Wireless Mic for Canon t3i

[mstandefer]

Hello,

I am not sure where I should be posting this question, re-direct me if needed

I am looking for a wireless mic that is compatible with a Canon t3i. This is the camera my work uses and we want to get more into video (volunteer training, client stories/interviews, etc.) I am pretty sure it will be expensive but something budget friendly would be ideal.

My coworker mentioned Omni Lavalier?? I obviously need some direction here...

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[brunerww]

Hi mstandefer - the answer to your question really depends on how much you are willing to spend in order to get high quality sound. You can certainly get an inexpensive VHF wireless mic like the $110 Audio Technica PRO-88 (I have one) and get sound straight into the camera - but you're likely to get static from the low frequency VHF transmitter and hiss from your camera's noisy preamplifiers.

Or you can get perfectly clean sound with a $567 Sennheiser G3 UHF wireless mic and a $329 external preamplifier - but you'll probably spend more than you paid for the camera.

A good compromise might be to get the $150 Sony ECM-AW3 Bluetooth wireless mic and just live with the hiss you may hear from your camera's preamps. This mic has a useful two-way communication capability and Bluetooth is a little cleaner than VHF.

Here is what this mic can do:

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As you can see, audio is a complex topic. You may want to read up on it before you start buying microphones. An inexpensive book like the $15 Kindle edition of "The Location Sound Bible" could be a very good investment.

Hope this is helpful and best of the Holy-days!

Bill

 

[mstandefer]

Thanks brunerww,

I will pass this on to my coworker! I can't believe how expensive this stuff is, wow.

Thanks,

M

 

[Andrew Boyd]

There are no cheap, great solutions for good audio--you get what you pay for. Here's an article about DSLR audio along with a video that will allow you to HEAR what these mics all sound like.
http://thediscerningphotographer.com/microphones/
Good luck!