The RØDE NTG-3 Torture Test!

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Most professional production equipment claims to be designed to withstand harsh environments, but how often does this gear actually get put to the test? I recently had the chance to torture a Rode NTG-3 shotgun microphone. I subjected it to a nightmare scenario that would make even the strongest microphone capsules shriek in fear!

When you attach a meat thermometer to a shotgun microphone, you know things are going to get ugly. First I waved the NTG-3 above a running humidifier for several minutes. The temperature of the mic rose to the mid eighties (29.4° C), and it was completely covered in condensation. I immediately transferred it to a freezer where the temperature was below zero. Here’s a video that will give you an idea of what went down:

Did the NTG-3 survive the abuse? Well, as you can see in the video, it did pretty well. But there was a little more to this test. I made a recording on the Zoom H4n inside the freezer, so I could hear how the mic performed as it transitioned from hot & wet to cold & frozen. Continue reading →

DSLR Mic Shootout: The Rode NTG-3 vs. VideoMic Pro

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I finally had the chance to test out some new microphones with my Panasonic GH2 camera. I tested the Rode NTG-3 against the Rode VideoMic Pro. I also included my Audio Technica 4073a in the test, for a little non-Rode competition. Check it out:

I personally felt that the Rode NTG-3 was the best sounding of the three microphones. However, all three sounded good. If you’re not very familiar with professional location sound equipment like the Sound Devices 302 mixer used in this video, I don’t mean for you to come away from this video thinking that a $230 mini-plug microphone is nearly equal to a $700 microphone plugging into a $1300 field mixer. In actuality, comparing these microphones like like comparing apples and bananas. Here’s why…

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My First Week with the Panasonic GH2

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After a long and truly painful wait to receive my first “HDSLR” camera, my Panasonic Lumix GH2 finally arrived. I had waited for several months to order it from a specific retailer, and once my pre-order was placed, the GH2 was on backorder for six more weeks. But last Friday, like a waking dream, it arrived at my doorstep.

As you can see in the thumbnail photo above, I also bought the Lumix 20mm pancake lens. The two make a powerful combination. With the pancake, the GH2 is almost as small as a corpulent point & shoot camera, but it does a whole lot more than even the finest point & shoot cameras on the market. The GH2 has a monster micro four thirds sensor, the lens mount can be adapted to pretty much any lens on the planet, and its HD video quality is currently considered the best you can get (that’s right, it’s even better than the mammoth 5D mk II).

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Can’t find a Bag for Your Zoom H4n? Try a Neck Strap!

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Folks have been on the hunt for a case for the Zoom H4n for a long time, but so far I haven’t found any viable options. I’m not talking about a case that you can store it in, I’m talking about a field case that would allow you to use the recorder as you work.

However, one option is to use an inexpensive neck strap to harness the H4n to your body. This makes it possible to easily access all of the controls, while keeping both of your hands free to operate the boompole or camera. Have you ever watched a video about a neck strap before? No? Well, all of that is about to change!

The strap I ended up buying was the Canon Metal Neck Strap 1. I liked that it had a plastic coating around the metal band. As you can se in the video, it was really easy to attach to the Zoom H4n. Another option is the Olympus Metal Neck Strap. This one doesn’t have the plastic coating, and it’s a few bucks cheaper. Price shouldn’t really be an issue here. Both of these options are super affordable.

I had heard the people were using regular camera straps for their Zoom H4n’s, but when I looked into this I quickly discovered that the average camera strap isn’t compatible.  Continue reading →

Come to my Portable Recording Workshop at CMA NYC!

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I’ve been asked to present a workshop at the 2011 National College Media Convention in New York City. My workshop is called “Going Multimedia: Portable Field Recording for Image-Makers” It takes place this Monday, March 14th at 3PM!

The convention is geared for college students involved with media studies (journalism, photography, video production, etc.), but anyone can attend.  While it isn’t exactly inexpensive to get into the convention, it’s a rather massive event with over 200 workshops over a three day period, so you will definitely get your money’s worth.

I’m going to explain the basics of field recording in my workshop, and how it can benefit anyone working in media. Basically, I’m going to lay the groundwork to demystify the process of getting good recordings, and then show people how to apply proven techniques to improve their work. I plan on interacting with the attendees a lot, and taking as many questions as possible. If you’ve ever wanted me to troubleshoot your situation and help you find a solution, this is the place to do it! Continue reading →

Why HD Point-of-View Action Cameras Kind of Rule

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HD point-of-view action cameras have been rapidly growing in popularity, and I’m totally starting to understand why. Helmet cameras are nothing new. Daredevils started strapping 16mm film cameras to their heads many moons ago. What’s different is that mini-helmut cameras are benefiting from HD imagery and really simplified ease of use.

I started dreaming about POV cams this week after I stumbled upon an amazing video of a Chilean bicyclist flying down an unbelievable urban racecourse. There’s no point explaining the intensity of this video in words. You really need to check it out for yourself. When you watch it, be sure to put it into full screen mode and make sure the HD button is turned on:

It’s funny watching someone watch this video. The descent is so intense that you instinctually lower your head and keep your eyes trained forward. I believe this incredibly brave cyclist was using a GoPro HD Helmet HERO Camcorder. If you’re suddenly interested in taking the plunge on one of these action cameras, there’s a few things you should consider first. Continue reading →

An EZ Guide for Updating the Zoom H4n Firmware

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The new firmware for the Zoom H4n with dual level control capability has been available for a while now (it came out in November of 2010), but if you’re like me, you’ve been too busy/lazy to get around to doing it. Welp, I finally got around to it, and I figured I’d write a post explaining the process to make it easier for you.

It’s not clear where the firmware is located on Zoom’s website. There isn’t any mention of it on the H4n’s product page. The easiest way to find the firmware update is to Google the words: zoom H4n firmware update. Doing so will lead you to this page: Continue reading →

A Victory for Two Writers & a Minor Victory for a Sound Person

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I recently found out that one of the projects I worked on (Anyone But Me) won a Writers Guild of America award for Outstanding Achievement in Writing in Original New Media. The titles of five of the episodes in this series were mentioned in the award, and one of the episodes I did the production sound on was included (Girl Talk).

When you’re a part of a crew, everyone does their best to help the creators realize their vision. Each role is important, from the PA’s to the Craft Food Services people, to camera, make up, and talent. But when you’re doing the location sound, you have a particular intrest in protecting the script. Continue reading →

Using a Zoom H4n as an On-Camera DSLR Mic Part 2

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There’s been a lot of interest in a recent post I made on Sescom cables, and how they help you get good audio inside a camera when working with a portable digital recorder. Well, it turns out that Sescom makes another variation of this cable which makes it possible to also monitor your audio on headphones as you record. A company called Markertek was kind enough to send me one of these cables to test out. As usual, I figured I’d share my findings with you.

The problem with using a regular Sescom cable is that it consumes the headphone output on your portable digital recorder, leaving you with no way to listen to the sound. That’s why they make special Sescom cables with a headphone tap. Instead of it just being a straight cable with a -25dB pad, it’s a Y-Cable with a female 3.5mm headphone jack. This enables you to feed the sound from your portable digital recorder directly into your camera’s mic input, while listening on headphones at the same time.

People often worry that if they split an audio signal, it will degrade the quality of the sound. This is a legitimate thing to worry about. Continue reading →

An Easy Rechargeable Battery Kit for the HDV-Z96 LED Light

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I recently picked up a Z96 LED light to use in my video productions, and I immediately packed it with five lithium AA batteries (yes, it takes five of them). I shot a few short videos, and one longer project. When the lithiums finally sputtered out, I decided to take advantage of the Sony L series mount on the rear of the Z96 and buy a proper rechargeable battery system for it.

I had never used a “Sony L series DV battery” mount before. I was not familiar with NP-F570 or NP-F770 batteries. It was all an alien language to me. Hardcore video people tend to throw around obscure battery terminology like it’s common knowledge, but I was totally green to all of this talk.

I really hate throwing out spent AA batteries. I especially hate playing money for stuff that I know I’m going to be throwing away. Continue reading →