VideoMic

Great product! I have used this mic since spring/summer of 2010 and each time I wonder if it will handle a situation and it continues to amaze me. The Rode VideoMic was able to deliver and pickup the sounds of a Qui Gong Master performing an exercise/lesson/demo while outside and having me stand about 25-30ft away while clicking his fingers behind and on his head with crisp, distinctive sound when played back. I couldn't believe it captured the sound which now makes me wonder, what would the audio have been like using the DeadCat for the wind reduction. That is next on my wish list for sure. This little unit was also put through a test when video recording a friends wedding and the minister turned off the sound system on me and I was left to record only the sound that was being presented without a direct connect. That was in a balcony, around 100ft away. It did a fair job, well more than I could have asked for and I'm not sure another mic would have even performed that good. A simple run through SoundBooth after for cleanup and the audio would go from fair to very acceptable. An event to remember to say the least. The battery life lasts more than I could ask for. I used only "two" 9 volt batteries and changed one out after 115 hours because I didn't want to be caught needing to change them during an event even though the light turns yellow. I'm still on the second battery and after a minimum total between the two batteries of 230 hours of video/audio recording since I received my Rode Mic this really adds ease of mind during any event. Fit and finish are nice. I don't mind if things are made from plastic as long as the material is really sturdy. This unit is. I have it in my backpack all the time and aside from the action of travels, it gets removed from the mic bracket constantly without issue or seemingly any wear and tear. I will touch on this more below. I really like the fact that Rode gives you about 4-6 extra "bands" for the shock mount. My only slight issue is that the mic can bounce around somewhat easy because of the bands but it does take away any noise issue one would get without them so it's acceptable. Now a few findings... I know this will very by skill and what equipment is used by an individual(s) so a quick list of what this is used with. I'm using the Rode with a Canon HF-S21 and a "L" bracket attached to the bottom of the camera and mounted with a Manfrotto 701 video head and 055CXPRO3 tripod legs. Very good setup however I found out that any bump to the camera (of course) and the legs gets picked up by the mic as well. I mean as simple as my headphone wire hitting a tripod leg while panning (live and learn). I think I will also be adding some tripod leg wraps of foam to play it safe in the future but the tripod really isn't made directly for video. It's for a camera and I know that the legs for a video tripod are different but you do with what you have on hand and learn from that. If the mic had any faults, it is that it can pick everything up so keep that in mind. To get back to the above wear and tear, I question how well the cold shoe mount threads will hold up under a ton of tightening and loosening (and I don't mean over twisting/tightening them) but it also has a 10 year warranty so for now, I won't really loose sleep over it. Of wear and tear, an included soft or optional hard case would be something nice offered by Rode to keep the mic in great shape. Other than that I can only question one last thing and that is the on/off switch. While it is sturdy, will it triumph on the longevity? Only time will tell. I highly recommend this mic for video and even for a Pod/Video Cast if need be.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: If you're new to mics, this is a great mic but not appropriate for many recording situations. Don't think of it as a higher quality multi-purpose replacement mic for the one on your camera. This is a special purpose mic only for certain situations. LONG VERSION: I'm a hobbyist who recently became interested in camcorders. I thought I'd pick up a decent consumer model ( Panasonic HDC-TM700K Hi-Def Camcorder with Pro Control System & 32GB Flash (Black) ) to try some video manipulation and compositing (I've done a lot of 3D rendering and 2D drawings). My first cheap consumer camera I bought a few months ago had a really bad mic so I figured I'd buy a "high quality" external mic for my new camera thinking it would simply be a better version of the on-board mic and I was familiar with Rode from doing some music recording so I figured they'd make a good product. Well it turns out I was quite wrong about the Rode VideoMic simply being a "quality upgrade" for the on-board mic, and this is something I want to point out to any other camcorder newbies like myself. The Rode VideoMic serves a very different purpose from the mic on my TM700 -- the VideoMic is a highly directional mic designed to pick up sound from what you're focusing your camera on and to suppress sound outside the scene. You hear your subject clearly, but not the surrounding environment. For this application the VideoMic is fantastic. The fountain I can see from my balcony sounds clear, loud, highly articulated, and (if I amplify the audio signal and increase the bass a bit in my video editor) it sounds like Niagara Falls with no muddiness or loss of clarity in the sound. This mic can take a sound I hear as a hiss while I'm holding the camera and turn it into a rich powerful sound that really elevates the dimension and impact of the final footage (but if you're looking for accuracy or subtlety you can filter it back into a hiss). I'm really impressed with what this product does. BUT... This mic isn't appropriate for a lot of situations. Want to narrate while standing behind your camera and filming? You're voice is going to sound like you have a sock stuffed in your mouth because of the highly directional response. Want to record a family get together and catch all the conversations going on all around you, or record the sounds of a city you're walking through in 5.1 surround? The VideoMic is probably the last thing you want to use for that (at least it hasn't worked for me in these situations). I'm hoping there's some good external omni-directional mics with the quality of the VideoMic available so I can get the same sort of quality for non-directional recording. Even better if it's possible to do 5.1 with an external mic using my camera. In the meantime I'll still have to use the camera's built-in mic for much of the recording I do.

After spending many days combing the internet and reading review after review I decided to give the RODE VideoMic Directional Camcorder Microphone a try. I wanted something that was good, light, somewhat short and inexpensive. I have a small mini dv camcorder that is only about 5 inches long and didn't want a mic that would get in my viewfinder's shots. The mic sticks out about 5 inches in front of my lens, but manages to stay out of my shots. First let me comment on the sound. This little bugger picks up sounds very well. In a quiet room I can be 40 yards away and still pick up the conversation. The quality is outstanding. The audio compared to the built-in mic in my camcorder is night and day. The Rode is so clear. The price is great. I'm guessing the quality would compare to other mics in the $300 range. My Rode came with a Dead Cat wind screen which resembles a cat's tail. It really saved me some money! At first I didn't use the Dead Cat, but then I ran into a little wind which interfered with gathering good audio. After using the Dead Cat, I always keep the wind screen on the mic. It does not interfere with the clarity of the audio and works incredibly well in breezy conditions. I will mention that I had to trim the hair on my wind screen because I could see the hair in my videos. After trimming the hair a bit, the wind screen is still effective and no more hair dangling in the top of my video screen. The shock vibration design is cool and they even gave me extra rubber band thingies. This mic sits high off the camera and stays out of my shots. Since the mic is somewhat far away from the camcorder, I don't pick up any camera humming noise that can happen with other mics that are too close to the camera. Even on my hotshoe, I don't get any humming. I wish I could say that I have used $300 mics and above, but I haven't. I will say that you won't be disappointed with this microphone. I'm a photojournalist by trade and I have begun to shoot video for our newspaper's web publication. This mic is perfect for my needs. If you buy it, don't forget to turn off the mic. I accidently left mine on. There is no auto shutoff.

I purchased this item 2 months ago and it was labeled as "used" with box damage. For that they offered $40 off. However, when I received it, there was absolutely no damage to the box or the product inside. What a relief. I work in nightclubs and record events using a Nikon D5100 DLSR. We not only take pictures, but we also record HD footage of car shows, concerts, nightclubs and various events to showcase on our entertainment website. As you can imagine, it's always extremely noisy and crowded. Sometimes it's standing room only at these events. For some time, I've only taken pictures because I know I wouldn't be able to pick up any audio if someone wants to say something or give a shout-out. I've missed a lot of great opportunities to get shout outs from celebrities endorsing my company because I couldn't hear (record) what they were saying. I've been looking into boom mics and lapel options, cordless handhelds, etc. But those set ups require a staff, a mixing board to plug into, plus a recording device and additional power in most cases, whether you need a power outlet or have to carry around more batteries. It's just a lot to lug around in a nightclub or worse, outside. I needed something that was compact and easy to use, yet could deliver the sound quality I needed. Plus the audio is recorded along with the video, so no headache syncing the sound in post-production. This device operates on a 9V battery, which is the oddest part. I had to go BUY some 9V batteries, but as long as you have a spare available in your bag, you're good to go! I saw this device on another videographer's camera. He recorded me speaking (giving a shout out) at the event, but he didn't have to get very close to me. I had no idea if he was able to hear me or not. Obviously, I had no knowledge of directional mics or the Rode Videomic prior to. Once he published his video, and I saw how clearly he recorded my voice over all the noise around us and without having to put the mic to my face or my having to yell, I knew that I had to get one. So, as I said, I got a great price on this product and decided to try it out. Since I've been able to use it in the extremely noisy environments that I work in without having to have a staff following me, dragging cords, worrying about so much additional equipment, and it has made a huge difference in what I am able to do.. and offer to my clients. This product truly has helped take my business to another level without a huge investment. I couldn't be happier with this product, and would recommend it to anyone that needs a compact, space-saving solution that won't cost you a lot of money.

Sound quality is good once you nail down the camera settings. Can't have your camera volume hight than 5 or so before you get this hissing noise. Other than that it's been good to go. Changed my sony volume level down to a two and that chagesd the game.

UPDATE as of 7.2.2015 - I sent the mic in to RØDE under warranty to be repaired, honestly without high expectations. They shipped back a brand new mic. Very impressed with their customer service and their standing behind their warranty. Very excited to use this mic again, as it always yielded great results. This is my second RØDE Videomic I've owned, and both had precisely the same problem. The mic worked great for about 6 months--audio was clear, loud, consistent. The build is still a little cheesy, but the red plastic shock mount is a HUGE improvement from the old black elastic bands you see everyone criticizing in other reviews. All in all, I was very happy with the performance for the price. Then one day, I went to edit some video I'd shot, and the audio was completely absent. Just a constant loud hiss. Hunting back through all the clips from the day, I found that the audio had slowly faded quieter and quieter until it was simply gone, and only the hiss remained. Every subsequent clip had the same problem--no audio, just hiss. As I said, my previous Videomic did exactly the same thing (albeit after 12 months instead of 6). I haven't seen this problem mentioned in any of the reviews I've looked through. I'm not sure if that's because the reviewers haven't owned the mic long enough, or if I'm just doing something to damage my microphones. I can't imagine what; they are either mounted on the camera or packed securely away in the camera bag at all times. Very disappointed, as I've seen all the rave reviews on this mic, and it works great for me--when it works. Wouldn't recommend.

This microphone worked with good pick up while witnessing material testing activities. No problems.

The Rode VideoMic is a great alternative for the budget filmmaker. I was hesitant at first, then I started reading and Viewing reviews of this microphone. Yes, you are limited as far as functionality wise but everything else is great. I am a Intermediate film maker who made his move to full HD recording around 3 months ago. I decided that the best thing to do is go all out, in getting a new camera and audio gear (I was using all internal settings and mics before the switch.) I am now currently in the production of a short film that hopefully will get shot and edited in less than a month (some shots need to be in Winter and Snow conditions). So far the rode VideoMic has performed excellently and audio quality is great. The only thin that I'm still hesitant about is the Boom Pole functionality because i am planning to purchase a boom pole soon and hope not to pick up any thing other than my actors voice like wind or the cameraman's foot steps. The original wind shield is decent and is great for low wind situations, but if you are planing on being in a Wintery or a Windy situation you will want to get the Rode Deadcat for this mic. I improves outdoor sound quality by 80% and wind is virtually silent. The major con i found to this mic is the 9v battery required to function. The Pros include -Intergrated shockmount -High pass filter -Hot shoe direct mount -Boom Pole & Tripod mount holes - and sound quality

Desde que adquirí el RODE VideoMic Rycote, mis grabaciones en exteriores han experimentado una mejora notable. Su calidad de sonido, su resistencia y su facilidad de uso lo convierten en una herramienta indispensable para cualquier creador de contenido. Lo que más me gusta: Claridad y direccionalidad: El patrón polar supercardioide captura mi voz de manera clara y nítida, reduciendo significativamente el ruido ambiental. Es perfecto para grabar en lugares ruidosos o con viento. Filtro paso alto y atenuador: Estas características me permiten ajustar el sonido según las condiciones de grabación, eliminando ruidos de baja frecuencia y evitando la saturación en ambientes ruidosos. Montaje Rycote: El sistema de montaje Rycote aísla el micrófono de las vibraciones de la cámara, lo que resulta en una grabación limpia y sin ruidos mecánicos. Construcción robusta: El micrófono es resistente y duradero, perfecto para llevarlo conmigo en cualquier aventura. Facilidad de uso: La instalación en la cámara es muy sencilla y no requiere configuración adicional. En resumen: Si buscas un micrófono de cañón versátil y de alta calidad para tus grabaciones en exteriores, el RODE VideoMic Rycote es una excelente opción. Su combinación de características y rendimiento lo convierte en una inversión segura para cualquier videógrafo o creador de contenido.

This is video micro for everything are very very good guys you are also Trey it I love it so much ❤️❤️. Thank you.!!

منتج من شركة عريقه وهي رود هذا يكفي

Le son du Rode VidéoMic est parfait lors d'enregistrement de mes vidéos sur mon caméscope mais également sur mon appareil photo Hybride le GX8 (avec un adaptateur jack 3.5mn vers2.5mn pour le GX8). Le sabot du micro permet de fixer rapidement le micro sur un reflex ou sur une perche (vis en 3/8” acheter des vis d'adaptation 1/4). Le filtre est très utile pour les bruits de fond comme les voiture et il est accessible en façade du corps du micro. En revanche sur un reflex Nikon j'ai un léger bruit parasite en fond mais cela reste largement acceptable en réglant l'audio dans les paramétrés du Reflex. Très bonne conception du micro et un bon rapport qualité prix. Il faut une pile de 9 volts qui est à changer au bout de 70 heurs d'utilisation d’après la notice.

Es un micrófono excelente para producción audiovisual. Puedes comprar una caña y conectarlo a una grabadora para una mejor calidad. Es una excelente inversión, puesto que soluciona sin problema la parte del audio a un costo muy accesible.