I'm sending 5 camera crews out for a shoot and I need to buy 5 boom mics. My budget will allow for +/- $200 per mic.

I know it's not going to sound like a Spielberg film with a $200 boom, but anyone used a mic in this price range and been happy with the outcome?

I'm looking at these two:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=238826&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

and

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=97711&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Daniel,

We need to know if you will be shooting indoors or outside. This will make a difference in the proper selection of microphones.

Indoors, you would want a supercardioid or hypercardioid microphone.

Outdoors, a short or long shotgun is usually used.

Thanks, Dan! Good call. It'll be both. I was definitely looking at a shotgun.

I was comparing specs but I don't know what some of those mean. For example, output impedance -- is one value better than another?

Off-axis rejection is very important to me but I can't find any specs that measure just how much off-axis sound is rejected.

Off axis rejection is frequency dependent.

If the microphone manufacturer provides a "Polar Pattern", which is a microphone sensitivity chart from various directions. Ideally, this information is provided for different frequencies.

For your first microphone selection, the Azden SGM-1X, the manufacturer's website is:

http://www.azdencorp.com/shop/customer/product.php?productid=93298&cat=22&page=1

Please note that Azden does not supply the "Polar Pattern" that you would need to answer your question. Other members may be able to help via their experience.

For your second selection, the Audio-Technica 835b, the manufacturer does supply a "Polor Pattern":

http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/wired_mics/5820fd64ff477519/index.html

I hope other members will be able to give you more specific help based on their experiences with these microphones.

Have you considered renting the microphones? You may be able to afford much higher quality microphones, depending on the length of your shoot.

Do you already have boom poles? You will also need some wind protection.

Regretfully, all of this gets expensive.

Thanks, Dan! Good call. It'll be both. I was definitely looking at a shotgun.

I was comparing specs but I don't know what some of those mean. For example, output impedance -- is one value better than another?

Off-axis rejection is very important to me but I can't find any specs that measure just how much off-axis sound is rejected.

Expanding of Dan's post - I think you got what he was saying backwards. A hypercardioid will sound good both indoors and out while a shotgun is good for outdoors use but not so good for indoors. If you are going to get only one mic to use in both locations, IMHO that first mic should be a good hypercardioid. Outdoors the shotgun may isolate the subject from the environment a little better than the hyper but the hyper also does a good job of isolating the subject from surrounding noise, just not quite as much as the shotgun. Indoors OTOH the difference can be dramatic with the shotgun sounding very unnatural compared to the hyper.

Speaking from experience, I'd strongly recommend renting. At the price you mentioned, there just isn't anything that's going to give very satisfactory results. You haven't mentioned what you are recording with or what you are doing about boom poles or mixers, etc., but even on basic DV cameras you will hear objectionable noise from mics in this price range. Plus, when you are done, you will discover that these mics do not hold their value and you will end up dumping them for nothing.

You also need to remember that, regardless of price, there is no magic microphone that will work well in absolutely any situation.

Are you hiring your crews? If you are hiring sound guys (even students) you might find that they can cut you a deal on equipment.