BUYERS’ GUIDE
1. AZDEN SMX-30 £219/$249 azden.com
Azdenmight not be the first name many filmmakers think of when it comes to audio, but the company makes good kit with decent spec. The SMX-30 is a DSLR-style mic that transforms the sound recording of mirrorless or DSLR cameras. It goes right on the hotshoe and can record in stereo or mono, unlike many of its rivals. It has a conventional short shotgunmic tube and two wider, cardioid-patternmics to record a broader signal. There’s a shock mount to reduce handling noise, too.
DSLR MICROPHONES
3. RODE VIDEOMIC GO £40/$69 rode.com A basic mic like the Rode Videomic Go only costs £40/ $69 and weighs in at just 73g. It sits on your camera’s hotshoe and plugs into the mic socket - and that’s it. There is nothing to adjust, and it doesn’t even take batteries. Unfortunately that means it isn’t suitable for all cameras, but works perfectly with the majority of modern DSLR and mirrorless cameras. It comes with a shock mounting, which reduces vibrations from the camera or surroundings, and even has a foam rubber windshield to cut down on wind noise. Compared to the internal mic, it gives a far more crisp sound that’s significantly better.
2. SENNHEISER MKE 400 £169/$200 en-uk.sennheiser.com
Sennheiser’s MKE 400 has always been very popular as it’s so compact, with an all-metal housing. It runs for up to 300 hours from a single AAA battery. The MKE400 is ideal for action filmmaking on smaller cameras and comes with its own foamwind jammer. And the audio quality is good, too. It has a decent frequency response of 40-20,000Hz and, being a shotgun design, is good at eliminating side noise. Its low-cut filter drastically lowers the amount of frequencies it picks up, while also helping to reduce wind noise. The MKE 400 also has a sensitivity setting to help adjust to different environments and subject distances, and an integral shock-mount to limit handling noise.
4. SENNHEISER MKE 440 £289/$349 en-uk.sennheiser.com
Most microphones output two mono channels, which is ideal for recording speech. For capturing ambient sounds, or things like live music, then a stereomic is a better solution. Sennheiser’s MKE 440 has two condenser capsules to give the stereo effect, set in a V-formation that’s obvious to see. It is alsomore sensitive to a wider range of volume levels, adjustable for everything fromquiet recitals to very loud rock music or motor racing. It’s a great addition to every filmmaker’s kit bag.
93
SPRING 2020 PRO MOVIEMAKER
Powered by FlippingBook