Hi- I've rented a 7D for a job coming up this week. I know all about the AGC issue w/ the 7D.

the Rode NTG-2 shotgun mic came w/ the 7d....

Here's my question- would it be better for me to connect the NTG2 to another recording device, a la the Canon HF200?

I'll be filming an interview so mobility isn't that much of an issue.


Thoughts?

Unless you have a preamp that kills the AGC and provides gain to the camera, record into something else.

I'm not sure if the HF200's preamps are any cleaner than the 7D's, but you won't be fighting AGC - at least I assume that it doesn't have AGC!

Another option is to get a laptop and a semi-pro USB soundcard with XLR inputs. Use a long XLR cable so the fan noise is in the next room or at least far away. Not all soundcards are created equal, but most are better than the inputs of a consumer camcorder. If you know any musicians with home studios, they might have something you could borrow.

I just ran some tests comparing the audio quality of the 7D vs the HF200, both using the Rode NTG-2 shotgun mic.

The audio quality w/ HF200 is definitely better sounding... more bass, where as the 7D sounds like I'm recording from a cheap Radio Shack voice recorder.