Honestly I am about to pull my hair out with this audio setup. Ive been shooting on Sony bodies since the original a7s came out and I thought I had my kit dialed in perfectly but this new documentary gig I am working on is kicking my teeth in. I am currently using an old Rode VideoMic Pro that has served me well for years but for some reason on my new a7IV the floor noise is just disgusting and I cannot get a clean signal no matter how much I mess with the internal gain settings. I usually keep the camera at like 3 or 4 and boost the mic but its still hissing like crazy and I am losing my mind trying to fix it in post.

Im currently on location in rainy Seattle and the wind is just brutal. The deadcat on my current mic is basically a wet sponge now and the interference is getting worse. I need something way more professional that actually integrates well with the Sony multi-interface shoe because I am tired of cables getting snagged on my gimbal or popping out mid-take. I looked at that Sony ECM-B1M digital shotgun thing but people in some of the groups say the digital noise cancellation makes voices sound robotic and metallic? I dont know if I can trust that for a high-end project.

I have a budget of about 400 to 500 bucks to spend before the main shoot starts next Tuesday and I need something that can handle crisp interview audio but also works for run-and-gun b-roll. I tried using a Sennheiser MKE 600 with an XLR to 3.5mm adapter but it makes the rig way too top heavy and balancing that on a DJI RS3 is a nightmare when you are moving fast between setups. Every review I watch on YouTube is just some influencer talking about vlogging mics for their bedroom and I need something that actually sounds professional for a real production. What are the best external microphones for Sony mirrorless cameras that wont give me this insane hiss or break my gimbal workflow...