I'm planning on using an ext recorder (either the h4n or the dr-100) and just clip it onto my belt, but i was wondering if i could mount, say, a rode ntg-2 onto my t3i w/ a shockmount for run n gun projects. Any responses would be most helpful 
N00b question: Can you mount a shotgun mic to a dslr? also should you?
- Thread starter eivashchenko
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Recording auto-focus lens servo sound effects isn't very productive when the source of dialogue is 15 feet away from your camera.
What types of recordings are you going to get with this mic? It's mighty close to the handling of the camera and such that I just think it would not be very useable, especially if the camera is making noise while shooting and you wanted to get different angles of a conversation, etc.
I suggest buying your very own monkey boom operator! (kidding...) Look to see if anyone can be your boom op for the days you're shooting. Much better quality.
Check this out:
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=the_art_of_boom_operating
What types of recordings are you going to get with this mic? It's mighty close to the handling of the camera and such that I just think it would not be very useable, especially if the camera is making noise while shooting and you wanted to get different angles of a conversation, etc.
I suggest buying your very own monkey boom operator! (kidding...) Look to see if anyone can be your boom op for the days you're shooting. Much better quality.
Check this out:
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=the_art_of_boom_operating
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YES you can but when you get more than 3 feet away from speaker dialog quality diminishes rapidly..ideally, you want that mic 18 inches from speaker's mouth. Wireless or wired lavs would be better.
Thanks for the speedy response
A three part follow up question:
1) If I were to go the shotgun mic route, are the rode videomic pros any good? Especially compared to the NTG-2?
2) If I were to go the lavalier route: any lavs on a budget with a solid reputation?
3) Is there a boompole that is attached to a tripod? So I could just set it up and not need a boom op.
I would like a lav but after interview projects, they dont seem to have as much use. I figure if I just position the cam 18 inches away on a tripod, the sound could be dece and it'd be a more versatile purchase.
A three part follow up question:
1) If I were to go the shotgun mic route, are the rode videomic pros any good? Especially compared to the NTG-2?
2) If I were to go the lavalier route: any lavs on a budget with a solid reputation?
3) Is there a boompole that is attached to a tripod? So I could just set it up and not need a boom op.
I would like a lav but after interview projects, they dont seem to have as much use. I figure if I just position the cam 18 inches away on a tripod, the sound could be dece and it'd be a more versatile purchase.
You're comparing apples and potatoes. The VMP is a consumer unit, the NTG-2 is prosumer. Also, the VMP is not, technically at least, a shotgun. It is probably a better choice for you, however.
"Budget" and "solid" are mutually exclusive. I like the Countryman B-6, Sanken COS-10 and Tram TR-50; that puts you in the $250 - $350 range. You can use slightly less expensive lavs if you don't mind the lav being visible. There are low-end lavs that sound (barely) passable, but they will not take much in the way of normal wear and tear. If you go wireless I wouldn't go with less than the Sennheiser G3 series, about $600 per set. Yes, there's cheaper, and that's exactly what will you get
You can use a mic stand with a boom arm, which will work okay of your subject is motionless and the mic is within 12" to 18' max in a quiet environment.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/156648-REG/QuikLok_A_346BKAM_A_346_Mic_Stand_Tripod_Base.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._500_55_21430_Mobile_Overhead_Microphone.html
You have budgeted for a decent set of headphones, right?
Thanks, thats great info! I wouldnt mind kicking in the extra 80 or so dollars if the ntg-2's quality is noticably better. What about the vmp would make it better for me?
also i was just planning on using a forty dollar pair of sony earbuds. is that asking for trouble?
also i was just planning on using a forty dollar pair of sony earbuds. is that asking for trouble?
You'll have better luck with something that covers your ear and isolates the sound of the environment from the sound the microphone is picking up. You want the headphones so you can hear what the mic is picking up and nothing else.
Shotgun mics are very directional. If you are not going to use a boom-op and are going to mount on-camera (BIG mistake) the polar pattern on the VMP will be more forgiving.
Yup, trouble. The "standard" are the Sony MDR-7506 headphones, about $100. Quite a few professionals use earbuds, but they are about $400 a pair, have extended frequency response and are custom molded for the user; they wear ear protection headphones (like on a weapons range) over them for the extreme isolation. The idea is you want to accurately hear what is being recorded while being isolated from the outside sound.
That makes perfect sense. I suppose if I do go w/ the VMP, then I have a little wiggle room in my budget for quality headphones. The VMP sounds like a great baseline mic to grow from.
Hopefully, just one more question: you said that forgoing the boom mic op and mounting directly on cam would be a big mistake. Is that just for shotgun mics or just in general? The cam/subject would be stationary in this project I'm thinking of taking on (just an interview). I'm thinking of getting a boom/boom ops for other projects further on.
Hopefully, just one more question: you said that forgoing the boom mic op and mounting directly on cam would be a big mistake. Is that just for shotgun mics or just in general? The cam/subject would be stationary in this project I'm thinking of taking on (just an interview). I'm thinking of getting a boom/boom ops for other projects further on.
If the subject is stationary then you are golden. Just use a boom stand and place the mic above the talent as a boom op would do.
Pretty much everything everyone has said is true from my experience (I'm not a professional but still a little experienced). One thing I was able to do though was to get some good sounding ADR from the Rode NT3(not the NTG3). We used ADR for the entire dialogue for two Indie films. Foley was a nightmare though. Something to consider but it is very time consuming to get it right especially only using one mic.
I've got 7506's and they are great for indoor or studio monitoring but I don't feel like they have enough isolation for outdoors or otherwise noisy environments. I've had good luck with Ultimate Ears mid-range earbuds (~$100-150) which provide excellent isolation; I wouldn't be surprised if their less expensive ones worked just as well in that regard. They aren't neutral though and tend to emphasize bass, but for monitoring dialogue in the field they seem to work well and because of the isolation you can really hear environmental noises that you'd miss on the 7506. I hadn't thought of adding ear protection headphones over them but that's a great idea - makes a fairly cheap addition to any set of earbuds to take the isolation up a notch.
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