I'll say it straight away if my 1 in 1000 is defective, then that's unfortunate. I have received one. First, it only works in pistol mode, the zoom function doesn't work (also claimed by Sony). Not the reason why I give 2 stars. Second, I tested extensively. My camera is 3 feet away from me in a quiet office. It was difficult to hear the difference between the internal mic and the ECM. Third, this is the biggest problem. There is constant noise/distortion. Looks like cell phone interference. I took my phone out of the office and turned off all wireless devices, didn't help. If the microphone works, I think the price is good.