Man, I spent way too much time and money trying to fix my audio on these tiny rigs. Honestly, I had issues with some of the bigger name brands where the shock mounts were so stiff they actually picked up the sound of my fingers clicking the camera buttons. It was a huge letdown. I eventually picked up the Movo VXR10 Universal Video Microphone because I wanted something that didnt feel as flimsy as the others. Its pretty cheap and honestly holds up better than some of the expensive mics ive owned in the past. One thing that really bugged me tho was the wind noise even with a deadcat on. I realized most people just plug it in and go, but you gotta mess with the internal levels or you'll get that annoying background hiss. Unfortunately, Sony cameras love to crank that gain up by default. I once lost an entire day of travel footage because the jack on a different mic was slightly loose and recorded nothing but static. Such a bummer when you think you're getting pro sound and it ends up being garbage. Quick tip: Always turn off audio auto-gain in your camera settings and set the level manually to around 3 or 5. If you need a backup option that's even smaller, the Boya BY-MM1 Cardioid Compact Microphone is decent for the price, tho the mount feels a bit cheaper than the Movo.

You definitely need the Rode VideoMicro Compact On-Camera Microphone! Its tiny, super easy to use, and sounds amazing.

• no batteries needed
• includes furry windshield Youll love it!

> I just got a little Sony camera for vlogging but the sound is super windy and I dont know what I'm doing. Before you commit to a purchase, you really want to be careful about how the weight of an external mic affects your specific Sony model. Some of those compact hot shoes are a bit flimsy, and a heavy mic can actually cause structural stress over time if youre not careful. I would suggest looking at the Sennheiser+MKE+200+Super-Cardioid+Directional+On-Camera+Microphone&linkCode=osi&tag=5422-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">Sennheiser MKE 200 Super-Cardioid Directional On-Camera Microphone because its designed specifically for these smaller setups and usually stays right under that $80 limit. It fits your budget and the internal shock mount is a huge safety feature. Most budget mics have those external rubber bands that can snap or fail when you are out in the field, but this one is built into the housing so its much more reliable for travel. You also need to make sure to check your cable connections every single time you plug it in. A common mistake is not seating the 3.5mm jack completely into the camera port... you really have to feel that click or you might end up with a high-pitched hum instead of audio. Regarding the wind issue, even if it looks bulky, keep the fuzzy windshield on at all times. I have seen people try to vlog without it because they want a smaller profile, but you will definitely regret it if even a slight breeze ruins your take. Just be careful with the cable routing so it doesnt get caught in the lens mechanism. It is better to be a bit overly cautious with the setup now than to lose hours of footage later.