VideoMicro II Compact Shotgun Microphonevs A1
Rode
VideoMicro II Compact Shotgun Microphone
Starting from £65 new
Best for Vlogging, interviews & on-camera audio
View VideoMicro II Compact Shotgun Microphone
Sony
A1 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
View A1
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Vlogging, Interviews & On-Camera Audio — VideoMicro II Compact Shotgun Microphone: The VideoMicro II is the most recommended compact camera microphone for good reason. It's small enough to leave on the camera, sounds dramatically better than internal mics, and requires no batteries. If you record any video and haven't added a microphone yet, start here.
Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting — A1 (2021): 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
Who should buy what
VideoMicro II Compact Shotgun Microphone
- Vloggers and content creators who need better audio from their camera
- Filmmakers and documentary shooters who want on-camera ambient sound
- Interview videographers who want directional audio pickup
- Anyone who finds built-in camera microphone audio unacceptable
A1 (2021)
- Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
- Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
- Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
- A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything
Quick take: The videomicro ii compact shotgun microphone is the most affordable; only the a1 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | VideoMicro II Compact Shotgun Microphone | A1 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £65 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | — | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | — | 50.1MP |
| Video | — | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | — | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | — | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | — | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE |
| Battery Life | — | ~430 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 43g (including Rycote Lyre shockmount) | 737g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 8cm × 2cm (without shockmount) | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | — | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | — | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | — | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | — | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | 3.5mm TRS + USB-C output — works with cameras, computers and smartphones | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | VideoMicro II Compact Shotgun Microphone | A1 |
|---|---|---|
| Video | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Wedding | — |
More comparisons with VideoMicro II Compact Shotgun Microphone
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