Comments on: Canon DM-E1

By: LaneP

LaneP — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Overall this unit will improve on video sound quality in certain exterior wind conditions and when you want to isolate sound directly in front of you. On my EOS 6D MK II the built-in camera mic is really good on interior video without environmental issues. That makes the DM-E1 less useful in such circumstances.My chief concerns are battery life indicator, and the fact you can inadvertently leave the DM-E1 off and record video with no sound (more on that in a minute).The battery life indicator consists of a single flash of the red LED when you move the power switch from the off position to on or auto. That’s all you get. In theory, if your battery conks out during recording you will lose audio from that point forward. This means that before an important recording event, be sure to pop in a new battery. I have yet to determine the recording life of a new battery. The upside to having a separate microphone battery is that it doesn’t drain your camera battery, the downside is that it’s yet another concern to manage while recording.During my test videos, I managed to record a clip after forgetting to switch the DM-E1 on. My video clip had no audio recorded and I had no idea it happened until after the fact. To avoid this occurring in the future, those who will use the DM-E1 regularly should (and this depends on your camera model) go into the movie mode menu settings and set audio recording levels to “manual” (default is “auto”). Then when you are looking at your scene on the camera LCD screen, depress the Quick Control button (this applies to the 6D MK II, may be different depending on your model camera).On the Quick Control menu overlay, select “Audio recording level” icon so you can actively see the manually set recording level. If the DM-E1 is switched off or the battery has died, there will be no activity on the recording level monitor. Getting in the habit of doing this before recording can prevent a catastrophe. If you plan to use the DM-D1 regularly, I recommend leaving it set to the “Auto” position, rather than switching it off. This will allow it to pause itself when the camera reaches its inactivity time limit and automatically powers down.Overall I like the unit and I like to stick with OEM products whenever possible to maximize compatibility. I only wish Canon had provided a better method of monitoring battery life and made a provision that enables the camera built-in mic to take over automatically if the DM-E1 battery dies during recording or was left in the off position. Those two changes would have made this a 5 star product.

By: Sam II

Sam II — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I didn't want to go with a generic mic so I purchased this more expensive Canon mic. I was surprised that it came with a wind sock and pleased it did. Overall, I guess you can get a decent mic for under $50.00 rather than pay the $200.00 plus for this one, but I wanted the best; a Canon mic for my Canon T7i. I tested it vs. the built in mic on the camera and there is a huge difference. The Canon mic picked up where the voice was coming from, i.e. front, back or side and the sound reverberated accordingly. I'm pleased with it.

By: Josef Tullmann

Josef Tullmann — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

My issue is strictly with the way the product was advertised in the pictures. I thought that the camera and microphone were BOTH included in the purchase. I typed in the words “cameras with external microphone” and this camera came up on my phone. When it arrived, there was only the microphone. I looked back at the description and it does say “external microphone,” but in small letters. I leave for my family vacation on Monday. Luckily, I have a back up camera, but still NOT HAPPY!!! Canon (or whoever is in charge of photo advertising) SHOULD HAVE DONE a MUCH BETTER JOB with their online photos. I found the pictures very misleading.

By: Humood K.

Humood K. — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

This is a great microphone with a flick of a switch it can go from a uni directional to a stereo 90 or 120 degrees. And since it’s made by Canon it locks on your hot shoe.

By: M.J.A. Vermeulen

M.J.A. Vermeulen — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I was very disappointed by the sound quality compared to the build-in mic (6d mkii).Furthermore, sounds from the lens (IS and changing aperture) are not dampened by the mount at all.It is not possible to see the battery status while in use; only when you switch it on the LED will blink briefly. It won't do this when in 'auto' mode, so you never know if it is working or not.I returned it and am currently waiting for the Azden SMX-30 which is about the same price.

By: John Daraban

John Daraban — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I have used other high quality mics for my dslr videos and the Canon mic is the best.

By: WCJ

WCJ — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Worked perfectly.

By: R Slaughter

R Slaughter — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Have only used it once so far but the sound pickup was flawless. Used it a club recording a band.