How to pick an appropriate microphone

When you transition from vacation videos and birthdays to something a little more serious, your first frustration will be audio. And if you ask the "pros," they are going to recommend fancy super-cardioid DC biased condenser XLR mics with 48V phantom power starting at about $1,500. Too much money and too complex - audio is both much easier to understand and harder to master than you'd think. So make sure your camcorder has a mic jack, check out this video and get ready to take the first step into professional audio for video. It's a thousand mile journey, so bring comfortable shoes! Watch this video sound tutorial and learn how to pick a good microphone for your needs.