D800 audio hiss

Vipmediastar

This weekend I was at a local camera store and they had multiple vendors. Among them there was a nikon rep. I checkout the vast majority of the lens. Interesting lineup indeed. Anyways I had the rep connect their nikon microphone to my d800 and let him hear the audio hiss. I know for a fact it is not my mic because I didn't have that issue with the d7000. I read that you have to buy a pre amp but in mind that is not acceptable for a 3000k camera. He said he was going to follow up with Nikon and get back to me. I haven't found any fix online regarding this issue. While I do about 1% video with the d800 it would be nice to have clean audio the 4 times a year that I do choose to record video.

also I forgot to ask him. Why is the D90 still in the lineup? I had that camera and it was nice but hasn't it been replaced already with newer ones?

Msmoto

On the old forum:

http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=5449

http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=35316

theoldnikonian

I have tried various ways to get the best audio with the D800 and found that it is still best to use a separate recorder. Most people think that they have to sync the audio in post but this is not the case. I use the ZOOM H4n only as a mic / preamp only. Get the level set on the Zoom and use a sescom cable to connect it to the cameras mic input. The trick is to keep the cameras audio level low (around 6). As long as the camera shows a couple of bars on the meter then your good to go, giving good quality sound with no hiss. I have used this method on all my videos with great results. It does not have to be a zoom H4n, but any mic with a built in pre amp that you can control. No matter how much we all complain about built in mics on DSLR cameras they are rubbish and an external device should be used to get best quality audio, I hope this has been of help. Drop me a line if you need more advice. Chris

theoldnikonian

Check out my band videos on Youtube. Username chris chadwick

Vipmediastar_JZ

I pickec up the zoom h4n for a last minute event.
I tested it out and it sounds great.

I picked up the DSLR kit that includes the cable that plugs into the camera mic. I still hear a hiss from the video but ill use the camera audio to sync the audio since it has no hiss.

Now time to read the manual and cram it. but so far it looks easy. SD card is easy. I did a 1 min test video to sync the audio and it is not too bad.

Im aware the H6 is out but nobody in chicago had one or a DSLR mic in stock.

the dslr kit is so so. the show mount only goes half way. so that is being returned.

mikep

i havent done any video for ages, but i agree with the separate audio recording method. even when using fairly expensive video cameras, with proper balanced inputs and all that jazz, i was often better off using a powered lav mic (~$25), and a digital dictaphone (~$200). this depended of course on what was being recorded, but it was often just more versatile.

i am sure these days smartphones can make good recorders for sound, i wonder if that is a possibility ?

Vipmediastar_JZ

possibly

zoom does offer an option for the iphone http://www.zoom.co.jp/products/iq5

but battery life and such is not ideal in my case for this solution.

I'm doing a live test today with music band at a party. Lets see how well this does.

Vipmediastar_JZ

Im trying out the Rode videomic pro with a different D800. Same problem with my
original d800.
Lowering the volume to 6 just gives me low audio.
Looks like at least for the D800 you really need something like a separate audio recorder.

Ironheart

You need something with a pre-amp so you can keep the D800 levels low and drive a hotter signal. I'll post the models numbers here when I find them
http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h4n/
Try dialing the D800 down to like 4-6 and the h4n up to -10db or so.

Ade

The Rode VideoMic Pro already has a pre-amp built in.

1. Volume level 6 is a good starting point (then go lower if necessary).

2. On the back of the VideoMic Pro, change the pre-amp gain to the +20 dB setting.

3. In most cases you'll want to activate the High Pass Filter (HPF), by moving the off/on switch to the full rightmost position. HPF helps reduce mechanical and handling noises from the camera, unwanted background noise, etc. You may want to turn off HPF when you're recording music or other sounds with deep bass.

Vipmediastar_JZ

@ade Your suggestion worked. I had tried different combinations except setting it at +20 db. Few videos later and the hiss is no more.

Ade

Good to hear That VideoMic Pro is a nice little mic for sure.

If you're not already doing it, I'd highly suggest to always use a headphone plugged into the D800's audio-out to monitor recordings in real time. It's all too easy to make mistakes when using this type of mic (e.g., forgetting to turn it on, or accidentally unplugging mic jack, dead/dying battery, etc.)