OT: Guidance on Sony HC9 & shotguns

alltheseworlds wrote on 6/22/2008, 11:28 PM

I'm finally upgrading to an HC9 and have settled on a good (I hope) range of lenses and extras. But where I'm confused is the AIS shoe and this is complicating the decision on which mics to get.

I was thinking just a basic Rode VideoMic. Or maybe a NTG1, 2 or perhaps a Sennheiser ME66/K6. (I'll also be getting a Senn G2 lav kit)

But do any of these shotguns easily connect to the AIS ? Should I be favoring any particular mic because of AIS troubles ? Is the solution an adaptor ? Just pile everything onto this ?

I'm confused here. Any guidance much appreciated :-)

Comments

richard-courtney wrote on 6/23/2008, 6:01 AM

The camera is a nifty palm corder. The side of the camera has 1/8" jacks for input
for the VideoMic. The AIS can use Sony's shotgun that senses the near/far zoom
and switches the mic inside. It also turns on/off the Sony video light designed for
AIS shoes.

The Pearstone gizmo just adapts the physical mount only, no smart features, but
you still want it with VideoMic.

Cliff Etzel wrote on 6/23/2008, 9:43 AM

I'm currently working on an article for my blog about gear specifically for cameras like the HC9. Although the ROde VideoMic is nice, it's too big and makes the camera feel unbalanced - I also discovered first hand that the shock mount is not the mbest as it makes noise if the mic moves too much (Run & Gun type shooting)

Here's the list of mic's I've come up with that do not require a beachtek type box.

* Azden ECZ-990 Shotgun Microphone
* Azden SMX-10 Stereo Microphone
* Azden SGM-X Shotgun Microphone
* Sennheiser MKE 400 Shotgun Microphone
* Ambient Recordings TinyMike

I'm specifically considering the TinyMike - from what I've read, this could be the ticket for shooters like myself using compact HDV cameras with mini jacks. This mic is said to perform as well as the Sennheiser ME66/K6 - but in a much smaller package. Combined with the Sennheiser G2 wireless lav, this becomes a very small and professional audio kit for video - one I'm seriously considering for my pair of HC7's.

HTH,

Cliff Etzel - Solo Video Journalist
bluprojekt | SoloVJ.com

alltheseworlds wrote on 6/24/2008, 6:08 AM

Thanks Cliff, that TinyMike looks very interesting indeed. I'd just come round to ditching the Rode and going with the Sennheiser 400 because of size, but this may be even better.

I'm thinking I might be able to put the TinyMike and a LitePanel in-line on one of these Rycote extenders. I hate the uneven "antler" look of the Cool-Lux.

But how would you get away with a G2 and a TinyMike without a Beachtek ? You'd surely still need some sort of passive mixer at least ? And in either scenario, will the TinyMike be able to pull the power if not plugged direct to the camera ?

Cliff Etzel wrote on 6/24/2008, 7:11 AM

atw - with regards to the mixer - did you look at the mixer Ambient Audio makes for the TinyMike? Here's the google translated german page that lists all they make for the Mic. With regards to mounting a wireless lav - here's something that my clinch the deal for ya from the site:

A mounting plate to fix radio receivers or other audio accessories is also available.

IMO, this is the perfect shotgun mic setup for working with compact camcorders. I'm seriously considering this mic setup for my HC7's - many I've asked have said viewers will accept slightly less in image quality, but audio, they have a very difficult time forgiving.

Cliff Etzel - Solo Video Journalist
bluprojekt | SoloVJ.com

alltheseworlds wrote on 6/24/2008, 8:11 AM

Thanks for the information, something to seriously ponder as an alternative to a Sennheiser 400 & Beachtek...

Great SoloVJ site btw !

Cliff Etzel wrote on 6/24/2008, 8:16 AM

Great SoloVJ site btw !

Thanks ;-)

Cliff Etzel - Solo Video Journalist
bluprojekt | SoloVJ.com