HDDSLR users: Do you own an external mic?

I have a Rode NTG-2 that I connect to my camera via a Beachtek mixer. However, I recently used the Zoom H4n and I think it's a much better way to record sound from the NTG-2 than running it through the camera via the Beachtek. You have to sync sound in post with the Zoom, but the sound is much cleaner than it is with the Beachtek.
 
i have a T3i and do own an external mic. first I had a reallllly long cheap shotgun mic that was quite cumbersome, and wanted to upgrade. thing is, I dont use the audio in my shots a lot so I couldnt justify the cost of the videomic (and also the size is pretty big on a t3i), so instead i looked around and ended up getting this azden mic for $60. pretty cheap, good quality, good size, shock mount, and good sound, so im pretty stoked on it. i might eventually get a zoom H1, but for the amount of audio i ultimately use, running it through the t3i is working out fine.

link to mic: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GE403I
 
If you plan on using ANY audio from your camera, at least get a cheapo shotgun mic. The sound out of the t2i/7d is fucking terrible.
 
Will makes a good point.
The way I always thought about it was I used a rode videomic for action stuff and just to keep my camera package smaller and then for interview stuff plug an XLR mic into the zoom h4n while keeping the rode videomic on the camera and then I use plural eyes in FCP to sync up.
If all you want is better audio the the camera does on board, I would say buy a mic that plugs into the camera without any adapters like the rode videomic.

 
I wouldn't say its terrible. I shot this with the T2i mic and it sounds decent enough. That being said I do want to get an external mic when I'm not broke.

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I wouldn't say its terrible. I shot this with the T2i mic and it sounds decent enough. That being said I do want to get an external mic when I'm not broke.

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I'm sorry, that sounds terrible. it fucking peaks every time they hit the snare and there is NO BASS. the intern mics of dslrs fucking suck. If you think it sounds ok you're a fucking rookie and have no idea what good audio is, trust me, dslr footage has the worst audio.
 
It's not terrible, it's just not ideal. I'd say it's tolerable with magic lantern. Paul braunstein isn't using an external mic in his edits (you can see in his cameras shadow) unless he's using a zoom which I highly doubt.
 
dude, none of you kids know what "acceptable audio" is, so don't worry about it. How it sounds is only 1/2 of it. Ive fucked with plenty of dslr footage and FYI pauls audio fucking suck, you really think its decent? have you used and external recorder?
 
^calm down man!!! you are one of the few on this site who has the budget to have a setup over4-5k... and his and amateur-pro filmer. We(95% of people filming on this site) only shoot for fun. and by fun i mean that sound wasn't that terrible for us. at some point eheath, you need to do the difference between us and you man. we ARE NOT like you, we dont have a shitload of money to drop on camera gear so we film with what we have man and we enjoy it ;) i dont have an external mic and i dont plan on buying one. there is no need for amateur filming like me(anyway 95% of my edits dont have sound so....)

hope you understood my point here ;)

seb
 
Eheath shut up and stop being such a pretentious douchebag. Not everyone needs an external mic, or has the money to afford one. 99% of people on this site will be able to get by with the stock mic just fine. 99% of the people seeing the end product (a youtube video more than likely) wont even notice the issues with the audio. Neither I nor Honeybadger said it was "good" we just said it was decent. NOTHING about that implies that we are sucking its dick saying its the hottest shit audio in the world. It obviously isn't, and there are definitely much better options for audio, but it will get you by.

 
I'm using the Rode Videomic with my Canon t2i and love it! Simple, compact and improves the sound quality no end compared to the standard mic. Batteries last a real long time and you can always upgrade as well. I'd recommend it.
 
I shoul've said "tolerable for the average hobbyist", If I get more into freelancing I'm gonna be investing in a zoom. My experience with my videomic was great for windscreening, but with ACG on it had way more gain than the internal audio.
 
Sorry i came off so bad, i was shitfaced NSing. All im trying to do is help out, you guys will realize as soon as you get an external mic for your dslr how terrible the internal audio is. It just like color correction, until you get the eye for it, you don't notice the color in video, i guess ive just developed a very strong ear for it. It doesn't help i just got done working on a short ski film (dropping soon hypetrain) and i had some t2i footage with the internal audio and it made me want to kill babies.

Again, sorry i came off like an ass hole, i didnt mean to. you're right that most of you guys dont need good audio but man good audio is always reaaallly nice, it really adds to an edit IMO if you have some good audio, well worth the 100 bucks for an external mic.
 
Yupp. HDSLRs are not video cameras, so they are not meant to have good audio.

I dont know exactly what the audio they record are because I dont use the audio, but Im willing to bet its 10 or 8? Its definitely not 16 bit, which is the lowest thats "acceptable."

Its even worse if you use something like a 7d or one of the other canons without the ML hack and cant monitor audio levels.

Really recommend an external recorder. I got my Tascam D-1 for really cheap and some people prefer it over the Zoom (practically the same thing).

You can get 24 bit audio with it and you will not regret it. Although, most people can not tell the difference between 16 bit and 24 bit audio, so if you have a cam with XLR like an AF100 or FS100 or something else then you can get away with recording to the camera since most are 16 bit.

Rode NTG 2 is a good shotgun mic. Not recommended for indoor use though.

Actually Rode NTG 2 is an awesome mic and I love mine, but I dont use it inside (most of the time).
 
Its all good dude. My friend actually did some audio recording for those performances (which came out supersickandnasty) but we cant sync it up to the video because our computers suck too much to edit HD footage. I was actually amazed at how well the T2i did with those vids because most other cameras would completely shit out the second they got within 50 feet of a drum corps level drumline. They put out so much raw sound that its a bit much for most cameras to take. I came off as an ass in my response too, sorry man. No harm intended.
 
he was acting like a douche though, i'm sure he'll be the first to admit it. after all, he did say he was shitfaced.

nobody was saying he was wrong, just that he was coming across as pretty rude. which is true. not that i have a problem with it, just stating the facts.

 
Evan being a dick to kids is just plain funny. What's even funnier is that kids don't listen to him because he's a dick, despite being right about most things.
 
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