The sound when shooting video on my 70D is poor, would a microphone help?
Alan Wilson, Edinburgh
Brian Says… You’ve just discovered two of the most important things for movies: first, sound is often more important than the actual video; and secondly the camera’s built-in mic is not the right tool for the job. The built-in mic usually picks up any noise you create by changing controls or holding the camera while filming to add to the trouble.
To capture much better sound you need to position a mic closer to the subject. The type of mic you use will depend on the kind of sound you need to record. For a person speaking on camera the common choice is a tie-clip mic, usually called a lavalier mic. Because it’s near to the sound source the voice will be much clearer. Think of a mic a bit like a lens and don’t skimp on the quality; top brands like Røde and Sennheiser are worth looking at.