June 09, 2009

By Robert Renman - www.dolphinstreet.com

Canon DM-100 Directional Stereo Microphone

I have noticed a bit of noise and unclear sound with my Canon HG-20 camera, and in order to improve on this, I bought the Canon DM-100 microphone, which is made specifically for Canon camcorders. It fits nicely into the mount (hot shoe) on top of the camera.

This mic provides three sound acceptance patterns (shotgun, 90-degree stereo and 120-degree stereo spreads), and comes with an effective windscreen. This windscreen looks like squirrel tail or something, and some people refer to it as a dead cat.

The DM-100 is a big improvement in sound. It makes the DG-20 and similar video camcorders quite a bit more effective and professional.

My video camera (and most budget camcorders) have built-in stereo mics that work well, but are sensitive to the slightest wind, and they are often producing a bit of white noise. This external mic solves the wind noise problem - by using the windscreen/dead cat, the wind problem is virtually a non-issue. It works very well for outside filming.

The switchable polar patterns and superb frequency response add depth and dimension that is simply not possible with the on-camera mic.

As a result, my videos will from now sound better and clearer, and there will be less white noise in the background. If there still is noise, I will blame it on my tube amps! :)

Other microphones worth having a look at would be the Sennheiser MKE 400 and the Rode VideoMic - both get very positive reviews. I decided on the Canon because I know it will fit, it has good reviews and is the most affordable of the three. I am not sure if these other microphones mentioned are a lot better or not, but they would definitely be worth checking out. They do cost more though.

Final word - the DM-100 is a bit expensive for being just a microphone. I guess is somewhat typical - you get a video camera for a decent price, but most accessories you buy for it will cost you. That's something we've all seen before!

In summary, this is a nice microphone for Canon video cameras. I will absolutely recommend it, since the sound quality, versatility and windscreen improves the sound dramatically over the built-in microphone. The only drawback is that it's somewhat pricy. However, the improvement in sound makes it worthwhile.

Buying tip - check B&H Photo Video for buying the DM-100, as I find they have very good prices and are great to deal with. Highly recommended place to buy camera equipment!

Video Review Test

By Robert Renman - www.dolphinstreet.com

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