I just got my 5D mark 2 to use mostly as a still camera, but being a video guy I want to play with all it's features. What kind of microphones would work on the 5D2? I have a number of shotguns and lav mics that I use for my XDCam and EX1, but I have never used a camera that didn't have XLRs and phantom power.

What are my options? I know I need a XLR to mini jack adapter, but what do they cost? Can I use dynamic mics or do I need powered mics? Audio tech is not my strongest suit.

Thanks!

Many shotguns accept batteries, so they won't need phantom power. Then get a transformer that steps down from female XLR and eventually gets you to 1/8" single-ended (not balanced.)

Just today, I went to Radio Shack to buy XLR cables or connectors - they didn't stock either of them. (Bastards. They put all the mom and pop electronics shops out of business, and now they don't stock much of anything for the audio or electronics enthusiast...) Check music stores.

Here's Hosa's catalog (a large PDF): http://www.hosatech.com/pdf/Hosa_RetailPriceList_Nov08.pdf On page 5, they have the MIT-156, which is exactly what you need for a battery powered shotgun.

On the other hand, just today, we bought an M-Audio Microtrack II as a 5D companion. With an adapter cable (Female XLR to male 1/4 TRS), it should do the trick, as it supports phantom power.

I tried a dynamic shotgun off an old Betacam SX with a XLR to mini-jack adapter I bought at a music store. I got really low levels, so bad that it was not usable.

I own a Senny ME-66 with a battery to power it, would that work?

I lent it out to a friend so I can't try it.

With the right adapter and battery, the ME-66 should work fine.

They have the common cable you need. I understand the impedance of the camera is 600 khz and my mics are in the 250 range so I get a low signal with my audix shotgun.

Just boost it in software and keep the mic off the camera. Every lens adjustment is picked up.

The Sennheiser MKE 400 supposedly works well. I'm waiting to take delivery of one (as I do of a 5DMkII), so I can't comment on any specifics with regard to sound quality. IIRC, Dan Chung has used this mike in some of his work and was quite pleased with it. The MKE 400 is hot shoe mounted and the mike itself is mechanically suspended from the hot shoe mount by soft rubber isolators, thus minimizing noise transmitted from the camera body and lens. Seemed to fit the bill for me. Will post my observations once I've had a chance to try it...

Product page at Sennheiser: Sennheiser Worldwide - MKE 400, Camera Microphone, camcorder microphone, directional microphone - specifications (http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/home_en.nsf/root/professional_wired-microphones_camera-mics_502047)

HTH,

Ron

I plan to use Sennheiser EW500 Wireless Mic , tried it sounds pretty good.
Have to work on levels in post, since there is no level control in the camera.

I just tried out the ME-66 and it sounded great. It's just a little bulky on the top of the camera though.

Looks good! One other (cheaper) option might be a Rode Videomic and a deadcat for it (i.e. it's self powered, has minijack plug and it's own suspension syetem).

Looks good! One other (cheaper) option might be a Rode Videomic and a deadcat for it (i.e. it's self powered, has minijack plug and it's own suspension syetem).

This is what I'm using. Be aware that the suspension system sticks out about 2-3 inches past the rear end of the camera, blocking the optical viewfinder. This is not a problem for most as the OVF is black during video anyway. One solution would be to mount the microphone with a bracket of some sort (higher and away from the camera noises).

I just got my 5D mark 2 to use mostly as a still camera, but being a video guy I want to play with all it's features. What kind of microphones would work on the 5D2? I have a number of shotguns and lav mics that I use for my XDCam and EX1, but I have never used a camera that didn't have XLRs and phantom power.

What are my options? I know I need a XLR to mini jack adapter, but what do they cost? Can I use dynamic mics or do I need powered mics? Audio tech is not my strongest suit.

Thanks!

I just unearthed an old SignVideo XLR-PRO (from my old TRV-900 rig) and hooked it up, and it seems to work well. It's a little noisy in my initial tests (hissy), but I'm not sure if that's the mic I'm using (the Sony ECM-44B) as I've not had much experience with this particular mic. I'm going to try it with my wireless mics and a Sennheiser shotgun, too.

But the good news is that it was easy to hook up and works perfectly.

If you want to download a 4MB example, you can do so here: http://images.stevemaller.com/video/mvi_8952.mov

On the other hand, just today, we bought an M-Audio Microtrack II as a 5D companion. With an adapter cable (Female XLR to male 1/4 TRS), it should do the trick, as it supports phantom power.

Funny, the day I pre-ordered my Canon 5D MkII, I also ordered a Microtrack II as my off-camera audio solution as I knew I didn't want to have to deal with the 5D's fixed AGC and lack of XLR inputs.

Of course, I got the Microtrack II two days later (which was some 6 weeks before I got my 5D Mk II) so I've had a bit of time to play around with it. Overall it's a nice unit, though I wish the battery life was a bit more robust. I also wish there was a physical switch between the 1/8" and 1/4 TRS jacks so I could more quickly swap input sources, but these are minor nitpicks. An SD slot would be nice too (instead of CF). The little stereo mic that comes with it has actually worked reasonably well for me in a couple of cases for picking up some ambient sounds, though I generally use the MTII with an EV N/D 267a or the sennheiser ENG kit.

Keith, do you find that recording in to the MicroTrack II that you can set and forget the gain (assuming that you leave enough headroom for the loudest sounds), or is it noisy enough that you need a mixer to keep the signal hot?

I had the recorder in the house for all of two days, but now my sons are off to school, where they are filming. My oldest is the director, and has the camera. My youngest is the sound recorder, and has the MicroTrack. I'm the producer (funder), webmaster, and composer. (My latest toy is an upright bass. I'm renting it for $45/mo just for this project.)

Needless to say, I've been going through withdrawls without the camera!

Funny, the day I pre-ordered my Canon 5D MkII, I also ordered a Microtrack II as my off-camera audio solution as I knew I didn't want to have to deal with the 5D's fixed AGC and lack of XLR inputs.

Of course, I got the Microtrack II two days later (which was some 6 weeks before I got my 5D Mk II) so I've had a bit of time to play around with it. Overall it's a nice unit, though I wish the battery life was a bit more robust. I also wish there was a physical switch between the 1/8" and 1/4 TRS jacks so I could more quickly swap input sources, but these are minor nitpicks. An SD slot would be nice too (instead of CF). The little stereo mic that comes with it has actually worked reasonably well for me in a couple of cases for picking up some ambient sounds, though I generally use the MTII with an EV N/D 267a or the sennheiser ENG kit.

Keith and Jon - I'd love to hear more about your experience with the Microtrack II and the 5D.

Do you connect a microphone to the Microtrack II and then sync it up with the 5D footage in post?

Cheers,

Matthew.

Hi
I would suggest using a Rode NTG-2 as they take a single aa batt and are very good quality and not that expensive also as for mounting on the camera I use an off camera flash bracket so that it does not get in my way also you can attach a Sony uwp radio mic system if you're not using the boom mic. Best practice though would be to use the Zoom H4 recorder ( & a clapper board!) as it connects to the mics with XLR connections so you don't need to worry about flimsy mini jacks or phono connectors.

Can anyone suggest a small but decent external mic for the 5DmkII? Smaller than the MKE400, preferably. I just want it to so I can isolate the sound from camera handling noise and put a windscreen on it as well. I have a "big" mic already, just want something tiny to keep in the camera bag.

Hey Dylan,

Glad to see that we now have the same camera :)

Did you mean the Sennheiser MKE400?

That thing is already as small as your pinky. You want something smaller than that?

Well I've been telling ya to get a 5DmkII for YEARS... :)

How long is the MKE400? I'm really looking for something ultra small so I can leave it on in my camera bag still attached.

Try Sony ECM-MSD1 stereo mic (about $70) with standard 3.5mm mini jack. It may not be as small as your pinky but the total package is certainly more compact than the Sennheiser MKE400. Because it is a stereo mic, sound pickup is not very directional but it sounds good enough mounting on my FX1 as a casual mic.

Wacharapong

That Sony doesn't seem to get great reviews on Amazon:

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Sony ECMMSD1 Stereo Zoom Camcorder Microphone for DCRHC20/30/40/65/85, DCRVX2100, HDRFX1 (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-ECMMSD1-Camcorder-Microphone-DCRVX2100/product-reviews/B00008ZGSP/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1)

... how do you find the sound quality compared to the internal mic?

I have to say it is MUCH more like the sort of size mic I am looking for. While most people may feel the Rodes and Sennheisers are small, for running-about field use I'm wanting something much smaller like this. Thanks for the info.

That Sony doesn't seem to get great reviews on Amazon:

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Sony ECMMSD1 Stereo Zoom Camcorder Microphone for DCRHC20/30/40/65/85, DCRVX2100, HDRFX1 (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-ECMMSD1-Camcorder-Microphone-DCRVX2100/product-reviews/B00008ZGSP/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1)



Thanks for posting that. The reviews on it's camera sound isolation seem pretty bad, and considering the 5D is probably noisier (with IS) than a camcorder, this might be a bad choice.

The size is perfect though, about 2.5" long, compared to the MKE400 5"

Anyone have any other small mic options?