I merely simply currently reviewed the DJI Mic Mini and Rode Wi-fi Micro – every are excellent high quality wi-fi mics for content material materials supplies provides creation, designed to be terribly easy for capturing elevated audio with smartphones.
I might advocate each usually, nonetheless as quickly as I had been to find out on one for myself, it might in all probability be the teeny tiny DJI Mic Mini, no question. Common, it’s a further versatile little little bit of apparatus for smartphones and cameras, with reliable connectivity by means of its receiver or Bluetooth, and the value distinction between the two kits is negligible.
In case you shoot with DJI cameras such due to the Osmo Pocket 3 or Osmo Movement 5 Professional, it’s a good less complicated choice on account of these cameras attribute built-in receivers for streamlined pairing with DJI’s mics, along with the pricier DJI Mic 2 – our digicam devices product of the yr.
What’s further, you can purchase Mic Mini components individually, which suggests it might in all probability cease your self a packet merely deciding on up a mic for these DJI cameras, pretty than the entire devices with receiver.
All that talked about, further of us shoot video merely with smartphones, and for these of us the easier Rode Wi-fi Micro takes the DJI out with a knock-out punch.
The worthwhile one-trick pony
DJI’s Mic Mini works for cameras and smartphones, whereas the Rode Wi-fi Micro is just for smartphones. I shoot with every so the choice is clear. Nonetheless for smartphone-only creators, I truly actually really feel Rode’s mic makes further sense.
Prime-of-the-line methodology to connect the mics collectively collectively collectively together with your cellphone is through a receiver. That’s the solely methodology for Rode’s mic, and the receiver slots neatly all by the underside of your cellphone, associated to your USB-C (or Lightning) charging port (see gallery beneath). It’s slim and it’s easy too – there should not any controls on it or the mics in anyway.
You plug the receiver into your cellphone, alter to the on-screen prompts (which might embrace selecting the wired mic selection in favor of your cellphone’s built-in mic contained within the digicam app menu) and likewise you are up and dealing in seconds. Your complete objects is automated.
The Mic Mini’s receiver is bulkier. Every time I used it with a cellphone, I was concerned I’d snap it off – it stands proud, it’s barely awkward, and a much bigger match with cameras, like into the hotshoe / coldshoe port. DJI’s offering has one completely totally different trick up its sleeve though that bypasses the receiver.
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You in all probability can too be part of the DJI Mic Mini to your cellphone using Bluetooth, which suggests no receiver in anyway. Nonetheless, I could not notion a Bluetooth connection for video recording contained in the equal technique that I’d a purpose-made receiver, and audio high quality drops from 24-bit depth to 16-bit depth when using Bluetooth in its place of the receiver.
Bluetooth connectivity is okay at a pinch and nonetheless beats the audio high quality of your cellphone’s built-in mics, even when you’re armed with voice enhanced audio, similar to you get with the latest Google Pixel handsets.
The Mic Mini moreover has fairly a couple of handbook controls to play with. There’s a one-push noise low worth mode, plus ±12db audio stage administration on the receiver. These are good devices to have, nonetheless for cellphone prospects I truly actually really feel Rode’s easier technique – an computerized ‘Intelligent GainAssist know-how’ – as rapidly as additional makes further sense.
And so whereas the DJI Mic Mini outstrips the Rode Wi-fi Micro in most strategies, it’s the Rode mic’s outright simplicity that wins by the use of for smartphone creators. I merely hope Rode makes the Wi-fi Micro components within the market individually in the end – only some of us could save only some cents that technique, significantly if substitute parts are wished.