Rode VideoMic Vlogger Kit for iOS Devices,Black

A terrific piece of kit that will be fun to use! I added an Insta360 Invisible Selfie Stick extension to my RODE Vlogger kit, (thank you David Manning) that has made this little unit even more versatile. Cheers, Mark PS: And it does come with a Dead-Cat (See the last pic; box unvailing)

I was pleasantly surprised at how sturdy the tripod feels when using it as a handle. No wobble whatsoever. The ball head tightens very nicely. I’m not worried about my phone moving at all like it had with other tripods/mounts. 10/10 would buy again.

All looks very well made - I read the reviews about the lightning connector snapping off and I could see how that could happen pretty easily. But functionally, let me break this into a few parts. Tripod - very sturdy, which it could be. a bit taller - has two setting but both pretty low and flat. Ball head is excellent. Phone grip is incredibly well made and accommodated my 12 pro max in a tech 21 slim case no bother. Then we try things functionally. First, if you want to be able to play back your videos, you'll need to plug in the headphones to the back of the mic because the mic cuts out the speaker. Second, the mic is on one side, perpendicular to the screen, the camera is at the other end of the phone. So, in order to center yourself on the screen, you are talking way off the axis of the mic. This renders is very quiet compared to the regular built-in iPhone microphone. Now talk directly into the microphone and quality is execellent, but then your video is off to one side of the screen. The lightning connector needs a longer connector on a tilt and it would work just fine. The light is bright and has several settings, bright, brighter and very bright. All were way too bright for me. I guess if you're outdoors in bright sun it works well to help with shadows but indoors, way too bright and now way to get it lower. (except stacking the little filters on the front but only two are not colored so not great. It's also pretty hard light the way it is, so if I had to use it I would drape a handkerchief or tissue over it to soften it a bit. But it is small and easy to pocket. Another alternative would be to point it to a white wall away from you. I also purchased the Rode AL-Micro and the Lavalier II and in the end, discarded the videomic and plugged in the AL-micro and the Lavalier and the sound is absolutely great and no directionality issues. Overall not a great all-in-one solution that could easily be improved, but lots of good bits in the package if you combine them well with other things and think outside the box a little.

Don't buy this. There are a ton of other options. The mic, while it is probably a high quality Rode mic, won't fit your phone, especially if you want to use a case. But even without a case, the thing doesn't plug in securely. Which means it doesn't matter how good the mic is, it will constantly unplug. The light just didn't work. I tried it, then I plugged it into my computer like it says to do in the directions. The thing got super hot, to the point where I thought it was going to damage my computer. I unplugged it, and it stayed hot and persisted in not working. So, I got a little stabilizer with no extender for $150 plus shipping. And the wedding I purchased it for is on Wednesday; so, now I have to go find all the pieces separately and have them all sent second day air and pray they work when they arrive. This product is trash. As in, if they don't take it back, it's just going to go in the trash. There's nothing I can do with this plastic garbage. The stabilizer I already have is way better and extends out really far. There's literally nothing in this box that I'd use.

Very good quality good sound quality. Very satisfied.

This has done exactly what the box said it will do!! Fits into a lightning port on my iPhone and is steady, compact and light!! Oh the light cube!!! That was a pleasant surprise

When I first received this mic, I tested it out by recording a video with and without in the exact same environment. With was noticeably better, so I am happy.

The lightning plug snapped off the mic within 50 days! I had barely even used it. I was thinking that something like this could happen if enough force were accidentally applied to the joint with the lightning dongle. So I was extra sure to be careful with it. Nevertheless, it started making popping sounds around day #40. I opened a ticket in the Rode website. They still have not responded. Their website says they provide a 1 year extended warranty (they even gave me a warranty certificate). But this seems to be just for show, as they simply have not responded to me at all. To make matters worse, they are in Australia and it doesn’t seem like I will be able to reach them except through their website. I will amend my ticket, telling them it has now broken off. Let’s see if they honor their warranty! Update 5/24/2021 - I’m happy to report that they did respond to my ticket and told me to mail my broken unit to an address in the US. I did and shortly after I have a working mic. That’s great they did honor their warranty. I’m bumping my rating up but I still worry that this new unit will follow the fate of my first one. I hope it holds up because it’s quieter than the Rode mic that sits on the shock mount (the shock mount produces noise with movement like walking).

this is a great kit BUT know that you can't have a case on your phone and use the mic so it's pointless. I have a $1500 phone and there's no way I'm not keeping the case on it just so I can film. I ended up returning it.

Kit molto funzionale, versatile e adatto per tutte le esigenze. Rode è sempre una garanzia per quanto riguarda i microfoni. Cavalletto e supporto smartphone molto robusti. Super consigliato.

A family member asked me to video her wedding. I'm not a videographer, but I know the iPhone (12 Pro) takes great-quality video, especially during the day. I did my research and decided on this unit. I videoed the 40-minute wedding in one take, and afterward checked the video, specifically for the sound. It was perfect. The phone was about 4 metres away on a tripod, and the Dead Cat (fluffy cover) was on. It was shot outside, although it wasn't that windy. Excellent purchase and I thoroughly recommend it.

Good

Its a high quality product. The light is enough for any condition. Microphone is very good with directional capture and noise cancellation. Stand is very high quality and stable.