Review on Movo VXR300 X/Y Stereo Condenser Video Microphone with -10dB Attenuation, Low-Cut Filter, Deadcat Windsceen & Case - Compatible with DSLR and Camcorder Cameras by Billy Stull

This was actually my second microphone of this type. The first was a different brand and model and broke on the first day. This Movo mic has survived quite a few uses and is still working. The mount is solid, the tape helps a little, and the whole unit feels well made, especially at this price point. My biggest gripe, especially compared to my previous mic, is that the Movo protrudes beyond the back of the camera and is a bulkier device overall. I was concerned that this would make the viewfinder impossible to use. Luckily, this only bothers me partially, so I can work around it. When mounted on the camera, the bulkiness is not as noticeable as the device is fairly well balanced. I use this microphone on a Canon Powershot SX60-HS superzoom camera. The stereo microphones built into the camera are sufficient, but I often record live performances. The Movo mic is definitely better than the built-in mics. Bass output is better and overall distortion is lower. I've tried different filter settings and found that they affect the sound quality more than I would like. So far I've been able to record loud live music with no filtering and virtually no distortion. For the price, this is a good mic for the average hobbyist. Can it withstand the frequent and intensive use in a professional environment? No, and the sound quality would not satisfy a pro, but I'm not a pro or an advanced user and I'm very happy with this mic. Another advantage of this microphone is that you can use the pop-up flash on the camera even when the microphone is mounted. with little adjustment. Canon's hot shoe (and possibly other cameras with a pop-up flash and hot shoe) has a small metal protrusion that presses a small switch when something is placed on the hot shoe. This disables the built-in flash, which is of course necessary when using an external flash on a hot shoe. To keep the flash function with the Movo mic installed, I simply cut a small piece of plastic from the edge of the hot shoe mount at the base of the mic, just enough so the mic's hot shoe mount doesn't push down and turn on the switch. . The microphone is still securely fixed on the hot shoe. This allows me to switch between video/audio recording and photography while still using the built-in flash without removing the microphone. So far I'm happy with the quality and usefulness, especially at this price point.