Mic?

[RipSwan]

I make short films with my friends for school and film festivals and stuff. We have used the onboard mics on our little camcorders so far and are looking into getting a shotgun mic to improve sound quality. A main reason for this is that I built a track dolly which runs smoothly, but the camera picks up plenty of "rolling noise" when it picks up speed.

Will it make a big difference to have one? If so then what do you recomend in roughly the $300 or less range?

 

[VladCantSleep]

If you use it correctly, it'll make a WORLD OF A DIFFERENCE!

I have the Audio Technica AT897. It's great. I love it. For that price range, you can also get the RODE NTG-2 (NOT the Videomic), or an Azden.

As long as you have the mic on a boom, have it placed correctly to pick up your talent, it will be an amazing improvement.

There are a few more things to consider though. Do you have an XLR input on your camera? Even if you do, how are the preamps on your camera? Chances are, your camera preamps are not that good. So, along with a mic, you should look into getting a Beachtek or a Juicedlink, ESPECIALLY if you don't have an XLR input.

 

[cibao]

Vlad's correct. The only thing that I'd add, you don't always need it on a boom. I usually put the mic (I have an Azden) on the hot shoe of my camera. As long as your not shooting a wide shot, it works pretty well too.