Well darn it all I've snapped the mic off my XHA1. I suppose it'll have to go for repair. Does anyone know whats the best way to go around this. How long will it take, and how much am I looking at.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts,

Mark.

Canon USA has good turn around time. Are they quick in the UK? If you need your cam for a shoot, use external mics and send it in later.

Although I'm getting a bit of the same feeling about your accident as when one of my kids falls and scratches up a knee, please tell us the details. There's a bit of speculation as to the robustness of the mic. What holds the mic together? Is it plastic or metal? How can we avoid a broken mic?

Thanks.

Hi Doug,

Well I ended up catching the top of the mic on the car door. It didn't take much before it snapped the whole mic off. It's pulled the two ribbon plugs from inside, which I could replace myself, its just getting inside the handle looks like a bit of a job. I'll give canon a ring today, hopefully it shouldn't take to long.

Thanks for the reply,

Mark.

About $400 to fix w/ labor. Got mine fixed at Ritz Camera, but I had insurance, but they said it would have cost about $400.

*e

You might think about investing in a good case to protect your gear when transporting.

I wouldn't leave the store without a Pelican (or Storm) case for my new video camera.

I've got a Storm case for my Pana GS400 and a Pelican (depends what's in stock I guess) for my A1.

They're great for customising and they're waterproof.

Choose the right size and you can also fit in spare tapes, batteries, lens', hood amd other stuff.

I have a Kata carry bag for my Canon. The camera needs to be taken out of the bag to use it. It was when I was taking the camera back to the car to put it back into the bag that I caught the door.

Mark

P.S. I'm now having to sell my Canon, I can't afford to wait for the two weeks it'll take to get repaired, I've just got to much on, so I've now bought another. I'll be selling it as it is, so if anybody's interested, send me a PM.

Mark

I have a Kata carry bag for my Canon. The camera needs to be taken out of the bag to use it. It was when I was taking the camera back to the car to put it back into the bag that I caught the door.
Mark

Not trying to come off sounding like a jerk, but... That's the whole point of a "Carry" bag!

If the $400 price is correct, why repair? Instead, use the money to invest in a good XLR microphone. The built-in microphone is not bad, but not at the same level of quality. The only hard point: the external microphone mount does not shield enough from motor noise (especially the zoom), at least for my configuration.
---
Fred

If the $400 price is correct, why repair? Instead, use the money to invest in a good XLR microphone. The built-in microphone is not bad, but not at the same level of quality. The only hard point: the external microphone mount does not shield enough from motor noise (especially the zoom), at least for my configuration.
---
Fred

Yeah, I noticed the same problem with my external AT897 shotgun mic mounted in the included holder. The easiest/cheapest way to resolve this issue is by 'padding' the mic within the holder using some medium-firm density foam. I actually found that the foam makeup applicators my wife uses (white discs, about 2 inches in diameter) make for wonderful isolators. Cut one into a square that would fit into the bottom of the mic holder; works like a charm for pennies. Maybe I should get a patent?

Since I've pulled both ribbon cables out from the camera, will an external one still work. I don't fancy splashing out on a new mic to find it does'nt work. Another thing, can anyone point me in the right direction for a pretty good alternative mic.

Many thanks,

Mark.

As far as carry bags - I have one, but if you are shooting somewhere where you need to be mobile, I leave the bag in the car. I certainly couldn't manage shooting and toting a big bag on my shoulder.

The Rode shotgun mics NT-G2s I've heard are decent, and not too pricey.

Trish

What kind of mic do you want?
For stereo, check out the AT-825.
A wide variety of shot guns out there too.

Actually the NT-G1 works fine because it is phantom powered by the camera. I think it is a great mic.

As far as carry bags - I have one, but if you are shooting somewhere where you need to be mobile, I leave the bag in the car. I certainly couldn't manage shooting and toting a big bag on my shoulder.

The Rode shotgun mics NT-G2s I've heard are decent, and not too pricey.

Trish

Mark-
Do the XLR inputs still work on your XH A1? If it is still untested, go to a music shop and look at (plug in) one of their condensor mics as a test. If you are shooting mostly inside, you may want a cardioid or super-cardioid condensor mic anyway, which should be available at the music shop.

Thanks guy's for the advice. I'll take a look at some of the mentioned mic's and go from there. Whats the best to go for, the normal mic input or the XLR.

Thanks again,

Mark.

Update,

I went out today to the local music shop. I tried out a standard mic with a XLR plug. It works fine, so I now have to make my mind up and decide which mic to go for.

Go the XLR.

All the mics mentioned are good. I picked up an AKG Blue Line mic. Great mics to add to your list of options for non-stereo mics.

What are they if their non-stereo. Is it better to have stereo. Sorry if its a daft question, but I've never used an external mic before.

Mark

Only you can answer if it is better to have stereo - depends on what you are shooting, what type of sound you want to capture, and what the client wants delivered.

Stereo is good for ambient sound capture, and for events like musical performances. Not especially good for dialog unless the speakers are carefully positioned relative to the mic, and with single person dialog, stereo may have little point. Stereo mics tend to be wide field (often a dual cardoid patterns at 90 degrees) so you do not get much isolation except for sounds directly behind the mic.

Suggest that you spend some time reading about mics and their use. (The Shure web site had some interesting white papers) to help you better frame you requirement and possible solutions.

Well after having a good read, it looks like a shotgun mic would suite my needs. I mainly shoot at air shows, so I think I may go for the Rode NT-G1.

What setting should I use on the A1 if I get the NT-G1. I've switched to XLR in the Audio setup and I'll plug it into the Ch1 XLR plug. Should I turn the +48v switch to on. What should I set the channel input to.

Thanks again for all the response,

Mark

Mark,

I am assuming here you have decided to shoot only with a camera-mounted microphone. This is an important question, as more elaborate techniques (boom, lavalier/wireless, ...) are bound to give better results when properly used.

If you seek versatility on-camera, look into Mid-Side equipment. The advantage is that a single microphone can be both used to "focus" on the front of the camera (depending on the "mid" setup of the microphone), or to render a wider stereo scene. The beauty is that you can decide in post, including adjusting the width of the scene. Of course, the equipment is a bit more expensive than mono. I have the Audiotechnica AT835ST, which is generally well regarded.

In post, you will need to use some specialized software. If your video editing program supports VST, look at the Voxengo MSED plugin: it is free, simple, and does the job.
---
Fred

NB: I strongly suggest you visit the audio forum (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?f=53) on this site.

Air shows ... I would think the stereo effect would be desired for action shots as aircraft fly by and to hear the crowd reaction, with shotgun mainly for interview sorts of things.

Don,

Trouble is at air shows, is that you get a lot of commentary from the loud speakers around the field which can drown out a lot of the aircraft. I think a shotgun would help in cutting this out.

Mark

The shotgun can help cut down on the PA sound, but effectiveness will depend on the direction of that sound source (both direct and reflected sound) relative to the pick-up pattern of the mic as oriented while rolling the camcorder. You have to consider both the primary pick-up direction and any side and back lobes in the mic pattern, and the points of null (minimal pickup) and frequency effects on the pattern. Just more things to think about.

Mark

The NTG1 is good but according to the IOV test, the NTG2 is better. Word of advice. Go for the extras - particulary the shock mount and the dead cat.

Reccommend Prestons for all this stuff.

YES... I have the NT-G1 and it is phantom power so you will need the voltage from the camera. DO NOT use the -12 or loud/high setting.

Well after having a good read, it looks like a shotgun mic would suite my needs. I mainly shoot at air shows, so I think I may go for the Rode NT-G1.

What setting should I use on the A1 if I get the NT-G1. I've switched to XLR in the Audio setup and I'll plug it into the Ch1 XLR plug. Should I turn the +48v switch to on. What should I set the channel input to.

Thanks again for all the response,

Mark

Hi everybody

I bumped my built in mic as well, it didn’t break off, but now its way too lose and droops down, it still works fine, it just looks bad. Has anybody figured how to access the innards of the mic in order to tighten it up? I suspect that that little screw underneath the mic may be the way to access the inside.

the NTG2 is a good mic. I bought it last monday and it works very good with my A1. the sound iso high and natural.

The Rode NTG2 is the one you want, you can use this on other equipment as it is both Phantom power and AA battery.