Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone
- Price: $149.00
- Free Shipping (USA)
- In Stock
The VideoMic from Rode is a cost effective shotgun microphone that can easily be mounted on a video camera because it features an integrated shockmount that attaches to the camera's shoe. The VideoMic is lightweight, and when mounting on a camera it does not appear in the frame. Its super-cardioid polar pattern attenuates sounds from the sides. The result is a signal that sounds closer to the camera, even when shooting in noisy environments or at moderate distances.
A 3/8" thread at the base of the shockmount allows you to use the VideoMic on any standard boompole. With the addition of a longer 1/8" male to female stereo mini-plug cable (like the Rode VC1), and a boompole (Like the Rode Mini Boom), you can radically improve the audio in your video work. A special 1/8" mini-plug to XLR adapter (the Rode VXLR) is also available to use the VideoMic on a professional camera.
Replaceable rubber O-rings suspend the microphone on the shockmount and protect against noise due to movement and handling. An attached, coiled cable terminates to a 1/8" (3.5mm) mini output connection. The VideoMic features a condenser element that utilizes a standard 9 Volt battery (sold separately). The microphone will run for approximately 100 hours on a single battery. This microphone was used in the making of the low-budget blockbuster hit film Paranormal Activity. If you're wondering if you can get good sound with the VideoMic, wonder no more.
- Barrel Canceling Pick Up
- The Rode Video Mic functions as a true line plus gradient microphone with a super-cardioid pattern in the front and a barrel that cancels side-audio. The result is maximum pick up of the source in highly ambient and noisy environments.
- Integrated Shock-Mount
- The VideoMic features a permanently attached shock mount with a camera mounting shoe underneath. The shock mount features replaceable rubber o-rings that protect against noise caused by abrupt movement and shock.
- High Pass Filter Switch
- A high-pass filter switch eliminates room ambiance and noise below 80Hz. This results in improved intelligibility while recording around machinery, wind or close proximities.
- Internal Power
- The condenser element is powered with a standard 9-volt battery for up to 100 hours (approximately).
| Transducer | Condenser |
| Polar Pattern | Super-cardioid |
| Frequency Response | 40Hz - 20kHz Selectable HPF @ 80Hz / 12dB /octave |
| Dynamic Range (Typical) | 114dB (per IEC651, IEC268-15) |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio | 74dB (1kHz rel 1 Pa; per IEC651, IEC268-15) |
| Maximum Input Sound Level | 134dB (@ 1% THD into 1k ohm) |
| Power Requirements | 9 Volt DC Alkaline |
| Output Impedance | 200 ohms |
| Output Connectors | Stereo mini jack - 1/8" (3.5mm) |
| Pad | -10 and -20dB |
| Low Frequency Roll-Off | 80Hz / 12dB octave |
| Dimensions | 8.84 x 4.02 x 2.55" (250 x 102 x 65mm) (Length x Height x Diameter) |
| Weight | 6.21 oz (176g) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 386 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
91%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Lightweight (295)
- Great sound quality (269)
- Easy to use (185)
- Simple use (138)
- Durable (115)
Cons
- Flimsy (68)
- Noisy (29)
- Unstable (18)
- Hard to clean (7)
- Unreliable (5)
Best Uses
- Professional (180)
- Productivity (105)
- Presentations (86)
- Den (19)
- Interviews (13)
- How long have you owned it:
A month or less
75%
(3 reviews)
One-to-three months
Three-to-six months
More than six months
- Reviewer Profile:
- Tech savvy (210), Gearhead (88), Technically challenged (24), Experienced (12), Novice (7)
- Primary use:
- Business (214), Personal (131)
Most Liked Positive Review
great product
I initially found this to be a pretty big mic, for my smaller HD camcorder. The rubber bands that hold the mic to the frame broke very frequently due to my moderately heavy use....Read complete review
I initially found this to be a pretty big mic, for my smaller HD camcorder. The rubber bands that hold the mic to the frame broke very frequently due to my moderately heavy use. The mic did come with plenty of replacements. However, since my camera has a hard drive rather than a tape or CD, I found i did not need the insulating qualities of the mount. So, with a small Phillips it was very easy to remount the hot shoe insert directly to the mic and remove the "floating" part. I am very happy with this mod as it makes it a much lower profile, and a bit more durable. It does not interfere with the field of view, after lowering as a result of the mod.
I found the mic built into my camera would pick up my breathing and this addition not only stopped that, it picks up mostly everything in front of the camera rather than unwanted ambient noise behind the camera (ie me). It also does wonders for wind noise reduction that plagued my built in mic. The 9V battery lasts a while. And... don't forget to turn it ON and OFF, as that may ruin your day if you forget.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Not bad for the money
I bought my Canon HV30 less than a month ago and I'm still working out the sound issues. Basically, I can't tell if this camera's motor noise is louder than other cameras, but what...Read complete review
I bought my Canon HV30 less than a month ago and I'm still working out the sound issues. Basically, I can't tell if this camera's motor noise is louder than other cameras, but what is certain is that I will have to find a solution to not having this noise in my recordings if I am going to be able to use this camera for the project I bought it for. I bought the Rode VideoMic without having even tried the mic's built-in microphone, because I assumed the quality of the built-in mic would be unusable. When I got the camera, I tested the built-in mic, and sure enough, it sucked. My project is a documentary where my interview subjects are sitting about 8 feet from the camera. Using the Rode VideoMic on my camera and doing two interviews, I would say the mic is a vast improvement over the built-in mic, but it was impossible to notice that there was still significant camera motor noise in the audio. Also, I felt that the directionality of this microphone's polar pickup pattern is not very good and I would not call this mic a "shotgun" mic. I would say this mic has a standard "cardiod" response which is somewhat directional but not really ideal for video work. The other thing I noticed about this mic's performance is that the sound seemed somewhat muffled, that was in appropriate for recording speech. In an attempt to better my situation, I purchased the Sennheiser MKE400, which is a competing (and more expensive) product to the Rode, and unfortunately this mic picked up even more of the camera's motor noise than the Rode, though it did seem to have a slightly brighter frequency response. I returned the Sennheiser and and have kept the Rode, but am looking for a new solution, probably buying an expensive shotgun mic from B+H, or maybe getting a wireless microphone. I would say in closing that if having some camera motor noise in your videos is not a huge problem, the Rode VideoMic is an excellent improvement on the built-in microphone on your camera.
One other thing I should also mention is that the shockmount built-in to this microphone is rather loose, and the mic tends to move around quite a bit. The only solution I found for this is to put a finger on the mic while moving around, or to have the camera on a tripod.
Reviewed by 386 customers
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Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
Use a reference audio source for videos.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Great Sound Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- On dsrl
- Professional
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
To put on a DSRL camera, it's clearly worth it. The sound is much much better.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Awesome Pickup
- Easy To Use
- Great Sound Quality
- Lightweight
Cons
- Sometimes oversensative
Best Uses
- Den
- Productivity
- Professional
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
I use the Rode shotgun mic for primarily school project films, to include short stories, music videos, and compositions. I absolutely love this microphone, and fell in love with it completely when I bought my own, which came bundled with a micro boom pole (about 7 feet long), and an extension cable. This mic can pic up sounds crisp and clear from very far distances away. This mic can pick up a LOT of sound. Of course, in some cases, this can be detrimental, but a good camera operator knows how to control the capture levels of the audio so that it can be controlled. The one problem you will NEVER have with this mic, is not picking up enough sound.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Great Sound Quality
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
light weigth, very handy, excelent sound quality
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Great Sound Quality
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
My son uses this microphone for making movies with his friends. It has really done the job. Great product for the price.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Durable
- Great Sound Quality
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Presentations
- Productivity
- Professional
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
making videos helps the sound greatly. have not found any bad things to say at all
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Great Sound Quality
Cons
- Noisy
Best Uses
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
I use this mic with my 60D to film skateboarding and so far it's great. It's very sensitive to any contact as expected, and to wind as well. I've since bought a windjammer to minimize noise.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Great Sound Quality
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Presentations
- Productivity
- Professional
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
I purchased this mic for my dslr video shoots to improve the management of sound selection, volume and quality. In an environment where I'm running and gunning and can't setup or don't have the crew or space for booms, this mic will improve the quality of the shoot by still grabbing the audio I need.
Installation and use are easy and the mic performs exactly as expected. My only suggestion for improvement would be to add an easily accessible and usable mic gain control on the outside. This mic you have use your on-board mic gain (magic lantern) or limit mic sensitivity with the gain reduction dip switches beneath the battery. Not ideal for run and gun shooting volume control but I found the mic performed very well.
I recently used the mic in a protest rally and I believe I got great sound with this mic.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Great Sound Quality
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Productivity
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
I bought the bundle package and it cheap! I use with a zoom H1 and the sound is perfect for this level. I love that it is directional unlike the H1 So it doesn't pick up background noise
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Great Sound Quality
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
This microphone compliments the HD video I take. It captures sound in great detail and clarity. Amazing for its price.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Great Sound Quality
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Presentations
- Professional
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
This mic was hooked on a Panasonic TM700K HD Cam and it is perfect. Better than the on-board microphone and the RodeMic picks up the sound clearly.
One of the best products I bought and I am glad BH Photo has this along with a boom which is really usable. I just have to modify the boom with a ball head so the mic can work on many angles.
It is very light and compliments my Panasonic HD cam and my wife does not even notice that the mic is installed on the Cam's body.
It is indeed a great buy!!!
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Great Sound Quality
- Lightweight
Cons
- Flimsy
- Unreliable
- Unstable
Best Uses
- Den
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
The sound quality is great for the price. But, the flimsy plastic shoe mount broke very quickly.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
Cons
- Flimsy
- Low levels
Best Uses
- Amateur recording
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
This is one of the most consistently well-reviewed mics on the market, and the reviews led me to believe it would produce acceptable sound for professional applications - without breaking the bank.
Big mistake. While I don't doubt that the VideoMic's sound is better than what people are getting with their on-board DSLR or prosumer camcorder mics, it is NOT an acceptable replacement for a professional shotgun or decent lavalier microphone.
Sure, if you speak directly into the mic from 12 inches away, it sounds fine. But if you actually try to use it for real-world applications (ie: interviews, commercials, documentaries, etc.) where you're several feet from the talent, you're in trouble.
If you get more than a few feet away, the sound level drops to unacceptably low levels, and the room echo takes over. The mic's self-noise is pretty low, but it just doesn't pick up enough sound to use at distances over a few feet. And if you're going to set up your camera 2-3 feet from your subject anyway, you can get far better sound from a decent wired lavalier, for around the same price.
If you're satisfied with anything that sounds better than your DSLR's on-board mic, you could do worse than the VideoMic. But if you want to pick up pro-level sound at a reasonable distance, don't believe the hype: invest in a more expensive shotgun mic, or go with a lavalier.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Great Sound Quality
- Lightweight
Cons
- Questionable durability
Best Uses
- Cheap-skate booming
- Interviews
- On camera audio
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
Sounds great, costs less than a balanced mic + preamp, comes with shock mount, plug 'er in and let 'er rip. Although you could just plug this right into your HDSLR, I am running it into a Zoom H1. Easy to run and pretty brainless in terms of getting it going, but sounds much better than the onboard options.
I've used a number of cheapie mics over the years, including some homemade ones, and this one has really nice tone and volume for the price-tag. The shock-mount makes a nice addition, but concerns me a little in terms of transport and longevity. The durability of it is yet to be seen, but I've never heard they break easily.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Great Sound Quality
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Den
- Family gatherings
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
I use this mic mainly for home videos of my family. It picks up sound well, easy to mount on my HS900 camcorder. Now that I have used it, I would prefer to purchase a external mount so the mic doesnt cover any controls on the top of my camcorder which it does now. The mic doesnt add much weight to the camera. Its well built. I would tell others who are in the market to check this product. I plan to look into more of Rodes products.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
Cons
- My dog ate it
Best Uses
- Professional
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
When it arrived i was very excited. However i did not have any 9v batteries and after the long day at work I didnt feel like running out to buy it at the time. but i mounted it to the boom pole and to my camera and everything about it seemed legit. When i awoke the next morning I found that my dog had escaped out of her cage and chosen to chew on it. So sadly i never got to use it. But everything about it impressed me and I plan on getting another one here real soon.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Great Sound Quality
- Lightweight
- Long Lasting
Cons
- Needs more rugged mount
Best Uses
- Professional
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
The is a great mic for capturing audio with an ENG/Documentary set up.
I shot a doc last year and was using a Zoom 4hn mounted to the camera shoe of the 5D, feeding into the audio input of the camera while recording to the Zoom as backup. The audio was great but without the shock mount the mic picked up the occasional bump when adjusting the camera or lens. The Rodemic does an excellent job of recording field audio with the added benefits of a shock mount and excellent running time on just one 9v.
The form factor of the VideoMic is larger than the Zoom, and has no backup. But I have yet to need the backup of Zoom so I'm just shooting with the Rodemic and getting great results.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Lightweight
Cons
- Bulky
Best Uses
- Professional
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
Using with a Nikon D7000 and a Cannon H40 Palm Recorder. The unit works great. You just need to make sure you have the brackets and stuff to hold all of your gear, Mic, Light, etc.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Great Sound Quality
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
great mic i love it the sound is amazingly better than the on camera audio, I would recommend if you are going to do any outdoor shooting to get a wind sock because this mic is very sensitive and picks up wind easily, other than the this product is great
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Great Sound Quality
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Den
- Presentations
- Productivity
- Professional
Comments about Rode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone:
I own a Canon 60d. I was looking for a mic that'd play well with it and I could use on a boom.
I'm impressed with the audio. To test one night, I attached it to an audio recorder (an old minidisc unit I have) and monitored through the headphones. It seemed okay at first. Audio was clear but still had a little room hiss (later remedied by changing the db settings on the mic). When I removed my headphones my wife was upset,with me. Apparently she'd been callimg my,name from the other room. The mic picked up the sound I needed where I poimted.
- Primary use:
- Personal
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Batteries & Power
- Price: $2.54
Cables
- Price: $10.99
Additional Hardware
- Price: $9.99
Wind Protection
- Price: $39.00
- Price: $29.00
Boompoles
- Price: $129.00
Stands & Support
- Price: $29.95
- Price: $34.95
What's in the Box
- Windscreen
- Attached Mini-Plug Output Cable
- 10 Year Warranty
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