I'm just getting into this. I was under the assumption that when you plugged a mic into the mic/in input on a camcorder, when you recorded, the audio would come from the external mic. Am I wrong or does it all really depend on your camcorder?
Only asking because I'm in the market for a camera and I was checking out the manual online for the Samsung SCD107. From what I understood from the manual, you really only use the mic/in input when you are watching what you've already recorded and you're dubbing on top of it.
Now that all of that's been said, can you tell me the best way to record audio for my future short films? I know I don't want the onboard mic to handle it. I'd rather buy a shotgun mic or something, but now I'm not sure what to record it on...
Thanks.

i've got a stereo boom mic plugged into a digital audio recorder that records onto smartmedia (i dont know specifics, my soundguy does it.) I use both that setup and the camera's mic, i shoot the footage, and then I match the audio tracks up in my NLE and delete the camera's, using only the one from the boom.

Okay. I had thought about that at first, but I kept hearing from people not to do it that way because I'd have a hard time synching it up.
So I should just search for a DAT recorder? Plug my mic directly into that and then try to synch everything up, huh? By the way, I'm using Premiere Elements to do my editing.
One more quickie... The only thing I know to look for on a DAT recorder is XLR inputs for my mic. LOL
Can you please recommend a decent one for me? Please keep the price a little low.

How about something like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3278&item=3759090145&rd=1

Get a slate and then slate each shot. That makes it easy to sinc up the audio.

oops, i left the slate out of mine. mostly any quick noise will do... bang two rocks together if it gets the job done!

nah you don't need all that fancy stuff. if it has a mic in you can use an external mic to record sound without dubbing over