Sony ECM-HW1 Wireless Microphone - ECMHW1
Wireless - Graphite Silver

I purchased this microphone for my Sony DCR-SR100. It is very easy to use and works as advertised. It costs more than it should but that is due to Sony's proprietary Active Interface Shoe that prevents the use of competitive alternatives. The mic takes two AAA batteries (not included). Battery life is shorter than I expected at about 4 hrs continuous use (the spec sheet says 3 hrs but this is not advertised). I recommend using rechargeable batteries. It works fine at a range of over 100ft line-of-sight. Range is degraded if the mic is hidden behind solid objects or used in close proximity with WiFi devices. I hid the mic behind clothing, glass and pillows without any problems. I used the mic in both the "ON" mode (sole audio source) and the "5.1ch CENTER" mode. There is an annoying echo effect in the 5.1ch mode due to the processing delays between the remote mic and the camera mounted mics for the other channels. I recommend that you not use this mode. Micing at the source significantly boosts the audio gain and eliminates camcorder noises (zoom motor and finger clicks). Sound quality is much better than using the built in mic but certainly not professional quality. Frequency response is 300-9000 Hz -- more than adequate for human voice but will not capture the upper harmonics of some instruments such as violins, flutes and cymbals. Dynamic range is aided by automatic gain control but with a very slow response time. In layman's terms, you will notice dropouts if your source goes suddenly from loud to quiet. I wish Sony had provided a means to turn off this "feature." All in all, I am happy with this product and believe it will yield effective results if you have an awareness of its limitations.
 
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