Topic: Sony EX1 camera audio good enough?

[gmoe]

Hi everyone-

I'm going to be getting the new Sony EX1. I'm basically doing documentary work and want to scale back my gear. I was using the Sound Devices 722 and 302. I'm thinking of keeping my 302. Do you think I can get a way with the camera's on board audio or do I still need a high end recorder like the 722 to capture sound separately.

Thanks,

Gmoe

[John Kary]

I would personally keep the 302 and trust its pre-amp to power your mics over the camera.  Most cameras have fairly noisy pre-amps in relation to dedicated audio gear, so keep the Sony at line level and run phantom from your 302.

When I have shot doc footage before, I didn't have a field mixer and always wanted a better way to mix multiple mics when interviewing multiple subjects, as the mono L/R of the camera make for more work in post.

The camera itself will work fine as a recorder.  You don't so much need 24-bit/96k on voice overs, and your production sound will already be synced.  And if you're like most doc filmmakers, you're shooting 100+ hrs of footage.  Syncing sound isn't always the most fun thing...

[gmoe]

awesome! Thanks for the advice! I think I'll keep my 302 then! 

[John Kary]

I will add that if you are doing any run-and-gun documentary footage, where you will be moving around a lot handholding the camera, you will want a 2nd person running a boom mic by themselves.  Otherwise you will have a sound person running around tethered to your camera, and that's just asking for trouble.

My previous post was thinking more about sit down interview type doc footage.  Which do you plan on doing?

[gmoe]

Good Point. It'll be more Sit down interviews, oral history kind of a thing.

So for those stationary interviews I have a mic stand to hold my AKG 480B with CK63 capsule. But there will be some moments where I will be perhaps having shots of them at home showing me around their house, interacting with their families, etc. Ideally it would be nice to have an additional sound person but because I'm sort of a one man operation, I was thinking of using a lav for the subject when ever I have to move and then carry my 302 in my petrol bag with me. I'm always wary about lavs though and I'm wondering just to be safe if I can use something like a noga arm and attach it to the bottom of my camera and then connect my AKG 480B/CK63 to the noga. It would be sort of awkward, but in small rooms where I'm walking around and following the subject it may work. What do you think? Any other solutions?