I have been using Rycote stuff for Donkey’s years, ever since I was a soundo back in the late 80’s and early 90s! Their softie has been my number one wind gag for as long as I can remember and best of all they are British! Hurrah!
I caught up with them at the Canon show in London recently and got to try out their new universal camera kit. It can be used in a number of different ways. You can put on an XLR shotgun onto your camera with it, give the Rode Video Mic a better housing and wind sock. The suspension is fantastic and no matter how much you bend it around it spring back to it’s shape instantly.
I also love the hot shoe extender. I use this a lot. It gives you more space to add stuff on top…
One of the things I love from them are the undercovers for lav mics. I HATE seeing lavs in shot for anything and these work a treat…
The Universal camera kit is a must buy if you are recording sound in camera. It does not just work on DSLRs, but also proper video cameras like the new Af100 and Sony F3.
Just a few tips of gear I use that I wanted to share with you! I have a loads more tips to share soon!
11 comments
Hey Phillip, was wondering if you had a good suggestion for a great lav for recording into a H4n. So many out there and I don’t really want to become a sound guy, just want good audio.
Rode make excellent Lavs but they are more for wireless mics. I still use my Sony ECM 77s with great sound
Just wondering… Can we mount the Zoom H1 on the shock mount?
i dont think you would want to…how would get to the buttons?
Maybe in the shock mount, but for what it’s worth, you may not be able to mount a Zoom H1 on a tripod or hotshoe. I’ve been a big fan of the H4N and recommended it to other filmmakers, but have had to return the H1 twice for an immediately stripped tripod socket (plastic threads). At this point the company has blamed me for stripping it, even though I can easily mount their H4N to the same tripod and hotshoe. They’ve refused to refund, though I guess it’s to their credit that they keep sending me a new one. We’ll see what happens with the third H1!
I have a Tascam DR-100 with the same stripped threads problem. It’s 4 months old. Tascam are not being very helpful.
Assuming I can get it replaced, I still need a low profile hot shoe adaptor, which I’ll ‘permanently’ mount on the recorder. Any ideas what might fit the bill?
That hot shoe extender looks handy, recently got a Tascam DR-100 and have been playing around with it and the Rode NTG-2.
It’s a good combo, now to accessorize!
Lay it on me.
ahh, yet more interesting information. i wondered if those cages were available for dslrs. with a windstopper it will probably look like one has a pet-rat sitting on top of the gear, but the thing is great and it works as i know. added to shopping list.
It’s such a simple thing, but the hot shoe extender, as Mr. Bloom might say, works a treat. I especially like using it to mount 2 Sennheiser G3 receivers on the hotshoe mount, which makes for clean and organized XLR connections.
Will need to try the undercovers as I too hate seeing wireless mics, but at the same time don’t like dealing with noise caused by clothing rubbing on the mics.
Good stuff…
Thanks for the recommendation, this is exactly what I was looking for, I just purchased one.
On a side note, which would you recommend for dialogue in narrative work: a cardioid wireless lav or an omni-directional wireless lav?
Thanks again.
The hot shoe extender is very handy. It’s probably not the best for torque on the camera shoe, but I’ve had both a Rode Video Mic and Marshall 7″ monitor in mine on top of a 5D and 7D. The extender is plastic but still has a solid feel.
I’ll -have- to check out the undercovers. I have a feeling that with female talent it might be a bit like Luke trying to “put these binders” on Chewbaca, though. Funny, though, how some don’t mind your running the cable/lead to the transmitter through their shirts. But I digress…