Using external mic when in auto mode

[emmettfitz]

I have a Canon Vixia HF G20. When shooting in Auto if I plug in an external mic, the sound is really bad.  I tried to adjust the Mic levels but that option does seem to be available in auto mode. How can I get quality sound shooting in auto mode? If I go to manual settings, then I can adjust the camera sound levels but then the video recording looks sluggish or slightly out of focus if the person moves. It seems autofocus does not work in manual.  Any help is appreciated. 

[CaptStorming]

Hi, when you plug in an external mic you must set your levels manually. If you leave the audio setting at auto it will set a very high level depending on its omini directional mic properties and this will certainly not be desirable. I believe you can toggle between auto and manual by using the touch screen options as you use the camera. Also be very wary of using the external mic with a line input. A line input has a high impedence and can be very distorted. In such a case you need a converter/ attentuaters to convert the line signals to low impedence mic which you then connect to your 3.5mm on your camera. I hardly use the auto focus feature unless I am shooting a stationary subject. In such a case using the touch screen option of face recognition works very well in the HfG20. I always use the technique of Depth of Field or deep focus. Hope this helps?