Choosing the best shotgun mic is not easy, because there are lots of things to consider.
This is why we have come up with the list of criteria, answering which will help to narrow down your search.
However, if you aren’t familiar with shotgun specifics, it is better to follow our guide, which narrows it down further:
Best mics for budget filmmaking and video production
Sennheiser MKH416 is a professional shotgun microphone, which is also a renowned industry standard for filmmaking, documentary, television and voiceovers. It uses a true condenser, externally polarized capsule of a high quality that can tolerate harsh conditions very well. Featuring a fantastic rich and natural, clean tone it requires little to no postproduction at all. The amount of rejection is not too tight, it is also one of the few shotguns that works well for…
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Sennheiser MKH 8050 is a supercardioid microphone, an industry standard for miking dialogues indoors as well as spot miking. It has natural, well-rounded sound, distinctively rich and warm in character. It offers significantly more side rejection than a cardioid but less than an interference tube shotgun. Unlike shotgun however, MKH 8050 has very little off-axis coloration, sounds more natural and less susceptible to comb filtering, which is a common problem when interference tube mics are…
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Sennheiser MKE 600 is a fantastic quality, 10” short-range shotgun. Although considered an entry model, which is available at rather modest price, it has just about professional performance! Moreover, I’d say this mic is probably the best raw performer in its range. This is not only about the quality but also about the design. It may appear modest, but it’s certainly more convenient than both AT897 and Rode NTG2. It also performs great in both close and open areas without relying on…
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NTG4 Plus is the latest short shotgun from Rode, which features digital controls, rechargeable lithium battery and improved sound quality. It is positioned in between the classic but inexpensive NTG2 and professional NTG3. However, in terms of price, it still fits into the entry category, so consider it a very good investment! The usage is a total breeze, and believe it or not, it won’t leave you indifferent. Whether you are a professional or just a beginner, NTG4+ has…
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Rode NTG3 is a well-priced professional shotgun that boasts stellar sound quality and low self-noise. It is ideal for budget film or field production where you want to get the best sound for the money. It can be a good alternative to Sennheiser MKH 416 because it does almost exactly the same job at a lower price. This mic has RF-bias capsule, which is known as true condenser. This sets it up from entry shotguns…
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Sennheiser MKH8060 is a professional short shotgun that features very low noise levels while being highly directional. It has distinctive switches for adjusting frequency response and offers an improved off-axis response at higher frequencies, which helps to reduce the unwanted comb filtering effects when operating in proximity to the walls. It is highly sensitive yet there is no audible distortion and the on-axis response is as neutral as it could possibly get even at 20 kHz….
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Rode VideoMic Pro Plus is an enhanced version of the VideoMic Pro, where the main difference is the size. VideoMic Pro+ is considerably bigger and weightier than the non-plus version, and although the specs might be similar for the most part, the Pro Plus offers a substantial difference when it comes to directionality. VideoMic Pro+ rejects background noise much more aggressively while focusing more on what’s in front. Tighter pickup pattern translates into a better…
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Rode VideoMic Pro VMP is a compact professional mic that perfectly sits on any DSLR camera while leaving minimum footprint. For an average consumer it may seem somewhat expensive, but it is Rode and it pays out with quality. If you want to achieve a decent sound for your recordings this would be a must have addition, as even high-end cameras sound terrible with their in-built mics. Not only can this model deliver a clean…
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Rode Videomic NTG is a hybrid DSLR / USB mic of a compact size that can be mounted both on top of a camera and on a tripod while connected to a computer. The most beautiful thing about this mic is that it doesn’t have any cumbersome battery decks attached to it (unlike previous models). Videomic NTG is compact and sleek due to the fact that the batteries are stored inside. The internal components do…
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Comica VM20 is a budget miniature shotgun with a 3.5mm TRRS output, which can be connected directly to cameras and cellphones, while other DSLR mics require an additional splitter to work with cellphones in particular. The sounds is clear and natural out of the box, which is also crucial if you intend to record and publish videos using your phone. The low cut and extra gain controls are very handy too. In contrast with other…
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SMX-30 is a solid DSLR mic that makes a hybrid of shotgun and X/Y stereo mic. It’s surprising to see this innovative approach from Azden, which is a relatively new manufacturer but they’ve actually created a new, highly demanded and quality piece of equipment. SMX-30 also wears a modest price tag. Costing about the same as Rode VideoMic Pro R, it brings you an additional stereo mode for free. We were skeptical about this announcement…
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RØDE NTG2 is an entry-level 11” short-range shotgun that boasts an accurate sound while providing superb amount of rejection. The model is quite lightweight though it still offers a solid look and feel, and just as you would expect from RØDE, it is a high-quality piece of equipment. NTG2 is actually one of the most popular models today due to its remarkable overall quality and affordable price. Also, by far it has the narrowest pickup…
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Audio-Technica AT897 is another 11” short shotgun that is very similar to NTG-2. Both mics have identical size and construction and both cost roughly the same money. The quality is very similar too but they have slightly different sound or call it “tone”. Although this isn’t obvious from the frequency pattern, NTG-2 tends to add some mud on low end, especially when miked indoors. On the other hand, AT897 sounds brighter but tends to get…
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Audio-Technica 875R is a short shotgun mic, which is only 7 inches long, also having a smaller diameter. For a compact model, it has some good directional characteristics, effectively rejecting sounds starting from 60 degrees angle. This model perfectly works as an on-camera solution and can be used with stands or boom poles. Such universal solution is also surprisingly affordable. For the price, it has an excellent sound quality and I just can’t recommend it…
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Audio-Technica AT8035 is a 14.5” highly directional, medium shotgun. It is a cheap but powerful tool, invaluable for filming wider scenes or walk ‘n talk dialogues, especially where you find a short shotgun’s reach lacking. Whereas the maximum effective reach for short shotguns is only 2 feet, medium shotguns can effectively work from up to 4 feet distance. This model has a light weight, and it can be effectively used with most of booming techniques….
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Audix SCX1-HC is a professional hypercardioid SDC, mainly used for booming interviews and dialogues indoors. It can also be used for instruments when you want to achieve maximum isolation. Hypercardioid pattern makes it ideal for working in untreated rooms as it helps to minimize the impact of reflections. This mic has high sensitivity and requires some distance from the target. It has quite a narrow pickup, compared to other hypercardioids, and thus works best for…
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Audio Technica AT4053b is another hypercardioid mic, commonly used by videographers indoors. Hypercardioids are supposed to have narrower pickup patterns than the supercardioids but this doesn’t seem to be the case with the AT4053b, which is among the widest pickups in its class and is even surpassed by the supercardioid MKH 50 from Sennheiser. Similarly to the latter, it offers lots of lows that make a rich sound but it just doesn’t sound as clean…
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Azden SGM-1X is a cheap full size shotgun that can be mounted on both camera and pole. It measures 12.3 inches long and offers a very decent sound rejection. Its main advantage is the price: those who need high directionality but low on budget simply won’t find anything better. Indeed, this model costs half the price, quarter or even a tenth of the price of a professional shotgun with a similar directional pattern. Although I…
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In this article, you'll learn how to choose professional and budget
