Sony HandyCam compatible with Macintosh?

What boom mic is compatible with my camera? (Sony Handycam HDR-SR11)?

• My camera is a Sony Handycam HDR-SR11. I've been looking for a boom mic, such as a shotgun, for a while. The problem is i'm not sure what is compatible with it. I've compared the micjack to microphones online but they make hissing sounds when i connect them. I would like to spend under 500 dollars. I realize the hissing is the mic itself,but want that limited to the clearest sound i can get for the money. Thanks for any help you can get me.

• Answer:

  The HDR-SR11 has a 1/8" (3/5mm) mic jack. It does not have true "manual audio control", but does have a two-setting "Mic Reference Level" control that allows for limited mic gain control. This camcorder basically relies on the built-in automatic mic gain control for audio recording. When "Mic Reference Level" is normal, and the audio environment is very quiet, that hiss you hear is basically the camcorder listening for audio. The hiss is not from the external mic, exactly, but it is a result of the automatic mic gain trying to do its job. As the audio environment starts getting noise, the AMG does not need to "listen" so hard and the hiss should be reduced. The majority of the hiss comes from the camcorder's small mic pre-amps. Larger pre-amps and bypassing the internal pre-amps can eliminate the hiss - but only if the camcorder has full manual audio control - this not possible with the SR11. The "Low" setting of the "Mic Reference Level" is used for very loud audio environments and will help to reduce the possibility of over-driving the AMG. If the "Low" setting is not used when the audio is REALLY loud (like bands - whether amplified or not, loud motors or crowds) resulting in a lot of clipping and a very muddy sound recorded with the video and that audio cannot be fixed. Generally speaking, low-end consumer mics using a 1/8" (3.5mm) jacks can be used. The Rode Video mic, a few Audio Technica mics and mics from NRG Research will work directly and plug right in. You can also use better pro-grade mics that use XLR connectors by plugging those mics into an XLR adapter like those from juicedLink or BeachTek (then the XLR adapter plugs into the camcorder). The juicedLink XLR adapter's larger pre-amps may help to reduce the hiss, but the camcorder will still be dependent on the AMG circuit, so it won't ever be eliminated. +++++++++ So your shopping list: 1/8" connector to camcorder: Audio Technica ATR55 RODE Video Mic NRG Research SA-568 XLR Connector to XLR adapter: NRG Research SA-568 Audio-Technica AT8035 Sennheiser ME66/K6 XLR adapter: juicedLink (anything with phantom power)