This might be a dumb question, but I'm confused and have to ask.

Camcorderinfo.com review of the Optura 50 says:

"An external mic can be plugged into a jack on the right side. It could even mount snugly onto the accessory shoe. An extra hundred dollars and a step up to Optura 60, however, is the price for making the shoe hot."

So I take it I can plug in a shotgun mic into this baby. It is an external mic, right?

Then near the end it says:

"The selling point is maybe the accessory shoe, and potential buyers have to ask themselves how likely they are to require attachments like a shotgun mic or a better flash..."

So...does this mean I HAVE to buy the Optura 60 to use a shotgun mic?

I'm planning on using this for short films and ashotgun mic is a must.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

- Shane

PS

Sorry but another question...

In the "Shutterspeeds" section is says 1/30, but further down it says "The Optura 50 does not offer any scan rates other than its native 60i."

My understanding is that 1/30 = 30 fps and 60i = 1/60 = 60fps. Am I completely off base here or what?

<snip>
Then near the end it says:

"The selling point is maybe the accessory shoe, and potential buyers have to ask themselves how likely they are to require attachments like a shotgun mic or a better flash..."

So...does this mean I HAVE to buy the Optura 60 to use a shotgun mic?
<snip>

No no, the Optura 60 includes a HOT shoe, so it can be used to interface with some Canon accessories. The Optura 50 includes a COLD shoe, so its basically just a mounting point. So yes, you can get a standard shotgun mic, mount it on the cold shoe and plug the mini cable into the Optura 50.

www.philipwilliams.com

... My understanding is that 1/30 = 30 fps and 60i = 1/60 = 60fps. Am I completely off base here or what?The Optura 50 always records at a frame rate of 60 interlaced frames per second, also known as 60i fps. Changing the shutter speed won't change the frame rate, it only affects how long each frame is exposed to light.

Michael is right of course. Shutter speed and frame rate are two different things.