Recommended external microphones for the Canon EOS R50?

Question

Honestly I'm about at my wits end with this R50 setup. I bought it like three months ago for my travel vlog because everyone said it was the best entry level mirrorless but nobody warned me that the internal audio is literally garbage. Like actually unusable. I was just in a windy park near downtown Seattle trying to film a quick update and the wind noise completely drowned out my voice even with the built-in wind filter on. Its so frustrating spending all this money on a nice body and lenses just for the videos to sound like I’m recording inside a vacuum cleaner.

I tried using this cheapo $30 shotgun mic I found on Amazon but it’s honestly worse. It makes this high pitched hissing sound in the background that I can't get rid of in post and the cable is always getting in the way of the screen when I flip it out. I’m doing a big trip to Japan in three weeks and I seriously need something that actually works because I cant keep dealing with this stress. I just want to be able to plug something in and have it sound professional without carrying around a giant setup or dealing with a million settings.

I have about $200 maybe a bit more if its really worth it to spend for the quality but I really need something compact. My main thing is vlogging outside so wind protection is a huge deal but I also do some sit-down cooking stuff at home. I’ve looked at some of the Rode stuff but I’m confused about what actually fits the R50 hot shoe without needing a bunch of annoying adapters or whatever. Does anyone have any actual recommendations for an external mic that isn't gonna fail me the second there’s a light breeze? I'm honestly ready to just return the whole camera at this point if I can't get the audio figured out...

AstralAvocado · Accepted Answer

I've tried many setups over the years and the R50 is solid if you fix the audio.

Rode VideoMic GO II Shotgun Microphone: Super light, no batteries. Perfect for vlogging tho youll need a deadcat for Japan.

<a href=" https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt= Sennheiser+MKE+400+On-camera+Microphone&BI=8941&KBID=10361&SID=2222&DFF=d50" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">Sennheiser MKE 400 On-camera Microphone: My top pick. It has built-in wind protection and sounds way better than cheap generic mics. Either should save your trip!

austin.green · Answer

Building on the earlier suggestion, you should totally look into a wireless lavalier setup. For vlogging in windy environments like Japan, getting the capsule closer to your mouth is literally the best way to improve your signal-to-noise ratio! I am obsessed with the DJI Mic 2 Wireless Microphone System for this specific setup. It is seriously amazing because it includes 32-bit float internal recording. This is basically a safety net for your audio—if you get a sudden gust of wind or start yelling with excitement, the file wont peak or distort. It is total magic for travel vlogs. The reason your cheap mic was hissing is probably because it had a terrible signal floor and you had to crank the R50 internal gain, which is never good. With the DJI Mic 2, you can keep the camera gain low and let the mic do the heavy lifting. The wind muffs that come with it are fantastic too. They actually twist and lock into place so they wont fly off in a light breeze or Seattle weather. Also, since the receiver is so small, it wont block that flip-out screen you are struggling with. It is a bit more than your $200 limit if you go for the full dual set, but you can usually find the single transmitter version for right around your budget. Trust me, it makes the R50 feel like a professional rig. You got this!

Evelyn Nicole Knight · Answer

Same here!