Which external microphones are best suited for the Canon EOS R50?

Question

So I finally picked up an R50 for my Japan trip next month but I am totally lost on the audio situation. I was looking at the Rode VideoMic GO II because everyone says its the gold standard for compact stuff but then I saw some people complaining about the R50s multi-function shoe needing an adapter? Or maybe thats just for the specific Canon brand mics. Its kinda confusing because I really want to keep the setup small since Im backpacking and dont want a huge rig. I also looked at the DJI Mic 2 but that seems like overkill for just one person talking to the camera plus its way over my budget right now.

budget is strictly under 150 bucks

needs to be light enough for a small gimbal or just hand holding

preferably something that doesnt need a separate battery because I always forget to charge things

needs solid wind protection since Ill be outdoors in windy cities a lot

Does anyone know if the standard 3.5mm jack on the R50 has decent preamps or if I really should be looking at something that uses the digital shoe for better quality? Im mostly worried about getting that annoying hiss in the background of my videos. Is the VideoMicro II enough for basic travel vlogging or should I go with something more directional? I just need it to work out of the box...

StarGazer · Accepted Answer

^ This. Also, are you hitting coastal spots or just Tokyo? Asking because standard wind protection varies wildly between brands. In my experience, these are solid budget alternatives that skip the shoe adapter mess:

<a href=" https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt= Sennheiser+MKE+200+Ultracompact+Directional+Microphone&BI=8941&KBID=10361&SID=2222&DFF=d50" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">Sennheiser MKE 200 Ultracompact Directional Microphone - tiny, no battery, built-in shock mount.

Deity V-Mic D4 Mini Cardioid Microphone - super cheap and very clean for the price. Both fit a small gimbal and stay way under budget.

jonathan.nelson · Answer

Saw this earlier but just now responding. In my experience with the Canon R-series, that annoying hiss is usually just the result of letting the camera handle the gain automatically. If you want clean audio on a budget, you have to set your mic levels to manual in the settings and keep them around 25 percent. This prevents the R50 from boosting its noisy internal preamps. Also, ignore the shoe adapter mess... the 3.5mm jack is way more practical for travel. Since the main ones were mentioned, look at these:

Saramonic Vmic Mini II Ultracompact Shotgun Microphone is exceptionally light for gimbal use and uses a rubber shock mount that wont snap in your bag.

Boya BY-MM1+ Super-cardioid Condenser Microphone is great because it includes a headphone monitoring port, something the R50 lacks. Both include a deadcat windshield, which is mandatory for windy cities. Honestly, the Boya is a sleeper hit for budget rigs.

zachary.allen · Answer

Unfortunately, the R50 preamps aren't as good as I expected and get pretty noisy. Background hiss was a real issue for me, so stick to these reliable options:

Rode VideoMic GO II Ultra-lightweight Directional Microphone for the best wind protection.

Rode VideoMicro II Compact Shotgun Microphone if space is tight. Both use the 3.5mm jack, so you dont need a shoe adapter. Just let me know if you need anything else!