as with most who first start with a real bad cam. the internal mics suck. i have a Canon Zr800, but i need a good external mic for it to actually hear my actors speak. if any one had any suggestions for the best mic for the best price i would be extremely grateful.

Do you have a price range at all?

I own the Sennheiser ME66 (the full K6 system, including the phantom power source), and it provides excellent audio.

I doubt the Zr800 has an input for an external mic. I could be wrong. But if thats the case you would have to record audio on a separate device...and that could present some interesting synchronization issues.

Yeah, the K6 system requires an XLR input.

yea the Zr800 has a mic jack, i bought it just for the mic jack.id probably have to get an adapter for it though, im not sure.
my price range is under $200.

I use an Audio Technica AT835b. It's a little more than $200, but the audio quality is excellent for the price. Get a cheap boom and a shock mount. The boom I bought was about US$30.

To use it with my Canon HV20, I use a balanced transformer, which is then connected to a short jumper cable I made that connects to the 1/8" unbalanced mic input. Works great.

suppose i purchase the Azden SGM-1X
with the differences in plugs, how would i go about connecting the 2 for the best quality. all i would have is the camera, the mic, the XLR cable and adapter.

I own a RODE video mic. I comes with a shoe mount, integrated shock mount and can be mounted on a boom pole. It's really designed for mini DV users and film students and I find the audio quality fantastic for its price. It also has a standard stereo mini-plug (3.5mm ) which fits into almost any camcorder mic jack. I bought mine for ($149 AU)

That (the Azden) looks like a good mic, but I've never personally used it. And since it doesn't need phantom power you only need a XLR-mini cable (a variety of which can be found on B&H) and you're good. You could also just get a XLR-mini adapter (not in cable form) if you don't want to deal with too many cords. I second the Audio Technica AT835b if you want to go a little over your budget (but that could be because I Audio Technica). And if you need a boom pole, make one, its cheaper and way more bad ass.

Good Luck

quote:

Originally posted by Cinematical:
I own the Sennheiser ME66 (the full K6 system, including the phantom power source), and it provides excellent audio.

I have the same mic. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

I'm working on a feature right now and I'm researching sound. Can you guys give me some more information on the ME66? I've found it online and the price seems fairly reasonable for the K6 kit. I'll be shooting both outdoors and in. Which would this mic be more at home in? Would it be better cam mounted or on a boom?

Thanks,

Kegan