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| |  | All Batteries, Chargers & Power Supplies | Home » » » » Rode Microphones Stereo VideoMic On-Camera Microphone | | | | | | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 10.75 inches | | Product Width:
| 3.0 inches | | Product Height:
| 5.0 inches | | Product Weight:
| 1.0 pounds | | Package Length:
| 10.8 inches | | Package Width:
| 4.9 inches | | Package Height:
| 2.8 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.0 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 14 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 14 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
104 of 105 found the following review helpful:
 Great Sound, Great CompanyJan 27, 2009
By J. Libertor
"Jeremy Libertor"
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1858A1WMDK4TL I have a Canon HG10 High Definition camera that I use for recording my small kids and family events. The camera's built-in sound was just poor. With my default mic, the targets could barely be heard, and whenever the cameraman spoke the sound was overly pronounced. So I researched many mics over months and decided on this one.
The sound is superb, but you have to make sure you know what you are working with. Different mics are better for different situations. I am not an expert but here are the rules of thumb I have picked up.
*Super-Cartoid Stereo Mic*
The Rode Stereo mic is a "Super Cartoid Stereo Mic". It yields high-quality sound at a close range, less than 8 feet or closer is best . It emphasizes sound in front, and de-emphasizes sound from behind (i.e. the cameraman) It does not do well at long range.
*Shotgun mics*
Shotgun mics (i.e. Rode VideoMic directional Video Condenser w/microphone) on the other hand do well at isolating sound at long ranges. However, the sound will never be as good as a well-placed Supercartoid stereo mic. Those are good for school plays, football games, and such.
*Bonus*
It also comes with a Dead-cat wind guard, and it works great! Even in very gusty wind no sound is made from the wind.
*Tips for good sound*
For absolutely super quality sound with ANY mic you must get really close! Just think of those boom mic guys who hold the mic right inches over the actors heads! You have several options.
1- Stand as close as possible
2 - Buy a wide-angle lense for your camera (Canon WD-H43 0.7x Wide Angle Converter for HV20 & HV30 Camcorders). I did this and it makes a huge difference. The lense allows you to get much closer to the subject and the sound is super.
3 - Buy an extension cable and mini-tripod. This is only practical in some situations, but is not expensive. I did this when I wanted to film thanksgiving dinner. I placed the mic close to the table, just out of shot. I placed the camera far away, and then ran a 15' cable between the mic and camera. I got a great shot and top-notch sound.
4 - Buy a boom pole (Rode Mini Boompole Microphone Boom Pole) and have a friend hold it over the subject's head when filming. This is not practical since I do not own a boom pole and I do not have any friends. But Rode does sell a boom pole for this mic that requires no adapters.
*Warranty*
My 4-year old accidentally knocked the mic off a table and broke a small aluminum part. I contacted Rode and was amazed at how incredibly kind, accommodating, and prompt they were in helping me out.
Be sure to register your mic to get a 10-year warranty!
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**UPDATE**
Since writing this post I actually got the other mic; the RODE shotgun mic: Rode VideoMic directional Video Condenser w/microphone
Since I now own and use both, I have more to add.
The SVM is of much better construction than the Video Mic. The SVM uses aluminium, while the less expensive Video Mic uses plastic.
I use them interchangeably now, and though I wish I could say that the more pricey RODE SVM is plain better than the RODE Video (shotgun) mic, they are actually different tools for different jobs.
Here are situations for using each mic:
Use the RODE SVM (Super-Cartoid Stereo Mic) for:
-The camera person is talking (the camera person comes though balanced and clear)
-Indoor quiet settings (amazing, beautiful clear sound)
-Outdoors where you want superior ambient sound (crashing of the waves, seagulls, people talking in the background, etc)
-Concerts or live performances (or other really loud settings where you want to capture the full sound)
-Voice overs (if you get inches away from the mic the sound is nearly as good as a professional DVD voice over)
Use the RODE Video Mic Shotgun Rode VideoMic directional Video Condenser w/microphone for:
-The camera person will NOT be talking much. (the camera person's voice loses clarity, and is a little muffled.)
-Indoor Parties (where you want to catch the subject talking, and exclude other sound)
-Outdoor Fairs or the beach (where you want to catch the subject talking)
Bottom line, The SVM does do a good job capturing a subjects voice in a noisy setting, but the Video Mic does it better. Otherwise the SVM is superior in all regards.
28 of 28 found the following review helpful:
Top ProductApr 18, 2009
By R. Sutton
Jeremy Libertor (another reviewer) said it all. I fully concur.
I'm using the microphone on a Canon 5D Mark II with great success. I highly recommend this unit if you want quality and have the $$$. Yes, there are less expensive units around but you get what you pay for. And the included 'dead-cat" does a nice job killing wind noises as well.
UPDATE: May 1st - I used the Canon 5D Mark II and the Rode to video the Union Pacific's Steam Locomotive (844) when it visited hear. Theyre was a light breeze at the time. A steam locomotive, at times 4 feet away from the mic, is the acid test. Every sound, from quiet hisses of small steam escapes to full throated steam locomovive whistle blasts, were recorded perfectly with the Rode.
Later, down the track, the 844 passed by me at 60 or so MPH and I got broadcast quality locomotive sounds from about 1000 feet away and as it passed my location 8 feet from the camera/mic. Perfect sound again. I now highly recommend this microphone. No wind noises just great audio.
21 of 22 found the following review helpful:
Concert sound? No Problem!Jul 27, 2009
By R. Maurer
I've been using this Rode mic to make archival videos of concerts for the last 3 years and it is awesome. Clear, transparent and the next best thing to being there. Great sound at a reasonable price seems to be the Rode mission statement. I wish the camera man(me)was as good as the mic!
16 of 16 found the following review helpful:
An exceptional stereo microphoneOct 06, 2009
By N. Hawkins
"whereishawkins"
I bought a Canon 5D Mark II with the understanding that at some point, I'd like to take amazing HD footage. Awesome footage is made or ruined with sound quality, and I looked at multiple reviews online and at sites [...] and others, and the Rode Stereo VideoMic got good reviews for a "starter" microphone.
Being a photography buff, I figured that this would be good enough for me to get started with. I'm amazed at the sound quality and range that I get with the microphone. With the onboard mic from the 5D, I'd sometimes catch myself breathing heavily (which sucks to have good footage ruined by that.) With the Rode mic, it's gone. The mic fits into the Canon's hotshoe and plugs in just fine. The Rode mic also includes the awesomely named Dead Kitten, to block wind noise (Canon's internal microphone is pretty good at picking it up.) I'm really surprised at how much it blocks. While shooting friends goofing off outdoors over the weekend, I got to shoot video with my point and shoot and the 5D + Rode rig. The point/shoot picked up more wind noise than my friends and the Rode mic didn't pick up any of the wind.
I haven't gotten a chance to do anything indepth, such as use Magic Lantern for the 5D Mark II so I can do things like manual gain control, look at on-screen audio and things of that nature. I bought this because I wanted a good stereo microphone without having aspirations of making the next big feature at Sundance. The fact that I can put the microphone on a boom pole and have it work well is just an added bonus (but then I'd have to bribe friends to hold it for me since I only have so many hands!)
I'm happy with it, and I generally dislike most electronics. That says a lot.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
From a professional perspective. . .Aug 25, 2011
By W. Munn
In my business I use a lot of high end medium to large diaphram condenser mics. I have several R0DEs including the standard studio omnis and an NT-4 X-Y coincident. I also have Beyer's, AKGs and Studio Projects. For my Nikon D-7000 I decided to try the R0DE SVM, but being concerned about one reviewer's report of not fitting the D-7000 and the channels being reversed I directly contacted R0DE.
R0DE had NO reports of issues with fit on the D-7000 and NO reports on swapped channels. R0DE said that if anyone experienced either of these issues the mic would be considered defective and would be immediately replaced. So I ordered one and here are my results (and I doubt if yours would vary :-) :
1. The mic mount is a perfect fit for the hot shoe on my Nikon D-7000. Lots of adjustment room and a hefty yet easy to use mechanism to tighten it down. Note that there could be a fit issue if you had ANY camera fitted with one of the add-on hot shoe adapters, especially the cheap Chinese knockoffs.
2. The mount and the body of the case is cast metal, built like a miny tank. This added mass helps to isolate the mike capsule through the suspension system. It does add weight to the whole unit, but that is an addded advantage in image stabilization. If you want "light" in all ways, just do your videos with one of the Flip units.
3. The channels are correct in terms of Left and Right when the R0DE is plugged directly into the Nikon D-7000 microphone plug and the files are opened in a properly configured video editing system (Sony Vegas 10 Pro in my case)
4. The overall "ruggedness" of the assembly is seriously professional. If the combination of the R0DE SVM and a Nikon D-7000 are in a situation where they are subject to excessive shock and physical abuse my money on survival would be on the R0DE. . .with 100 to 1 odds!
This is a genuine Stereo mic and is best suited for capturing the ambient sound of video subject matter and backgrounds. Although it could be used to record on-camera talent, capturing that is better suited to either a directional mic on a boom, or a handheld "interviewer's" mike or some sort of clipon or body mike.
Now if the D-7000 just had some sort of level indicator (not even a meter!) just to remind me I needed to turn the power switch ON!
See all 14 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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