My M50 gives me radio frequency interference w/ external mic

[Stovallinsky]

Hi there,

My M50 gives me radio frequency interference w/ external mic. Im using a RODE mic but I trested it with another mic and I hear the samething. It sounds like a high pitch buzzing and staticy. Not sure wehat to do.

[Tim]

Hello Stovallinsky, 

There are a few troubleshooting steps I'd like to help resolve this issue. We'll reset the camera, which should restore it to a default state. These steps should clear out the memory and thereby any errors which may be present.

- Anything attached or installed in the camera — memory cards, the lens, the battery, battery grips should all be removed.

- Once the lens is off let's check it using the steps below.

a) Clean the lens contacts* to restore connection with the body.

b) Try using a different memory card. All memory cards should be properly formatted in your camera prior to use.

*Warning - Do not clean lens contacts on either a Canon lens or the camera body with an eraser! It's easy to rub off the gold plating on these contacts and end up with data communication problems! Our strong recommendation is to use a soft, clean, micro fiber cloth. Please do not use anything abrasive.

c) Try using a different Canon EF series lens. It doesn't have to be the same focal length as the one you were using.

d) If you are using a third party lens, we recommend discontinuing its use. There can sometimes be communication error related issues with third-party lenses. Ensuring that you're using a Canon lens eliminates that as a potential factor in the error.

If the issues seem to persist the next step would be to send the equipment to Canon for service.  We recommend setting up service through Canon's web site, below. 

http://usa.canon.com/repair

[wq9nsc]

Is this a wireless or directly plugged in mic?  How long is the cable between the mic and camera if plugged in?  Are you using any sort of AC adapter or running from batteries?

Audio interference issues like these often occur because of interference emitted from other  sources in the room including both LED and HID lighting sources, switching type power supplies for various consumer products, controller boards for HVAC systems, etc.  The EU and much of Asia do a better job of enforcing RFI "pollution" standards compared to the modern U.S. but it is a problem around the globe and a consumer camera which is poorly shielded against interference from these sources and isn't grounded makes it a ready victim for various forms of audio and video interference.  Consumer audio input impedance is usually fairly high making it far more susceptible to problems compared to professional audio which generally uses balanced low impedance cables that provide far greater immunity from local interference sources.  A high level of interference outside of the audio range will often result in audible artifacts due to overload of the camera's audio input and processing circuitry.

I wasn't that familiar with the M50 and grabbed the PDF manual from the web.  I hope  that the 314 page PDF I found isn't the standard manual because it is really lacking in information and looks like it was written for a kindergarten class to use. If this is the full manual and the standard for future Canon cameras that is a huge step backwards.  Other manuals, like my 1DX and 1DX 2, can be a little difficult to use making the PDF format with search very useful but at least the detailed information is there to be found while the M50 manual has content depth not much greater than a "quick start" guide but with extra words to pad the length much like a high school research paper.

Rodger

[Stovallinsky]

My camera is brand new as is the mic I bought. When I record using the cameras built in mic, there is no issue only that the audio isn’t the greatest.
I’ve seen other people on YouTube Blogging with the same set up I have and they don’t have an issue.
I recorded inside and outside and the problem continues to disrupt my audio making useless to record with. I have a canon lens on there, and RODE mic pro so you can see the set up I have. But I tried using a different mic and got the same result.

[Waddizzle]

Contact Canon Support at the link Tim provided above.

[Real-Tom-Sawyer]

Just had the same situation with my new M50. Spent hours on youtube and Google trying to hunt down the answer. Finally, one thing woke me up in the middle of the night that I hadn't tried.

Turn off the WiFi and Bluetooth.

It worked!!!!

You see, I was so excited to try out all the features the new camera had to offer, that I tried the "Canon Connect" feature to my phone app. It worked great. Then I moved on to other items to play with. Well I never disabled the WiFi and Bluetooth. 

Then I connected my Rode Mic Go and had a slight helicopter sound going on. I turned down the preamp on manual as I was instructed to do, and all that did was just make all my volume go down. But the heicopter was still there.

So, at 3am, I figured out the problem. My wife thought I was nuts getting up and testing video, but I slept like a baby the rest of the night. 

Hope this works for you!