Best Budget DSLR Microphone - RODE VideoMicro Experience and Test

[Loliplol]

Hi,

 

I'd like to share my experience with the Rode VideoMicro microphone, which on first sight looks like one of those Ebay microphones like Boya etc. But it's far away from that.

 

Picking up the package from the post office I revealed a really nice box, not bad quality at all. Some of the letters had a "golden" layer over it, which I found quite nice as a design detail.

 

In the box there were:

1. Rode VideoMicro Microphone
2. Microphone Cable (3.5 mm to 3.5mm) *phone compatible cable is sold separately*
3. Rode Wind Filter (aka Dead Cat)
4. User manual
5. Warranty (2 years!!)

Picking up the microphone I noticed that it was made out of aluminium, which is quite unexpected for this price range. Even the microphone grill was aluminium and really nice (even to look at). Due to the use of aluminium, I was surprised at how light the microphone is. It's robust as much as it gets for this price range. In the meantime, I've noticed that the usual sponge microphone cover was not included, but I've noticed that there wouldn't be any use for it. If it's windy, you put on wind filter (filming outside etc.) and if you're filming inside there is no need of any filter (although the dead cat doesn't muffle the sound at all).

 

The cable itself isn't bad, nothing too special. Has RODE branding on it, like everything else it came with. 

 

Hooking it up to my Canon 70D and using Automatic Level setting, I've noticed how crisp and clean the sound is, yet picks up a wide range of frequencies. Since this is a shotgun microphone, it picks up only what's in front of it and ignores what's around and behind it. I've seen and used expensive Sennheiser microphones, especially their shotgun options, and the price difference between these two is huge, yet the picking up sound direction isn't much different. There is a slight hiss, but I've noticed the same hiss in RODE's most expensive DSLR microphones so I decided to let it pass.

 

Using this and testing it out revealed that the only con is that there are no options. It's literally plug in and plug out. While on RODE's more expensive options there are functions like low cut filter, boost etc.

 

Not to forget the shock mount on this thing! It works wonders! I thought it was gonna be another really bad, plastic useless shock mount which is more for looks than for functions, but this thing really works! Still being happy due to sound quality I was getting from this microphone, this shock mount just blew me away. I've tried running with this thing, spinning around, the shock mount absorbs it all.

 

I've made a really neat video using the Rode VideoMicro and filmed some sound tests (and a thunderstorm!). If you're interested in exactly how it sounds, check it out.

 

 

Thanks for reading!