Audio-Technica AT8024

Great mic for camcorders

I'm surprised how well this mic performs on cameras. It has its own built-in compact suspension to reduce handling noises, comes with two types of windshield (foam and fur) and works in mid-side stereo shotgun mode. On-board bass roll-off and side gain switches are available, but these can also be done in post if you so prefer.

In my opinion mid-side shotgun is ideal for camcorder use, for example when recording a person talking in a room. The shotgun picks up the speaker while rejecting noise and reverberation from the sides. Meanwhile the side mics pick up the reverberation but it is Side-coded so when listening in stereo, there is nice spatiality from the room (while clearly separating the subject from the ambience); but when listening on a mono device, the side cancels out and the speech remains clear.

Pros:

- Built in suspension / shock mount

- Two windshields included

- Lightweight, most weight on the back so it won't throw a gimbal too much off balance

- Good sound quality with low self noise

- Surprisingly good off-axis rejection for its length

Cons:

- The AA battery is fiddly to replace (hard to get the old battery out)