Microphone for Canon 5d Mk iii - Rode VideoMic vs. Zoom H1

I tried using a Zoom H1 and while it works it’s a real pain the the butt to set up and use so I went with the Rode VideoMic Pro.

Depends what you want to record. Different jobs require different mics.

That’s the old model Rode Video Mic. There’s a newer, smaller one. At best it’s only really good for B roll ambient sound.

The Zoom H1 is good but has a pretty wide angle. For interviews in noisy places you will have to get it very close to the interviewee’s mouth (and probably in your shot).

My own solution is to use wired lapel mics for interviews (into a Zoom) and the Zoom H4N or H1 for ambient sound. The in-camera audio is only used for background or as a reference to sync up the other sources in post.

There’s a reason why TV crews employ a dedicated sound person: my experience is that if you’re doing this by yourself you need to simplify things as much as possible.

This would be for run & gun situations, where lapel mics are not an option. I want it to be directional (for subjects up to 20 feet away) as well as useful for 3 feet away interviews with a wide angle. I would put a dead cat windscreen over the mic for outdoor use.

I think I will go with the Rode mic. On the 5d Mk3 is the Rode VideoMic Pro a much better solution (over the Rode VideoMic? Since the Rode VideoMic Pro can be set to +20db on the 5D MK3.

I have not used the Rode VideoMic, but I will second the notion about the throw of the Zoom being very wide. The quality of the sound isn’t bad, but if you could put a directional mic with the zoom you would be in good shape.

I think you may have difficulty using the Rode VMP at a distance of 20 feet. You want to get the mic as close to the subject as possible. (I have a Rode VMP and am currently having problems getting it to record anything).

I just started out with a Rode vmp and it is ok…but this H1 looks like a better deal as you can listen to what is exactly recorded with headphones, a crucial advantage if you ask me.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/731488-REG/Zoom_H1_H1_On_Camera_DSLR_Audio.html

If I knew about this H1 earlier I would have bought it.

I use Sennhessier ME66 shotgum mic with HOSA MIT-156 impedance matching cable on my 60D-ML v2.3 stable release. works great. Will get best results if one use sennhessier MKH416 and a DSLR ACTIVE PREAMP (JUICED LINK OR BEACHTEK) and keeping both the ML audio levels (analogue and digital) to zero settings. For more details pls don’t hesitate to contact me.

Another option for a recorder besides the Zoom H1 is the Tascam DR-05 or the DR-40 (with XLR inputs).