When I started my Youtube channel, I was lucky enough to already have most of the equipment I needed. As I studied Photography for six years at university, I had already invested in an entry-level DSLR and a lens or two, and had the technical know-how to get the best out of my kit. However, once I got into the swing of things I noticed two things that weren't quite up to scratch: my confidence, and the sound quality. I'm still working on the former; but for the latter, I got the Rode VideoMic.
The built-in microphone on my Canon 700D is incredibly quiet and tends to record a lot of background noise and hiss. For someone who tends to sit at a distance from the camera and lives close to an airport and a very busy main road, this isn't exactly ideal. From the very first time I used the Videomic, I noticed a huge improvement in the audio. You can't hear traffic or lawnmowers at all when I use this, and even during the odd storm the audio will still be pretty good. Also, I've had this for over a year now, and despite filming a video every week (which usually takes several hours), I've only just had to replace the battery.
Did I mention it's super easy to use? It just has a standard 3.5mm plug and sits on a hotshoe mount, so it will fit most DSLR's. Once you've plugged it in, you just switch the dial and you're good to go. No settings, no fuss - which is great for me, as I'll admit right now that I don't know a huge amount about microphones.
I've noticed that other creators who use more expensive Rode microphones like this one get a bit less background hiss than I do, but for the price I paid I'm very happy. So if you're looking for a simple microphone that plugs into a DSLR, I'd definitely recommend checking out this one.
To hear the difference between the camera-only audio and the Videomic, you can compare my first video over here, with my most recent video over here.
My Equipment
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I met Lauren in "real life" for the first time last weekend, despite having known her for nearly two years. She's exactly the same as she is on her YouTube channel: bright, energetic, and bubbly, but fluent in sarcasm.