Sennheiser MKE 400 Shotgun Microphone - Black

by Sennheiser

Product Features

• Rugged all-metal housing
• Integral shock mount for rejection of handling noise
• Switchable sensitivity for long and short distances.
• More than 300 hrs operationg time from 1 AAA battery.
• Fits all camers with a standard hot shoe mount and an external microphone input

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 5.1 x 2.4 inches ; 2.1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0015CM64U
• Item model number: MKE 400
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,594 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)
  • #41 in Electronics > Accessories & Supplies > Camera & Photo Accessories > Professional Video Accessories > Microphones
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

The Sennheiser MKE 400 microphone is a rugged, compact and versatile mic that provides great sound for video. The MKE 400 is a small shotgun mic for use with cameras with a lighting shoe mount and external microphone input.

Features:

• Rugged all-metal housing
• Maximum side noise rejection, optimized for video recordings
• Switchable sensitivity for long and short distances
• Switchable wind noise filter
• Approximately 300 hours operating time (from a single AAA battery)
• Integral shock-mount for rejection of handling noise
• Foam windshield included

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Everything you'd expect ! From a mini shotgun mic December 4, 2010

By Andrew Lubetkin

Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this microphone a couple weeks ago to use it with the Panasonic tm700 camcorder. My experience level with microphones is above average. I have several high end larger shotgun mics that were just too awkward to use with a traditional camcorder. My overall impression of this microphone is that it sounds good and functions as intended.

1. The sound quality from this microphone is pretty good and it performs as a shotgun mic should, rejecting sounds and noise from its sides and behind it and

focusing on sound in front of it. (which is why its superior to on board omnidirectional mics when ambient sounds are a problem)

2. Form factor is small. No one should buy this mic if they don't have to have a miniature shotgun mic.

Conclusion: The Sennhseiser MKE 400 works well and sounds good for its intended purpose. It is a shotgun mic. It is not an omnidirectional mic.

It will help if you have a noisy camcorder and want to eliminate the sound of the camera. It is useful in "focusing" on sounds in front of it as

opposed to behind or to the side of it. It is a 200.00$ miniature microphone and won't perform as well as larger more expensive shotguns.

Like all shotguns it will sound better if its closer to its subject like on a boom pole.

A word about microphones.....almost any camcorder you buy new will be worth thirty to fifty percent less in a years time and nothing in 5 years. Any microphone you buy will be worth almost what you paid for it. Quality microphones don't lose their value and the technology hasn't changed in decades. While I am recommending this microphone for its intended purpose I would suggest anyone that doesn't already have another larger microphone to go ahead and get a full size high quality mic first. Otherwise you will be penny wise and pound foolish.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Tried a dozen and this is the only one to keep August 30, 2010

By samson

I need to record some conversation with canon 7D. Tried almost every hotshoe mic available from local stores and this is the only one I kept. It suppresses background noise while improving the voice. Exactly what I want.

All other models I tried either amplify noise along with voice, or don't show any improvement compared to the internal mic.

My original budget is about 150, so 200 is a bit steep. I still bought it because that's the only one that works for me.

(I didn't buy it from amazon. Instead I went to San Jose Camera and Videos local store to try and buy. Very nice store with knowledgeable employees. Only concern was that they don't accept return on this item. It does come with 3 yr warranty though. So we brought our camera to record some samples, went home and listen on the computer, then went back to the store and bought it.)

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent replacement for the on-board mike in many small camcorders October 31, 2010

By W. Hohauser

Amazon Verified Purchase

Unless you are spending around $2000 dollars on a camcorder, you are likely to be getting a surface mounted camera mike that gets all sorts of extraneous noise that is not coming from your picture subject. if your camcorder has a stereo mini microphone jack, This microphone really changes the sound quality of your recording and is well worth the $200 Amazon is selling it for.

Pros: Small footprint compared to the Rode camera mikes; this is especially important if you are using wide-angle lenses or want to film without calling attention to yourself. Long battery life. Good sound. Functional shock absorber.

Cons: Hard to tell if it's on. Foam windscreen easily pulls off the conical shaped mike and is not easy to replace thru Sennheiser or anywhere else if lost. Umbillical cord is in the way on cameras with a small distance between the accessory shoe and the mike jack.

Overall this is a great purchase for b-roll cameras or home video cameras where the sound is awful using the built in mike.