MX 500 mic shoe too tight at DVinfo.net

Tor Salomonsen · March 10th, 2004, 08:39 AM

Client of mine has a Panasonic MX 500 camera. On my advice they've bought a Sennheiser MKE300 mic to use with it. Problem is, the shoe is too tight for the mic's foot, the latter being made of plastic. Any advise?

Tommy Haupfear · March 10th, 2004, 09:01 AM

Too tight? I don't recall that problem with my past DV953 (NTSC equivalent of MX500) and the MKE300 (see pic below). Have they tried any other mics on the MX500.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-...ture%20005.jpg

Guy Bruner · March 10th, 2004, 09:06 AM

Tor,
Is he having problems getting the mic into the shoe, perhaps because of contact with the viewfinder? If so, have him pull the viewfinder out.

Tor Salomonsen · March 10th, 2004, 10:15 AM

The plate on the mic holder that's supposed to slide in under the two metal thingies on the camera is too thick - or the two thingies are too low. I'll supply a photo later, but ight now I've got to run somewhere.

Richard Troost · March 10th, 2004, 11:51 AM

(Change the word "thing" into little wheels, thanks to Frank.)

Well, but there are two little wheels that you can turn around. Turn the first as much as possible to above, than the next one you than make some place between the plate and that turn thing. It should fit on the shoe now, and you turn the last little wheelback to secure the mike on the camera.

I've seen a mx500 with a sennheiser on it for sure. I have such a special shoe myself -but then to put up on any microphone I like- and that fits as well when I make some room.

Tor Salomonsen · March 10th, 2004, 02:40 PM

Here's the image I promised you:
http://home.hesbynett.no/saltor/_tes...-panasonic.jpg

Has anyone any advise?

Frank Granovski · March 10th, 2004, 03:39 PM

Thor, I found to have the same problem with my MX300. If it doesn't fit, don't force it! Go to this thread on the "Now Hear This" forum: Finally got my shock-mount. There's one Sennheiser mount that works very well. The lip thing is plastic and slides in easily. To tighten it, I just turn the little wheel.

Richard Troost · March 10th, 2004, 03:53 PM

Yes!, I ment the little wheel!, and put in in at the other side, with the vieuwfinder pulled out!. (I mean at the other side as where you put the arrow on the picture.

Tommy Haupfear · March 10th, 2004, 04:25 PM

Yeah I noticed that too.

The mic needs to load from the back side of the shoe on the side of the viewfinder (which needs to be pulled back).

Tor Salomonsen · March 10th, 2004, 04:30 PM

I'll try loading from the back. But I don't have the camera here. Can you actually pull the viewfinder back? I know you can tilt it up, but hadn't noticed you could pull it back.

Allan Rejoso · March 10th, 2004, 07:09 PM

Yup, many new Pany models have flush shoe to give the cam a cooler look, but requires the viewfinder to be pulled all the way back before attaching anything on the shoe (from the back).

Bogdan Vaglarov · March 10th, 2004, 07:12 PM

Yes, the arrow on the pict pointing from the front of the cam is wrong.

The only way to slide the mic is first to pull out the viewfinder as others are saying. It's also written in the manual - your clients could may be read that part having troubles.

Tor Salomonsen · March 11th, 2004, 02:48 AM

Thanks all around.
I went by the client's place this morning and looked at the camera. Yes, the viewfinder slides back and allows the mic to be installed from the back of the shoe. That solves the problem.

I don't understand why you should need to slide the viewfinder back - unless you're Pinocchio. It can't be made just to accomodate the mic shoe? I mean, it would be easier to turn the shoe 180 degrees. And when you for whatever reason create a function like that (I'm addressing Panasonic now) you should design it so that it becomes apparent, and not cause your customers embarrassment having to run around asking questions about such basic matters - EVEN if it is mentioned in the manual (and I don't know if it is).

If I could have back the hours I've wasted because of poorly designed gadgets - I could have written a book about it. But at least I've been given one more reason to love my Sony TRV 950.

Frank Granovski · March 11th, 2004, 04:19 AM

Quote:

But at least I've been given one more reason to love my Sony TRV 950

If you like, we could turn this thread into a MX500 verses TRV950 thread; and I can think of 5 things which makes the MX500 a better cam. But if you give me a bit more time, I could think of a few more things. Then again, if someone would give me a TRV950, I would be happy. :-))

Tor Salomonsen · March 11th, 2004, 04:34 AM

No, thank you. There are more than enough threads of that kind.
Actually the MX 500 seems to produce good video, which is the most important thing. I'll recommend it heartily to all the Pinocchios I know.

March 10th, 2004, 08:39 AM	#1
Tor Salomonsen Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Stavanger, Norway Posts: 265	MX 500 mic shoe too tight Client of mine has a Panasonic MX 500 camera. On my advice they've bought a Sennheiser MKE300 mic to use with it. Problem is, the shoe is too tight for the mic's foot, the latter being made of plastic. Any advise?

March 10th, 2004, 11:51 AM	#5
Richard Troost New Boot Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: The Netherlands, Breda Posts: 14	(Change the word "thing" into little wheels, thanks to Frank.) Well, but there are two little wheels that you can turn around. Turn the first as much as possible to above, than the next one you than make some place between the plate and that turn thing. It should fit on the shoe now, and you turn the last little wheelback to secure the mike on the camera. I've seen a mx500 with a sennheiser on it for sure. I have such a special shoe myself -but then to put up on any microphone I like- and that fits as well when I make some room. __________________ Ritro. MX500EG, abit IT7 pentium 2,4, 1024MB, 2x80Gb, fx5600, LE 5.5 2x 19"crt.

March 10th, 2004, 03:53 PM	#8
Richard Troost New Boot Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: The Netherlands, Breda Posts: 14	Yes!, I ment the little wheel!, and put in in at the other side, with the vieuwfinder pulled out!. (I mean at the other side as where you put the arrow on the picture. __________________ Ritro. MX500EG, abit IT7 pentium 2,4, 1024MB, 2x80Gb, fx5600, LE 5.5 2x 19"crt.

March 10th, 2004, 09:01 AM	#2
Tommy Haupfear Wrangler Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 1,415	Too tight? I don't recall that problem with my past DV953 (NTSC equivalent of MX500) and the MKE300 (see pic below). Have they tried any other mics on the MX500. http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-...ture%20005.jpg

March 10th, 2004, 09:06 AM	#3
Guy Bruner Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Ashford, AL Posts: 937	Tor, Is he having problems getting the mic into the shoe, perhaps because of contact with the viewfinder? If so, have him pull the viewfinder out.

March 10th, 2004, 10:15 AM	#4
Tor Salomonsen Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Stavanger, Norway Posts: 265	The plate on the mic holder that's supposed to slide in under the two metal thingies on the camera is too thick - or the two thingies are too low. I'll supply a photo later, but ight now I've got to run somewhere.

March 10th, 2004, 02:40 PM	#6
Tor Salomonsen Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Stavanger, Norway Posts: 265	Here's the image I promised you: http://home.hesbynett.no/saltor/_tes...-panasonic.jpg Has anyone any advise?

March 10th, 2004, 03:39 PM	#7
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Thor, I found to have the same problem with my MX300. If it doesn't fit, don't force it! Go to this thread on the "Now Hear This" forum: Finally got my shock-mount. There's one Sennheiser mount that works very well. The lip thing is plastic and slides in easily. To tighten it, I just turn the little wheel.

March 10th, 2004, 04:25 PM	#9
Tommy Haupfear Wrangler Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 1,415	Yeah I noticed that too. The mic needs to load from the back side of the shoe on the side of the viewfinder (which needs to be pulled back).

March 10th, 2004, 04:30 PM	#10
Tor Salomonsen Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Stavanger, Norway Posts: 265	I'll try loading from the back. But I don't have the camera here. Can you actually pull the viewfinder back? I know you can tilt it up, but hadn't noticed you could pull it back.

March 10th, 2004, 07:09 PM	#11
Allan Rejoso Major Player Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Tokyo, Japan Posts: 569	Yup, many new Pany models have flush shoe to give the cam a cooler look, but requires the viewfinder to be pulled all the way back before attaching anything on the shoe (from the back).

March 10th, 2004, 07:12 PM	#12
Bogdan Vaglarov Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Yokohama, Japan Posts: 366	Yes, the arrow on the pict pointing from the front of the cam is wrong. The only way to slide the mic is first to pull out the viewfinder as others are saying. It's also written in the manual - your clients could may be read that part having troubles.

March 11th, 2004, 02:48 AM	#13
Tor Salomonsen Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Stavanger, Norway Posts: 265	Thanks all around. I went by the client's place this morning and looked at the camera. Yes, the viewfinder slides back and allows the mic to be installed from the back of the shoe. That solves the problem. I don't understand why you should need to slide the viewfinder back - unless you're Pinocchio. It can't be made just to accomodate the mic shoe? I mean, it would be easier to turn the shoe 180 degrees. And when you for whatever reason create a function like that (I'm addressing Panasonic now) you should design it so that it becomes apparent, and not cause your customers embarrassment having to run around asking questions about such basic matters - EVEN if it is mentioned in the manual (and I don't know if it is). If I could have back the hours I've wasted because of poorly designed gadgets - I could have written a book about it. But at least I've been given one more reason to love my Sony TRV 950.

March 11th, 2004, 04:34 AM	#15
Tor Salomonsen Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Stavanger, Norway Posts: 265	No, thank you. There are more than enough threads of that kind. Actually the MX 500 seems to produce good video, which is the most important thing. I'll recommend it heartily to all the Pinocchios I know.