RØDE VideoMic GO II Ultra-compact and Lightweight Shotgun Microphone with USB Audio for Filmmaking, Content Creation, Location Recording, Voice Overs, Podcasting and Video Calls

There is a minefield of information to digest when it comes to microphones. There are so many different types to consider, and so many different versions of those types it can be hard to know even where to begin. If you're doing recordings in a static environment, perhaps from a desk at home, you're more than likely going to be wanting a condensing microphone and many people will point you towards a product by Blue Yeti. I certainly would as they're superb. If you want your recordings to be mobile, or your subject is going to be far from the camera, a microphone mounted to the talker in the form of a lavalier mike will be the way to go. However, if you want a microphone that you can mount directly to your DSLR camera and have the versatility of both studio and mobile work, an On-camera microphone such as this VideoMicro by Rode is ideal. Rode, if you're not familiar with them, are one of the best manufacturers of microphones in the business. They're based in Australia and manufacture a number of highly regarded On-camera and lavalier products. You just need to decide which one is right for you. There are four or five On-camera mikes that they manufacture which you might consider, from this baby of the range VideoMicro up to the VideoMic Pro+. Each step will bring added features, at added cost, but the VideoMicro is the best selling On-camera mike on Amazon for a reason. It offers excellent sound quality for a relatively modest outlay. You get a compact microphone along with a furry "dead cat" wind supresser, and a detachable TRS cable to connect from the microphone to your DSLR. The microphone attached to the hot shoe of your DSLR camera, and tightend using a dial to get make it stable. When connected the TRS cable can be snapped into slots in the dial which braces the microphone to the camera and prevents wobbling. The sound quality of the microphone is really good, certainly a vast improvement over the in-built microphone in my Nikon D5300 camera. The sound of me doing my pieces to camera is really quite impressive. Being at the bottom end of the Rode range you might expect comprimises, and while the audio gain isn't as impressive as the top end of the range, you're only paying a fraction of the price and you're still getting a very good mike. A word on that, when you connect it to your camera you'll need to go into your menu settings and adjust the gains of the microphone to properly calibrate it. There's instruction in the box for how to do this, and plenty of tutorials online. The TRS cable provided is designed to plug the microphone into your DSLR's mic/aux-in port. Note that this is a different type of connection to the port you'd find on a smart phone. Phones usually use a TRRS port which despite the similar name isn't the same thing. If you look at a connector you'll see a ring on it. That's the "R" of TRS (Tip/Ring/Sleeve). A TRRS connector has two rings (Tip/Ring/Ring/Sleeve). You can buy converters to change a TRS cable to a TRRS, or Rode will sell you a different cable, a TRS to TRRS cable, which will allow you to connect this microphone to your smart phone. Anyway, I've been using mine now for about two months and I've been very impressed with the performance. While I could have spent more money on better ones in the Rode range I've been perfectly happy with the product and highly recommend it.

Honestly such a fantastic microphone for multiple use cases. I primarily use it with my Sony A7 for professional video shoots, but it also works as a brilliant voice over or streaming microphone. Give the flexibility you have with this microphone and all of the fantastic features like duel channel audio (life saver) I’d say it’s worth every penny. The battery is also very good, and setup only takes a few seconds.

This is a fantastic little mic, fantastic sound quality and very crisp sound. Comes with "dead cat" so even works well in poor weather conditions. Has aux cable connectors, no Bluetooth. I see that as a positive as it means no batteries but cable can get a little in the way. Lovely small compact mic, easy to store away in your camera bag. Not bulky if you wanted it in your pocket. Would make a nice small desk mic for meetings etc without feeling in the way. For the price this is a definite buy and a great little starter mic/every day mic. The one thing that does let it all down though is the mic seems a little heavy for the mounting so, it can sometimes seem a little "floppy" in the mounting or just tends to droop down.

I am a wedding and small commercial photographer and videographer and bought the Rode mic to use with my Panasonic FZ1000 cameras. The inbuilt microphones in many video cameras and dslr cameras used for video are limited in quality and pickup. They are also subject to handling and mechanical noise in addition to varying wind noise interference. I have a number of mics for various recording situations, but something to sit on the camera for run and gun filming with good audio is what I was looking for after a few disappointments The Rode has a very effective flexible mount which attaches to the camera hot shoe, or can be attached to a stand or pole if required. This virtually eliminates all noise from camera handling and mechanical noise.The pick up pattern is front heavy which helps reduce sounds from the side, so better for audio from where you are pointing the camera. The mic comes with a short coiled connecting lead which plugs into the rear end of the mic and the mic input of the camera. No XLR here, just a standard 3mm mic connector. There is also an included foam wind protector which has the Rode logo printed on both sides. The foam type of wind protector is ok in light breezes, but for anything stronger I always use a Rycote dead cat instead. That applies to any mic I use for outside windy conditions. For an unpowered external mic, I find that the Rode gives a good output level and no noticeable noise with a wide dynamic range pickup. It is also very light, which belies the quality that I have found from it, which is great for close and general ambient sound. The only negatives I have found is that if you are using a dslr camera, the mic will extend far enough behind the hotshoe to be annoying if you are using the viewfinder rather than a screen. I'm also not a great fan of the red and black finish, but the mic does add a professional look to the camera. I've found sound performance to cost to be superior to many mics in the same price range and some costing considerably more. I have also backed up my review by now buying a second one for my other FZ1000. Roger

The RØDE VideoMicro Compact On-camera Directional Microphone has been a game-changer for my content creation (YouTube_. Whether I’m shooting vlogs, interviews, or outdoor footage, this mic consistently delivers crisp and clear audio. For the price, the RØDE VideoMicro is one of the best investments I’ve made in my gear. It's perfect for filmmakers, vloggers, and content creators who need a reliable, high-quality microphone without breaking the bank. If you're looking for an affordable, compact microphone that delivers professional audio, this is it!

How you rate a product depends to a large extent on your expectations. I read a lot of reviews on here about certain problems relating to hissing and interference from other equipment and even the cameras. However, this did seem to relate somewhat to the cameras rather that camcorders - or at least that was my impression. Likewise, there was a potential wind noise problem around the cable connection point on the mike which I have a 'dead cat' for. For me the major buying point was the 'not having a battery' because I have shot a lot of footage worrying about the battery in my mike, whether I have a spare and whether they will all last the day. It's also another thing to remember.. Anyway, after my initial quick trial - I have a Panasonic HDC-SD900 Camcorder with which I shoot everything from concerts to Murder Mystery films - I am delighted to report that all has gone well. I don't get any extraneous hiss or noise and although I haven't had a chance to boom test it out doors I have tried the 'blow' test which has been good. The sound quality seems fine. The internal mike on my Panasonic is pretty good but when filming scenes especially outside when using a boom then a decent mike is essential. This was not exceptional but was certainly adequate. It means that I think that some of the extraneous noises people have been experiencing on cameras may be due to audio settings or just the way their camera operates? For me and my camcorder this is just what I need. Like I say it's all about expectations and needs..

I already have a videomicro which is slightly cheaper than this one and I was hoping for a slightly tighter pick up pattern with more of a 'shotgun' feel than the videomicro. In that respect, the videomic Go does provide slightly more front focus which is great for on camera audio which isn't always the best. Sensitivity seems to be fine and noise levels ok. Not brilliant but I think slightly lower than the videomicro, but there is a problem with this mic that really should have been addressed at the design stage. While I can understand that Ride are trying to keep prices low for their customers, it is very puzzling why they put this out with a plastic body and unbalanced lead. The result of this is that it is very efficient at picking up electrical noises. For instance, if I use this in the house, it picks up the wifi router in random areas. It is also sensitive to plugs. Mobile phones need to be turned off. That is quite worrying since if you are out and about with your camera, filming without a headphone which is often the case when say, you're on holiday, you won't know whether you've captured these random buzzes and noises until you see the footage. So I kind of don't trust this microphone and if I'm honest, it has made me wary of the pro which I was considering. Doing the same tests with the micro shows that probably, because it has a metal body, it isn't prone to these noises. The downside is that the pickup is slightly less tight but at least what you get from it is proper audio. It makes me wonder why Rode have two microphones on sale at similar prices and what the purpose of this is. In my opinion, the micro is better and cheaper. At least you won't discover these awful electrical noises when you get home. I would have paid a little more had this problem been overcome by Rode since I'm sure that a metal body would fix it. The mic itself is absolutely fine but the random nature of these noises makes it just a bit dodgy using it inside buildings or anywhere near a phone.

The RODE VideoMicro II is considered one of the best small shotgun microphones you can buy in 2023. 🎥🎙️ As the successor to the popular RODE VideoMicro released in 2015, the new VideoMicro II has big shoes to fill, despite its small size. This compact Supercardioid on-camera shotgun microphone performs well for vlogging, interviewing, and voiceovers. SPECIFICATIONS: Brand: RODE Pattern: Supercardioid Audio Sensitivity: -30dBV (31.62 mV @ 94 dB SPL) ± 1 dB @ 1kHz Weight: 24g, 39g (With Mount) Frequency Bandwidth: 20Hz — 20kHz Dimensions: 80mm x 22mm Signal to Noise Ratio: 79 dB Analog Outputs: 3.5mm TRS PROS: Excellent audio quality indoors and outdoors 🎶🌞 Plug-and-play 🎧🔌 No batteries or controls ⚡🚫 Includes two windshields ☁️☁️ Compact and easy to pack 📦👌 CONS: No USB-C Output ❌🔌 Pricey 💸💰 With its windshield, it's closer in size to RODE VideoMic GO II 🌬️🔍