View Full Version : Canon DM 50, not the DM 250 !!


David Morgan
March 30th, 2007, 09:56 PM
screwed up the model number. I have a DM 50. Before I attempt to connect to the hot shoe on my XH-A1, anyone know if the mic is compatable?

Todd Mattson
March 30th, 2007, 10:43 PM
screwed up the model number. I have a DM 50. Before I attempt to connect to the hot shoe on my XH-A1, anyone know if the mic is compatable?

Before you connect it to that hotshoe, can I ask you - do you have a receipt, or is the DM-50 borrowed? Assuming it's yours, with the amount of $$$ you just spent on that (assuming you just bought it) you could get yourself an Azden SMG-1x at the very least, or save just a week or few more and get yourself something more appropriate to the camera you have, or save for a soundman. I have the DM-50, from a long time ago, but it has always been my "handycam*" mike, meaning it's been with my Optura Pi (is it possible we have old school DV at this point in time - Jeebus), and will comfortably sit a top my HV20 - whenever I finally get around to getting it - perhaps after a few more glances at footage. But a DM-50 really doesn't belong on an A1 - even if it does work; remember people will watch crappy footage, but they will NOT for a second listen to crap audio - if this is for anything other than capturing family footage - I would think that purchase through. Sorry to be so harsh, and I am very sorry if I am too late, but audio is at least (and I mean at LEAST) half the experience. You're not going to get what you want out of that microphone if it is for any other purpose than family videos, and at the price, you might even do better on those with a reconsideration of the purchase, hopefully it is new.


*using the word like "Kleenex"



Just read the unanswered post in your previous thread - so you've been using it on a GL1? Sorry about the assumption I made above, I won't delete it, to save my hide and all, I'm not that type of feller - it's always good to have "pump up your audio gear" advice out there, and is a de facto mistake some newer folks make. I'm just going to assume that you know what you're doing, and that you really want to plug the DM-50 in. Only issue I've heard of at all with the hotshoes on nearly all the Canon's was with the hotshoe powered XLR adapter not being able to plug into the HV20. Other than that, I've heard nada. Really though - David, you've got an upscale camera - capable of images that are so good that putting a DM-50 on an A1 is a little bit like putting a tin can on a string mounted to a hologram machine. Okay, serious serious exagerration, but you get what I'm saying. You're making your camera cry.

David Morgan
March 30th, 2007, 11:43 PM
Everything you say I agree with in spades.
Considering purchasing a second A1. Since I already own the DM-50, just using it for reference audio. Does a much better job than any useless on-board stereo mic that the manufacturers insist on supplying. I'm using a Rode NTG-2 with my primary A1. Usually take a board feed as well. All depends on the shoot. Like to get a finish mix as well!!

anyway, just don't want to fry my A1 by putting the DM-50 on it.

Stephen Sobel
August 24th, 2007, 06:54 PM
Is the DM-50 a stereo mic or mono mic? How much better is the sound of the Rode?

Henry Cho
August 24th, 2007, 08:32 PM
the dm50 is not compatible with the xha1 as it requires a powered hot shoe to operate, like on the hv20, xl2, gl2, etc.

the dm50 is a stereo mic. one nice thing about it is that it requires no cables, so it plays nice, from a handling perspective, with tiny cameras like the hv20. handling aside, i would take the rode any of the week.

if you want a mic for the xha1's camera shoe, you might want to look at the rode videomic as it's in the same price range as the dm50 and is, among others in it's class, a pretty well-regarded mic.

Chris Hurd
August 24th, 2007, 09:09 PM
Henry has beaten me to the punch... the accessory shoe on the Canon XH A1 and G1 isn't hot; it isn't wired for the Canon line of Advanced Accessory Shoe attachments such as the DM-50 stereo microphone. The DM-50 is not compatible with the XH A1, sorry.

...it's been with my Optura Pi (is it possible we have old school DV at this point in time

Woohoo! Another Optura Pi in the house!

This thread has been sitting around since March?