Shure VP83 LensHopper Camera-Mounted Condenser Shotgun Microphone for use with DSLR Cameras and HD Camcorders - Capture Detailed, High Definition Audio with Full Low-end Response

Superior in every way to the Rode Videomicpro, which I purchased some time ago. Took me ten minutes to figure out how to close the battery door on the Rode last week. That did it for me. The AA battery is installed on the bottom side of the battery drawer on the Shure. Shure even included a battery.The green LED power indicator turns red when battery level is low. Depending on battery type, you have varying amounts of time from the Red warning to change the battery. All options are very forgiving. You'll have plenty of warning to change the battery once the indicator turns Red.I did a wide by side test when I received the Shure. No exceptions, no conditions, no qualifications, the Shure is better. Not even close. Perfect design, functionality, build and durability. Superior in natural sound, low cut filter engagement, more gain, lower noise level, lower handling noise, smaller size, more side rejection, more battery life, excellent battery compartment access, recessed controls to reduce accidental changes in settings and power, attached cable is stronger and better attached, better cable strain relief, better shock mount support, better shock mount isolation, better and thicker coiled cable, you name it, Shure does it better by far. I would expect the Shure is better than the comparable Sennheiser, as some comment that Senn is a bit too thin for the sake of clear dialog. I like the fuller sound of the Shure, but not the boomy sound of the Rode. Shure is right in the middle, just right IMO.What would have been cool is if Shure had included a carrying bag or zipper case of some kind. BTW, the packaging of the product is as if it were an Apple product. Sweet. I've kept the boxes and packaging, although I can't imagine selling it any time soon. (The Rode is for sale.)A lot of my decision was based on reviews on this site and that "B" company in New York. I want to thank all the contributors for their honest appraisals which helped steer me to the right decision. Hope this helps you, too.

Update: the microphone has worked very well this far for our needs. But, it doesn't have good low frequency pattern control. Expect to use a high pass filter if you are in a confined area to make it sound more realistic. That's expected though with a short shotgun mic. The longer it is, the lower the frequency it can control. It looks like that's why they tailor the response how they do. I'm always EQing different amounts of 200Hz and under out depending on the situation to make scenes sound consistent. But, it's a good sounding mic with great transient response. Just take care to learn how to use this one.For $300, this is a great setup. Since it is good for the money, I give it 5 stars. It's pretty awesome that it is a flash recorder as well. The microphone is pretty directional and captures transients well. So, that means it capture details well. The only thing I don't care for is the frequency response. The way it drops off after 10 kHz leaves me some top end I wish I had. It also rolls off the bottom end slightly starting around 200Hz, which can be good or bad depending on the situation. For voice it works well enough for a general purpose shotgun microphone. It's really about convenience with this mic. Sure, I can get a much better sound with my $250 Audix VX5, pop filter, yamaha 01V console, and ADAT interface, but the price is high and convenience is low on that setup. I use that for voice overs. So, for the overall package, the VP83F gets the job done, has quiet enough circuitry, and can give you a good enough sound to make it sound professional. It just won't blow you away with sound quality or anything. It is definitely an upgrade from any internal camera mic. However, if my camera had a mic input of it's own, a $300 shotgun mic would sound better.

Antes había puesto que es difícil de usar, pero habiendo aprendido les puedo decir que no es tan complicado y tiene una excelente calidad.Hace un mes aproximadamente me pedí los DJI Mic 2, pero en vez de eso Amazon me envió una linterna, así que tuve que utilizar este Shure obligado.Les recomiendo bajar toda la ganancia del micrófono y manipular desde la cámara este parámetro

After the first couple uses with the VP83F I was a little "pins and needles" as my return window was closing in. These initial concerns came via using the 3.5mm mic output into the camera and there were no settings I could find that didn't have a near unusable hiss. Immediately when using the onboard flash recorder I was relieved. This microphone must have a far better preamp built in than my camera, sure it's an extra step in post but it saves time trying to scrub out hiss. Super pleased after some figuring.