What are the best external microphones for the Canon EOS R6 Mark II?

Question

So I finally pulled the trigger and upgraded to the R6 Mark II after shooting on a 5D Mark IV forever. I thought I knew what I was doing but the audio setup is stressing me out big time. Ive been trying to use my old Rode VideoMic Pro that served me well for years but I'm getting this weird hiss or floor noise even when I mess with the manual gain levels in the menu. Its like the preamps on this body are way more sensitive or something? I have this huge wedding gig coming up in two weeks up in Bar Harbor and its gonna be super windy by the water so I need something that actually works with the R6IIs specific shoe or just a really solid 3.5mm option that wont fail me. My budget is like $350 max since I just spent a fortune on the body and some glass. Does anyone know if the new digital shoe mics like the DM-E1D are actually worth it or should I stick to something like the VideoMic NTG? I'm worried about the battery life on those too... I really need something reliable that wont pick up that annoying electronic interference I've been hearing in my test clips. What are the best external microphones for the Canon EOS R6 Mark II that actually play nice with its internal processing?

Kai · Accepted Answer

Regarding what #1 said about digital shoe stuff being disappointing, I use the <a href=" https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt= Sennheiser+MKE+400+On-camera+Shotgun+Microphone&BI=8941&KBID=10361&SID=2222&DFF=d50" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">Sennheiser MKE 400 On-camera Shotgun Microphone on my R6II.

Cheaper

Good wind rejection Simple analog gear wont fail you.

empirestateofmind · Answer

To add to the point above: I have been really satisfied using the Deity V-Mic D3 Pro Super-Cardioid Directional Shotgun Microphone on my R6II. I had a similar issue with hiss on a windy outdoor shoot, and the stepless gain knob on the back of this mic was a total game changer. It basically lets you crank the mic output so high that you can turn the noisy Canon preamps all the way down. Heres what worked for me:

Set the camera gain to 1 or 2, then use the dial on the mic to hit your levels.

Grab a Rycote 18cm Standard Hole Softie Windshield for that Bar Harbor wind. I highly recommend checking out the DSLR Video Shooter website too. Caleb has some great videos on setting up the D3 Pro with Canon bodies. It made me feel way more confident before my first big wedding gig last summer. Honestly, once you get the gain staging right, the audio is crystal clear.

Liam · Answer

Unfortunately the digital shoe stuff is disappointing and overpriced. Stick with the Rode VideoMic NTG Hybrid Analog/USB Microphone since its more reliable and way better value for your money.