Folks,
For the longest time, I've wanted to document the story of my parents' life, particularly some rather exciting bits in their youth. Laziness, cost, etc. have all played a part in things not quite coming together, but I feel like I'm finally ready to embark on what seems like a quest that's way over my head.
I have a Canon T2i that, while certainly not pro-level from a video standpoint, gets the job done at 1080 24p and a decent bitrate. From very early on, my research taught me that the AGC inherent in the T2i made the prospects of plugging anything directly into the camera seem ill-advised.
Anyways, here is my planned setup:
LOCATION: My parents' living room (no acoustic dampening; tile floors and bare walls)
SUBJECT: Sitting on a couch in front of a wall
EQUIPMENT:
• Canon T2i on tripod/monopod
• Tascam DR-40 (will likely get the power adapter and not bother with batteries)
...And here's where I need the most help. I've done my very, very best to read up on all the different mics and mic types to figure out the mic (~$150-$250) that will give me the best quality and also work for me in other uses/projects. Here's what I'm considering:
Rode NTG-2: I know that a hypercardioid would be vastly preferred for my indoor application versus the shotgun NTG-2, but I just see myself using a shotgun mic (i.e. outdoor audio) as much or more so than any indoor recording. The arrangement I figured would work best was a boom stand hovering above my subject's head just out of shot, pointing directly at their face, but EVERYWHERE I look, folks are suggesting that a shotgun mic, particularly in a room where nothing's been treated for echo, is a mistake.
Rode NT-3: While everyone seems to prefer this mic in situations similar to what I have planned, my understanding is that it won't work well for outdoor purposes? Will it be THAT much better than the NTG-2 for my use?
Countryman EMW wired XLR lavalier: Almost everyone (even myself) consider a lavalier to be the ideal mic for an interview, which is basically what I want to do, but the EMW has a couple problems in my mind: it's rather expensive, and it has rather limited applications.
I don't mind buying a more specialized mic for just this project and then buying a second one down the road, so if what seems to be the sagest wisdom confirms what I'm reading around the internets, then that's what I'll do. I guess I just want my first serious mic purchase to afford me SOME versatility, and I feel the shotgun mic does exactly that. Will it be THAT bad indoors? And I apologize if I sound like someone who is just unwilling to accept the truth; it's more a case of wanting to figure out if the sentiment I'm coming across regarding shotguns indoors is overblown or not.
Thank you!!