If you just want to "Get it done", set the camera on AUTO mode.
Use an external mic to the camera if you can, for better quality. A RODE VideoMic or similar.
AUTO prevents clipping and compresses everything up, so it will be noisey, loud, hissy, and unprofessional.... but if that is all you need, do it.

Maunal mode can get tricky. On my T3i, I have to turn the record level down about 2/3 or 3/4 most of the time just to avoid clipping. then doing so, most of your sound is real low, and when you bring it up, there's the DSLR crappy audio hiss. That is why people use better external stuff. BUT the DSLR CAN work. You could gate the hiss, mask it, or leave it.

3. Poorest quality / easiest: AUTO mode, internal mic or external mic to camera

2. Better Quality / harder to setup: Manual record mode, avoid clipping, keep high enough to reduce hiss

1. Best quality: Use other external recorder - I have a Zoom H2, and R24 recorders that are wonderful.

Just depends on your needs.

This is one of the reasons I'm so excited about the Panasonic GH3. The audio is really good on it. Check out this annoying but great audio quality demo:

Hi Laurence.

I'm seriously thinking about moving to the GH3 in the new year, so thanks for posting that Youtube, as I'm still nervous about moving away from an integrated video/audio camcorder. Totally agree with the "annoying" adjectiv re this clip, gives me great hope though for my videos and how they might be perceived by my clients and audiences!

Best wishes to all on the forum for the festive season.

Feliz Navidad from Aus to all

The little built in mics on Canon and Nikon DSLRs sound terrible. They pick up mostly handling and lens focusing sounds. It doesn't have to be that way though. The single mono mic on an iPhone or iPad sounds great. The stereo mics on the Canon point and shoots sound great. The mono mic on my Panasonic GF3 sounds great. The audio I'm hearing from GH3 demos that don't use external mics sound great. The audio on my little Playtouch has manual levels, metering and sounds great. I would go so far as to say in fact that the Nikon and Canon DSLRs are the only ones doing it wrong. There is no reason why the audio on a top of the line DSLR should be so poor that you have to use dual system when the audio from a hundred dollar Playtouch is so good.

To WWJD:

I want to get a good audio recording. Hence will go for the Zoom device. Is the device to be manually turned on? How do we sync it later?

RZ

Zoom would be manually synced in later or if you use a CLAPPER sound can help. Yeah, there is no time code syncronization with the cheap Zooms. I've heard/read the ZOOMs timing drifts a little, but in my situation, ALL my audio is manually adjusted so if it IS off, I would never notice. I'm always chopping slicing moving audio around in Vegas.

RODE just came out with a "mic" with a built in recorder that could be a handy time saver: mount on camera, records in the mic like an external recorder. Still no sync I am guessing, but might be handy.

One thing I forgot to mention is BOOM MICs. Any mic mounted on the camera will not sound as good as a mic close up - on the table, clip on lav, on a BOOM etc, so remember that option also

Meanwhile, the GH2 and GH3 audio is as good as a Zoom or Rode recorder. If you don't have a DSLR yet, the GH3 is going to be amazing. If you can't afford that, the GH2 is still a better choice than a DSLR and they are being cleared out everywhere for around $500.

One thing I forgot to mention is BOOM MICs. Any mic mounted on the camera will not sound as good as a mic close up - on the table, clip on lav, on a BOOM etc, so remember that option also

If you only have one person/subject you can put a lav mic on a Zoom. If the subject is stationary the Zoom can be out of frame (on the floor / table) or in a pocket. If you have two subjects you can run two seperate lav mics into the Zoom jack ,one on each channel, with the proper adaptor.

Using a clapper slate ought to do it. Shoot it right side up at the start of the take and upside down at the end for a tail slate. Retain the on-camera sound to check sync against. Having a sync mark at the head and the tail of the shot can help if you need to stretch or contract the audio.

You manually turn the Zoom on and off. Basically you're reproducing a dual-system film workflow where you "roll audio", "roll camera", "marker" for the slate, and then at the end call "Tail Slate" and then "Cut". You get most of these calls recorded in the audio.

What I'm describing isn't really a one person job.

Rob

"I want to get a good audio recording."

An admirable intention. Audio accounts for more than 50% of what we are about, some would say 70%.

"Hence will go for the Zoom device."

The Zoom devices are far from stellar audio devices. I have the H1 which is fine for the money and what I bought it for. Compared to my Edirol R-44 with good mics it is well, exactly what I paid for.

The R-44 holds sync to within 1 frame over 1 hour with my EX1 and HC5. One shoot we had a Z5 and it was the same. Conclusion; the clocks in most video cameras are quite accurate. The clocks in cheap audio devices are not.

The R-44 is a joy to use with separate input level and gain controls adjacent to the level meters. The Zoom units are not convenient at all especially if you use the internal mics. If you've got the unit positioned correctly for the mics good luck seeing the meters. Battery life can also be an issue with the H4n if using external mics that need phantom power.

The R-44 is far from the best audio recorder however the next step up is a big one from around $1,000 to $3,000.

All this depends though on what you're shooting and a Zoom H4n is going to be better than nothing especially if you don't have a camera with balanced audio inputs.

Bob.

Just shot a Christmas performance last night for a school. Two HD cameras, two digital audio recorders (Tascam DR-07), one for the soundboard, one for my own stereo mic in the front row for ambient and emergency.

The audio my two Sony camcorders is used for only one thing: syncing up with the "real" audio provided by the Tascams.

Like Farss said, audio makes a huge difference, easily demonstrated by switching from close-miced source to stereo mic just 10 feet away to camorder mic 50 feet away. Shocking differences.

Syncing on the timeline is pretty easy. Very easy if you use software to do it, not much hassle to do it manually either once you've done it a few times.

I plan to go for Canon 5d3. Mostly for stills but will also explore video. I will start off with videos of my family, some hand held and some on a tripod. I seem to lean towards Zoom device. Also I was looking at the Beachtek device for DSLR. I wonder if it records to the CF cards in the camera itself. Does anyone have any experience with this kind of device? All input greatly appreciated.

RZ

.. audio makes a huge difference, easily demonstrated by switching from close-miced source to stereo mic just 10 feet away to camorder mic 50 feet away. Shocking differences.

Exactly ... see my demo: