Yes, it records sound with a built-in mic. But for more discerning shooters, this is a confounding limitation because the built-in mic is typically close to the shooter, but far away from the subject. In such cases, folks prefer to have the option of using an external microphone, such as a lav or shotgun mic and plug it directly into the camcorder. This unit does not include such an option. But in this price range, it’s a feature that is generally unheard of. Shooters with more professional ambitions might do well to consider more professional hardware, IMO.
The only consumer grade pocket camcorders in this price range that I am aware of that featured a dedicated external microphone input port was the Kodak Zi series (Zi8 and Zi10) which has since discontinued production.
An alternative is to use a DIGITAL recorder (not a cassette!!!) near the subject and sync the sound later. I’ve done this with low end Pinnacle Studio and it works fine.
The front assembly with the lens shutter comes off with a few screws (the four in the corner of the LCD door when the door is open, one on the bottom and the front one on the side with the hand strap. )
When you remove this you will find the shutter comes out with a screw or two and the mic is just there friction fit soldered onto the end of one of those orange plastic ribbon cables. It is a mono attachement.
Sand a small bit off the lip of where the lens cover connects to the body so you have room for this cable to fit through without being pinched in two, flip it down, reassemble, and desolder the mic. Solder in a socket. Use some very flexible tiny wire for the leads. Remember polarity is important here. I added a two way 1/8" phono jack so that it would use a new and better “internal” mic, or the jack, depending on what is plugged in. Mounted it in a box from some beads my daughter was getting rid of. Attached it with foam tape. Added an extender to the screw hole (from mcmaster carr) for the tripod mount since it was too low now to use.
The annoying bit is I broke the lead a few times (it is delicate) it took me a while to figure out how to mount the box without tearing out my solder joint, so I had to sand the cable, expose more copper, carefully solder on the wires again … If you are not good with a soldering iron this might not be for you, but I got all the parts at a local radio-shack.
Having said that, this works dandy.
Here is a video I made with a wireless lavaliere mic plugged into this camera.
[youtube=KE6vZgxMGG4][/youtube]
Anyone figure out how to live stream to a computer with one of these?
I just plug in my usb port and download directly to imovie all the time. Works fine. Hard to input any other way for me. No additional software. I use 10.6.
Thanks. Mind you I am using a $200 mic I got years ago with a $100 camera, but I feel it is as pro as I need. Anything would be better than what it came with. The new $8.00 condensor mic I installed as the mic it uses when nothing plugged in is way better than what it came with. I have tried to use my old shotgun mic with this camera, but it is about 15 inches longer than the camera, so I really don’t know how to make that work. I tried to mount a hot shoe on top. It works, but the camera is too unstable with the receiver for the mic on it, and my old shotgun is so long it gets into the field of view. The receiver weighs about as much as the camera It now goes in a pocket on clipped to the tripod. Steady cam feature works very well for hand work. Only negative is the battery life, it is about 45 minutes tops, but I plug it into the wall most of the time anyhow for what I am using it for.
Here is a 2nd video I shot with it.
[youtube=TuLuCHLwSVo][/youtube]
If you can’t tell, I got this to video tape us making candy
{I just re-read this, I used Video Tape as a term. That shows my age …}
I think that’s a great idea, and it reminded me of something. For more control and quality, getting a nice, or just a decent audio recording device and/or external mic is a good way to go for a lot of shooting scenarios. However, for those targeted by this class of camcorder, investment in a quality audio setup almost compromises one of the core reasons for purchasing one of these camcorders for many users…namely, low cost of entry. Some folks who are not interested in paying much for a nicer camcorder might be even less interested in buying an additional audio support system. No doubt, great deals can be found by those who tirelessly search for them, but sometimes, a workable solution is right under your nose.
Here’s an informal interview video I shot in a public park:
It was purposefully a grab ‘n’ go situation with almost no setup, though I was using a number of different low-end pocket camcorders (Kodak, Samsung, Panasonic, Flip, etc) to get different angles. But the place was also quite windy, and there was a great deal of environmental noise from traffic, birds in the trees, and children playing nearby. I didn’t bring any additional mics, and the camcorders were exposed to the wind, so that audio was unusable.
Solution: I placed my iPhone on the table between myself and the interviewee and recorded our audio that way, syncing it afterwards with the video in post. It’s not perfect, but frankly turned out better than I expected. I imagine this would be just as easy if I was using an iPod touch, or just about any other smartphone or record enabled mobile media device. Certainly not on par with a dedicated mic/recorder option, but worked great in a pinch.
Incidentally, I used the HM30 for the intro to his video as well.
If anyone is really trying to do what I did, I forgot an important part. I covered the solder joint with hot glue on both sides to make a nice little protective packet for the joint to prevent it from breaking. Good insulator and soft enough to work with. Also hot glued in the stuff to the box. It’s held well enough.
In short, the Sony is a better camera in most ways, but at a much higher price.
In more detail: The Sony has a better sensor back-illuminated for better light capture and low light performance, and likely better general dynamic range.
The Everio shoots at 720p, but the Everio can shoot at 1080i.
The Sony has a pretty nice lens, a bit nicer than the Everio’s, but the Everio lens includes 40x optical zoom, over the Sony’s 25x.
Both use SD card slot, but the Sony also hosts 8GB of embedded storage.
Both come with a 2.7" display, but the Sony display is a touch screen.
The Everio is available for $100 refurbished, whereas the Sony retails for around $370, but can be found for as low as $300.
Please be patient while your purchase is being shipped to you. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this process, please feel free to email us at service@woot.com and we’ll be glad to help you out.
Thank you! I wasn’t being impatient with Woot!, just Fedex ;). Still can’t believe it took 4 days to get from Atlanta to Charlotte, thats normally a 4 hour drive. Dagnab DNC I reckon.
It now goes in a pocket on clipped to the tripod. Steady cam feature works very well for hand work. Only negative is the battery life, it is about 45 minutes tops, but I plug it into the wall most of the time anyhow for what I am using it for.
