Rode VideoMic Camera-Mount Shotgun Microphone with Rycote Lyre Shock Mounting, Black

Game changer. Use it to record my daughter’s orchestra concerts from 20 rows back. Playback sounds great.

Great product! I have used this mic since spring/summer of 2010 and each time I wonder if it will handle a situation and it continues to amaze me. The Rode VideoMic was able to deliver and pickup the sounds of a Qui Gong Master performing an exercise/lesson/demo while outside and having me stand about 25-30ft away while clicking his fingers behind and on his head with crisp, distinctive sound when played back. I couldn't believe it captured the sound which now makes me wonder, what would the audio have been like using the DeadCat for the wind reduction. That is next on my wish list for sure.This little unit was also put through a test when video recording a friends wedding and the minister turned off the sound system on me and I was left to record only the sound that was being presented without a direct connect. That was in a balcony, around 100ft away. It did a fair job, well more than I could have asked for and I'm not sure another mic would have even performed that good. A simple run through SoundBooth after for cleanup and the audio would go from fair to very acceptable. An event to remember to say the least.The battery life lasts more than I could ask for. I used only "two" 9 volt batteries and changed one out after 115 hours because I didn't want to be caught needing to change them during an event even though the light turns yellow. I'm still on the second battery and after a minimum total between the two batteries of 230 hours of video/audio recording since I received my Rode Mic this really adds ease of mind during any event.Fit and finish are nice. I don't mind if things are made from plastic as long as the material is really sturdy. This unit is. I have it in my backpack all the time and aside from the action of travels, it gets removed from the mic bracket constantly without issue or seemingly any wear and tear. I will touch on this more below. I really like the fact that Rode gives you about 4-6 extra "bands" for the shock mount. My only slight issue is that the mic can bounce around somewhat easy because of the bands but it does take away any noise issue one would get without them so it's acceptable.Now a few findings...I know this will very by skill and what equipment is used by an individual(s) so a quick list of what this is used with. I'm using the Rode with a Canon HF-S21 and a "L" bracket attached to the bottom of the camera and mounted with a Manfrotto 701 video head and 055CXPRO3 tripod legs. Very good setup however I found out that any bump to the camera (of course) and the legs gets picked up by the mic as well. I mean as simple as my headphone wire hitting a tripod leg while panning (live and learn). I think I will also be adding some tripod leg wraps of foam to play it safe in the future but the tripod really isn't made directly for video. It's for a camera and I know that the legs for a video tripod are different but you do with what you have on hand and learn from that. If the mic had any faults, it is that it can pick everything up so keep that in mind.To get back to the above wear and tear, I question how well the cold shoe mount threads will hold up under a ton of tightening and loosening (and I don't mean over twisting/tightening them) but it also has a 10 year warranty so for now, I won't really loose sleep over it. Of wear and tear, an included soft or optional hard case would be something nice offered by Rode to keep the mic in great shape. Other than that I can only question one last thing and that is the on/off switch. While it is sturdy, will it triumph on the longevity? Only time will tell.I highly recommend this mic for video and even for a Pod/Video Cast if need be.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: If you're new to mics, this is a great mic but not appropriate for many recording situations. Don't think of it as a higher quality multi-purpose replacement mic for the one on your camera. This is a special purpose mic only for certain situations.LONG VERSION: I'm a hobbyist who recently became interested in camcorders. I thought I'd pick up a decent consumer model (Panasonic HDC-TM700K Hi-Def Camcorder with Pro Control System & 32GB Flash (Black)) to try some video manipulation and compositing (I've done a lot of 3D rendering and 2D drawings). My first cheap consumer camera I bought a few months ago had a really bad mic so I figured I'd buy a "high quality" external mic for my new camera thinking it would simply be a better version of the on-board mic and I was familiar with Rode from doing some music recording so I figured they'd make a good product.Well it turns out I was quite wrong about the Rode VideoMic simply being a "quality upgrade" for the on-board mic, and this is something I want to point out to any other camcorder newbies like myself.The Rode VideoMic serves a very different purpose from the mic on my TM700 -- the VideoMic is a highly directional mic designed to pick up sound from what you're focusing your camera on and to suppress sound outside the scene. You hear your subject clearly, but not the surrounding environment.For this application the VideoMic is fantastic. The fountain I can see from my balcony sounds clear, loud, highly articulated, and (if I amplify the audio signal and increase the bass a bit in my video editor) it sounds like Niagara Falls with no muddiness or loss of clarity in the sound. This mic can take a sound I hear as a hiss while I'm holding the camera and turn it into a rich powerful sound that really elevates the dimension and impact of the final footage (but if you're looking for accuracy or subtlety you can filter it back into a hiss).I'm really impressed with what this product does.BUT...This mic isn't appropriate for a lot of situations. Want to narrate while standing behind your camera and filming? You're voice is going to sound like you have a sock stuffed in your mouth because of the highly directional response. Want to record a family get together and catch all the conversations going on all around you, or record the sounds of a city you're walking through in 5.1 surround? The VideoMic is probably the last thing you want to use for that (at least it hasn't worked for me in these situations).I'm hoping there's some good external omni-directional mics with the quality of the VideoMic available so I can get the same sort of quality for non-directional recording. Even better if it's possible to do 5.1 with an external mic using my camera.In the meantime I'll still have to use the camera's built-in mic for much of the recording I do.