Shure VP83 LensHopper Camera-Mounted Condenser Shotgun Microphone for use with DSLR Cameras and HD Camcorders - Capture Detailed, High Definition Audio with Full Low-end Response

Update: the microphone has worked very well this far for our needs. But, it doesn't have good low frequency pattern control. Expect to use a high pass filter if you are in a confined area to make it sound more realistic. That's expected though with a short shotgun mic. The longer it is, the lower the frequency it can control. It looks like that's why they tailor the response how they do. I'm always EQing different amounts of 200Hz and under out depending on the situation to make scenes sound consistent. But, it's a good sounding mic with great transient response. Just take care to learn how to use this one. For $300, this is a great setup. Since it is good for the money, I give it 5 stars. It's pretty awesome that it is a flash recorder as well. The microphone is pretty directional and captures transients well. So, that means it capture details well. The only thing I don't care for is the frequency response. The way it drops off after 10 kHz leaves me some top end I wish I had. It also rolls off the bottom end slightly starting around 200Hz, which can be good or bad depending on the situation. For voice it works well enough for a general purpose shotgun microphone. It's really about convenience with this mic. Sure, I can get a much better sound with my $250 Audix VX5, pop filter, yamaha 01V console, and ADAT interface, but the price is high and convenience is low on that setup. I use that for voice overs. So, for the overall package, the VP83F gets the job done, has quiet enough circuitry, and can give you a good enough sound to make it sound professional. It just won't blow you away with sound quality or anything. It is definitely an upgrade from any internal camera mic. However, if my camera had a mic input of it's own, a $300 shotgun mic would sound better.

I've had the Shure VP83F LensHopper for about 6 months now and used it in a wide range of settings, subjects, and environments. From shooting steam locomotives to interviews and to children's school recitals it has not let me down once. It continues to work as a key part of my video kit. I currently operate mostly Canon DSLRs in a video setting, but have used this microphone to supplement other video cameras as well. For those solely interested in sound quality, I imagine it would be hard to beat this at the price. I very much like the tones this mic records. I have noticed it is very clear, reasonably sensitive and has a very slight warm tone. The directional aspect is quite good, akin to what I have experienced with high-end Sennheiser shotguns. The flash recording has saved me in several instances where we needed a stand-alone unit too far for reasonable chords. I have come to trust it, if the red light is on, it is recording well. A great feature!!! I have taken to using the flash recording, even if I have it worked into the camera, just in case! My main gripe, and a small one, is that the interface for settings is a bit clumsy. I did miss one shot because I was caught fooling around with it... I needed a good-quality, easy to operate, reliable, durable shotgun and needed it at a decently low price. I ended up with this dandy little guy after a laborious research period. I read review after review and was almost persuaded away from this in favor of a traditional shotgun. In the end, boy am I happy I grabbed this one!

Seems very sturdy (perhaps the suspension system is the weakest point, demanding careful handlind when opening the battery compartment). Teh on-board controls are very intuitive and detailed, only wish there was an automatic gain control for situation when I have no time to adjust the gain properly. The sound quality is great and the sideways sound cancelation pretty good too, for the type of mic and price point. UPDATE: I recently used the microphone with a slightly older card, a 2gb micro SD, and just let it recording an event. When I came back home, the card wouldn't load on my mac. I used Disk Utility, and Repaired it. This made it possible to mount the card, but it showed up as empty. So after running DiskDrill repair software, I was able to recover 60% of the files. So... what happened? Maybe the older and smaller capacity card was a bad idea. But it definitely was a bummer, and I don't know if it had an issue when the card filled.

This a great microphone for event videographers at a very reasonable price

Superior in every way to the Rode Videomicpro, which I purchased some time ago. Took me ten minutes to figure out how to close the battery door on the Rode last week. That did it for me. The AA battery is installed on the bottom side of the battery drawer on the Shure. Shure even included a battery. The green LED power indicator turns red when battery level is low. Depending on battery type, you have varying amounts of time from the Red warning to change the battery. All options are very forgiving. You'll have plenty of warning to change the battery once the indicator turns Red. I did a wide by side test when I received the Shure. No exceptions, no conditions, no qualifications, the Shure is better. Not even close. Perfect design, functionality, build and durability. Superior in natural sound, low cut filter engagement, more gain, lower noise level, lower handling noise, smaller size, more side rejection, more battery life, excellent battery compartment access, recessed controls to reduce accidental changes in settings and power, attached cable is stronger and better attached, better cable strain relief, better shock mount support, better shock mount isolation, better and thicker coiled cable, you name it, Shure does it better by far. I would expect the Shure is better than the comparable Sennheiser, as some comment that Senn is a bit too thin for the sake of clear dialog. I like the fuller sound of the Shure, but not the boomy sound of the Rode. Shure is right in the middle, just right IMO. What would have been cool is if Shure had included a carrying bag or zipper case of some kind. BTW, the packaging of the product is as if it were an Apple product. Sweet. I've kept the boxes and packaging, although I can't imagine selling it any time soon. (The Rode is for sale.) A lot of my decision was based on reviews on this site and that "B" company in New York. I want to thank all the contributors for their honest appraisals which helped steer me to the right decision. Hope this helps you, too.

I'm a 100% a beginner. I barely know nothing about DLSR's and sound. But I did do my research. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDS GO FOR A CHEAPER RODE MIC. It works very good because this is a pretty penny to spend. But I intend on getting the most out of it so i decided to go all out and get this one. Its ranks above my buddies rode mic in durability, sound, noise reduction, but you pay for what you get. I work with someone who was really into photography and he told me about his friend who was really into sound. It motivated me to get myself the Canon EOS 70D as well with this VP83F shotgun mic. I was originally going to go with Rode but after doing some research, everyone has said that Shure has a better overall. And to be honest i wasn't going to buy this mic. I was going to go with the non flash integrated mic. Because once again i don't want to have to raise or sync things in post. But the the difference the clear audio that you have on the chip is pretty amazing. It's more work, especially for beginners, like myself. But never the less its going to be well worth it (at least to me it is). If you're just going to be using it for vlogs short clips and all on youtube. It's going to be a pain in the ass to do things constantly having to turn press the record button multiple times over and over. That being said, you don't have to use the integrated flash. You can go directly to the camera. BUT! If thats all you want go for the non integrated flash shure mic or an alternative. I hope this helped.

It feels very cheap. Shure does make good products but I’m not sure if this is one of them. The cable is very short. Battery life is okay but I don’t think this product will last long with a shoving I require from it. Sound quality is on par for the price. Would recommend buying the upgraded model

This is a fantastic compact mic for use on mirrorless system / DSLR style cameras. I've had it just over 6 months and have found it to be very reliable, have great audio quality and very flexible. PROS - Excellent build quality - the aluminum structure with shockmount stands up to real world use. The door covering the batteries and memory card area feels like it will hold up over time. - Audio quality and pre-amps are very clean. Using this with three different cameras I have been able to lower the internal camera levels and use the better output from the microphone to ultimately result in better quality audio with much lower noise. - Internal memory card works well to allow for a backup recording. - Removable cable means more flexibility for longer cables if needed and provides a bit of security that if the cable dies down the road (it always seems to be the first part of electronic equipment that breaks) it is an easy and inexpensive fix. ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT - It seems to eat batteries (not a huge deal because they are common-use AA's and extras are not hard to carry). - Interface is a bit quirky and if not careful can accidentally hit the joystick (I became used to it but it could be better). Overall, this is a great compact mic for small cameras with excellent audio quality. I have also used it stand-alone, which is something I didn't think much about when I purchased it, but it has proven to be a nice flexible add-on. Highly recommended.