interviews of these people. I will be needing two mics as well. Whether they are wireless or wired isn't a huge concern as long as it fits the budget and will hold it's resell value when I'm done with this project.
Budget: $400
Sorry for my earlier post, I guess this was for something different, I got carried away reading the other posts...
So you have three main conditions:
- $400
- 2 mics + recorder for interviews
- resell value
That's a tough one, especially the first and last points are hard to combine. Sadly, the cheaper the gear the faster the resell value goes down the drain...
Under these circumstances, I would recommend you to get a
Zoom H4n ($250) and a
Lavalier microphone set ($90). For the remaining $60, try to get a pair of
closed headphones and an SD card for your recorder.
I recommend this for the following reasons:
1. The Zoom H4n is resellable at a reasonable price since it is very popular. It also gives you the option to record both microphones and in addition the room sound in case something with the mics fails. The latter will still be way better than the on camera sound of your DSLR.
2. Lavalier mics are the only way to go if you want good interview sound in this price range. I have worked with the linked double pack and while there's better, this is pretty convincing at this price point. They are also very sturdy and might give a good resale value.
3. Have someone with headphones constantly check the sound. It can not be distorted or missing, since this will ruin your project. Just ask a friend to tag along and do nothing but pay attention to the sound.
Finally: Before you go to the shoot, try out your gear. A lot. Listen to how the two mics sound (they have different characteristics) when spoken into and when moved on different kinds of cloth. That way, you can quickly decide which mic will be clipped to which person on set. Know your recorder. Always double-check that it is actually recording.
The recorder and mics I linked here will give you decent sound. They are all buying suggestions though. If you want to keep some of the gear (might be a good idea), it's definitely worth it, but if you really only need it for this one project, I would rent. You will get much better quality and won't have to worry about resell value. Just saying...
That's all I have for today.
