RØDE - NTG4+

The only solution I can think of is the Rode NTG4+. It's not bad at all for the price, but I don't think there's anything without a power supply that fits your budget.

Let me think about it, it's a very delicate matter. I think having a good preamp is essential for your purpose. If you get a poor preamp, your sound will be poor even with a good microphone. I can tell you that there are some good preamps out there, but they're very expensive, and if you add the cost of the preamp and the microphone, we're going beyond your budget. Examples: the Fostex Ar501, created for your purpose, or the mm1 sound device, but we're on another level. The sound device is very expensive and perhaps useless for your application. There are similar, inexpensive solutions, but I can't guarantee the performance. As for the microphone, I obviously recommend a Sennheiser MKH416, but we're out of your budget. I'd go with a Deity S Mic 3s, which is within your budget considering the cost of the preamp. That said, if you're looking for a quick and simple solution without too many hassles, an NTG4+ or MKE600 would be better.

Audio Technica AT875R ($179), Rode NTG 4 or 4+, Audio Technica AT 897, and the MKE 600 you already listed.

Audio Technica AT875R ($179), Rode NTG 4 or 4+, Audio Technica AT 897, and the MKE 600 you already listed.

There are several, what is your budget? I would use a Tascam DR 40X or a Zoom H4 essential to which I would connect a Rode NTG4+ shotgun microphone or another microphone of the same type (avoid the cheap ones), connecting headphones to the recorder to monitor everything, this way you can stay a little further away from the source of the sounds. If the cost is too high you can start with one of the indicated recorders, record using the integrated microphones, and buy an external microphone later.

The Rode Ntg4 plus can be connected to anything because it is self-powered, while the normal (not Plus) version requires the Zoom H4 which has 2 XLR inputs and can power condenser microphones with phantom power.

Congrats on the new Z6III and your first short film! Since you don’t want to mic up your actors, I’d recommend using a **shotgun microphone** like the **Deity S-Mic 2** or **Rode NTG4+**, mounted on a boom pole and recorded into an external recorder (like the Zoom H5 or Tascam DR-60D). This setup lets you capture clean dialogue while staying off-camera. Avoid relying on the camera’s built-in mic — external audio will always sound much better. Good luck with your shoot!

I use a second hand Rode shotgun mic, homemade pop filter, homemade mic stand, positioned about 2" from my mouth when I'm recording voiceover. My voice comes out clear, no background noise despite not sanitizing my environment at all. Moving closer to the mic is my recommendation, if you haven't already, it does wonders.

Did pretty much my whole feature doc I used neewer cm28 and a rode shotgun.

There aren’t many amazing TRS mics I’m afraid. Rode makes the NTG which might be worth a look. Or get a preamp for the camera that supplies phantom. If you could find a secondhand me64 or me66 with a K6 module - those are Sennheiser shotguns that you can use a battery instead of phantom & adapt to TRS

You could use a Rode NTG or Rode Videomic Go in that 1/8 port if you want a shotgun mic specifically, I believe they can be powered up through it. But using wireless lavs like Rode Wireless Go 2, Pro or Dji Mic II are also good options, so you can have good audio embed into your video, but also a 32 bit backup on the mic internal storage. If you want to use specifically shotguns with an XLR cable, it's better to record audio on a separate device like the Zoom H1 XLR and sync the audio in post production. If you intend to use multiple microphones simultaneously in the future, it's also a good idea to look into recorders with multiple ports.

I remember being young and dumb back in the day, and buying an NTG2 with a decent deadcat to help with wind. Up until that point, my experience with mics were for recording guitar amps with an SM57 and/or a ribbon mic. For some stupid reason, I thought that Rode shotgun mic would be more forgiving with less movement. That’s despite the fact that I had seen countless hours of dvd extras over the years, of the boom op expertly and actively pointing the mic towards the next current sound source. Fun times.

Glad I bought the R0DE system. Sheesh.