Canon DM-100 microphone. Is it good?

ther are no good tests that i can find http://webcheftv.wordpress.com/category/equipment/


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The only example I've seen (heard:-) is this one:

http://file.meyersproduction.com/hf10/

Check out the DM100 clip which compares the different modes:

http://file.meyersproduction.com/hf1...0audio-20k.mov

I just received my DM-100 yesterday, here's some footage from the San Diego Zoo using the HF10/DM100 combo. DM100 was set for the 120 degree pattern:

http://www.vimeo.com/972243

Here's last night at the Grand Prix of Del Mar horse jumping competition:

http://www.vimeo.com/973460

So far I'm pretty impressed with it. The fuzzy windscreen definitely works.

I just got my new Canon HF 100 and have a Sony Mic from my old Sony Camcorder so I searched for an adapter and found one at DM Accessories for $36.99. Google for "CMS-Flat". It becomes a cold shoe with this and Canon recommend a battery powered one in the instruction manual if you use such but say nothing about any adapters. It is a bit pricey but much cheaper than the Canon DM-100 even at Amazon's reduced price, ($170.82).
I can't understand why they provide a single instruction book in three languages. It's heavy to carry asrround. My Canon mini camera came with three seperate books.

Has anyone figured out how to adjust the manual focus in the Vixia HF-100 once it is set on "MF"? Nothing I tried seems to work. The auto-focus works great though. The tiny joystick is fiddly but I found it much better to push on it rather than try to click on the edge.

What do you mean? Moving it left-right. Still no replacement to a focus ring, worthless.

I agree it seems worthless. Moving the joystick left or right just didn't seem to do anything on mine. An awkward system.

Just got a DM-100 and so far it seems to be a big improvement. I will continue testing and report back here. The mic is smaller than I though it would be and fits nicely on the HF100. One disappointment I had was that I had seen many photos online of the DM-100 with foam wind screens on. Apparantly these are photos of the DM-50 as the DM-100 does not come with foam wind screens. It does come with the grey wind muff. I would have preffered the foam wind screens as the wind muff makes the mic as large as the camera. I would have liked to keep a wind screen on the mic constantly. I am not sure if I will keep the furry grey wind muff on all the time.

Anyway I know many have asked about this mic and few answers have been given, so I will do my best to give my opinion for those that are interested.

Kind of hijacking the thread but MF works fine for me. Just tap left or right (and use the 2x zoom focus check). Sure a focus ring would be much better and especially higher res screen. But I got MF in macro's working in 1 try.

DM100 has pretty good sound and good dynamic range from what I've heard.
Maybe a bit big for such a small camcorder. Maybe they should produce a mini DM100 one day...

Did you read the manual? Anyway, here's how to do manual focus:
On the joystick, click SET (push in).
Push down (next) twice until it says "FOCUS" on top. Note at this point that the near/far icons are greyed out, which means you are NOT in manual focus mode, and left/right won't do anything.
Push UP to activate manual focus mode. Note that the near/far icons are not greyed anymore, and the focus mode indicator in the top center of the screen has changed to "MF". Pushing left/right now will focus the camera, and the screen will zoom 2x while focusing if you have "focus assist" turned on.

Also, if you are in autofocus mode and push UP and hold for a few seconds, the focus indicator on the top changes to an infinity symbol, which means it's locked on infinity focus. This is what I'll use most of the time since usually when I want manual focus it's to keep the camera from trying to focus on bugs flying in the campfire light or water on the filter being lit by a firework explosion when I'm trying to shoot stuff a hundred feet away.

I agree it's not as good as a focus ring, but it's far from useless. When I'm shooting manual focus, I usually am setting up a shot and have some time to do it, and it'll work for me.

Does anyone have a video clip of the shotgun setting of this mic; preferable w/ambient noise and indoors?


eskin,
nice footage. thanks for sharing.

This video has the shotgun setting:

http://www.vimeo.com/2358447

You can hear, before the music starts, the little nuances of the sound as they're preparing. I think it sounds really good.


Here are some more DM100 videos:

http://www.vimeo.com/videos/search:d...rmat:thumbnail

Anyone have pictures of the camera with the mic on it ?

HF10+DM-100




HF100+DM-100

had this mic for about a month...love it

How's the battery consumption vs. without it?

thanks for the pics but isn't that a bit huge !

I use the BP-819 and notice minimal additional battery drain. It really doesnt have that much effect on the battery as one might think.


Its actually not as big as people think. The dead cat makes it look bigger. Without that wind screen its actually shorter than the cam itself...

If you want pro"ish" sound....this is a MUST

I consider 3 MUST MUST HAVES for this camera or ones like it (HF10,HF100, SR-11 SR 12 etc....)

1. Shotgun Mic
2. Wide Angle Lens
3. UV Filter (for protecting the cameras lens)


everything else is just preference
i have a letus mini, steadycam, suite load of editing software and etc...

Does anyone who has this microphone know how to adjust its volume?

EDIT:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...php?p=16676556

Does the DM-100 have a mic-out socket so you can run a lead from the mic to the camera across the room, so it can be used on a boom pole, or is the hot-shoe the ONLY way the DM-100 connects to a camera.

thanks.

The DM-100 doesn't have a mic out, but the Canon HF/HG camcorders do have an 1/8" mic out jack that you can run another mic, other than the DM-100, out of.

For family movies, is getting this external mic worth it? i.e. capturing all the sounds your baby makes

#1 is even more important if you have #2 on a Canon HFS10/100. The wide angle lens (at least the Canon recommended one) BLOCKS the built-in mic on the front.

I've read that people viewing videos are more accepting of bad video vs bad audio but you could probably do without an external mic since you'll be in close to your subject and the ambient noise won't be high enough to warrant the time and trouble use an external mic. Otoh, if you shoot a lot outdoors in any type of wind, mild to hurricane, you will definitely benefit from something other than the built in mic. Consider spending money on a light and/or a wide angle adapter. You should get a little more use out of those two items.

Just for the record, I have a DM 100 but as of yet have a light or WA adapter since my intial impulse to buy my camcorder was to shoot a piano recital and indoor basketball.

I have been using the Rode Stereo Video mic and and love it, Although you will have to buy an adapter to fit the Canon proprietary mini shoe , they can be had for about 25 Bucks...The Rode gets very high reviews....and deserves every one..... I use it for both my HG10 and HG21....here are a couple of shots connected to my HG10...

http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/s...h/IMG_0115.jpg

http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/s...kingtech/5.jpg

Wow, that sucker's HUGE. Does it add much weight to the camera? Is it a stereo mic?

I just made a thread about not being able to find the bp-827 battery, now my quest for a dm-100 is turning up fruitless as well. There was ONE on ebay for < $200, but that got sniped at the last moment when I was bidding on it. I saw a few others up there for $230-250, but that's about it. Everybody else is out of stock until the middle of August, it looks like. Which does me no good when I'm leaving on vacation in a week.

Anybody know where to find one? Are they going to replace it with a dm-150 or something soon? Why is buying standard, off the shelf camcorder gear so DIFFICULT?

I got mine from bh photo. My only complaint about it is when I set it to shotgun mode, it still picks up too many sounds from behind the camcorder..

Yes the Rode is a Stereo Mic unlike its earlier version which is mono...It does add some weight to the camcorder but not anything drastic...It provides excellent sound for both outdoor and indoor concerts and the like....I continue to be amazed at its performance.....Its powered by its own 9 Volt battery.....