With the advent of the digital era, we see so many digital marketing agencies popping-in every day in the market. Each of these agencies is involved in a number of activities. For example, interview videos, customer reviews, short story shoots, etc.
White shooting all such videos, just having DSLR handy is not enough. You need to make arrangements for the location, you need to check whether lights are proper, and most importantly, you need to see that the audio is picked up correctly so that there is no disturbance seen in the final video output.
To get the perfect audio without any disturbance, every digital marketing agencies involved in any kind of shoots, are recommended to include a shotgun microphone in your device family. A shotgun microphone is useful to record disturbance-free audio while shooting.
In case, you are not a seasoned professional, and you are out in the market to purchase a shotgun microphone. To avoid any kind of wrong purchase, and losing important bugs in purchasing a not-so-valuable shotgun mic, we have brought a few of our well researched and recommended mics that can save your money as well as time.
Contents
Best Shotgun Microphones Under $100
The list shows you the microphones that you may get at a very cheap cost. It ranges below $100.
1. Rode VMGO Mic – Best Shotgun Microphone
This tops our list of microphones available to catch your audio without disturbance. Rode VMGO microphone is the best shotgun mic available under $100 and with a guarantee of recording the best audio for your videos.
The pickup area of the microphone is designed in a way that it deletes all the other sideways noise and records the perfect sound in front of the mic.
The microphone is made up of thermoplastic that increases its lifespan.
Unlike other microphones, this microphone uses the battery of your camera. So nothing goes without recording unless the camera is shut. It weighs around 70 gms and it is an easily carryable device.
Before we forget, we also want to mention here that you don’t have to be a person holding a professional camera in your hand to use Redo VMGO Microphone. You can use your phone camera as well for the shoot and Redo VMGO Mic to record the audio.
A few of the strong points that keep Redo VMGO Mic at the top of our list is mentioned below. Please have a look.
Strong Points of Redo VMGO Mic
-
You get the best audio that is pretty clear at the time of output.
-
You don’t need to install any additional batteries for the mic. It utilized the camera battery for its working.
-
Special windshield installed with the mic to prevent any additional background sound interference.
-
You can use the microphone with your smartphones as well. It is a 2 in 1 advantage for you.
Which device does not have weak points? So does Redo VMGO Mic. The only weak point of Redo VMGO Mic is that you need to keep the microphone close to your object to record clear audio.
2. Takstar SGC-598 Shotgun Microphone – Best Shotgun Microphone
Like other shotgun microphones, Takstar SGC-598 requires a TRS jack of 3.5mm to get compatible with all your video devices.
The structure of the microphone is designed in a way that it reduces the mechanical shocks. This feature, in turn, results in clarity in the audios.
The low power indicator at the bottom of the microphone helps the professionals to understand that it needs some charging. And unlike other microphones, Takstar SGC-598 requires 1.5V alkaline batteries. So it becomes easy to charge.
It is easy to mount on your camera like a stand installation. Due to its ease in installation, it becomes the top buy for videographers who are very new in the industry or someone who is a solo videographer.
Let us have a look at the benefits you can leverage with Takstar SGC-598.
Benefits of using Takstar SGC-598 Shotgun Microphone
-
It is lightweight and easily portable with any devices.
-
Even if you are amateur in videography, Takstar SGC-598 is the best suite for you.
-
Professionals can use it too.
-
You can record clear sound which is shockproof and no vibrations are recorded.
-
It is very simple to handle this microphone.
As said every device comes with a shortcoming when it is compared with other products available in the market. For Takstar SGC-598, it is its TRS jack size of 3.5mm that limits its usage only with the devices having the TRS jack of 3.5mm.
3. Comica Super-Cardioid Directional Condensor Shotgun Microphone
If you are regular and interested in shooting videos related to field interviews, then Comica Super-Cardioid Directional Condensor Shotgun Microphone is the perfect choice for you in this range.
The microphone is compatible with the devices having a TRS jack of 3.5mm.
There are cases when you are handling the video device as well as the microphone. In such a scenario, you can mount your microphone on a stand above the camera. This means that if someone is a solo videographer then this mic becomes the perfect option.
The shortcomings are many, but the one that is more disturbing is the wind that might flow during the field interviews. This disturbance creates noise in the audio which is not advisable. But the wind guards and muffs installed along with the microphones deletes the wind interference and thus resulting in clear audio.
Positives about Comica Super-Cardioid Electric Microphone
-
It has a better noise isolation capacity on account of its wind guards and muffs installed along with the microphone.
-
It is compatible with a number of cameras.
-
It is not necessary to keep the microphone in your hand while shooting. You can mount it on a stand above your camera.
The only weak point that you need to consider while purchasing this microphone is its portability. It can only be used with devices having a TRS jack of 3.5mm.
4. Technica Audio Atr-6550 Condensor Microphone
If you are someone who is mostly into outdoor videography and need a reliable partner to record the audio, then Technica Audio Atr-6550 Condensor Microphone holds all the benefits you need in the outdoor shoots.
If you judge this product on the basis of its low price, then you are stepping on the wrong line. It has a capacity of recording audio of bandwidth 70 HZ-18000 HZ.
It can be used in a detached manner as well. It is very lightweight and you can carry it in your hands during the outdoor shoot.
The only thing you need to take care of is that your camera should have an external microphone jack to install Technica Audio Atr-6550 Condensor Microphone with your camera.
It is designed to delete all the external noise even when you are shooting at a distance from the object.
Benefits of using this Condensor Microphone
-
You get additional plugs to be attached to your camera.
-
It is very lightweight and easy to install the microphone.
-
It has a good sound isolation capacity.
The only problem that you might face is that it does not have an indicator of low battery. In that case, you just need to uninstall the microphone every time you complete its usage.
5. Comica CVM-VSO8
This Comica Microphone is specifically designed for recording videos on smartphones. This microphone is considered as the best microphone for smartphone usage.
We all have smartphones with a quality camera to record the video. But we lag audio quality which we can get using Comica CVM-VSO8.
The design of the Comica CVM-VSO8 is made up of 100% aluminum which deletes the background noise and interference in the audio. Especially for outdoor shoots, these microphones have background noise filters attached to it to get a better quality of audio.
If you are new in the field of videography and does not have enough budget to purchase a DSLR camera, and planning to shoot any of your videos using a smartphone, then Comica CVM-VSO8 is the best option for you to purchase to get a quality audio output.
A small suggestion that we would like to give you in case you are planning to go for a smartphone shoot. At the time of the shoot, keep your phone on airplane mode to avoid any in-between disturbance.
Qualities
-
It has an advanced sound pick technology installed with it to get a quality audio output.
-
Since it is made up of aluminum, the durability of the microphone reaches the top.
-
It has noise filters attached to it to nullify the background noise.
-
The best positive of using this microphone is its smartphone portability.
But we cannot recommend you to use Comica CVM-VSO8 for any professional videography.
FAQs on Best Shotgun Microphones
What is a shotgun microphone used for?
A shotgun microphone is a highly directional microphone that must be pointed directly at its target sound source for best sound quality. Shotgun microphones use unidirectional microphones to achieve this high beam of concentration on the sound source to record the sound.
Are shotgun mics good?
Shotgun mics will help you achieve the best sound quality for you recording. They offer clear and high-quality audio for your footage by picking up specific sounds without recording other undesirable audio sources.
What is the best shotgun mic?
Best Sound Studio‘s best pick for the best shotgun mic is Rode VMGO Mic.
How do you use a shotgun microphone?
Regardless of the experience you have in videography, microphones always act as the best videography partner to give you the best quality audio output.
Fortunately, we have shortlisted the above 5 best microphones available in the market to reduce your time consumed in selecting a microphone checking each of its specifications. You just need to select the best one as per your requirement and budget.