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michael-appleru

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 26, 2006
120
0
Minnesota
What are some good accessories for my camera (Sony DCR-TRV521)?????

I have a tripod. I want to get a shotgun/zoom microphone and a light, but I want to use them both the same time. What should I do??



what im looking at (will they work)

Camcorder Condenser Shotgun Microphone (AUDIO TECHNICA Part Number: ATR-55) found here

Sony ECM-HGZ1 Shotgun Microphone (will it work??) Found here

Sony HVL-HL1 Video Light (3-Watt) (will it work??) Found Here

C01U - USB Studio Condenser Microphone Found here


Is there a 4pin to 8pin adapter for the light and shotgun mic??
 

tehybrid

macrumors member
Nov 21, 2006
88
0
calm down lil g, you'll scare off the experts, but you deffiantly need firewire!!
i wouldnt suggest the light as much as i would suggest actual lighting, home depot has them cheap, put foil on the inside of the bulb cover for optimal lighting, then you are good to go as far as lighting goes. Mics, you deffiantly would be best with label mics as they are wireless (usually) and easily concealed. The mics you linked to should work. Also, on lighting, I tend to take a table lamp, flip the shade and use it in my video, I found it is nice for directional lighting on the cheap, as well as flashlights with movable necks.

hope this helps
Kevin
 

-DH

macrumors 65816
Nov 28, 2006
1,070
3
Nashville Tennessee
I must be missing something. You asked about mics and lighting - first tehybrid says you need Firewire then NTJetboater mentions LANC cable.

I fail to see how either of those apply to the OP's question. Firewire is a data transfer protocol and LANC is a control protocol. What do either of those have to do with mics and lighting used in production?

And further confusing me is the OP's last question; "Is there a 4pin to 8pin adapter for the light and shotgun mic??" What is it that you are trying to adapt? ... from and to what?

A search for the camera model you listed turned up no results, even on Sony's website. Perhaps you listed the model number incorrectly. But if it's a typical consumer camcorder, it should accept just about any unbalanced mic with the proper connector. Most consumer camcorders have a 3.5mm (1/8") jack for an external mic, either mono (2 conductor) or stereo (3 conductor). See the middle two plugs in this photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Photo-audiojacks.jpg

Professional and some prosumer video cameras used balanced mics connected to a take a 3-pin XLR jack.

Most portable lights made for camera mounting will either have a 4 pin Canon connector for power (only two pins are used for + and - see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:XLR4_PICT6913a.jpg ) or a cigarette lighter adapter plug, with the exception of a few professional camera lights that are made to power from the battery attached to the camera and interface with the camera's viewfinder. The normal consumer camera mountable light will either have a cigarette lighter style plug or will have a place to attach a battery directly to the light housing.

tehybrid's suggestion for lighting will work in some instances, but not so well if you need to be shooting while moving or outdoors.

That said, some newer consumer camcorders from Sony will only accept Sony accessories due to proprietary mounting modifications. It's Sony's way of selling you more stuff - THEIR stuff. You also asked bout using them at the same time. Is that your way of saying that your camcorder is one of those that takes specialized connectors and/or mounts?

The ECM-HGZ1 and HVL-HL1 that you listed above do NOT list your camera model as compatible. I don't think the C01U mic you listed will work with your camcorder; it's designed to connect to computers and digital audio workstations for direct recording via a USB port.

-DH

also see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LANC
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewire
 

ChrisA

macrumors G5
Jan 5, 2006
12,540
1,653
Redondo Beach, California
What are some good accessories for my camera

As for lights. A camera mounted light looks horrible. Just buy some big cheap flood lights at Home Depot Aim them at a wall and bounce the light onto the subject.

As for the mic. the best one to get first is the lavaliere lapel mic. It you must mount the mic to the camera us a shock mount of some kind. But the sound is always best if the mic is close to the subject.

I have one of the ATR-xx mics. forgot the modle no. but not the shootgun. The sound is very good, natural and acturate. You can make a plate that attaches to the camera via the tripod socket and holds the mic and or light. PVC pipe works great for this kind of stuff the tripod socket is just a standard 1/4 inch screw.
 

tehybrid

macrumors member
Nov 21, 2006
88
0
I must be missing something. You asked about mics and lighting - first tehybrid says you need Firewire then NTJetboater mentions LANC cable.

God forbid someone jokes here, sorry if I offended you DH, if you would have kept reading you would have noticed I adress both lighting and microphones. It is a good skill to keep reading, but maybe I am just too old fashioned.
 

-DH

macrumors 65816
Nov 28, 2006
1,070
3
Nashville Tennessee
God forbid someone jokes here, sorry if I offended you DH, if you would have kept reading you would have noticed I adress both lighting and microphones. It is a good skill to keep reading, but maybe I am just too old fashioned.


Not a problem. I wasn't offended in the least ... just confused. Normally I have a very smart-a$$ sense of humor. I guess yours just went over my head.

-DH

ps: I did read the rest of your post and if you had read all of mine (I know it was long winded) you would have seen that I made reference to your suggestions for lighting.
 

failsafe1

macrumors 6502a
Jul 21, 2003
621
1
Second the Home Depot/Lowes lighting scenario. Saves money and is easy to get replacements. I tried a battery powered light and it is almost pointless. I prefer the wireless mic over a shotgun. I use a GL2 and went shotgun for a while but the wireless provides such nice voice recording over the shotgun. I also use the LANC for smooth zooms and it can't be beat. I like Canon's wide angle lens also. If I could justify the purchase I would put a XLR box in the mix. A nice Beachtek would be a great add on. You can then combine the best of both worlds. Off camera mic with added jacks for flexibility and connectivity. A good bag is a must or hard case for travel. A rain cover is also handy. A cheap cheap dv cam from eBay or Circuit City makes a nice playback deck so you don't use your shooting camera for mundane wear and tear.
 
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