Sony ECMMSD1 Stereo Zoom Camcorder Microphone for DCRHC20/30/40/65/85, DCRVX2100, HDRFX1
From Sony
The ECM-MSD1 Gun Zoom Microphone is a high-grade stereo microphone with directional pick control. It synchronizes with your camcorder's zoom feature for seamless audio/visual pickup of one person in a group. This microphone is perfect for taping weddings, reunions, parties and other busy environments.
Brand: Sony Model: ECM-MSD1 Format: CD Original language: English Dimensions: 1.30" h x 4.70" w x 6.40" l, .26 pounds
Bad In Almost Every Way I ordered this mic after having to return the ECMHS1 (because it was, in reality, totally non-directional). Well, this one actually IS directional, but it is such a pain to use I wish I never bought it. 1st of all, you should know this mic does not work with the "smart shoe" available on most Sony camcorders - this means it will not receive any power from or transfer sound data to the camcorder through the shoe. Therefore it is battery powered. This may seem like a minor problem, but it means you need to remember to turn it on and off each time you video, otherwise you will have either a soundless video or a dead battery. Believe me, at some point you WILL forget this. Not being smart shoe compatible also means you have to plug the mic into a jack on the camcorder - this can be a real hassle if you have a small device and are trying to loop the cord around so it isn't in the way. (In my case the jack is under a rather cheap plastic cover that threatens to break off with repeated use.) (As you might expect, I highly recommend you check whether a mic is smart shoe compatible. Of course, that means the mic doesn't need a battery or audio plug - not that it will simply fit into the shoe. It's a great feature.) Finally, while the engineers at Sony have done some amazing things over the years, they weren't able to do even a half-decent job designing the cap that covers this mic's battery. This cap will fall off with even the slightest touch. This can be INCREDIBLY annoying. Mine fell off several times - fortunately I always managed to find it. I finally put a piece of duct tape on to secure it (doesn't look great, but at least the color matches). Considering the high cost, this mic is a really bad investment. While the non-directional mics in most camcorders are pretty pathetic, this is a VERY poor substitute. Good sound, but poorly designed I have to agree with Scipio's review. I have stopped using this mic for a few reasons. 1) I forgot to turn it on one time and lost a lot of valuable sound on my footage. 2) I never know if it is working or not as it doesn't integrate with the camera, so how do I know when the batteries are dead?? Scares me to use it not knowing if its working or not. Sound quality was great for the few times I have used it, but I'll be looking for a hot shoe mic now. I like it! I bought this mike to go with my Canon mvx150i which has an appalling problem with tape noise being picked up by the internal mike. I wanted a compact solution, so I steered away from the bulky canon zoom mike. This mike solved my problem beautifully. The quality of the sound is wonderful and the tape noise is non-existent. And it's small and cute. As the previous reviewer points out: This mike does not work with the smart shoe. And if you forget to turn it on and you have the mike plugged into your audio in, you get silence. However, I've *never* had the battery cover pop off. And its not a zoom mike. It has a wide and a narrow setting. Not the same thing at all.
