A DSLR can capture beautiful video, but its built-in microphone usually isn’t nearly as impressive.
Built-in camera microphones tend to pick up everything around them. You may hear wind, autofocus motors, people behind the camera, handling noise, and room echo. If the person you’re filming is several feet away, their voice can also sound distant and thin.
A dedicated DSLR microphone can make a huge difference.
For most videographers, an on-camera shotgun microphone is the easiest solution. It mounts directly to the camera, points toward your subject, and connects to the camera’s microphone input. More advanced filmmakers may use wireless lavalier systems or place a shotgun microphone on a boom pole.
For most DSLR users, the RØDE VideoMic NTG is my favorite overall choice. It offers directional recording, adjustable gain, a safety channel, filters, and compatibility beyond cameras. The Sennheiser MKE 400 is an excellent compact alternative, while the Deity V-Mic D4 Mini is a great option for smaller budgets.
What is the Best DSLR Microphones?
Here are some of the best DSLR microphones to consider.
1. RØDE VideoMic NTG – Best DSLR Microphone Overall
The RØDE VideoMic NTG is one of the most versatile on-camera microphones available. It’s a supercardioid shotgun microphone designed primarily for video recording.
The directional pickup pattern is important because you normally want your camera microphone focused toward whatever you’re filming rather than equally capturing everything around the camera.
RØDE gives the VideoMic NTG a 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency range along with continuously variable gain control.
That gain control is particularly useful with cameras. Instead of relying heavily on a DSLR’s microphone preamp, you can adjust the microphone’s output to provide a stronger signal.
There are also useful recording features including a safety channel, high-frequency boost, a pad, and two-stage high-pass filtering.
The safety channel can be particularly valuable when recording unpredictable subjects because it gives you a lower-level backup channel.
The VideoMic NTG isn’t limited to cameras either. Its 3.5 mm output automatically works with compatible camera and mobile connections, while USB-C allows it to function as a USB microphone with computers and other compatible devices.
Its rechargeable battery provides more than 30 hours of operation. If you want one microphone that can handle DSLR video, mobile recording, and computer use, the VideoMic NTG is difficult to beat.
2. Sennheiser MKE 400 – Best Compact DSLR Microphone
Not everyone wants a large microphone sitting on top of their camera. If you’re building a compact video setup, the Sennheiser MKE 400 is particularly attractive.
It’s a small supercardioid shotgun microphone designed for cameras and mobile devices. Despite its compact size, you still get several useful controls.
There’s a three-position sensitivity switch that lets you adjust the microphone for different recording situations.
You also get a low-cut filter that can help reduce unwanted low-frequency noise. One particularly useful feature is the headphone output.
Some cameras don’t provide convenient headphone monitoring. The MKE 400’s built-in headphone connection with volume adjustment gives you another way to monitor what you’re recording.
Sennheiser also builds wind protection and shock absorption into the microphone. A furry windshield is included for additional protection outdoors.
Both TRS and TRRS cables are supplied, allowing the microphone to work with compatible DSLR/mirrorless cameras and mobile devices.
3. Deity V-Mic D4 Mini – Best Budget DSLR Microphone
You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to improve your camera audio. The Deity V-Mic D4 Mini is a compact and affordable shotgun microphone designed specifically for cameras and content creators.
It uses a supercardioid pickup pattern to focus primarily on sound in front of the microphone while reducing off-axis sound.
Deity specifies a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz and a maximum SPL of 134 dB. The microphone itself weighs only about 28 grams, making it an excellent choice for lightweight camera rigs.
Another advantage is that you don’t need to charge a battery. The D4 Mini operates from 1 to 5 volts of plug-in power supplied by compatible cameras, phones, or recorders.
There’s also an additional 3.5 mm input. This allows you to connect another audio source, such as a wireless microphone, and have the additional source routed to the other stereo channel.
That’s an unusually useful feature for such a small microphone. Deity includes a shock mount, faux-fur windshield, TRS camera cable, and TRRS phone cable.
4. Deity V-Mic D4 – Best Value DSLR Shotgun Microphone
If you like the D4 Mini but want more control, consider the larger Deity V-Mic D4. The D4 is a supercardioid condenser shotgun microphone with a specified frequency range of 50 Hz to 20 kHz.
One of its most useful features is continuously adjustable gain. Being able to control the microphone’s output gives you more flexibility when working with different cameras and recording environments.
The D4 is powered by a single AAA battery and automatically detects when it’s connected so it can power itself on and off.
Deity also designed the shock mount to work beyond the top of a camera. It can be adapted for use on a boom pole or stand, allowing you to move the microphone much closer to the person you’re recording.
That’s important because microphone placement can improve your audio more than buying a more expensive microphone.
A microphone three feet from someone’s mouth will usually capture clearer speech than a similar microphone sitting ten feet away on top of a camera. The D4 also includes a furry windshield for outdoor recording.
5. RØDE VideoMic GO II – Best DSLR Microphone for Beginners
The RØDE VideoMic GO II is a good option for people who want something simpler than the VideoMic NTG.
It’s compact and designed to work without making camera audio unnecessarily complicated. This type of microphone makes sense for beginner YouTubers and vloggers.
The GO II can also be useful outside your DSLR setup thanks to its additional connectivity options, making it a more versatile purchase than a microphone that works only with cameras.
For beginners, simplicity matters. It’s easy to buy professional audio equipment and then spend more time dealing with settings, cables, batteries, and adapters than actually making videos. A compact shotgun microphone lets you concentrate on filming.
6. Sennheiser MKE 600 – Best DSLR Microphone for Filmmaking
As your video work becomes more serious, you may want to move the microphone away from the camera. The Sennheiser MKE 600 is better suited to this type of filmmaking workflow.
Instead of always leaving your microphone on top of the DSLR, you can position a shotgun microphone closer to the actor or interview subject using a boom.
This makes a major difference. Shotgun microphones are directional, but they aren’t magic.
If your camera is twenty feet from an actor, the microphone is also twenty feet away when it’s mounted on the camera.
Moving the microphone just outside the frame can dramatically improve the ratio between the person’s voice and background noise.
For interviews, documentaries, short films, and more serious productions, a boom-mounted shotgun microphone is often a better long-term solution than relying entirely on an on-camera microphone.
Final Thoughts
Improving your microphone can make your DSLR videos feel more professional immediately. Viewers may tolerate video that isn’t perfectly sharp. They are much less forgiving when they can’t understand what someone is saying.
For most DSLR users, an on-camera shotgun microphone is the easiest upgrade. The RØDE VideoMic NTG is my favorite all-around option because it combines directional recording with adjustable gain, a safety channel, filters, USB audio capability, and more than 30 hours of rated battery life.
The Sennheiser MKE 400 is excellent when you need a smaller travel-friendly setup, while the Deity V-Mic D4 Mini provides impressive flexibility for a budget model.
But don’t focus only on the microphone. Placement matters just as much. Keep the microphone close to your subject, use proper wind protection outdoors, monitor your levels, and test your audio before every important shoot.
A modest microphone in the right position can produce much better results than an expensive microphone mounted too far away.