Rode
Robert S
Mic is decent I mean not too crazy, but the screw holding the mic on the mount fell out and I lost it, this has happened twice with 2 different rode mics. I will never be purchasing a rode mic again. The bare minimum is having a product that doesn’t fall apart. Disappointed.
Customer
High quality sound for the price lightweight, easy to use, uses a 9 volt battery, which makes life so easy when it runs out of life. Highly recommend for YouTubers that sing!
Patrick
You would think for $150 will get you a great quality product. This is not even worth $19.99 let alone $149.99. the plastic is cheap. The structure of the microphone is very flimsy, almost can easily bend in half. Not to mention it doesn't come with a battery. The suspension is also a POS. It's extruded too far out that makes the EVF useless. Claims to be an Australian brand, but made in China. The only metal in this product are the screws.
Chuck
We record videos for YouTube and this is great. I was getting a "hum" with NY old mic when I connected it to the 3.5mm extension from the boom to the camera and this cleared that up. High quality mic, you can't go wrong. Spend the money on this the first time and don't waste your time on a cheaper mic like I tried to do originally. FYI it takes a 9volt battery so make sure you have some ready to go.
Mitchell Odien
ordered used, no blemishes anywhere on mic despite description saying so. also came a week early! audio is great, and its really easy to set up and use.
heads up! mic doesn't come with battery, so don't panic if theres no audio in your recording.
Adam L.
In this video I pit the Rode VideoMic against the Audio Technica AT8024. See how it measures up!
Bear in mind - the Rode VideoMic in this video is the older model, but really the only difference is the shock mount.
kljhfdgkljdsfh
Still use mine in my production. Just remember to turn it on!! Oh, also carry a spare 9 volt.
Andrew
I recently purchased this Mic so that i could use my Canon Sl1 for recording videos. I like the look and feel of the microphone on my camera. The mic stand has a lot of flex and give, so it does move a lot but it doesn't seem to affect sound at all but it also means its less likely to break.
The microphone is very sensitive. I was testing it out at my kitchen table and during playback on my computer i heard a faint humming noise. After listening to it a few times i realized it picked up the sound of my refrigerator that was running during the time of recording. I haven't tested it at the 80hz setting.
The only thing you have to be careful with is that the windjammer is a little bulky and i did notice a few strands hanging in front of my lens. I look forward to getting a lot of use out of this mic. It is weird that it uses 9v batteries. Not yet sure of how long the 9v will last but the door is pretty easy access although its a bit of a bear to try and get back perfectly closed.
sailorcolin
Love the mic for my D7100. I do alot of car video and it has a great range for autos. Attached is a video of a Subaru H4 engine. You can hear the quality come through the mic.
Dan A
It gets clean, up-close sound from much further away than one initially expects. Easy to install, and simple in operation. I use this on a Canon T3i/600D and it works well with just Mic Boost.
Modest Photography
A great product for the price will definitely give you an edge in your audio quality. Here are some tips to help you get even more edgier.
Modest Photography
A great start for someone just getting into video, good sound always helps the final product. Here are some tricks to make it even better.
Lee Bee
I use this seamlessly with my Canon 5D MII and my LCDVF viewfinder. Together they all work amazingly and allow quick on the go run and gun type filming. Recently I used this on a feature action film (Blunt Force) shooting behind the scenes and interviews...and even on the set with all of the other stuff going on, the sound came through wonderfully. Check out the interviews on the DVD version of the film and you will be listening to the audio captured by THIS MICROPHONE!!!! I have had this mic for 3 years (I know late on the review, but I have used it a TON) and it is still like new. The only thing, and maybe its just me, but the only thing i wish was more solid is the mounting arm (shock mount) with the rubberbands... I am so fearful of that breaking in my bag that I ended up getting a spaghetti canister (see pictures) to keep my mic in so that it would not get squished in the bag. I was filming with this mic about 6 years ago (friends mic then, and thats why I got one cause it was go great) and the rubber bands wore out and we had to get new ones... thank god they are able to be replaced but, again, I wish I didnt have to worry about the fragileness of that part.
In its own defense though... the microphone sort of soars above the camera and the shock mount is great and so totally balanced that it does a great job of decreasing a lot of the bumping around noise. I set the level attenuation (or PAD), to 0dB and it works perfectly at that range... many others seem to agree with that setting... As I said for this feature film, it was perfect and in fact, I used is again just a couple of weeks ago when I went to work at Sundance Film Festival and did interviews with it there. That was a loud arena but all that audio came out just fine.
bpzle
I'm pretty picky when it comes to electronics. This fits the bill, nicely. I've worked in TV, radio, and pro audio... not bad for the price.
Wednesday
I have used the Rode Video mic for about two years now. I mostly record my kids playing Bluegrass music. I use a Cannon Hv40 and feed the audio from the mic into it.
In the first year of use I had mixed feelings about the mic. I found that if I could get the sound from the sound board on a small recorder, that was best. I felt using the Rode left the sound a little hollow for lack of better description.
Using the Rode to capture voice in close up situations was fantastic, a million times better then the camera mic.
Then after two years of using the mic off and on I learned something. If the sound coming from the speakers at the music event was bad, and/or the room acoustics were bad, then the audio the Rode picked up would be bad. Sounds like a no brainier, but I never really realize how big of an impact that made, until I had to use the Rode at a gig where the sound was pristine and we were outdoors, no room acoustics. Lot better. Then I put the sound into audio program and did a little eq. I also took the mike off the camera and had it pointing right at the speakers. Now I feel that I got the best sound I could get recording live, if I was unable to connect to the board.
I felt that now I should do a review of this because I am happy and feel I got my monies worth. It was just bad room acoustics and bad sound system speakers that lowered the quality before. Listen to the video and see, but I feel that is about the best under the conditions I had to operate.
SanNic44
Join me for an on the scene test of the Rode Videomic. As part of my video review you'll hear this mic used for an on-location taping in Aruba, where the wind and water noise would have made it difficult to use internal camera mics. You'll also hear it inside my bunker where I record some reviews. The Rode Videomic performs like an all-around champ. It captures voices head-on while excluding much of the surrounding noise, performing at or above my expectations. The price point makes this unit impossible to resist and every small video rig should have one. Unless you're doing network level productions, this mic is all you need for interviews and other location work.
Arte Mortifica
So far I like this mic, very compact and it pics up great sound, i will be using it to record live performances so for now its working great for simple footage I am taking, I will write more about it in the coming weeks, you can check out a test I did for it on this link [...]
Eugene Fratkin
I got this camera to get better sound quality while shooting video with my DSLR. 100% successful - head an shoulders about the built in mic. Here is the link to my test:
[...]
Quality of construction is something that I am not 100% confident about. It seems very plasticy and held by a set of 8 rubber bands in the floating bracket. But it is working fine so far.
Artful Dodger
Great product! I have used this mic since spring/summer of 2010 and each time I wonder if it will handle a situation and it continues to amaze me. The Rode VideoMic was able to deliver and pickup the sounds of a Qui Gong Master performing an exercise/lesson/demo while outside and having me stand about 25-30ft away while clicking his fingers behind and on his head with crisp, distinctive sound when played back. I couldn't believe it captured the sound which now makes me wonder, what would the audio have been like using the DeadCat for the wind reduction. That is next on my wish list for sure.
This little unit was also put through a test when video recording a friends wedding and the minister turned off the sound system on me and I was left to record only the sound that was being presented without a direct connect. That was in a balcony, around 100ft away. It did a fair job, well more than I could have asked for and I'm not sure another mic would have even performed that good. A simple run through SoundBooth after for cleanup and the audio would go from fair to very acceptable. An event to remember to say the least.
The battery life lasts more than I could ask for. I used only "two" 9 volt batteries and changed one out after 115 hours because I didn't want to be caught needing to change them during an event even though the light turns yellow. I'm still on the second battery and after a minimum total between the two batteries of 230 hours of video/audio recording since I received my Rode Mic this really adds ease of mind during any event.
Fit and finish are nice. I don't mind if things are made from plastic as long as the material is really sturdy. This unit is. I have it in my backpack all the time and aside from the action of travels, it gets removed from the mic bracket constantly without issue or seemingly any wear and tear. I will touch on this more below. I really like the fact that Rode gives you about 4-6 extra "bands" for the shock mount. My only slight issue is that the mic can bounce around somewhat easy because of the bands but it does take away any noise issue one would get without them so it's acceptable.
Now a few findings...
I know this will very by skill and what equipment is used by an individual(s) so a quick list of what this is used with. I'm using the Rode with a Canon HF-S21 and a "L" bracket attached to the bottom of the camera and mounted with a Manfrotto 701 video head and 055CXPRO3 tripod legs. Very good setup however I found out that any bump to the camera (of course) and the legs gets picked up by the mic as well. I mean as simple as my headphone wire hitting a tripod leg while panning (live and learn). I think I will also be adding some tripod leg wraps of foam to play it safe in the future but the tripod really isn't made directly for video. It's for a camera and I know that the legs for a video tripod are different but you do with what you have on hand and learn from that. If the mic had any faults, it is that it can pick everything up so keep that in mind.
To get back to the above wear and tear, I question how well the cold shoe mount threads will hold up under a ton of tightening and loosening (and I don't mean over twisting/tightening them) but it also has a 10 year warranty so for now, I won't really loose sleep over it. Of wear and tear, an included soft or optional hard case would be something nice offered by Rode to keep the mic in great shape. Other than that I can only question one last thing and that is the on/off switch. While it is sturdy, will it triumph on the longevity? Only time will tell.
I highly recommend this mic for video and even for a Pod/Video Cast if need be.
Larry
The Rode mic shoe adaptor doesn't fit the Canon HFS 100 HD Vixia camcorder.
I had to:
1. Remove the mic shoe adaptor completely and discard it
2. Make a shoe adaptor using strap iron, one bolt, four washers and three nuts
3. Raise the mic higher so the flash can open
4. Turn the mic base around to prevent casting flash shadows on the subjects
This is Rode's response:
"Our mic has a standard shoe adaptor, Canon are the ones that should inform the customer that they will need a special adaptor for the camera."
Ron Yett
Service & Support
The sound quality is fantastic.
Bob in Tucson
GoForLaunch
As other have mentioned, this mic is a good replacement for your onboard camera mics. It's a good value and if cared for properly should last a good while.
Here's what's in the box:
* VideoMic
* Extra rubber mounting bands
One thing I'd like to add to all these reviews is to recommend getting the Rode VXLR adaptor. This will allow you to connect the VideoMic to an XLR input without any loss of quality and in a simple straight forward way.
I use this with a JuicedLink CX211 connected to a Canon HF-S100. The combination works great! The only thing I wish Rode would do is redesign the size of the mic to match the smaller/newer camcorders. (Also, may be provide an adaptor to fit the mini-shoe mount on the Canon HF-Sxxx series...)
Otherwise, it's a great value and a solid performer!
J. Gerhardt
This mic is a must if you video tape an instructional homemade video. It is a very good bargain compared to the Canon hot shoe mic that eats battery power. Rode is power independent and fully adjustable. The only con I see is that is is angled slightly instead of being perpendicular to the base and is a little big compared to compact cams. That being said, I'll gladly live with it!
Dvestore
Here we test the RODE Videomic against the traditional "expensive" solution. A BeachTek XLR adapter with a Sennheiser XLR based shotgun mic. Learn more about achieving high quality sound from Guy Cochran at DVcreators.net.