think you have a few options...

1) You can use the MA300.... put the mic on top of it, and the light on the MINI ROVER... You can diffuse the light with a few strips of laminating plastic... seen here.....
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-5/157037/Clip0001.jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-5/157037/Clip0002.jpg

2) Have no FEAR about using the MINI ROVER... I have included a web link with a picture of how to keep BOTH HANDS on the camera.... and still use the MINI ROVER....
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-4/157037/FNLMW[QCKLRGMXJFSBUQ-HoldGL2.jpg

I hope this helps,

thanks guys i think i found what i was looking for...i really didn’t want to spend 250 bux on a mount...to use a light and a mic at the same time..i found a $4 shoe adapter that holds both! I still wanted to my vl3 instead of the vl10…it gets top heavy…other then that it does what im looking for….

Berni, where did you find the $4 adaptor? I'm in the same situation as you.

To the mini rover experts - if I were to connect a mic to the rover's accessory shoe, how would I power it?

Matt... To power a boom mic on the ROVERS shoe, you will need a phantom powered mixer or get a mic that offers battery power (Senn ME66/K6)... To be able to use it with the GL2 you would need an XLR adapter box ( Signvideo/Beachtek/MA300)etc.

I hope this helps,

Tustin, what if I were to use the DM-50 on the GL 2's accessory shoe and then connect a VL-10Li light to the mini rover? Will the light point in the right direction still?

say you get a xlr box that mounts underneath the camera.. and use the hotshoe for a light..

is there a way to attach a mic to the camera still without the rover?

Matt.... if the light is diffused it will look great.... I have done this a few times before.... worked great!

Ryan.... There are a ton of shoe adapters out these days.... I am sure you could find one that will place both objects towards the center of the cam....

Hope this helps,

so if i use the setup said.. xlr box under, and light and mic in shoe.. can i get somethign that goes into the shoe and is a clamp to hold a mic? i dont want the canon mic, i wanna use a xlr mic, but i want a xlr box that goes underneath..

Y'know, you've got to the "same" place I did when I was in the shop, buying my dear little XM2.

I thought, hmmmm... an Audio adaptor [MA300] that has a mic clamp integral with the body. Oh yes, a "cold-shoe" on top of that just right for a light - excellent! Went with the Senni K6/K66 kit and also bought a 20watt Halma Light kit.

What I did not wholly appreciate was:

1 - Light is powered by a separate Ni-Cad battery - yuck!

2 - Light has about 10-20 mins run time - double yuck!

3 - Light isn't SMART - ie doesn't switch off when not needed

4 - VL-10 could have been an option in the top cold shoe


Now I've got a combination of kit that can do :

EITHER

Shotgun work in suitable ambient light conditions

OR

Low light work [ VL-3 lamp in hotshoe ] with no Senni

This leaves me thinking Canon just hasn't "designed" in options:

Worked through these options for the user

Has a selection of "accessories" that are not very flexible enough to do a job - which IMHO is something that would be of valuable to the prosumer.



Ah yes! The MA300 does not have a switching option.

Will I persist with this set-up? Guess I will. Thought of Aaron's VL-10 set-up. But the option of sticking the VL-10 into the MA300 does not thrill me. The Rover maybe a possibility. But I'm still stuck with my investment in the MA300 - do I now "shelve" this item? I also don't really like the idea of bolting on a Beehie underneath the XM2 - Sorry chaps not
for me. My opinion - Canon should rather pull their socks up and rather "design-in" solutions for this, and not just provide "accessories" from other models. The MA300 is almost there. It has "other" benefits of the BNC and the option for a "further" mic to be slid into the cold shoe. It does state that the cold shoe is "ONLY FOR MICROPHONE" - this is "pressed" into the plastic - they must mean it!

Now, what might be a solution would be for a "Duplex" type of hotshoe accessory to power BOTH the VL-3 and the MA300. But that's another story . ..

Hey, one lives and learns . . .

Grazie

I think I might have a solution, although it might be pricey.

Buy the Century Optic Mattebox. It has on it a accessory shoe. Now, put your light into the Canon shoe on the camera, then mount your microphone into the accessory shoe on the mattebox. You could even use an adapter to offset the mic to the side so it doesn't interfer with the path of light. Your XLR adapter would be on the bottom of the camera. The upside to this is you get a mattebox and a very cool looking camera, the downside is the price and possibly the size (if that much size makes a differance to you).

Century Optics Mattebox:
http://www.centuryoptics.com/products/dv/matteboxes/dvmb.htm

I suspect, your valuable reply is in reference to Ryan, rather than I, with the MA300 - yeah? If it was for me, then I'd have the extra expense of an additional XLR box - yes?

Visited the website - read the PDF - found a "supplier" in West London. I'll check them out anyway.

Much appreciated,

Grazie

Grazie,
Yeah that reply was mainly geared toward Ryan. I thought and thought, but could not think of a solution to your problem. I actually have the MA300 as well, but lucky for me I have never needed a light mounted on my camera. I love the MA300 and it looks so great on the camera when I have my ME66 mounted in the MA300! Whats the longest distance of cable you have been able to run to your MA300 without getting interferance or signal loss? Thanks!

Scott!!!! What time is it there in Calif???

Anway, yes, I thought that was the case. And yes, the XM2 looks really cool with the set-up. But, when I wanna do short, audible interviews at a Wedding Event, in sometimes grain-making talking head environments, a bit of lift - VL3 does do it - the ambient mic can get a very confused audio signal. Length of cable? - Can't help. I do believe there was a very earlier on debate about this. - Scott do a search . . . I know this was breached sometime back though.

Thanks for the "I thought and thought, but could not think of a solution to your problem. " concern . . .

Good to speak with you again,

Grazie