Hey Folks,

I am a 21 year old college student... Hofstra University... majoring in Broadcast Journalism. I just got my hands on a slightly used Canon GL2 which I plan on using for mkaing reels and such.

I wanted to see what you folks thought were crucial accessories for ENG with the GL2.

I have already purchased a (hard metal, generic brand) case and cheap (Ambico, 60") tripod.

I also plan on purchasing the Canon VL-10i light.

I also have to get an XLR adapter. MA-300 vs. Beachtek? Any suggestions?

I plan on purchasing a Sennheiser EW100ENG wireless system somewhere down the road. Can I get away with something cheaper?

Is there anything else I'm overlooking?

There are so many great people on this board. I am looking forward to your reponses.

Andrew Falzon
Class of '04 @ Hofstra University

Hi Andrew. If you're doing a lot of hand held stuff, then for XLR adapters you might want to get something like the SignVideo or Studio1. They have belt clips and so would remove some of the weight of an undercam only one (AFAIK Studio 1 is belt only, and SignVideo does both)

You might want to look at a furry for any mic you get, for the times the wind is kicking up also.

I don't have much experience with different types of mics as I'm reasonably new to the field myself, but when I was investigating for a wireless the Sennheiser Evolution 100 series came out best bang for the buck (I know, it still aint cheap). I'm not sure of your application but you might want to look at something like a Sennheiser ME66 short shotgun mic with the K6 powering module. This is not a bad mic when placed on camera and you're close to your subject, and of course you can use it wired straight to your XLR adapter and give it to the interviewer or newscaster to hold.

Cheers
Aaron

I reckon you'll be crying out for a good 0.5x zoom through wide-angle converter before you're 10 minutes into your first shoot Andrew. There are a few to choose from out there, but make sure you test it to memory stills as well because some vignette the full frame. Also do make sure you hood it well. Get a good one and you'll never take it off.

tom.

I'd suggest a good shotgun mike as well. The on camera mics are limited in there use. A good shotgun mike will cover you in a lot of area's of field shooting when you need a more directed approach to capturing the audio.

A furry shotgun mic will be a real help if you are shooting outdoors. Indoors you probably won't need the fur.

The Evolution 100 is a pretty good choice. I'd be careful about getting anything less. I tried some poorer products and after 15 days I bit the bullet and the Sennheiser.