SENNHEISER Professional MKE 400 Directional On-Camera Shotgun Microphone with 3.5mm TRS and TRRS Connectors for DSLR, Mirrorless & Mobile , Connects with Auxiliary

Kids are now singing in programs so needed something better than the huge generic mic that came with a lense package. This thing costs a bit more than the rest but it's not so "obvious" than the other mics when mounted. Even with the dead-cat, which worked well outdoors in a light breeze, it was not so eye-catching as others that I've seen. I'm glad I purchased this version instead of the smaller one because this unit will turn itself on as soon as you turn on the camera. With my other cheapo one, I kept the mic off to save on battery life and just forgot to turn it on when I switched the camera on to record. Luckily I caught it during the welcome and intro speeches. Battery life seems to be pretty good. I haven't ran it until it died because that would be a bad thing while recording something. But I probably recorded about 1.5 hrs worth of video without any issues before just changing out the battery for the next program. When researching different brands, I actually preferred the replaceable battery mics, since I have rechargeable batteries and if I needed something quick, AAAs are easy to find.

It’s Sennheiser, what do you expect? Of course I was going to like it, but I bought the product used, so I was definitely surprised to find out how well it performed. The battery life is excellent, just make sure to carry a couple extra in emergencies. It is very portable on my rig, and can be used on a gimbal due to how light it is. Since I purchased it used, it was so affordable for what you get out of it! It might not be as directional as you’d like it to be, but it performs better than my built in mic on my camera, and even uses a cold shoe! It would be nice if there was a hot shoe option, but I digress. It has two cables to connect with, one of which I solely use. The mic quality is excellent, and I would recommend it to anyone that doesn’t really need the $1k boom mic, but still is looking for portability, and quality. My biggest complaint is how it twists on to the cold shoe mount. I feel as if it fell off a bit more then I’d like it to, but that might have been the fault of the cage on my camera, who knows… but all in all, it’s worth the purchase for your next videography gig!!

I needed a mic that was more compact but surprised how good this design is, with the sound dampening built on the inside and out of the way. And this has a control for audio levels and filtering plus a headphone monitoring jack. It’s very sturdy and very responsive, but also excellent in going into standby when the phone or camera is off, but quick to arm itself once power is restored. The best design ever for a shotgun mic in its price range.

I've used Rode mics in various form factors for almost 20 years. This is now my new favorite mic. The sound quality is just superior to my ears in almost every way. The directional sound envelope is a welcome change and the "mini blimp" design is just so much better in the way it works and looks. The sound jack on the front is a great idea as it keeps cables out of your way and the power button is an easily seen green LED that turns on with a quick press and off by holding it half a second. The attention to detail on this product is appreciated. The one thing I wish it did have is a secondary safety channel like the Rode mic has. It's saved me more than once with low/loud speakers at events. Note to GH6 users. There are 3 different settings for your mic in settings, you want to choose the option to POWER the mic from the camera and the auto on/off will work.

The mic itself is fantastic (more on this later); however, I do feel it's important to let others know that I'm pretty sure Amazon sent me a used one when I ordered new. The box was not sealed closed with tape as new items generally are, and the mic batteries were just tossed inside (unwrapped), user manual was folded incorrectly and also just tossed inside. Fast shipping isn't enough to make up for paying new prices for a used item. A partial refund would be nice, but I know that won't happen. I'll buy direct from now on. The mic itself appears to be in good working condition, thankfully, so not worth the hassle of returning. This mic is fantastic and I would highly recommend it (purchased through Sweetwater or similar vs Amazon) for anyone looking for an on-camera stereo shotgun mic. It does not come with the wind shield, but one can be purchased separately from someplace like Sweetwater or Adorama or B&H, etc. I'm using this with a Fuji X-T5 for ambient nature filming, and so far I'm impressed. Be careful of your in-camera audio settings--if too high, there will be a LOT of hissing noise in your audio. Best practice is to turn down in-camera audio and turn up mic audio. So if you get this mic and your first recording is all hissing noise, do not just think it's a bad mic. Adjust in-camera audio settings. One thing to be aware of is that the audio cable is permanently affixed to the mic. Not a big deal, but do be careful not to pull on it or abuse it, since it can't be easily replaced if damage is done, and a good cable connection is important to good audio quality. Haven't used it for very long yet, so will update my review if anything changes; however I would definitely say that this is the best on-camera shotgun mic I've used to date.

This is a great little mix kit. The quality is fantastic and even comparable to my mke 600 depending on distance to mic. Super easy to use and love that it automatically turns on with my dslr. Overall a great purchase and would recommend for anyone not wanting to break the bank but have a good quality mic

I have hearing loss and even with hearing aids I have trouble hearing in meetings. I use this with just a set of wired earbuds and can hear everything.

I am a huge fan of Sennheiser microphones, so I entered this review with a bias. However, I was very disappointed with this mic. I currently own and use the RODE VideoMic NTG, and it really cannot be beaten. However, this mic piqued my interest because, first, it's a Sennheiser, and they are known for incredible mics with great sound with a certain intangible quality that I love, as well as stellar build quality. So, upon receiving this mic and testing it, I was extremely disappointed. I was hoping it could replace my RODE (mentioned above) simply because it's much smaller. First the good points. It offers excellent sound and is very close to that of the RODE VideoMic NTG. The design should win an award because it is not only small, but Sennheiser actually created a very tiny mic capsule that is essentially enclosed within a wind blimp. If you look at the Rycote Modular Windshield, it's basically a miniature version of that. And I can attest that the wind resistance if considerably better than the RODE with its Deadcat furry windshield. Another plus is that there is a headphone jack on the mic itself. It's also very easy to use and easy to set up. You simply plug and play, and the mic will automatically turn on when you turn on your camera. The negatives, however, are many, and this led to my 3-star rating and a regretful return. First and foremost: It is simply not sensitive enough, which caused me to bump up the in-camera pre-amps beyond a level I'm comfortable with. And if you choose to use the mic's boost, you hear too much background noise. The second deal-killer for me was its build quality. It's entirely made of plastic, and feels really cheap in the hand. I was very disappointed with this because I used the original MKE 400, and it was solid metal with metal switches. Finally, the MKE 400 doesn't offer the varied functionality of the RODE VideoMic NTG, which is it main competitor. The RODE is so good that I can be used as a boom mic for talent without having to rely on a more complex XLR mic setup. I regretfully cannot recommend this mic based on my experience, and returned mine. But I will be keeping the RODE.