Review on 🎙️ TAKSTAR SGC-598 Shotgun MIC Microphone with 3.5mm Interface for Nikon Canon DSLR Camera – Ideal for Photography Interviews by Ryan Saxton

This was my first DSLR mic I've bought and I'm happy with my purchase for the price. I was translating from RODE to this guy, so I trusted the video and got it. As described and illustrated, the device has three switches, a 3.5mm jack, a battery cover and a removable resistor. .The switches are well designed and you know when they are on. It takes 1 AA battery and I haven't had to change it yet. Turn on the microphone yourself and you're in business. There's a bass filter switch that can try to reduce ambient noise (if you need an audio test video I can make one if you can't find anyone on YouTube who has already done so). I just leave it on Another switch increases the volume by 10 dB and amplifies it. I'm leaving this out because my talent can sometimes blast or stir up the clay, but it can be useful for long range shooting. Then the last switch is the power, which must be on to use it. IF A MICROPHONE IS CONNECTED TO THE CAMERA BUT NOT SWITCHED ON (at least on my camera), it will NOT record any sound, even the built-in one. Microphone on DSLR/whatever camera you use. So either unplug the shotgun mic and use it on the board, or remember to turn it on (and there's a green LED to let you know it's on / when it's red). The 3.5mm coiled cable isn't long, so don't expect it to stretch that far. It fits perfectly on a DSLR and still has some play, which is nice. There is a shoe/hot mount that you can attach to your DLSR with a rotating ring which is very helpful. The mic itself hangs slightly on the device connected to the camera, for shock resistance reasons I suppose, but I don't notice anything incredible about it. The windproof "sock" over the mic itself is decent at best. So if there is a better one just throw it in as the factory one is removable. The only thing I noticed about the microphone is that even though it has its own power supply (AA battery), it drains the camera battery pretty badly. So be careful and bring your charger / extra batteries for cameras. For a beginner mic it's fantastic and does the job perfectly. I've used it in short films, professional interviews and comedy shows. If you want a cheap, high quality microphone and don't want to spend $200 on a RODE, this is a very good option and well worth it. If you have any questions, let me know! I've had this since February and haven't encountered any other issues, but I'll list them when I do!