AZDEN ECZ 990 Super Cardioid Zoom Camcorder Microphone
Normal Price:$54.00
Our Price:$55.59 (Sale Price!)
Availability:Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Manufacturer: AZDEN
Model: 990
Binding: Electronics
Publisher: AZDEN
Label: AZDEN
Features for AZDEN ECZ 990 Super Cardioid Zoom Camcorder Microphone:
- Allows you to focus on subjects, reducing side noises
- 35' range
- 150Hz-18kHz
- Uses 1 AA battery
- Includes wind screen and shoe mount
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Customer Reviews
Works great-- Off camera! 
2008-07-07
This mike works fine, if you use it off camera, which is the way professionals always capture audio.
The camera is the worst place to put the microphone. Using even a much better mike, no matter how directional, doesn't give much better sound. That's why pros us a boom, or clip on mikes.
I use it with an extension cord, I mount it on a fiberglass extendable painters pole. Works great. I also found that using a mono extension cable gave better results than a stereo extension.
I should have listened to the review 
2007-03-24
I read a good review about this mic in a Japanese magazine called Video Salon. I have a Sony HDR-FX1. the shoe is placed way above and to the edge of the camera so I didn't worry about camera sound getting picket up by the mic. The mic that comes with the camera never picks up zoom sound or hand movement on the camera. The ECZ-990 barely picks up the target sound. And the sound it does pick up is tinny. It DOES however pick up every little sound of the camera. You get a huge buzz when using auto zoom. And every little movement of your fingers against the camera body is picked up as a booming sound.
The only use i can see for this mic is to get an extension cord and let someone hold the mic up to the target sound source. Strangely enough, the mic didn't pick up too much sound from the hand holding it.
The price is low but I honestly feel like I threw away my money. Lesson learned: Only buy a mic you have personally tested yourself.
Decent performance, but too much extra noise 
2005-05-15
the mic is certainly better than the 'record absolutely everything' mic on the top of my Canon GL2, but there is still a lot of noise 'in the line' and the camera picks up the camera's motor noise even better than the onboard mic (didn't know that was possible). that being said, the audio you get is miles better, especially for recording interviews. It's small, unobtrusive and has two settings (wide and long) and is mostly good at targeting a subject in front of you.
the biggest problem seems to be with the mount, which is cheap and really helps the mic pick up the buzz, hum and other undesirable noise directly through the body of the mic. I tried using rubber bands to isolate it, but then I just returned the mic, not worth the grief if I have to 'MacGyver' it right out of the box. I'm going to get a proper a mic mount, and keep looking.
bottom line - if you have terrible noise from your onboard camcorder, this is a good deal. Sure, you can spend $1000 for a better Shure or Sennheiser, but if you just want some above average targeted audio, this can't be beat for the price.
