Does the Rode NTG 1 fit well on the A1 ??

Kevin Dorsey · February 23rd, 2009, 04:37 PM

I'll throw in my 2 cents. I have the NTG-2, but I've never used it with the battery, it's always been phantom powered by the camera, so in hind sight I wish I had purchased the NTG-1 instead. Because it's a bit shorter and a better fit with the XHA1. I'm getting an NTG-1 as we speak for my second camera.

I use the Rode SM3 shockmount.
Rode | SM3 - On-Camera Shockmount for Shotgun Mics | SM3 | B&H

When mounting the mic and a light I use the cool-lux adapter.
Cool-Lux | MD-3000 Light and Sound Bracket | MD3000 | B&H Photo

Let me know if you want to see pics of any of this gear attached to the camera. It might give you a better idea of how it all goes together. Hope this helps.
-Kevin

Suzanne Zorich · February 23rd, 2009, 06:24 PM

Sure Kevin, definitely send a picture of how you have it connected...thanks!

Tripp Woelfel · February 23rd, 2009, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suzanne Zorich

Tripp, do you use the camera's battery to power the shotgun through the XLR, or just internal AA batteries?
Thanks!

I have the NTG 1 which doesn't have batteries so I don't have that option.

Although I've not needed to use the Rode connected to a source without phantom power, I would get the NTG 2 if I had it to do over again.

Chris Light · February 24th, 2009, 12:18 AM

well, i have gone between the two as i have not yet purchased, but may in the near future. i'm wondering...if i decide to mount the mic on-cam, and shoot relatively close, mainly in family situations, such as parties, if i properly monitor my levels, will the mic cut out enough background noise to hear the intended voices well enough, or am i kidding myself? sorry for the run-on sentence, but i'm not going to be walking around with a boompole at a barbeque. i'm just not sure if i should just deal with the onboard mic, or get an NTG1/2 and have my audio sound distant and noisy. i just don't wanna buy a mic and be unsatisfied with the whole idea when i can't hear my 3 year old tell me some cool story on video.

thanks for any guidance, and i'm sorry if i hijacked this thread. it was not my intention. i'm just tired of plopping music over-top of my video to compensate for bad audio.

Chris
Chris Light on Vimeo

Joe Batt · February 24th, 2009, 02:09 AM

hello, I use the ntg-2 with my xl-h1 and love it. It seemed like the best mic I could find in that price range. It also comes with a shock mount and wind screen. I've been using mine for a year and the mic and shock mount are both holding up fine.

Mark Fry · February 24th, 2009, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Light

well, i have gone between the two as i have not yet purchased, but may in the near future. i'm wondering...if i decide to mount the mic on-cam, and shoot relatively close, mainly in family situations, such as parties, if i properly monitor my levels, will the mic cut out enough background noise to hear the intended voices well enough, or am i kidding myself? sorry for the run-on sentence, but i'm not going to be walking around with a boompole at a barbeque. i'm just not sure if i should just deal with the onboard mic, or get an NTG1/2 and have my audio sound distant and noisy. i just don't wanna buy a mic and be unsatisfied with the whole idea when i can't hear my 3 year old tell me some cool story on video.

thanks for any guidance, and i'm sorry if i hijacked this thread. it was not my intention. i'm just tired of plopping music over-top of my video to compensate for bad audio.

Chris
Chris Light on Vimeo

Chris - it sounds like you already know the answer. A camera-mounted "short shotgun" mic, such as the Rode NTG-1, is not as good as getting an independent mic in close to your subject (on a pole, clipped to clothing, in the speaker's hand...) but should normally be an improvement over the built-in mics, provided that it's in a good shock-mount. Check the many threads in the Audio forum for chapter and verse.

One word of caution - short shotguns are best in large spaces and the open air. In smaller or reverberant spaces, they can pick up odd reflections sometimes. You may find a "hyper cardioid" is a better response pattern - still much more directional than the almost-omni built-in mics.

I'll second Tripp's advice about getting the NTG-2 in preference to the NTG-1. Even if you only use battery power a couple of times a year, it makes the mic much more versatile. This is especially true if you later build up a collection of mics, and the Rode becomes your second or third choice for the camera.

I'm aware that many people think the built-in mics are "bad", and should never be used, but I think that's a little unfair. I've been listening to some tests I've done recently, and they are a lot better than most built-in mics. Their frequency response is pretty good and they have a certain amount of shock protection built in. They do hear the camera motor a bit too much, and will pick up rough handling, but in moderately noisy situations, if you are careful, they are quite usable. They are good for recording background ambience or in situations where you are not trying to pick out the sound of a particular subject. Maybe you have separate mics feeding a minidisc or other recorder, or more than one camera on a shoot.... Or maybe you are in a hurry, trying to keep up with what's happening. One problem, though, is that if you normally use an XLR mic, you have to go into the menu to switch from XLR to built-in/unbalanced circuits, and vice versa.

HTH

Les Wilson · February 24th, 2009, 12:10 PM

I would think the built-in would be just fine for family videos. The NTG-1 will be a step up for family situations. Boomholder not required. The NTG-1 will reject more than the built-in. Even backyard barbeques will be fine...for family videos. If you want to produce a professional interview in a noisy environment, a lesson from TV reporters is in order. Use a handheld mic. A Shure SM58 or Sennheiser Evolution dynamic will do the job nicely. These mics are rugged, don't take power, and pickup basically just sound close to the mic. Background noise will sound like, well, background which is what you want I think.

As for NTG-1 vs NTG-2, I found the longer NTG-2 a pain as it interferes behind the mount due to it's length. Don't worry if you laready ordered one, you can sell it on eBay as they are a very popular mic. An NTG-1 and a right angle coiled XLR makes for a nice tight rig. I trimmed my deadcat a little and can use the Canon mount without resorting to an extra mic holder. YMMV.

Chris Light · February 24th, 2009, 11:54 PM

Mark and Ernest...thank you for your reassuring and informative replies. Mark you just about nailed it, and i almost made up my mind to NOT purchase a mic, but then i thought "am i going to want to be stuck only doing family videos, or music oriented videos?" the answer is no. by building a small but effective audio kit, i may just be more inclined to try more formal techniques like interviews, or even acted-out scenes. i'm trying to get better at this, and i think if i avoid these slight upgrades, it may be detrimental to my advancement.

thanks again guys!!

Chris
Chris Light on Vimeo

February 24th, 2009, 02:09 AM	#20
Joe Batt Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Forest Ranch, CA Posts: 106	ntg-2 hello, I use the ntg-2 with my xl-h1 and love it. It seemed like the best mic I could find in that price range. It also comes with a shock mount and wind screen. I've been using mine for a year and the mic and shock mount are both holding up fine.

February 24th, 2009, 12:10 PM	#22
Les Wilson Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3,014	I would think the built-in would be just fine for family videos. The NTG-1 will be a step up for family situations. Boomholder not required. The NTG-1 will reject more than the built-in. Even backyard barbeques will be fine...for family videos. If you want to produce a professional interview in a noisy environment, a lesson from TV reporters is in order. Use a handheld mic. A Shure SM58 or Sennheiser Evolution dynamic will do the job nicely. These mics are rugged, don't take power, and pickup basically just sound close to the mic. Background noise will sound like, well, background which is what you want I think. As for NTG-1 vs NTG-2, I found the longer NTG-2 a pain as it interferes behind the mount due to it's length. Don't worry if you laready ordered one, you can sell it on eBay as they are a very popular mic. An NTG-1 and a right angle coiled XLR makes for a nice tight rig. I trimmed my deadcat a little and can use the Canon mount without resorting to an extra mic holder. YMMV. Last edited by Les Wilson; February 25th, 2009 at 06:26 AM. Reason: Fixed the wrong Shure mic model number...misspellings

February 23rd, 2009, 04:37 PM	#16
Kevin Dorsey Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Syracuse, NY Posts: 64	I'll throw in my 2 cents. I have the NTG-2, but I've never used it with the battery, it's always been phantom powered by the camera, so in hind sight I wish I had purchased the NTG-1 instead. Because it's a bit shorter and a better fit with the XHA1. I'm getting an NTG-1 as we speak for my second camera. I use the Rode SM3 shockmount. Rode \| SM3 - On-Camera Shockmount for Shotgun Mics \| SM3 \| B&H When mounting the mic and a light I use the cool-lux adapter. Cool-Lux \| MD-3000 Light and Sound Bracket \| MD3000 \| B&H Photo Let me know if you want to see pics of any of this gear attached to the camera. It might give you a better idea of how it all goes together. Hope this helps. -Kevin

February 23rd, 2009, 06:24 PM	#17
Suzanne Zorich Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 40	Sure Kevin, definitely send a picture of how you have it connected...thanks!

February 24th, 2009, 12:18 AM	#19
Chris Light Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Fallbrook, CA Posts: 49	well, i have gone between the two as i have not yet purchased, but may in the near future. i'm wondering...if i decide to mount the mic on-cam, and shoot relatively close, mainly in family situations, such as parties, if i properly monitor my levels, will the mic cut out enough background noise to hear the intended voices well enough, or am i kidding myself? sorry for the run-on sentence, but i'm not going to be walking around with a boompole at a barbeque. i'm just not sure if i should just deal with the onboard mic, or get an NTG1/2 and have my audio sound distant and noisy. i just don't wanna buy a mic and be unsatisfied with the whole idea when i can't hear my 3 year old tell me some cool story on video. thanks for any guidance, and i'm sorry if i hijacked this thread. it was not my intention. i'm just tired of plopping music over-top of my video to compensate for bad audio. Chris Chris Light on Vimeo

February 24th, 2009, 11:54 PM	#23
Chris Light Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Fallbrook, CA Posts: 49	Mark and Ernest...thank you for your reassuring and informative replies. Mark you just about nailed it, and i almost made up my mind to NOT purchase a mic, but then i thought "am i going to want to be stuck only doing family videos, or music oriented videos?" the answer is no. by building a small but effective audio kit, i may just be more inclined to try more formal techniques like interviews, or even acted-out scenes. i'm trying to get better at this, and i think if i avoid these slight upgrades, it may be detrimental to my advancement. thanks again guys!! Chris Chris Light on Vimeo