3 Best Budget On-Camera Microphones
An on-camera shotgun microphone is often used by vloggers and YouTubers. I’ve already written about the most popular, good quality microphones which are usually priced at around the $200 mark. But if you are not yet ready to spend that much on a microphone, there are some really good quality alternatives for about a quarter of the price (or less).
The quality of the audio captured by these mics won’t be quite as good, but they are often very close. They also don’t have some of the extra features you get with the more expensive mics. However, sometimes we just need a mic to do a job and these mics will certainly do that.
Note that many on-camera mics come with a volume booster switch. But sometimes boosting the signal level using this switch can reduce the quality of the audio captured. So the tip is to keep the db switch at 0 or less and then boost the signal later, if needed. Perhaps experiment with it and see what brings you the best results.
Most on-camera shotgun mics use a 3.5mm jack to connect with your camera, so make sure your camera is compatible. If your camera doesn’t have a 3.5mm jack socket (for example, recent smartphone models) you can usually still use these mics with an adapter.
1. PIXEL MC650
The Pixel MC650 produces a really great audio quality which many of us would struggle to distinguish from the more expensive alternatives. The mic features a super-cardioid polar pattern, which provides clearest audio from the front.
A high-pass filter cuts out room and wind noise below 80 Hz. You can also switch from -10 to +10 db gain (but note: check to see if this affects quality). The frequency range of the mic is 100Hz – 20KHz, so you won’t get the lower end response of the more expensive mics.
Useful extras are the long extension cable, dead cat wind protector and carry bag. The mic requires 2 x AA batteries which should keep it running for 100 hours use.
Find Pixel MC650 on Amazon2. Comica CVM-V30 Pro
The Comica CVM-V30 Pro uses a similar super-cardioid polar pattern as the Pixel. The mic comes with a gain boost of +10 db (either on or off) and a high-pass filter to remove lower frequencies, if needed.
Extras include dead cat wind protector and the coiled wire allows some flexibility with mic placement. Frequency range is 70Hz to 16KHz. Again, this mic provides very good quality audio for the price.
Find Comica CVM-V30 Pro on Amazon3. TAKSTAR SGC-598
The TAKSTAR SGC-598 has become almost legendary for it’s decent quality at an absurdly low price. For the cost of a delivered pizza, this microphone does an excellent job at capturing the spoken voice.
The shotgun mic has a frequency response of 50Hz-16kHz, which leaves it light at the lower end of the spectrum. There’s also a high-pass filter, as with the previous mics. One AA battery will keep the mic running for 100 hours or so.
Remember the tip is not to use that +10db level boost if you want the best audio out of it. Note also, if you get too much hiss, it may require some changes in your camera’s audio recording setup to get the best sound.
Find TAKSTAR SGC-598 on AmazonSo these are 3 alternative on-camera shotgun microphones for a fraction of the cost of the RØDE equivalents. You might find the slightly lesser quality is fine for your purposes. Or you might just be looking for a cheap backup or secondary microphone.
There are also a range of mini-shotgun mics for similar cost, but I haven’t included those in this article.
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