Mic to Record Audio on Your DSLR Camera

 

While well-lit, well-exposed photos are important in any film, it's the audio that may make or break a video. The intrinsic value of cinema, as opposed to the written word or photography, is the ability for you, the filmmaker, to present an accurate tale exactly as it happened.

You can capture the characters' activities and the scenery's movement exactly as they were, but without audio, it's just a collection of moving photographs. And what about the audio? Eek. It will be difficult to keep spectators interested.

The audio equipment available in the filmmaking business is wonderful, but it can also be intimidating. An external on-camera microphone is one of the most useful tools to have in your arsenal, regardless of your business.

The results of studies comparing the quality of a Tascam external microphone to a high-end camera's built-in mic are nearly astonishing. But, on the other hand, it makes logic. Because the primary focus of your camera is image capture, there is limited area for sound recording. The on-camera external mics were created solely for audio, as evidenced by the results.

I bring all of my gear (tripods, gimbals, gliders, mics, etc.) to wedding films, but for the other half of my job — travel journalism — I need to fit everything into a carry-on bag and pack without sacrificing quality. Enter the external microphone mounted on the DSLR camera. I keep it on my camera at all times because you never know when the right shot will present itself, and you must be prepared to capture both video and audio if it happens.

In compared to most camera or audio equipment, external on-camera microphones are inexpensive. You'll surely receive your money's worth, given the functionality - most notably, the fact that I use mine every time I film!