VideoMicro

There is a minefield of information to digest when it comes to microphones. There are so many different types to consider, and so many different versions of those types it can be hard to know even where to begin. If you're doing recordings in a static environment, perhaps from a desk at home, you're more than likely going to be wanting a condensing microphone and many people will point you towards a product by Blue Yeti. I certainly would as they're superb. If you want your recordings to be mobile, or your subject is going to be far from the camera, a microphone mounted to the talker in the form of a lavalier mike will be the way to go. However, if you want a microphone that you can mount directly to your DSLR camera and have the versatility of both studio and mobile work, an On-camera microphone such as this VideoMicro by Rode is ideal.Rode, if you're not familiar with them, are one of the best manufacturers of microphones in the business. They're based in Australia and manufacture a number of highly regarded On-camera and lavalier products. You just need to decide which one is right for you. There are four or five On-camera mikes that they manufacture which you might consider, from this baby of the range VideoMicro up to the VideoMic Pro+. Each step will bring added features, at added cost, but the VideoMicro is the best selling On-camera mike on Amazon for a reason. It offers excellent sound quality for a relatively modest outlay.You get a compact microphone along with a furry "dead cat" wind supresser, and a detachable TRS cable to connect from the microphone to your DSLR. The microphone attached to the hot shoe of your DSLR camera, and tightend using a dial to get make it stable. When connected the TRS cable can be snapped into slots in the dial which braces the microphone to the camera and prevents wobbling.The sound quality of the microphone is really good, certainly a vast improvement over the in-built microphone in my Nikon D5300 camera. The sound of me doing my pieces to camera is really quite impressive. Being at the bottom end of the Rode range you might expect comprimises, and while the audio gain isn't as impressive as the top end of the range, you're only paying a fraction of the price and you're still getting a very good mike. A word on that, when you connect it to your camera you'll need to go into your menu settings and adjust the gains of the microphone to properly calibrate it. There's instruction in the box for how to do this, and plenty of tutorials online.The TRS cable provided is designed to plug the microphone into your DSLR's mic/aux-in port. Note that this is a different type of connection to the port you'd find on a smart phone. Phones usually use a TRRS port which despite the similar name isn't the same thing. If you look at a connector you'll see a ring on it. That's the "R" of TRS (Tip/Ring/Sleeve). A TRRS connector has two rings (Tip/Ring/Ring/Sleeve). You can buy converters to change a TRS cable to a TRRS, or Rode will sell you a different cable, a TRS to TRRS cable, which will allow you to connect this microphone to your smart phone.Anyway, I've been using mine now for about two months and I've been very impressed with the performance. While I could have spent more money on better ones in the Rode range I've been perfectly happy with the product and highly recommend it.

The RØDE VideoMicro Compact On-camera Directional Microphone has been a game-changer for my content creation (YouTube_. Whether I’m shooting vlogs, interviews, or outdoor footage, this mic consistently delivers crisp and clear audio.For the price, the RØDE VideoMicro is one of the best investments I’ve made in my gear. It's perfect for filmmakers, vloggers, and content creators who need a reliable, high-quality microphone without breaking the bank. If you're looking for an affordable, compact microphone that delivers professional audio, this is it!

This is a fantastic little mic, fantastic sound quality and very crisp sound. Comes with "dead cat" so even works well in poor weather conditions.Has aux cable connectors, no Bluetooth. I see that as a positive as it means no batteries but cable can get a little in the way.Lovely small compact mic, easy to store away in your camera bag. Not bulky if you wanted it in your pocket. Would make a nice small desk mic for meetings etc without feeling in the way.For the price this is a definite buy and a great little starter mic/every day mic.The one thing that does let it all down though is the mic seems a little heavy for the mounting so, it can sometimes seem a little "floppy" in the mounting or just tends to droop down.

I am a wedding and small commercial photographer and videographer and bought the Rode mic to use with my Panasonic FZ1000 cameras.The inbuilt microphones in many video cameras and dslr cameras used for video are limited in quality and pickup. They are also subject to handling and mechanical noise in addition to varying wind noise interference. I have a number of mics for various recording situations, but something to sit on the camera for run and gun filming with good audio is what I was looking for after a few disappointmentsThe Rode has a very effective flexible mount which attaches to the camera hot shoe, or can be attached to a stand or pole if required. This virtually eliminates all noise from camera handling and mechanical noise.The pick up pattern is front heavy which helps reduce sounds from the side, so better for audio from where you are pointing the camera. The mic comes with a short coiled connecting lead which plugs into the rear end of the mic and the mic input of the camera. No XLR here, just a standard 3mm mic connector. There is also an included foam wind protector which has the Rode logo printed on both sides. The foam type of wind protector is ok in light breezes, but for anything stronger I always use a Rycote dead cat instead. That applies to any mic I use for outside windy conditions.For an unpowered external mic, I find that the Rode gives a good output level and no noticeable noise with a wide dynamic range pickup. It is also very light, which belies the quality that I have found from it, which is great for close and general ambient sound.The only negatives I have found is that if you are using a dslr camera, the mic will extend far enough behind the hotshoe to be annoying if you are using the viewfinder rather than a screen. I'm also not a great fan of the red and black finish, but the mic does add a professional look to the camera. I've found sound performance to cost to be superior to many mics in the same price range and some costing considerably more. I have also backed up my review by now buying a second one for my other FZ1000.Roger