Shure VP83 LensHopper Camera-Mounted Condenser Shotgun Microphone for use with DSLR Cameras and HD Camcorders - Capture Detailed, High Definition Audio with Full Low-end Response

Update: the microphone has worked very well this far for our needs. But, it doesn't have good low frequency pattern control. Expect to use a high pass filter if you are in a confined area to make it sound more realistic. That's expected though with a short shotgun mic. The longer it is, the lower the frequency it can control. It looks like that's why they tailor the response how they do. I'm always EQing different amounts of 200Hz and under out depending on the situation to make scenes sound consistent. But, it's a good sounding mic with great transient response. Just take care to learn how to use this one.For $300, this is a great setup. Since it is good for the money, I give it 5 stars. It's pretty awesome that it is a flash recorder as well. The microphone is pretty directional and captures transients well. So, that means it capture details well. The only thing I don't care for is the frequency response. The way it drops off after 10 kHz leaves me some top end I wish I had. It also rolls off the bottom end slightly starting around 200Hz, which can be good or bad depending on the situation. For voice it works well enough for a general purpose shotgun microphone. It's really about convenience with this mic. Sure, I can get a much better sound with my $250 Audix VX5, pop filter, yamaha 01V console, and ADAT interface, but the price is high and convenience is low on that setup. I use that for voice overs. So, for the overall package, the VP83F gets the job done, has quiet enough circuitry, and can give you a good enough sound to make it sound professional. It just won't blow you away with sound quality or anything. It is definitely an upgrade from any internal camera mic. However, if my camera had a mic input of it's own, a $300 shotgun mic would sound better.

Superior in every way to the Rode Videomicpro, which I purchased some time ago. Took me ten minutes to figure out how to close the battery door on the Rode last week. That did it for me. The AA battery is installed on the bottom side of the battery drawer on the Shure. Shure even included a battery.The green LED power indicator turns red when battery level is low. Depending on battery type, you have varying amounts of time from the Red warning to change the battery. All options are very forgiving. You'll have plenty of warning to change the battery once the indicator turns Red.I did a wide by side test when I received the Shure. No exceptions, no conditions, no qualifications, the Shure is better. Not even close. Perfect design, functionality, build and durability. Superior in natural sound, low cut filter engagement, more gain, lower noise level, lower handling noise, smaller size, more side rejection, more battery life, excellent battery compartment access, recessed controls to reduce accidental changes in settings and power, attached cable is stronger and better attached, better cable strain relief, better shock mount support, better shock mount isolation, better and thicker coiled cable, you name it, Shure does it better by far. I would expect the Shure is better than the comparable Sennheiser, as some comment that Senn is a bit too thin for the sake of clear dialog. I like the fuller sound of the Shure, but not the boomy sound of the Rode. Shure is right in the middle, just right IMO.What would have been cool is if Shure had included a carrying bag or zipper case of some kind. BTW, the packaging of the product is as if it were an Apple product. Sweet. I've kept the boxes and packaging, although I can't imagine selling it any time soon. (The Rode is for sale.)A lot of my decision was based on reviews on this site and that "B" company in New York. I want to thank all the contributors for their honest appraisals which helped steer me to the right decision. Hope this helps you, too.

Seems very sturdy (perhaps the suspension system is the weakest point, demanding careful handlind when opening the battery compartment). Teh on-board controls are very intuitive and detailed, only wish there was an automatic gain control for situation when I have no time to adjust the gain properly. The sound quality is great and the sideways sound cancelation pretty good too, for the type of mic and price point.UPDATE:I recently used the microphone with a slightly older card, a 2gb micro SD, and just let it recording an event. When I came back home, the card wouldn't load on my mac. I used Disk Utility, and Repaired it. This made it possible to mount the card, but it showed up as empty. So after running DiskDrill repair software, I was able to recover 60% of the files.So... what happened? Maybe the older and smaller capacity card was a bad idea. But it definitely was a bummer, and I don't know if it had an issue when the card filled.

This has been an ongoing source of frustration. A few years ago, I purchased the Canon XA10 which has the removable handle with XLR inputs. The onboard mic is pretty good except it's very sensitive to wind. First purchase; an Audio Technica XLR shotgun. Good handling isolation, good base, but "dull" sound; kind of like you've got ear wax build up. Next, a Sennheiser shot gun with mini plug output. Not much base and easily distorted in loud environments due to lack of gain switch. Next up, Rode Video with the rubber bands suspension. Awful pick up from handling the cam, very poor sound isolation. Overly "bright" sound with poor base. Also susceptible to volume overload and distortion. I've been aware of Shures quality for over 40 years and thought I'd give it a try. WOW! Great cam isolation. If you handle the foam on the mic, very loud, touching the cam, very quiet. Put Walk the Line on the stereo and cranked it up. At 20 db with the cam's record volume turned down, some overload distortion. At 0db, much better, and at -10db sweet. Solid base, clear mid and high without "harshness". As a bonus, it's relatively small and unobtrusive. Would love some feedback on which wind sock to get, the Shure or knock off brand.