Rode VideoMic Directional Shotgun Mic w/Mount

Bottom line: This microphone is worth every cent of its cost. It's exceptional sound moved me enough to write a review, something that I do rather infrequently.




This is a well-made, high quality audio microphone coming from the rich tradition of Rode studio microphones. I use this mic on my Canon HV20, and it brings the audio quality up to the rich vibrancy of the images that camcorder is capable of. It is a highly directional mic: while picking up sounds from the sides and back, it successfully pushes these peripheral sounds aside and brings what is being shot to the forefront. I shoot many documentary style videos, consistently trying to conduct interviews and pick up conversations in the midst of screaming children and blaring TV sets. This mic gives remarkable sound for the price and for any type of shooting in which it is not practical to have a more involved audio setup.


Anyone looking to improve the sound of their onboard camcorder mic should be greatly pleased with this purchase, as well as anyone in the market for a decently priced directional mic.

I bought this mic and a Canon Vixia HF100 for my vacation to Maui and it was a fantastic pairing. The mic was very light, durable and so easy to use, even Mom could use it: the mic only has an ON/OFF switch. Apparently you can switch to 0db, -10db or -20db from inside the battery compartment. I haven't tried this function yet.

The mic is powered by a 9v battery which is different than my other two mics (AT55 and Sennheiser ME66). I think it has pretty good battery life; I used it for 6 days off and on and didn't have to replace the battery.

The one gripe is that I did break one of the proprietary rubber bands that holds the mic to the base (it's for shock absorption and isolates the mic from camera). I had it in my bag for the 15 hrs that it took me to fly to HI and the pressure must have been too great. I am buying a camera-specific backpack for future ventures.

The Rode has a normal shoe mount which works with my Canon Optura 30s. It didn't work out of the box for my Vixia HF100. The Vixia has an advanced accessory shoe which is a proprietary Canon shoe that requires an adaptor Adorama Canon Mini Advanced Accessory Shoe to Universal Shoe Adapter (FLAT TYPE) - Black

The adapter wiggles but I wanted to use the Rode instead of the canon DM50 because if you want a mic, go to a mic company.

This is by far the best Microphone in it price range. I bought this unit after allot of looking around at other mics. This mic has the best sound range and features of a unit ten times its price. RODE provides all the spesifications of the mic online and in the box. The imput cable is quite durabe compaired to other mics, It runs on a simple nine volt and has an easy to understand swich with lights. So many times have I left my old mic on in its case casue there was no on light. It alos has built in noise and shake dampeners that other mics lack. This is the kind of mic that can be taken anywhere and used on almost any camcorder.

The mic looks quite impressive on top of my Cannon GL1 it makes people stop and look. I have been asked which TV network I work for and where did I buy my equpiment from. People think you spent a ton of cash on a high end mic when you did not. Even at the MSRP this mic is a darn good deal.

I use this mic every time I take footage with my Cannon GL1. I never have any hiss or disruption with it. It is a sold mic it survived a 10 foot drop camera and all on to a concrete floor. The only thing that broke on it were the rubber attachments. All I did was stretch them back on and the mic worked! If it had any other mic it would of popped the mic element.

RODE has built this unit to last it is well worth the buy. RODE backs up there products with good customer and tech support. A+++ BUY!

After receiving this mic I put it into action. It is very sturdy and the shock stabilization system works very well. The sound quality is fantastic with a bit of tweaking. The only thing to consider, is picking up a mini plug extension cable for using this mic on a boom pole.

Hi all!

I recently discovered Rode products, and this Australian company seems to make quality gear. I ran my VideoMic through my Canon HG10 and it worked quite well. If you are non-professional looking for a high-quality external microphone for your video camera, then look no further. You won't find anything better at this price point (trust me, I spent weeks looking.)


My two issues with this microphone are:

(As some other reviewers have observed), the jack is an unbalanced line, which means that if you try to mount this bad boy on a boom pole or microphone stand away from you camera, you get buzz and hum.

Two, this mic is somewhat bulky. I travel a fair amount giving keynote speeches and leadership training. I bought all my video gear to record my work. The VideoMic takes up a fair amount of space in my camera bag. Clearly, this is not an issue if you don't travel, but if you do, you might want to consider another mic.

I recently upgrade to a R0DE NT3 Microphone microphone, which has an XLR connection, which means I can mount the microphone away from the camera and have no buzz. The NT3 is a professional-grade microphone and costs more than the VideoMic, but the NT3 suits my needs better.

Bottom Line: If you're looking for a high quality microphone that will stay on your video camera, you can't go wrong with the Rode VideoMic.

Enjoy!

Tim Warneka, author
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