Testing the Best Shotgun Microphones of 2026
A review was conducted on five compact shotgun microphones: Saramonic VMic5 Pro, Audio-Technica ATV-SG1, RØDE VideoMic NTG, RØDE VideoMic Pro, and Sennheiser MKE-600. Utilizing a Fujifilm X-H2s camera, the reviewer set the levels to -12dB and turned off onboard processing. Testing locations included areas near traffic, a construction zone, and a sound-treated studio. Notable results revealed that the Saramonic and Audio-Technica models produced clear highs but were deficient in mids and bass when used up close. The RØDE VideoMic NTG, while compact and of decent quality, had issues with distant sound capture. The RØDE VideoMic Pro performed well in proximity but diminished after 15 feet, and the Sennheiser MKE-600 was the loudest. All microphones are priced between $200 and $250, with their effectiveness varying based on features and dimensions.
Key facts
- Five shotgun microphones tested: Saramonic VMic5 Pro, Audio-Technica ATV-SG1, RØDE VideoMic NTG, RØDE VideoMic Pro, Sennheiser MKE-600.
- Tested by plugging directly into a Fujifilm X-H2s camera.
- Levels set to read speech around -12dB, with internal camera gain untouched.
- All onboard processing (low cut, gain offset, compression) disabled to judge baseline quality.
- Real-world tests near traffic and a construction site, plus studio recordings.
- Saramonic and Audio-Technica had crisp highs that carried well at distance but lacked mids/bass up close.
- RØDE VideoMic NTG was smallest, had most processing options, but struggled at distance.
- RØDE VideoMic Pro had more mids/lows, excelled up close but fell off by 15 feet.
- Sennheiser MKE-600 was noisiest with poor off-axis rejection.
- All mics except Sennheiser powered automatically from camera via audio jack.
- Audio-Technica had external input for second mic (lavalier) for stereo recording.
- Both RØDE mics allowed channel gain offset; NTG added onboard compression.
- All mics priced around $200–$250.
- Reviewer concluded all are usable; choice depends on features and size.
Entities
Institutions
- Saramonic
- Audio-Technica
- RØDE
- Sennheiser
- Fujifilm