The RØDE VideoMicro II is a simple, super-compact on-camera microphone for vloggers and filmmakers with a shotgun design that offers a highly directional ‘super cardioid’ polar pattern that captures sound from where it’s pointing, not from all around.
It has a 3.5mm TRS output jack so it plugs straight into a camera’s microphone socket, and does not require batteries. There are no controls, so the VideoMicro II should be ultra-simple to use even for novices. Its size and simplicity should make it ideal for the best vlogging cameras and it could prove one of the best microphones for video.
It’s a successor to the original RØDE VideoMicro, which RØDE says is the world’s best-selling on-camera mic. The new VideoMicro II has a completely redesigned annular line tube body for “unmatched transparency and natural, full-bodied sound”. RØDE has also overhauled the circuitry to produce better sensitivity and lower noise.
It’s a smaller sibling of the RØDE VideoMic Go II, one of the best microphones for on-camera use, though the VideoMicro II is a simpler alternative without USB connectivity or headphone monitoring.
This helps it achieve its ultra-low weight of just 39g, which includes its new ‘Helix’ isolation mount – this is the flexible bracket that stops vibration from the camera reaching the mic. The mount has integral cable management slots and a standard cold shoe mounting ‘foot’, plus a 3/8-inch thread for mounting on stands or arms.
Both foam and furry windshields are included, as are a pair of ‘patch cables’, one for TRS to TRRS (smartphone and tablet) connection and one TRS to TRS cable for camera connection.
The RØDE VideoMicro II is made in RØDE’s own factory in Sydney, Australia, and will sell for $79/AU$125 (about £66).
• Get the RØDE VideoMicro II at Amazon US
• Get the RØDE VideoMicro II at Amazon UK
• Get the RØDE VideoMicro II at DigiDirect (AU)
