View Full Version : Turning off mic on Nikon D4


Ron McKinney
March 1st, 2013, 04:41 PM
I posted this in the Nikon dSLR forum, but seems fair to post here as well. The first time I attached my Sennheiser shotgun mic to my Nikon D4, I had left my camera in AF mode, and thus could hear my AF motor. Since my Sennheiser was plugged in, that means my internal D4 mic is still on, right? How do I turn off the D4 mic so I'm only getting audio from the Sennheiser? I'd check my manual but I'm away from it right now.

Thanks for any feedback!

Ron

Allan Black
March 1st, 2013, 05:11 PM
Plugging in a D4 external mic turns off its internal mic. You need to get a better Senn shockmount or position your Senn well away from the D4
to avoid the auto focus sound.

Cheers.

Ron McKinney
March 1st, 2013, 09:53 PM
I was afraid that might be the case. Well... I don't plan to use the AF anyway, so hopefully we should be okay.

Steve House
March 2nd, 2013, 05:44 AM
You're hearing the motors because you're trying to use the mic mounted on or at the camera. You should be aware that this will rarely lead to satisfactory results, even if you do turn off the motors to eliminate their noises. Shotgun mics do not magnify distant sounds the way a telephoto lens magnifies distant scenes and the camera position almost always puts the mic too far from the subject for proper recording. If you're trying to record dialog, interviews, etc, you need to get the mic to within 18 to 22 inches thereabouts from the person speaking for best results. About the only use for an on-camera mic is general ambient sound pickup.

Ron McKinney
March 2nd, 2013, 08:38 AM
Thanks, Steve! I do have a couple of wireless lav mics to use for interviews.