Digital SLR Video and Filmmaking For Dummies

4

Audio Matters

In This Chapter

Understanding audio capture

Breaking down microphone types

Comprehending capture devices

Monitoring your audio

The better your movie sounds, the better it looks. Think of it as a feast for the ears and eyes, with one supporting the other. Don’t believe me? Check out well-shot video with poor audio and see if you regard it highly.

But good audio is not always easy with a DSLR: Although it provides amazing picture quality, audio capture leaves much to be desired.

That’s because it was never intended to do more than capture quality images. Since DSLR technology came on the market, its sensor speed has climbed steadily along with the ability to capture HD movies, but somehow it left audio capture in the rearview mirror. Instead, audio functions were more of an afterthought, and even then, mostly just to provide reference when taking photographs.

That’s too bad because less-than-perfect video is less noticeable when the sound is clear and balanced. That ...