My new CS3e is LONG. Too long in fact to not cast a shadow on everything wide angle when mounted to my PXW-X180. I went and clamped the stock mic holder over the foam windscreen covering the rear slots of the mic. Am not sure how this affects performance, looking for front and center directivity. Reading up on the CS3e, would seem maybe there is some elements I am covering that are needed to cancel out side/rear audio levels?

Shotguns these days confuse me. Always thought there was an element at the back facing forward, and an empty tube. Now I see there are weird things anywhere along the length, facing in any direction they choose!

Paul

Wow, you spent $1,500 on a mic and you're mounting it to a camera? Alright...

The Rycote INV-HG Mkiii (catchy name, I know) is my favorite shock mount. Depending on what camera you have, you can probably find a mounting point for it. Someone (maybe Rycote?) makes a cold-shoe offset to get the mount point farther away from the lens.

Where else should I mount it? I shoot overnight ENG. :-)

I have a rear of top handle 1/4"-20 hole, wondering if there is something I can bolt (or shoe) onto that to attach my old Sony CAC-12 holder. All I fond while searching is those obnoxiously large diameter shock mounts. :)

Paul

The Rycote mounts have 3/8" receptacles, just get a 3/8" to 1/4"-20 reducer and a 1/4"-20 stud. They may even make a 3/8" to 1/4"-20 stud/reducer.

Edit: Hey, they do: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/841123-REG/impact_ca_112_3_8_and_1_4_20_adapter.html

This looks like a good base to expand things off the handle to the side.

HDV Handle Bracket Support Camera Mount Adapter Sony EX3 MGHVRZ1U Sachtler XDCAM | eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/HDV-Handle-Bracket-Support-Camera-Mount-Adapter-SONY-EX3-MGHVRZ1U-Sachtler-XDCAM-/331070362173?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item4d1554d23d)

Do they make those clip in mic holders for shotguns or just handheld mics? don't need or want a suspension system.

Paul

My new CS3e is LONG. Too long in fact to not cast a shadow on everything wide angle when mounted to my PXW-X180.

It has to be than long to perform the way it's designed to perform. It's not intended to be mounted on a camera, but you've been told that enough already.

I went and clamped the stock mic holder over the foam windscreen covering the rear slots of the mic. Am not sure how this affects performance...

Covering any of the slots does in fact decrease performance. It needs those slots, all of those slots, to properly cancel the reflected sound from the sides to make it fully directional. Those slots, that interference tube, is what makes a shotgun mic a shotgun mic.

Well, ordered that handle clamp thing. Looks like if I can mount the CAC-12 to the holes on the clamp thing, it would be able to position the mic properly to the side without protruding too far forward, and without covering slots.

For anyone that cares, the holes on the stock Sony X180 body that attach the mic holder match up to the holes on the CAC-12.

Paul

The CS-3e is not a typical shotgun mic. It does not rely on the interference tube design. It uses three pickups aligned within the tube for side rejections. You don't want to cover up all of the side ports but from my experience with mine for over 5 years now, you can cover some of the ports closest to the back without affecting the sound quality.

It is a great mic BTW. It has a narrower pickup pattern than most other mics so in the hands of a novice it can be a little aggravating but after working with it for a while it becomes a great tool. For most dialogue that is my goto mic.

That's exactly the reason I got it, I need to pickup people talking in noisy ENG environments, enough so that I can understand what they are saying while surrounded by generators and idling car engines.

That weird noise cancelling design was the spawn of my initial question. I wasn't sure how those little electrical things I can see through the slots at the back/sides work.

Paul

So finally got it mounted..........got to get used to how sensitive it is, I keep nervously pumping up my levels when I don't need to!

I love how I can hear what people are saying when they are talking away from the mic with their back to me.

https://youtu.be/TY0gko24Fo4

Sounds great! How far away were you? It's always hard to tell with long lenses.

Of course, there is still background noise, but the voices are well defined and understandable - especially when facing the mic. It would be interesting to hear what a bit of noise reduction would do. There seems to be a pretty consistent environmental sound that could be pulled down a bit without sounding noticeably processed.