Since the upcoming Sony HC3 camcorder has no external mike input, other than by using the hotshoe with certain Sony consumer-grade microphones,
there will be a need for a mike adaptor to give this model better options. On another group of forums, a videomaker from Europe has relayed word that he will produce such an adaptor in conjunction with a manufacturer in the U.S. The adaptor would slide into the hotshoe and have a standard mike input jack. No more description of it was given. He is out of the country on an extended shoot and won't get started on this until April. I'll keep a watch on this and let you know if this adaptor becomes a reality and is available. Possibly, such an adaptor is already being made by another company?
If anyone knows about one, please provide information about it.

Perhaps Sony left out the mike input on the HC3 to further limit its appeal to home videomakers only. Is there a possibility that the HC3 could be programmed to reject an input from non-hotshoe mikes, even if an adaptor connected them?

I'm a little surprised at Sony not putting a mic jack on this cam. One of the things I liked about their older consumer miniDV cams, is they all had mic plugins and shoes so you could mount an ext mic (even the really small ones). Panny and JVC left that out on a lot of their models.

Well, if an adapter does come out, it won't be by Sony. Just think of Sony as the Apple of camcorders. They'll stick to their proprietary lifestyle forever. Why? Cause they are making a crap load of dough with it. Forcing users to rely on their accessories while literally prohibiting them from even consider other brands is a failsafe tactic.

Why did they remove the mic in from the HC3? Cause they can and people in that intended market will buy it regardless. If someone is really desperate for a mic in, onecan spend a little more for the A1. Not a surprising move in their part at all.

I'm a little surprised at Sony not putting a mic jack on this cam. One of the things I liked about their older consumer miniDV cams, is they all had mic plugins and shoes so you could mount an ext mic (even the really small ones). Panny and JVC left that out on a lot of their models.

At least the HC3 will have a place to mount a mike (in the hotshoe). Not all of Sony's camcorders have had a mounting shoe, not even some of those that had a mike input jack. My TR700 from 1994 has an external input, but came with no mounting shoe. I had to put one on with Superglue and it had to be positioned with hairline accuracy, to fit in and be clear of the cassette hatch.

I wonder if any of Sony's little hotshoe mikes are good enough to be worth using on the HC3? A couple of years ago it was thoroughly discussed and generally agreed that the Hs1 "zoom" mike was nothing but a joke. There is another newer one and also a stereo model on their website that go into hotshoes, but I don't know if they're any better than the Hs1. I have a tiny, corded Sony stereo mike, the ECM-HS908C, that works very well, but couldn't be used on the HC3 without a hotshoe adaptor. The 908C is about 50% more sensitive than the built-in mikes on my small Sony camcorders and about equal to the one on my VX2100. It has good fidelity and is mostly noise-free. It'd probably be what I'd use on an HC3, if an adaptor is available.

To test if you can make an external mic attachment, someone with an A1 should just try attaching the XLR block on the HC3 to see if that works. If that works, then it seem likely that you can make a mini input from that or at the very least get a bracket that hooks onto the tripod mount and attach the xlr block on there. This would totally defeat the purpose of having a small camcorder like this but you'll get good sound. That's something I've considered doing with my HC1.

On another group of forums, a videomaker from Europe has relayed word that he will produce such an adaptor in conjunction with a manufacturer in the U.S. The adaptor would slide into the hotshoe and have a standard mike input jack. No more description of it was given. He is out of the country on an extended shoot and won't get started on this until April. I'll keep a watch on this and let you know if this adaptor becomes a reality and is available. Possibly, such an adaptor is already being made by another company?

Can you please provide a link? I wonder if there was a misunderstanding somewhere because a lot of the description sounds similar to discussions I've had with someone in similar circumstances.

The problem will monitoring the audio. The HC3 does not have a headphone jack (http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?CategoryName=dcc_DICamcorders_HighDefinitionVideo&ProductSKU=HDRHC3&TabName=specs&var2=).

Can you please provide a link? I wonder if there was a misunderstanding somewhere because a lot of the description sounds similar to discussions I've had with someone in similar circumstances.

Here's the website in Nederland of the group that may be involved with making the HC3 hotshoe adaptor. You can search this site and there may be some information about it or a similar adaptor they made. As I said, the key member of the group won't be back home until April. I couldn't find anything about the adaptor there, but I don't read Nederlands very well. I heard about it through some messages from the head of that group, that were posted on another forum, by a person who had corresponded with him about it.

http://www.global-dvc.org/

I have been in discussions with that site's owner, but I thought it was to make an adapter similar to their cold shoe to AIS block, without any sort of jacks. I think he did allude to working on something for the HC3, so I think somewhere along the line, maybe the two projects got confused together. I have email him to get a clarification.

I think if anybody are waiting for the HC3, I don't wait more and go for a HC1 while he/she can. It can be found with a HC3.