I think I have narrowed it down to two shotguns, the Sennheiser MKE 300($299) or the Azden SGM-1X or 2X(under $200).

Audio-Technica has the ATR55($70) and the AT4073a(600+ is a bit much I think)
I will be using it for documentary work with the subject being less than 5 - 10 ft away.

I have a GL2 and I was going to buy the canon mini-shotgun but from what I can tell from this form that it's a waste of money.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Jon

I didn't see a mention of the AT 897 in there....
Slightly more, but better sounding than the ME66 or 300, IMO, and FAR and away a better mic than the Azden, it's an entry into the professional mics arena without spending the big bucks.
The ATR is really more for concert tapers, people who are working in high SPL at distances. It's not really a good mic for what we do, even at the lower ends of the ladder.

I didn't know about the Audio Technica AT897($299) Thanks for pointing me in it's direction. I had planned on spending up to $300 so it fits in my price range.

Thanks again,

Jon

does the Audio Technica AT897 come with a god I can't think of the name, the protective covering that blocks the wind also??

You might consider the new Sennheiser E614 (http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/productspecs.asp?transid=009895) which is supercardiod. Compared with a shotgun a supercardiod is said to be 15% less directional but it has not the disadvantage of possible off-axis colorations.
The only disadvantage can be its Sensitivity: 3.0 mV/Pa
It is now also on the German site (http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/icm.nsf/root/produkte_mikrofone_drahtgeb_buene_piano_09895) and advised for all kinds of instruments included piano but also choir. This mic seems to turn out to be fairly general. And it is sold within your budget.

Kyle - yes it does, it's called a Wind Screen or Zeppelin. I also purchased a Rycote Mini Wind Jammer to help in windier conditions. I absolutely love this mic and I think you will too Jon.

I'd still be interested in a comparison of the mke300 ($170) and sgm-1x ($150) since they cost much less than the AT897 ($280).

I plan to use it for field capture of voice and ambient sound (no music). Something like shooting indoor tennis games or volleyball games from the sidelines (very close). I want to capture the sounds of the game, shoes squeaking, balls hitting racquets, and the grunts of the players ;)

Thanks!

<<<-- Originally posted by Bryan Roberts : Kyle - yes it does, it's called a Wind Screen or Zeppelin. I also purchased a Rycote Mini Wind Jammer to help in windier conditions. I absolutely love this mic and I think you will too Jon. -->>>

Hey Bryan thanks for the reply, I plan on shooting a short film once this semester of college is over and my problem with the last short I made was vocal audio (we used the onboard mic which I will never do again) So I want a mic that can really pick up good feed. Does this mic pick up dialouge really well??

The least expensive professional quality shotgun is the AT835b at $240, the best bang for the buck is, as Douglas says the 897 and that's $280 at B&H. These come with a windscreen.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=300615&is=REG

If you're serious then that's the way to go. The MKE300 is a plastic assembly with a built in shoe mount, guaranteed to pick up camera and handling noise. It's $170 at B&H.

For another another $110, you move into the big time :))

In a few years (or much less) the MKE will be on a shelf or in the trash, the AT will still be working and worth most of what you paid for it.

Bryan,
how would you decribe is the difference between the AT835b and the 897 ?

I purchased the ATR55 and AT897. Thanks everyone for the input. I am very happy with the AT897 and I will post a link that compares the audio of the on-camera mic, ATR55 and AT897 when I get a chance in the next week or two. Hearing is believing and would give someone a better understanding of the sound they create.

Sometime in the near future I would like to buy a stereo shotgun. They are quite expensive, like 700+ Is it really worth the extra $$$ and does it do a good job?

Thanks again

Jon

I've never used the AT897, but I love my oktava hyper for a boom mic, and it was sub $200. (I have used the me66 & the AT835) Plus wind protection for the 012 is cheaper...the shock mount I got wasn't cheap.

Jan - I honestly have no experience with any mic by Audio Technica other than the 897 so I honestly can't comment, but that I love my 897.....

Jon,
Happy to hear you like the 897. It's a great mic in it's class. looking forward to hearing what you've done with it.