RØDE - NTG4+

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 have a rode ntg4+. It’s self powered so it doesn’t draw any power from the camera body but it looks like you’re powering everything with external power so it doesn’t matter lol. I heard nothing but great things about the mke600

Yeah exactly! You can on the handle select phantom power or just turn the ntg4+ on and turn the phantom power off. The mic is freaking great for that!

Ahhhh ok got it! Sorry I confused you with OP! The zoom h6 is nice man! Gives you 32bit float where as the Sony xlr handle gives you 24bit. Still very good but have to be aware of clipping is all. All my YouTube videos are done using that mic. Here’s a video if you want to hear the audio quality. This is using a tascam recorder that’s 24bit float like the Sony xlr handle so it sounds the same on the Sony as it does on my Fuji [rode ntg4+ video example](https://youtu.be/nSD0jQsF8j0?feature=shared)

You may want to consider a Zoom F3, instead of H5, for not that much more. The H5 has hiss, but it's better than the Tascam DR40. The H6 is better than the H5. The H6 has nice capsule attachments, including a shotgun. Rode NTG3 or NTG4 or AudioTechnica AT875 for condensers into recorder, then sync with camera scratch.

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.

We used to run Blue Yeti USB, and recently switched to Rode XLR. MASSIVE difference in audio quality, ease of operation, and customization. Not close