Sony ECM Microphones Testing. Are They Worth It?
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
- We go through and test all four of Sony's ECM shotgun microphones to see which ones are worth the price.
Microphones discussed in this video:
Rode Video Micro 2: amzn.to/3OqY0Qy
Sony ECM-G1:amzn.to/3PU68sB
Sony ECM-B10: amzn.to/3LXqFLK
Sony ECM-B1: amzn.to/3ZV35os
Sony ECM-M1: amzn.to/4004wSL
Hi... just wanted to say i spent hours looking at reviews on these and this was by far the best. You can tell which reviewers are actually honest. THANKS
Hey, thanks for this comment, it means a lot! I purchased these with my own money, so I wanted to make an unbiased real world review.
This was an outstanding review! Just dogged, relentless, thorough investigation and evaluation. Thank you for taking the time and effort - really informative!
Glad you enjoyed the format. Thanks for watching!
So in this review the M1 sounded terrible but I think that's more because you're using a room with lots of resonance and the other mics are able to direct the pattern more at your voice. If you did this same test outdoors I think you'd find them to be a lot closer. Obviously moving much closer to the mic is a much better option than any of these.
I did an outdoor test, and they were all basically the same, hard to tell the difference. The cheapest ECM G1 is what I use for outdoor filming, and I boost the base in post editing. The M1 is not worth it, either the b10 or b1m are better mics if you want to spend $350.
Thanks for watching.
@@tommilano5431 would the M1 be worth getting at $200 (new)? 🤔
@@soreeyez I would steer clear of the M1. You can get the ECMB10 for that price used, and it’ll sound much better.
@@tommilano5431 thanks for the reply. The B10 & B1 is also going at half their usual (list price) in Singapore for this month. 🤩
Wish you would have included the tests with other patterns on the M1. Were the other modes really all the same or worse? You mention them being useless alot, but never show or mention you tried them. Since you basically tell it to ignore your voice which comes from every direction in practically the same volume in that scenario I would say it did great for what you told it to do in those further away tests.
The quality of the sound was the same on any of the modes.
Thanks for watching.
Completely agree with you and I LOVE my M1!
Super helpful! Thank you!! Went with the B1 because of your review.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! I use the B1M and b10, I no longer have the other 2.
In my opinion, the review would have been a little better if you rated them on a one 10 scale, or A to F scale. Instead of saying, which one is better. How can you say which microphone will be better when you don’t know the style of recording that the person will be doing. Your opinion was very biased on your style of recording and opposite of what I record.
30% of my videos are me talking to the camera, 30% with my wife next to me talking, followed by 40% of my wife standing in front of me and we are talking back-and-forth. The M1 microphone is perfect for me because I can aim it at myself, or I can widen it to capture both of us or when she’s in front of me, I can record really good, clean audio with her voice and my voice and ignore everything around us.
Very useful video to me. I recently pruchased the B1M and was about to switch to the M1. So glad I did not switch because sound quality is more important in my shoots. Thank you.
You’re welcome, glad I could help.
Thanks for watching.
Thank you for this video and the work you put into this. Been hearing a lot of bad review on the M1 and this video definitely helped solidify a lot of people’s purchase decision.
You’re welcome. I wanted to get my hands on the M1 for all of the different modes, but it’s not as good as the others.
Thanks for watching!
I notice you say the ECM-G1 is the only one you can use with other cameras as it has a mic out. I know it's quite old now but the ECM-XYST1M stereo mic has an external connector not just hot-shoe mount. It's a shame they've not brought out an update for it, but seems a great mic for my needs, which is gig videography with a Sony RX100VII
I’ve seen different ecm mics on the web here and there. Don’t have much experience though, as the main reason I got these was the hot shoe capabilities.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the detailed review.
I have the long shotgun version.
Mainly, I got it to avoid cable spaghetti, impedance issues etc...
Thank you. That’s the one that I ended up keeping and using all the time. Ecm b1m. It sounds the best, and is the easiest, even when standing far away from the mic.
which body do you have? shouldn't you be able to turn on breathing compensation for 20mm 1.8?
Zve1. I made a lot of mistakes in this video . I was wide open at f1.8, and had “product showcase” on, meaning when I put my hands up, it focused on my hands then back to my face. The wide open F also causes a lot of blur!
Now, I keep breathing comp on and mostly product showcase off. If I am talking about a product, I’m between F5.6 to F9 or so.
thank you for the distance test the b1m does sound better you just helped me out major
You’re welcome!
What a very helpful review. Plus the intro really got me, haha
Thanks! Figured I’d throw in a little comic relief!
Great video. The problem for me is that there's no shock mounting on the Sony mics and in your video, you can hear the lens focussing which is annoying.
Thank you. I realized that’s what that noise was a few days ago editing another video! I had product showcase on in this video, which is why the focus kept shifting. The ECM mics do have shock mounts. I only use the B1m, it’s the best one.
Thank you for your detailed and honest review!
Glad it was helpful! You’re Welcome!
Yeah I want one that works with any camera regarding of what brand. I have my Sony zv-1 and canon r6 Mark ii. I need compatibility. I use my rode Video micro - mic go 2 as well as my rode wireless go II. They all work very well. They should make them compatible with any camera, hopefully they will one day.
That’s the downside to these mics. They only work on the hotshot of the Sony cameras, you can’t boom it closer with a cable, except for the G1. The G1 is a good option for the zv1 and vlogging since it’s wireless, and you can actually use it with a cable.
I think a lot things in life is about balance, unless the thing reach the phase of the one of master all, you have to choose between jack of all trade or more specialised trade
Agree, thanks for watching.
What microphone you recommend for voice of birds in the forest? B1m?
Probably the B1M. It picks up sounds further than any of the other mics in this test.
I had been struggling to pick between the B1M and M1. Definitely going with the B1M after watching this. Kinda sad I'm missing out on some of the functionality of the M1, but now I see the quality difference is night and day. Thanks for the review.
Glad I could help. The M1 just seems kind of gimmicky to me, and it doesn’t sound as good as even the b10. The b1m is awesome, as is the b10, and even the g1. For features, I would go with the new rode wireless pro.
Thanks for watching.
I love my M1 and find the B1M useless
Hi what would you recommend for the Sony A6400?
It looks like all of the ECM mics work with the A6400.
If I had to choose one, it would be the ECMB10. It's $100 cheaper than the B1M, and sounds 95% the same. I can barely tell the difference! The ECMG1 doesn't sound good indoors, and the ECMM1 is too expensive and sounds worse than the B1m and B10. Of course, buy from a reputable store with a good return policy, as you want to be able to return it if for some reason it doesn't work! In that case, the Rode Video Micro 2 is a great budget option!
ECMB10: amzn.to/3AA8Lf4
Rode VIdeo Micro 2: amzn.to/4cBfnr2
Hey, nice video and thank you for the test. I want to buy the best Sony ECM mic and i do not care about the price, with with one should i go? With ECM-M1 or ECM-B1M? Which one has the best sound quality?
You're welcome. Best of the best would be the ECM B1M, followed very closely by the ECM B10.
I live Seoul, South Korea. ECM-G1 is $150, but I buy used ECM-G1 $60. Very Gooooood!!!! :)
That’s a great deal! The G1 packs a punch for being so small and cheap.
Thx man ... Best review ever !!!
Liked and subbed
Thanks for the sub! Glad you enjoyed it!
I just bought the B1M mic. Why can’t I hear recorded playback on videos? Isn’t that a standard function of any video camera? I’ve read that you have to upload it to a computer to hear the audio?
I am not sure, I’ll have to check. Make sure it’s all the way in the hot shoe.
Looks like it was happening because db was set to 10 and not 0
Excellent video !
Thanks for watching!
What camera you use, the focus seem need some trim
Oh ZV-E1, no phase detect?
Zve1, but I had product showcase on. Every time I put my hands in the frame, it focused on them since they were closedt to the camera.
How about Sennheiser MKE 440 compare to these? I plan to use them for headshot, environment, and I hope I can use the mic to experiment and record singing and instrutments too. Can I use these Sony mics on non Sony camera? I plan to get the Sennheiser MKE 440 on a camcorder I plan to buy too, Panasonic HC-X1500, the camcorder has an optional grip with LED and 2 XLR input, that Sennheiser MKE 440 seem like one of its kind and better stand standard shotgun mic, do you think so and if so, does thee grip still necessary because it going to be bulky and it mainly is to attach a standard shotgun mic and does the XLR going to provide noticeable better than. The 3.5mm jack input mics? And also us 32 bits record necessary over 24 or 16 bits?
Hahaha, I was wonder how can you have them send you products at your q thousand plus subscribers count until you say you paid them hahaha
A little joke I made up on the spot, they’ll send you anything if you pay for it! I don’t think you can use these ecm shotgun mics on non Sony cameras. The G1 has an audio Jack so you can use it with other cameras, but you’ll need a cable. I haven’t tested the sennheiser at all, I like to keep things simple with just a shotgun mic on the camera.
Can ECM-B1M working on Canon with cable?
The B1M Doesn't have a 3.5m port
The ECM G1 does, but the Rode Video Micro 2 is a better option if you are using a cable.
Rode Video Micro 2: amzn.to/3I9eNnz
Canon made a mic similar to the B1m, call the "canon DME1D
amzn.to/48H76jv
Thanks for watching.
@@tommilano5431 thank you. maybe you know a good omnidirectional microphone for recording nature sounds
Very nice and informative video. One question though, what is going on with the focusing problems of you ZV-E1?? It is hunting like a looney!
Thank you. I had product showcase mode on. The reason for all the focus switching is because I talk with my hands, and the camera would switch to my hands, then I’d put my hands down, it would go back to my face. Lesson learned.
@@tommilano5431 I noticed. Sometimes it seemed to hunt also when there was nothing between you and the camera. What lens did you use? Or could it be the focusing mode wasn’t on “human”? Still happy with the ZV-E1? Thanks for helping me out with the right mic!
i noticed this aswell @@catchlite5196
Great job, thanks. Does the ZV-E1 struggle to focus? What lens were you using? Thanks.
@@robharrand thank you. The zve1 has no issues, this was all operator error, lol. I had product showcase on, and breathing comp off, and was wide open at f1.8.
Now, I never use product showcase, as I talk with my hands - the camera switches focus from me, my hands, back and forth.
I still shoot mostly at f1.8, but will stop down the lens, and might turn on breathing comp.
@@tommilano5431 Thanks. What lens? GMaster?
@@robharrand 20m f1.8 G. It struggles with breathing.
Focus settings?
Because it's jumping around a lot
Lot's of mistakes I made in this video. Lens was wide open at 1.8, camera had "product showcase" on, meaning it focused on my hands everytime I put them up, and breating compensation wasn't turned on.
All could have been avoided if I made these changes, which I now know to do.
@@tommilano5431 No worries. 👍
What pick up pattern was the ecm m1 in? I just picked one up and in the super cardioid pattern is certainly sounds a little funky like there’s some digital processing going on. The other patterns sound much better.
I have the ecm b10, but when I want to talk from behind the camera the 360 degree pattern picks up to much noise. The rear pattern in the m1 works much better from behind the camera in my opinion.
I had it on the super directional, no noise cancelation or low cut on, everything auto. I was disappointed in how it sounded. I’ve got ride of both the M1 and the B10, now only have the b1m and the g1. Maybe you can try just keeping it on the super directional in front, and talk closer to the mic? Or get a wireless system like the DJI, which is a good deal cheaper then the m1, and works with any camera.
@@tommilano5431 I appreciate the reply! I’m gonna test out the m1 in some real world situations and see how it performs before I decide if I’ll keep it. I have the rode wireless go system, but trying to just keep it simple for my travel and family videos.
@@miguelcruzonline any new opinions since ? I have the dji mics as well but just ordered the m1 over the b1m and now im not sure if I made a mistake. I want the 4 channel feature with the M1.
@@ztfilms5047 I’ve been happy with the m1. I like the dial for changing pickup patterns verses the switch on the B10. The M1 has less “handling noise” when the camera is moving around. I have not tried the 4 channel mode yet. Sound quality has been good. I don’t use the noise canceling feature, but do use the low cut filter sometimes.
Thanks a ton for this review. Just the comparison I was looking for.
That m1 had shockingly bad audio, especially coming from a company like Sony.
Great video once again 👍
You're welcome, glad you found it helpful! I know, I was hoping the M1 had good audio, but found that the cheaper ECMB10 had better audio.
@@tommilano5431 based on your recommendation, I went ahead and bought a used B1.
I'm just waiting for my Sony 6700 to arrive and I'm so eager to test it out on the camera
@@kartikniyogi that sounds like a sweet setup. The a6700 is one of the best all around cameras, and with good audio, you’ll be set!
Focus is making me dizzy. But thank you for the review
Thanks. This was before I knew my camera well, I had produce showcase on, which focuses on whatever’s closest to the lens. Every time I put my hands up, the camera switched focus.
This is by far the best Sony mic review on CZcams!
Thanks for watching! Glad you think so.
Good review, however, consider setting your focus to center, so that it doesn't focus hunt so much and focus on your hands each time you gesticulate.
Thank you. Product showcase mode got me here, I keep it off now. If it’s on, I don’t have the aperture wide open either, works out better.
thank you for the video! first link is not working. it links to hiking boots.
Fixed it. Thank you!
Good comparison. Tongue twister to say all the model numbers quick.
Thanks oilman. These names that they have are definitely unique!
Muy tarde para mi este video. he comprado el M1 y me arrepiento de la calidad al grabar en habitación ¿alguien quisiera comprarlo?
Bummer. You should be able to offload it quickly, lots of people like the M1
@@tommilano5431 podrias indicarme en que escenarios podria usarlo mejor, tal vez no se usarlo aun. sería de mucha ayuda
Do some sound treatment in your room, all of the samples sounds bad
WARNING!!! HIGH DB LOW FREQUENCIES!!!
Is this a joke video? Maybe it should be about focus pumping because OMFG it’s loaded with it.
The worst part is that it could blow speakers. I run compression and a limiter on my in lines for CZcams audio, more for high volume commercials but if I didn’t have the limiter, this video may have blown my JBL 4301Bs when he first rolled his chair away.
I think this Tom guy hasn’t heard this video on anything but his pho;e or tablet speakers.
Thanks for the review! I prefer EMC-G1 for vlogging
You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed it!
It seems that RØDE VideoMic 2 is as good as B1M
The rode video micro 2 is a great value!
Thanks for watching.
Stop waving your hands in front of the camera. It messes up the focus so you're constantly going in and out of focus.
Had camera settings wrong for this video.
Starting off with the jokes!! Nice video!
Thanks dude! Glad you enjoyed it! Happy new year!
why am i watching this now after buying the M1 lol
lol, thanks for watching!
Rode for the win. BTW autofocus is atrocious, you need to work on production values. Needed to take a dramamine after watching this.
The rode is the best value for sure. The ECMG1 is also great for vlogging. Those two are my choices. Regarding the focus, I had “product show” on, which had the camera constantly focus on my hands when I put them up. Live and learn.
Thanks for watching.
He leaves all on auto yet dares to give advices. You never set audio to auto , wtf
Auto settings are better for run and gun, and I’m not an audio expert.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
Does sony ecm-m1 work with Canon R5?
I don’t think any Sony ECM microphones work with other brand cameras. The small ecm g1 has a port for a wire, so this will work like a rode mic with the wire. I think canon makes their own version of a hot shoe microphone.