What is the best external microphone for a Sony ZV-E10?

Question

What external mic is everyone running on their ZV-E10 these days because honestly the built-in one is driving me nuts with the preamp hiss. Ive been shooting video for a few years and usually just use my old Rode VideoMic Go but for some reason it sounds way muddier on this Sony body than it did on my old Canon rig... maybe it is just a bad pairing? I am doing mostly talking head stuff for my tech channel in a slightly echoey room in London and need to get this sorted by Friday for a shoot. Budget is around 150 max since I spent way too much on lenses lately lol. Should I look at the Sony ECM-G1 for the digital interface or just stick with a 3.5mm jack setup?

IonInferno · Accepted Answer

Omg I totally feel your pain with the ZV-E10 hiss!! It is honestly such a nightmare when you have great footage but the audio sounds like a bowl of Rice Krispies. Since you are on a budget but need that clean sound by Friday, you definitely gotta look at the Sony ECM-G1 Vlog Camera Microphone. I swear by the Multi Interface shoe on these Sony bodies... it basically lets you skip the 3.5mm jack which is usually where a lot of that interference comes from! It is super compact and fits way under your $150 limit. For that echoey room situation in London, distance is your enemy. If you can, maybe try the Sony ECM-LV1 Stereo Lavalier Microphone clipped to your collar? It is insanely cheap and sounds amazing for talking head stuff. You can actually plug it into the side of the G1 if you want the best of both worlds. If you really want a shotgun mic that punches above its weight, the Rode VideoMic GO II Shotgun Microphone is also a fantastic choice and even works over USB, but honestly, staying in the Sony ecosystem with the shoe is just so much cleaner for vlog style setups. Seriously, the G1 is gonna be a lifesaver for your tech channel! Good luck with the shoot, you are gonna do great!

WaveWarden · Answer

To add to the point above: be careful with echoes, I struggled until trying:Deity V-Mic D3 Pro: reduces hiss, kinda priceyRode Wireless GO II Single: fixes reverb, needs charging

ByteRanger · Answer

Saw this thread earlier and figured id chime in. After dealing with similar hiss issues on my unit, I switched to the <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=Sennheiser+MKE+400+Shotgun+Microphone&#038;BI=8941&#038;KBID=10361&#038;SID=12345&#038;DFF=d50" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">Sennheiser MKE 400 Shotgun Microphone and have been incredibly satisfied with the results. The technical reason your old Rode sounds muddy is likely due to the impedance mismatch or just the low output requiring you to crank the Sony preamps. The MKE 400 has a +20dB toggle that is a lifesaver for this camera. It allows you to set the camera gain very low—around 2 or 3—which bypasses the noisy internal amp. My experience with the super-cardioid pattern has been great for echoey spaces since it rejects a lot of that side-wall bounce. Its been very reliable for my weekly uploads and definitely stays under that 150 limit if you shop around. Honestly, getting a mic with a physical gain switch makes a bigger difference than the digital interface for most talking head setups.