Reddit mentions of Rode SVMP Stereo VideoMic Pro Condenser Microphone

Hi /u/TrueAmericana - the key difference is the balanced XLR output from the NTG2. Balanced output is far less susceptible to Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) over long cable runs.

There's a [long explanation] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanced_audio) for this, but suffice it to say, you don't want to put any prosumer mic with an unbalanced 3.5mm output on a boom and run a long cable to your recorder or camera.

I strongly recommend against these "prosumer" mics for people starting out - even if all they want to do is put a mic on top of their camera.

When folks finally do decide to move the mic off the camera and put it on a boom, they are often forced to spend the money to buy a real pro mic with a balanced output.

I recommend buying a balanced pro mic in the first place and avoiding the extra expense.

For on-camera mounting, the NTG-2 will cost you about the same as the [$299 Rode Stereo Videomic "Pro"] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007HYVMY0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007HYVMY0&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20) [Referral Links]:

• [NTG-2 - $269] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00093ESSI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00093ESSI&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20)
  
  
• [Polaroid shock mount - $15] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008VHI32Q/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008VHI32Q&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20)
  
  
• [Hosa MIT-156 XLR to 3.5mm transformer/adapter to plug the mic into the 3.5mm jack on your camera - less than $20] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002IAJ2O/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002IAJ2O&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20)
  
  Hope this is helpful!
  
  Bill
  
  

I bet this would be nice...should have plenty of gain for your camera:
http://www.amazon.com/Rode-Stereo-VideoMic-Camera-Microphone/dp/B007HYVMY0

So for events I found this mic to be the best for the money:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007HYVMY0/

I shot a million weddings with it and it consistently recorded great audio in environments where you don't have any idea who is going to say what and when. It is great for people randomly talking in a quiet room, live music, even amplifier audio during a speech. This mic produces natural sound, not studio grade voice over or anything like that. They have a newer version which I haven't used. The old one was great. Probably the easiest mic to use ON camera in an unpredictable event environment and it can plug directly into your camera's aux input.

An on camera shotgun mic is generally not a good idea (in my experience). The pickup pattern is very narrow and makes it easy to have audio fluctuate if you are moving. Also, the angle of the shotgun mic often doesn't line up with your composition, causing you to actually reject the voice you are trying to record! The narrow pickup pattern of a shotgun mic is excellent for formal (sitting) interviews (as a single op) or moving interview/vlog if you have a boom operator. No matter what mic you use, it's always best to be as close as possible to what you are recording!! Wireless lavs can be really useful in this respect, though obviously not as "run and gun."

Finally, when recording certain events (like a corporate event on a stage), a Zoom H4n or something similar can be a godsend. You simply plug it into their soundboard with an xlr cable and record their wonderfully balanced audio from all the mics they have set up on stage. You also ideally want to have a few mics working at once so you have a backup of something messes up one of your audio recordings. This can be cost prohibitive at first but you've gotta do it eventually.

TL;DR: On-cam shotgun mic isn't great, better on boom pole, close and aimed at speaker's mouth. Wireless lav is great but takes time to set up. Rode Stereo Videomic Pro is great for your needs/budget. Zoom or similar external recorder is great for plugging into event soundboard when possible.