Canon DM50 Consumer Microphone

Pros: Good separation of camcorder noise from recorded audio, powerful shotgun mode
Cons: Floating assembly is less confidence inspiring, still picks up some body noise from camcorder

Why spend any money on an external microphone if your camcorder already comes with a stereo mic built in? In fact, most are so sensitive now that it may seem like a really tough expense to justify. For most home users that especially true in light of the ...

Pros: Removes most motor and tape noises (not all), convenient hot shoe. Better than built-in mic.
Cons: Stands 3 inches above camcorder requiring on and off interchanges. Gaudy appearance.

I was looking for a Canon camcorder microphone which would get rid of all the motor noise you normally hear from camcorders. This one is the only shotgun mic I've ever owned. It does improve the sound noticeably and picks up sound much further away. ...

Pros: None, I can not think of one reason why one would purchase this microphone.
Cons: Everything I previously mentioned in my review.

I purchased this external mic in hopes that it would improve the sensitivity and clarity of the built in mic. It does not. I have made multiple tests and the sound metering is the same as the internal mic as is the sound quality and sensitivity. It is not worth a dime. I then purchased a much smaller self powered mic from Sima and it produces far better clarity and volume than the Canon unit. It does so at less than 1/3 the cost. Disappointed-Bruce P. Swinyer, M.D.