Customer Ratings & Reviews

I shoot with a Canon 90 D and while the built-in microphone works OK, the VP 83 takes it to a whole new level. Much greater directional control with this shotgun as the side lobes really fall off. I found that I mostly used the 0 dB setting as +20 introduces more noise which can be reduced somewhat using the camera controls. It is not terribly sensitive to level (probably limit circuitry inside the camera) but some minor adjustment in-camera will give superior results. Just make sure to have a set of headphones or at least earbuds to make sound checks at the shoot. I have not used -10 as I have not shot in really noisy environments. A pretty good microphone at this price point, but they want another $50 for the dead cat which should have been included. The foam windscreen is just OK, and I would recommend picking up a dead cat.

The Shure - VP83 LensHopper Camera-Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone is a solid shotgun microphone that is simple and straight forward to use. It provides good sound quality to any footage captured off of DSLR and MILC bodies. The metal frame of the Shure - VP83 LensHopper Camera-Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone will provide durability and increase the lifespan. A nice addition is the microphone takes a single AA battery. There is no need to worry about charging an internal battery. If your battery dies in the field it is as simple as replacing the battery, no need to charge. Overall, it is a simple to use shotgun microphone in a small, durable package.

The VP83 from Shure is one of the more straight forward products in the condenser mic marketplace. This is the non-integrated flash model so there are no displays or extra controls/functions aside from the on/off and filter toggle on the back of the unit. Again, very simple & straight forward product. I mounted this to my DSLR and went out on some hikes to record ambient sounds as well as setting up a tripod in the house to record some meetings/podcasts for work. There was another mic I was reviewing in use at the same time so I could do a direct comparison of the audio outputs. While the VP83 didn't have the same quality and depth of sound in the vocal department, it did a much better job of filtering out background noise. The shock mount coupled with it's ability to limit background noise makes this a great on-the-go, outdoor mic. I could see using this to do field recordings if you were a Vlogger or hiker that did broadcasts or reports in the field. It's durability and quality are much better suited in that environment compared to a traditional "studio" mic. The fact it is powered by a single AA battery (100+ hours) is a huge plus. I was not able to test this claim of 100+ hours (175+ hours for a lithium AA battery) but I used it for two weeks worth of hikes and podcasts so ~75 hours worth of recording and the included AA battery is still doing fine. I don't have any reason at this point to dispute the 125+ hour claims. I could see "van life" types finding the VP83 as the ideal mic for any/all recording tasks taking the on-the-go performance capabilities and battery-powered factor into consideration. I felt compelled to remove a star as I do feel it is overpriced $30-$50 given it's overall sound recording quality. Some would say the name Shure carries a little bit of a premium and while a part of me agrees, I do think this would be an absolute killer $125-$150 mic, not a $175-$200 one. Having said that, I still recommend picking one up if you are looking for an excellent every day, indoor/outdoor mic that can knock out all your recording needs whether they be indoor or outdoor, stationary or on the go. Find it on sale? 5-star no-brainer purchase!

I have always been a fan of Shure microphones. I come from a radio broadcasting background, and I always used a professional Shure microphone in the studio! I also have a videography background as well, so I was excited to give this mic a try with my camera and see what it could do. Right out of the box its pretty much plug and play. All you have to do is pop the included battery in the microphone and you are good to go. There isn't much adjusting you can do on it, there is a low cut on/off switch and a gain control. For testing it I mounted it on my Canon DSLR camera and gave it a try. It is definitely an improvement over the cameras built in microphone. It is night and day! The one thing I did notice was that you have to be fairly close to the microphone to get the best sound, so I don't know if I would call this a true shotgun mic. It has a fairly narrow pickup pattern that does block a lot of unwanted noise. But isn't quite as precise as you would normally think of when you think if a shotgun mic. Cranking the gain all the way up helps, but it also increases the overall background noise as well. The low cut filter does help to minimize that, but it does make the overall sound quality a little more tinny. This microphone would be perfect for "run and gun" style shooting when you want to have the least amount of gear but still get fairly professional results. The mic doesn't get in the way, and has a nice short cable so that isn't in the way either. Comes with a built in windscreen and shock mount to minimize any unwanted noises. Overall I would probably give this a 7 out of 10, considering the cheap price point I might even bump that up to an 8. If you're a videographer looking for something fairly inexpensive that will drastically increase the sound quality of your videos, definitely check this out!

I am very impressed with this microphone! I am an avid photographer, but I don't do a lot of video. One of the reasons being that the built in microphones on most cameras (even high end ones) leaves a lot to be desired. The VP83 will probably change that for me. I am using it with a Sony A7RII full frame camera. It couldn't be easier to use. Pop it onto the hot shoe & plug it into the microphone input. Camera automatically see's it. Not much for controls on the unit itself. A power switch and gain switch with three settings: -10, 0, and +20. I really haven't found much use for the -10 setting. The standard "0" setting works fine most of the time. Shooting outdoors can require the +20 on occasion but rarely. The sponge cover does a decent job of cutting down on wind noise, but not perfect. If you plan to use this is potentially windy or stormy conditions, I would suggest buying a separate dead cat cover. Pretty much any other settings will depend on your camera. Some being more video oriented will most likely give you more options. But honestly, you really won't need to tinker with the sound much at all. The improvement over the built in camera microphone is night & day! The sound is clear, even and much more life like. Considering the price, I would say even if you only plan to use it for family videos you should really think about getting one.

For my camera you can hear the difference. The built in mic has a bad echo, I always thought my camera mic, wasn’t the worst… which might be true, then I compared the internal mic and this one side by side… There is no comparison to how much better the audio quality is with this. Just to test the capabilities I put the music on in the background and turned on the robot vacuum. At +20dB I could clearly hear the vacuum and the music in the background, but my voice wasn’t lost at all. At zero I could hear both still be but they were faint. At -10dB the music was gone and the vacuum I could barely identify (our robot vacuum isn’t the quietest and I enabled a beta feature to make it have more suction but also get even louder). Point is, I love how I can change the gain depending on the environment and it I or my target comes through nice and clear. It uses an AA battery and yes a rechargeable battery does work (they are slightly lower voltage and don’t work on all electronics). The size is nice and it feels very durable. For the mic it is almost plug and play (first time I forgot to turn it on)… so it is more like plug in, turn on, select the gain for the environment, then play. Just the amount of customizability and ease of use that I like.

Straight forward microphone for cameras and camcorders. Feels very sturdy and doesn't add too much weight to your camera. You'll have to power it with a single AA battery. You'll want to keep some batteries around if you are planning to record long use, but I read a single battery may last up to 130 hours. Simple Mic, a switch for +20,0, and -10db. The feature to low cut is great to reduce that low-frequency sound. Also a switch for gain. Overall, it's a straightforward mic with good quality sound. I would recommend it!

Wrong thing it was horrible this summer needed something different

If you’re looking for a shotgun microphone to attach to your camera, I highly recommend this Shure - VP83 LensHopper Camera-Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone. I use mine with my Sony Handycam AX43 4K Camcorder to record lectures my grandfather gives on his artwork and although the microphone built-in to the camera is good, the Shure VP83 really takes things to the next level. The highly directional supercardioid pattern this microphone uses is perfect for my situation and would be a great option for anyone looking to record something similar. From the moment I opened the box, I could tell that this is a well-built, high-quality microphone that should last a long time. Just make sure that the camera you intend on using this with has a mic input port! Overall, that Shure – VP83 LensHopper Camera-Mount Condenser Shotgun Microphone is an excellent shotgun microphone and I highly recommend it!

Quality sound equipment can really make or break a video. The Shure VP83 is a quality microphone. I use this on my Nikon D7200 and my Fujifilm XT3, the difference between using the Shure microphone and the last one I had is so much better. I live in an area where there is just always some wind, the wind filtering is very good and is most times not noticeable. Taking video of my kids or anyone for that matter, the sound is picked up and it sometimes sounds like they are right next to me. I am not a videophile, just make family videos, so I can go into the specs, but this Shure microphone has improved the sound quality of my videos and that is what counts for me. Get it you wont be dissapointed.

The Shure VP83 is built well and has a built in shock mount, which keeps down noise from touching or hitting the camera. The reason for 3 stars is that the pre-amp is pretty loud. This means there is a lot of hissing when everything is quiet. Otherwise, the mike picks up sound decent and is an improvement from a camera internal mike. My camera is a Canon SL3 and I had it mounted on a tripod.

This mic is quite an improvement over the built-in of my camera. I was expecting as much, but it picks up more, what is picks up sounds better, and everything just has more depth and life. It takes a bit to dial it in, based on what and where you are shooting, but the process is easy, and the results are worth it. Beyond performance, the build is great. It is a perfect size, all metal, and solid, yet light, so it should stand up over time to being knocked around a bit and it didn’t add a lot of heft to my setup. Shure has also done a good job isolating any mechanical and external noises, which was something I struggled with in the past. Lastly, I really like that its power requirements are so simple and small. Being able to use a single AA battery just simplifies the entire process. It is rated for 130 hours (which I have not hit yet), so it should be a while between replacements. Ultimately, I really like this mic. It is simple to use, is built well, and is a great mix of value and performance. If you like to shoot video, you can definitely improve your output with this mic.

Recordings made with the mic sounded crisp and clear. However, for a shotgun mic, it seemed like it was more omni-directional rather than uni-directional. It picked things up from the sides and behind with equal volume and clarity as those in front, and while generally a positive, that's not typically the aim of a shotgun mic.