Below these controls are the level settings, which attenuate or boost the recorded level as required. The -10dB level attenuation (or PAD) is ideal for recording loud sound sources, such as live music, motorsport, or interviews where the subject is very close to the camera. The +20dB level boost is designed for use with DSLR cameras, allowing the user to reduce the camera's preamp level (or mic-input level), effectively reducing the amount of noise generated by the camera's comparatively low quality audio circuitry. The tone of the new mic is extremely similar to that of the Videomic, offering a characteristically rich mid-range with an emphasis on vocal timbre. To my ear, the Videomic Pro sounds a little 'lighter' than its predecessor, less congested in the mid‑range and more open at the top. This could be down to updated preamp circuitry or the subtle change in capsule design, but either way it's a welcome development. An additional high frequency boost mode helps bring out more detail in recordings, specifically those with dialog is involved.

Building on the success of its predecessor, the Videomic Pro is a convenient, lightweight shotgun mic. The mic's quoted frequency response is relatively flat, with a 5dB lift beginning at 5kHz, peaking around 12kHz and rolling off to ‑5dB at 20kHz. This is quite a common response curve, one that enhances perceived speech clarity, and goes some way (in the case of shotguns, especially) to counteracting the attenuation of high frequencies caused by wind shields. The mic is rated to handle maximum SPL peaks of around 134dB at 1kHz, so there's plenty of headroom available for loud environments before the mic itself will clip. The next mode is a three-stage gain control. This setting is used to boost the audio signal to make up for the more quiet preamps built into mirrorless and DSLR cameras, which often introduce noise if their own gain settings are raised too high. This lets you keep the gain down in-camera and should lead to cleaner audio. The microphone uses a standard sized shoe mount for on camera use, and features a 3/8" thread in the base of the mount for easy boom pole mounting. Note that cameras with proprietary shoe mounts will require an adaptor or alternative mounting solution.The controls are located on the rear of the mic and are very simple. The upper switch has three positions: off, on and high‑pass filter. The filter activates a roll‑off at 80Hz, dropping off from about 100Hz at a little more than 10dB per octave. It's useful for attenuating handling noise, wind noise and low frequencies boosted by the proximity effect (an increase in bass response near to a sound source, common to all directional mics).

Three gain settings are provided, at ‑10dB, 0dB and +20dB, as opposed to the Videomic's ‑20dB, ‑10dB and 0dB settings. Though the +20dB setting looks a little unusual in this context, it proves extremely useful when using cameras with poor gain circuitry, as I later found out. Each generation brings along a handful of improvements, and Rode’s latest addition, the VideoMic Pro+, is no exception. It offers many new features that make it more versatile and easier to use in a variety of conditions. Without question, it is the best VideoMic Rode has ever made, and one that any video shooter would be happy to have in their kit. Design and features Below these controls are the level settings, which attenuate or boost the recorded level as required. The -10dB level attenuation (or PAD) is ideal for recording loud sound sources, such as live music, motorsport, or interviews where the subject is very close to the camera. The +20dB level boost is designed for use with DSLR cameras such as the Canon 5DMkII, Canon 7D, Canon 1D, Canon 550D/T2i, Canon 60D, Nikon D7000, Nikon D5100, Panasonic GH1 and Panasonic GH2. This boost in the microphone output allows the user to reduce the camera's preamp level (or mic-input level), effectively reducing the amount of noise generated by the camera's comparatively low quality audio circuitry. Fortunately, that shouldn’t be a problem. Rode claims the new battery can last upwards of 20 hours on a single charge. That estimate proved to be accurate, give or take an hour, in our testing. The microphone uses a standard sized shoe mount for on camera use, and features a 3/8" thread in the base of the mount for easy boom pole mounting.

Buy it with

The VideoMic pro is battery powered, and provides over 70 hours recording from a single 9V battery. The Videomic pro is very small for a shotgun mic, and the first thing you notice is that it's incredibly light, at 85g. Adding the 9V battery that powers the mic takes the weight up to about 120g, which is still not weighty. It took me a while to work out where to put the battery, so to save you the same bother, the compartment is located on the front of the body, beneath the mic capsule itself, and has the signature Rode gold dot on the front. Pushing this door towards the capsule pops it off. The door isn't hinged, so bear in mind that it could be lost, and getting the battery in is a pretty tight squeeze! Considering the space saved by this design, I didn't mind the location, and once the battery is there, you'll get up to 70 hours of use from it, assuming it's an Alkaline unit and depending on your gain settings.