Azden SGM-X Professional Microphone
- Consumer Compatibility: Video Filming
- Usage: Professional
- Type: Condenser
- Connectivity: Cable
- Types Quantity: Single Microphone Type
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A good starter shotgun mic
Pros
A big improvement over built-in sound; good accessories
Cons
Some noise and hum audible
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
A good entry-level shotgun mic, and a big step up from the built-in sound on your camcorder
I recently went to videotape a wedding, and wanted better results than what I'd been able to get with the built-in mic in the past. I found it very frustrating to shop for mics, since the specs were not consistent. The cheap ones might specify "range" (in feet); the more expensive ones would specify gain for a certain pressure sound wave, and signal to noise ratio. You couldn't do an "apples to apples" comparison. I had seen poor review for Sony's shotgun mic, but this and Azden's other mics (the ECZ-990 at the low end; the SGM-1X and -2X at the higher end) seemed to be widely available, and the photo store said few of them were returned by customers.
I bought it and tested it out by turning my car stereo on, walking about 30 feet away, and comparing the sound I could get with the mic on with what I could get with the built-in mic from the camera. Not surprisingly, there was quite a difference.
I won't say I'm totally happy with the SGM-X. Under some circumstances, I have noticed noise that was objectionable, and switched to other mics. There is also noticeable hum under normal circumstances (reception speakers at a 40-foot distance), although the sound is still greatly improved over what could be obtained by the built-in camera.
I'm happy with the accessories that came with it. It has a "hot shoe mount" that lets you put it on top of the video camera, a short mini-plug cord to connect it to the video camera, and a wind sock to allow you to use it outdoors without wind noise. It also comes with a nice carrying case. The small LR-44 battery (a little button-sized one) is supposed to last 50 hours or so.
The bottom line is I would probably buy the SGM-X again. You can get better sound using a wireless mic, if you can arrange to have the people speaking wear the transmitter. In situations where this is not possible, the SGM-X will give much better sound than the built-in mic, and it's affordable (about $100 mail order, or $150 at the local video store).
I bought it and tested it out by turning my car stereo on, walking about 30 feet away, and comparing the sound I could get with the mic on with what I could get with the built-in mic from the camera. Not surprisingly, there was quite a difference.
I won't say I'm totally happy with the SGM-X. Under some circumstances, I have noticed noise that was objectionable, and switched to other mics. There is also noticeable hum under normal circumstances (reception speakers at a 40-foot distance), although the sound is still greatly improved over what could be obtained by the built-in camera.
I'm happy with the accessories that came with it. It has a "hot shoe mount" that lets you put it on top of the video camera, a short mini-plug cord to connect it to the video camera, and a wind sock to allow you to use it outdoors without wind noise. It also comes with a nice carrying case. The small LR-44 battery (a little button-sized one) is supposed to last 50 hours or so.
The bottom line is I would probably buy the SGM-X again. You can get better sound using a wireless mic, if you can arrange to have the people speaking wear the transmitter. In situations where this is not possible, the SGM-X will give much better sound than the built-in mic, and it's affordable (about $100 mail order, or $150 at the local video store).
