Customer Reviews

Sony ECMHST1 Stereo Microphone for DCR-HC96, DCR-DVD305, 405, 505, DCR-SR80, 100, HDR-HC3, HC5 & HDR-UX5 Camcorders

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This stereo microphone is an excellent replacement for the on-board mono mic on the HC-3. You get extremely crystal-clear audio fidelity with the option of switching to a wider sound range. The only beef I have is with it's size... If you like to carry your HC-3 alot (which I do) the camera becomes much less compact (you'll notice how far it sticks up)... I suppose this is a testament to the HC-3's minute size and portability. But for stand-alone applications (such as recording a live band on a tripod, still nature settings, etc) this is the mic to beat. And with the fuzzy wind-protector and carrying pouch included, theres no reason not to pick up this mic. For serious stereo-sound recording applications, The Sony ECMHST1 Stereo Microphone is worth your time and money.

The on-board mic on my camcorder is very good. The only drawback is that it picks up wind noises, which sound loud and raspy on playback. I purchased this mic for my HC-96 mainly for the windscreen to reduce wind noise during outdoor shooting. It does reduce the loudness of the wind to a low rumble. I wonder if I could achieve the same thing by taping a piece of foam over the on-board mic. Other than that, I can't tell if the mic improves the quality of the recording. In fact, it seems to attenuate the sound when I recorded a children's musical in church with overhead speakers. It certainly attracts attention with the fuzzy windscreen on and givess an air of professionalism. Overall I feel neutral about this product.

I am in a working Rock Band and we have been trying to get a good Live recording for a while. I have the Sony DCR-SR80 and it works great but the on-board mic could not handle the SPL's the band was putting out. We would end up with great video, but crackly, overloaded audio. From the very first time we used this microphone, we were able to capture our live sound with much better accuracy and clarity. A great product and a must-have for anyone interested in using their Sony Cam to record Live music. The only reason I am not giving it 5 stars is because it is not the easiest of set-ups. Attaching it to the camera isn't as simple as it could be and the first couple of times were a bit tricky.

I really want to like this mic. It does a fantastic job at reducing the background noise. The video sounds so much softer and focused with this on it but the only problem is that it also reduces the clarity of the speakers that it focuses upon. I set my DCR-SR300 8 feet away and did a little test.

I spoke directly at the machine, away from it and tried talking softly but not quite a whisper. The built in mic picked up the higher pitches in my voice but also in the machine. There was a sort of background white noise going on. With the mic, the white noise was gone and everything was softer. Unfortunately, it softened the high tones in my voice and slightly decreased the volume. The only reason I'm keeping the mic is because Adobe Premiere Elements has a feature where I can increase the volume of the audio. Therefore, I'll have quieter original audio but I can crank it up when I go into editing.

Overall, I like it well enough and I have found a way to work around its short-comings. However, if you are taping and not doing any editing for your videos (such as just keeping your miniDV tapes/DVD's that the camera makes) then you'll have to weigh whether or not you want to deal with the quieted focal point and reduced background noise or begin editing like I am now doing. If you decide to go with editing, I would recommend Adobe Premiere Elements rather than Nero or the onboard Movie Maker on your PC/Mac. My primary disappointment here was the tone and volume reduction. Alas, I don't have the 5k to shell out for a professional camera and gear so I'll settle a bit. :)

I film live music rock bands.The mic on my DCR_SR300 totally distorts,starting at 105db.This Mic rolls off at 150Hz,and solved this problem.This Mic doesnt have as good of range as the on board Camera mic,but I had no problem recording up to 122db.At this point the buffer gets overloaded on the Camera.So for me,I,m Happy.I will only use the HST1 when filming loud music bands over 105db.I will have to EQ the low end to get a decent Audio,but at least its not totally distorted!!And the Video and pics are Excellant!!!

This mic works really good because it sits up off the body of your camcorder so it will not pick up motor/disc/tape drive noises like the stock mic that is in the body. It also comes with a wind sock that works extremely well for outdoor use. It will big time cut down the wind noise on your recordings. It is a stereo only mic so if your cam has 5.1 surround you will lose that. I have also owned the HQP1 which is the 5.1 version of this mic and it worked great as well but it is no longer available. Oh yes by the way it does create better sound for your video than the stock mic. I highly recommend this addon.

This mic worked fine for my application, but for most home movies, I really don't see the necessity for it. It did remove any noise associated with the camcorder, but still left enough hiss from the tape that you will need to eq the audio when editing.

I tried using my new Sony DCR SR40 to record Church orchestra performances and services and compared it to my Sony DCR TRV 900. I found quickly that I needed this new Sony ECMHST1 after comparing the sound quality to my old trv 900. Comparing the 2 cameras now with the new attached microphone, I can't tell the difference. It is a necessity for recording music or any performance from a distance with the Sony DCR SR40

I was really impressed with how this worked. I expected it to at least get rid of the buzzing noise of the camera. I was correct there, there was no buzzing sound to be heard. It made the actual sounds so much more clear. Also it did much better with picking up sound compared to my hdr-hc3 stereo mic. That one was a bit disappointing, like most stereo mics attached. But the great thing about this one is, even if someone were 12 feet away and it wasn't quite the volume that you wanted, you just turn it up in your editing software and you can turn it up without all of the buzzing noise! This was a great buy if you are really into video production like I am. It was smaller than I expected, which is great because it is so light weight. I read a review about how it loses its easy traveling ability. My comment on this is that if you are a movie producer you understand how big those cameras can be. Besides, you can take it off and literally put the thing in your pocket. Doing a test without the mic with a person talking about 10 feet away and with the mic 10 feet away I was really impressed! At first I really didn't want to buy a stereo mic. I was thinking, ah this is going to be just like my camera's mic. But it is much better. Recommended for anyone using sony cameras without mic jacks! Probably the best of all the sony microphones on the market.

When I accidentally smashed my other Sony HGZ1 camera mic, I wanted to upgrade to something nicer. The HST1 turned out to be a good choice. It's more compact but it still swivels 180 degrees for self-narration shots. Sony built-in a little bit of give so that if you nudge the mic, it tilts from the base...great if you or someone else accidentally bumps into it, it won't crack or break. I love the fuzzy wind filter (not the tecnical term I know) that neatly slips over the mic. It actually makes you look a little professional. Oh yeah, the sound it produces is very crisp. The stereo reproduction is of really good quality for a consumer mic. It's a nice accessory for my new Sony HDC-HC9. Good job Sony!