As far as environmental/nature mics go, I heard that the Audio Technica AT3032 is the most quiet mic for the money. The nature recordists love these mics.
Interesting. I am also planning some remote nature recording this summer (leaving SOON) and trying to decide what to run. I was leaning toward 4061's, since they are my only omnis (and they're tiny). Though the 4061 self noise is rather high at 26-28dB.
As a comparison, I see the schoeps mk21at 14dB, mk2 at 12dB, and AT3032 at 16dB. There is a big difference between 26 and 16 dB, but I wonder how significant it is in the big picture of quiet nature recording? Gain tends to be quite high.
I haven't decided between the AERCO (smaller, easier unbal input) or V3 (more detail, probably even more quiet). I haven't run the AERCO at very high gain, where I know the v3 is quiet. I was going to run into the r09, but now that I think about it, using the v3's a/d into the dreaded microtrack would probably be more quiet.
I will have a lot of time to record in some incredibly quiet places, so I do want to do it right. I need more mics like I need a hole in my head
To deedee's earlier point about cleaning the DPAs in water... Just because they can be cleaned that way doesn't in itself say how they work in humidity.. Though it is very encouraging from a field fix standpoint.
I haven't done nature recording before, so if anyone has pointers to FAQs, etc, they would be very welcome!