Sony ECMMSD1 Stereo Zoom Camcorder Microphone for DCRHC20/30/40/65/85, DCRVX2100, HDRFX1

by Sony

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.7 x 1.3 inches ; 1.8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00008ZGSP
• Item model number: ECMMSD1
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 26, 2003

Product Description

High-Grade stereo Microphone

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bad In Almost Every Way, November 10, 2004

By 

Scipio (Chicagoland, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony ECMMSD1 Stereo Zoom Camcorder Microphone for DCRHC20/30/40/65/85, DCRVX2100, HDRFX1 (Electronics)

I ordered this mic after having to return the ECMHS1 (because it was, in reality, totally non-directional). Well, this one actually IS directional, but it is such a pain to use I wish I never bought it.

1st of all, you should know this mic does not work with the "smart shoe" available on most Sony camcorders - this means it will not receive any power from or transfer sound data to the camcorder through the shoe. Therefore it is battery powered. This may seem like a minor problem, but it means you need to remember to turn it on and off each time you video, otherwise you will have either a soundless video or a dead battery. Believe me, at some point you WILL forget this.

Not being smart shoe compatible also means you have to plug the mic into a jack on the camcorder - this can be a real hassle if you have a small device and are trying to loop the cord around so it isn't in the way. (In my case the jack is under a rather cheap plastic cover that threatens to break off with repeated use.)

(As you might expect, I highly recommend you check whether a mic is smart shoe compatible. Of course, that means the mic doesn't need a battery or audio plug - not that it will simply fit into the shoe. It's a great feature.)

Finally, while the engineers at Sony have done some amazing things over the years, they weren't able to do even a half-decent job designing the cap that covers this mic's battery. This cap will fall off with even the slightest touch. This can be INCREDIBLY annoying. Mine fell off several times - fortunately I always managed to find it. I finally put a piece of duct tape on to secure it (doesn't look great, but at least the color matches).

Considering the high cost, this mic is a really bad investment. While the non-directional mics in most camcorders are pretty pathetic, this is a VERY poor substitute.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good - could use more sound insulation., December 9, 2007

By 

bythecshore (Eastern U.S.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony ECMMSD1 Stereo Zoom Camcorder Microphone for DCRHC20/30/40/65/85, DCRVX2100, HDRFX1 (Electronics)

I've used this for a couple of years on a Canon Optura 20 camcorder with good results. I agree that you have to remember to turn it on and off but so what? That's not a big deal to me, I just always carry extra batteries.

About remembering to turn it on in the first place: when using an external mic you should also be monitoring your recording. It's actually critical to do this so you know what's being recorded on your audio track. You do this by plugging in headphones or ear pods into the audio out jack on your camcorder, then setting the camcorder appropriately (on my Canon it's menu/vcr setting/av/headphone). You will then hear everything that's being recorded and so will know if your mic is on or not.

My main quibble is that when the mic is fastened to the body of the camcorder, it picks up some hum from the camera body, although it's much better than the internal mic... probably 85% better. But still...

So I took a big artist's eraser and an Exacto knife and carved it so the eraser fits into the camcorder shoe and the mic slides into the top of the eraser. This isolates 99%+ of the sound. Took about 15 minutes to make it and worth every second. Cost about $1.00 and I've been using it for years.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good sound, but poorly designed, April 6, 2005

By 

Cam (Perth, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony ECMMSD1 Stereo Zoom Camcorder Microphone for DCRHC20/30/40/65/85, DCRVX2100, HDRFX1 (Electronics)

I have to agree with Scipio's review. I have stopped using this mic for a few reasons. 1) I forgot to turn it on one time and lost a lot of valuable sound on my footage. 2) I never know if it is working or not as it doesn't integrate with the camera, so how do I know when the batteries are dead?? Scares me to use it not knowing if its working or not. Sound quality was great for the few times I have used it, but I'll be looking for a hot shoe mic now.