Canon SL2 Microphone - External

[ajredaelli]

I have a brand new SL2. I am trying to setup an external lapel microphone. When I do that, my screen shows three ahlf circles, theicon of a mic, and the word "off" next to it. I cannot seem to get to microphone settings. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks!

[kvbarkley]

I don't know if this is the problem, but often "advanced settings" are only available in one of the "Creative modes", like P.

Try setting the camera to P or M.

(You can tell if this is the case since the manual will have a * by the setting.)

[ajredaelli]

I had it in M - I found where I can see the levels of the mic, but it just shows no activity at all. I know the mic works as it is the one I have used before with my Canon Vixia video camera. I have also read that the SL2 does support lapel mics. Not sure what I am missing. 

[RobertTheFat]

Consider the source, as I have no experience with video recording. But could this be a case where the microphone expects to draw power from the camera but the camera is incapable of providing it?

[ajredaelli]

It could be. What I am surprised is that the camera is well-known as a great "vlogging" camera. I would imagine it would support most mics .... but yes, good point. I'm hoping someone who has tried this before may have some insight. 

[TCampbell]

You aren't "required" to use a powered microphone... but it's MUCH better if you do.  If you don't, you end up having to boost the audio gain levels but quite a bit and that results in a lot of hiss (noise) ... think of this is in the same way you'd think of having to crank up the ISO a lot for a photo and that results in an image with a lot of visual noise.  Same idea, and both are the result of having to "amplify" the signal.  All "signal" contains some "noise" and when you apply "gain" you amplify both signal and noise ... and that's where the hiss comes from.

When you use a powered mic, the mic provides a very strong signal... you can leave the camera audio levels very low and don't need to apply gain... which means you don't have to also boost the noise... which means you don't end up with hiss.

For example... Rode makes something called the RodeLink Wireless Filmmaker Kit... it's a lav mic that connects to a transmitter (typically worn on a belt clip).  It transmits to a receiver that mounts in the camera "hot shoe" (it's really a "cold" mount since it only uses the shoe as a mounting point ... there are no electronic connections used) and a separate wire comes from the receiver to plug into the camera's audio-input jack.

This provides a "powered" lav mic that attaches to a DSLR camera.  It supports audio-gain in Rode system which means you can leave the audio gain levels on the camera set to a minimum to avoid hiss.

It's not cheap... about $400.

[kvbarkley]

Which mic do you have?

[kvbarkley]

Have you tried playing with the gain or attenuator settings?

[ajredaelli]

Wow - that makes sense .... but $400.00 for that mic - that would be way too much. I understand what you are saying though. Thanks TCampbell. 

[ajredaelli]

Yes kvbarkley- but once I plug in the external mic., I get no signal, but then I was reading about a TRS adaptor - I wonder if I may be needing one of those (?)