im honestly so fed up with trying to get decent audio out of my old iphone 11 setup tbh, the built in mic just picks up every single bit of wind and background noise and Im losing my mind trying to fix it in post... finally upgraded to the sony zv-e10 for the actual camera quality and bigger sensor stuff, but now I realized the kit mic is kinda garbage too.
need something that wont break the bank (maybe under $150 if possible?) since Ive already spent way too much this month lol.
- needs to be decent outdoors
- preferably compact so it doesnt look huge on the body
- easy to plug and play cuz im not an audio engineer
whats the best mic to get for this thing?
Ugh I feel your pain so much. I was literally in the exact same rabbit hole last week trying to fix my audio, and ended up grabbing the Rode VideoMicro II since it stays under budget and is super easy to just plug in and go.
Building on the earlier suggestion, looking at all these audio options made me pull up my spreadsheet (I track every penny spent on gear, seriously, my wife laughs at me). You don't need to spend a fortune — I picked up the Deity V3 Padded On-Camera Mic for under $100 last month and it's built like a tank. Dealer wanted a fortune for name-brand stuff, but this DIY dad setup saved me a ton.
So funny you ask this — last summer I took my setup out to the beach and completely ruined an entire afternoon of footage because the wind just totally wrecked the audio (such a nightmare to fix later). Before I throw any specific recommendations your way, are you mostly shooting vlogs walking around outside, or are you sitting down in one spot? If you just want a quick tip — grab a deadcat windscreen whatever you buy, and check out the Rode VideoMicro II since it's tiny and fits your budget nicely.
Re: "im no expert but I just looked into..." - totally agree that the Rode path is easy, but you have to watch out for the digital gain staging on the ZV-E10 body. The internal preamps on that camera add a noticeable hiss floor if you crank them past 3 or 4. Keep these points in mind when you set up your external mic:
- Never leave the camera audio gain above 4; boost your levels in post instead to avoid the nasty preamp hiss.
- Avoid battery-powered condenser mics that lack an auto-shutoff feature, because forgetting to turn them off drains AAAA batteries instantly.
- Do not skip using a physical shock mount, as the internal lens focusing motors on Sony bodies transmit sharp mechanical clicks straight into the shoe mount. Anyway, bottom line is just set your levels low on the camera body and you will get clean sound.
> need something that wont break the bank So funny you ask this — last summer I tried filming a vlog outside and my audio was literally just wind noises lol. Idk if it is the absolute best, but someone told me lately that grabbing a small shotgun mic made a huge difference for them outdoors. I think you can find some decent budget ones under that price point if you look around. Just gotta test it first.
im no expert but I just looked into this last week and got the Rode VideoMic GO II cuz it plugs right into the sony and has a deadcat for wind. super easy.
> need something that wont break the bank Grab the Rode VideoMic GO II for $99. It weighs only 89g and connects via USB-C or 3.5mm TRS directly to the ZV-E10 without external power.
Finally someone says it. Ive been thinking this for a while but wasnt sure.
@Reply #6 - good point! Everyone swears by those big brands but tbh they are mostly marketing. Honestly my neighbor just built an entire soundproof studio in his backyard instead anyway lol.