Every HV20 seems to have a diffferent level of mechanical noise, but they are all a bit loud.
The DM50 does not do well vs. the videomics according to those who have used both. The DM50 is a decidedly consumer product - both the Rode's are designed to bring pro level sound to high-Z consumer/prosumer equipment. Beachtek boxes and the like are great IF you already have a $500+ pro mic and a good mount for it. I have used them on multiple cameras. They do NOT improve the mic preamp you are stuck with in the camera (fortunately the HV20's hi-z preamp isn't nearly as bad as those on Sony's consumer cams). But the Rode videomics really change this equation, as they can deliver excellent sound and are DESIGNED for camtop use. I have a beachtek, phantom power supply, and $900 AT4073s that I use in a variety of applications, and I even HAVE a camtop shock mount that works with them, but I'm still going for the videomic (probably both models) for my HV20. I wish the videomics were smaller and less "look at me" in appearance, but the only better option there is the tinymic, and they are uber uber pricey (and that tiny diaphragm just makes me nervous. How can it be a shotgun mic when my first impulse is to convert it into a contact mic?) There are reports that the stereo videomic still picks up camera noise in very quiet environments, while the shotgun model is less prone to this. yeah, lavs solve a lot of problems. For straight "talent on camera" work a GOOD wireless lav setup is wise, but in general I don't like the sound of lavs. I prefer even imperfect open sound that has a sense of space to the sound of lavs, as long as intelligibibility isn't an issue. The best sound will always be from an overhead boom as close to the subject as possible, but that doesn't help the solo filmmaker. Brook _______________________________________________________ Brook Hinton film/video/audio art www.brookhinton.com studio vlog/blog: www.brookhinton.com/temporalab
