Rode Micro Boompole Telescopic Microphone Boom Arm

A great, affordable product for an age old need. The boom pole feels sturdy while also being light weight. While it isn't a hollow structure for wiring a cable inside, this is likely what allows it to compress to such a manageable size for transport. It extends to a great length for just about any shot you may need. Being so light weight is great for your boom operator with a comfortable nonslip grip.

Perfect compliment to the gear arsenal - Normally, everything is a 'DIY' item in my gear bag, but since I have been doing some more 'pro' video work, specifically interview style videos for my company, a painters pole is considered taboo as a substitute for a 'pro' looking boom. Not that I have a problem with, nor is there anything wrong with 'DIY' - but unfortunately if you want to be taken seriously (at least in my case) I had to bow to pressure from the corporate Gods and make my setup look more 'visually' appealing.The micro boom Pole works great (just as my DIY painter's extension pole did) but it also looks the part - Since the company was covering the tab, it would be easy for me to write it off as a great product since I didn't pay for it, but even if I had covered the cost, I would of kept it - Very lightweight and durable - Comfortable grips and no hang up's with the telescopic extensions - They lock/unlock extend/collapse with no problems and stay locked - Closes to a manageable size that's easy for storage and transport.Pros: Inexpensive yet durable, perfect for the one man crew - Easy to mount above/below talent on stand when minus a crew. Handles most Rode Shotgun mics (or any shotgun mic of similar weight) with no problems - Add a shock mount for greater control.Cons: A foot or two more in length would be great (but then it wouldn't be a 'micro' pole) - Ideal for close up's / interviews - Too short for run/gun, wide scenes unless you have a dedicated sound guy who knows how to work a boom and keep it out of frame - (I'd imagine that if you did have a sound guy, he would be using something of greater length anyway) - For the purchase price, it might be a hard sell to someone that can make a longer 'DIY' one for cheaper, but ideal if you're looking to weed out the improvised gear. On exteriors, it holds up to wind, but not all that great unless you have it rigged down good or are using an actual sound guy.Conclusion:A good buy for the amateur looking to invest in dedicated gear, as well as the pro for tight shots with a limited crew. You can add ties for your cable, or just tape or zip tie the mic cable if pressed for time - No XLR inputs or jacks built in, so plan on securing wire with the above quick solutions, or improvise/engineer your own.

The Rode Micro Boom Pole Telescopic Microphone Extension is a great product with the Rode tag on it. If you have a Rode mic of any sort (I own the Rode Videomic Pro) it makes you looks a little more professional with the matching boom pole with the name twice on the grip. The best part about this product is how sturdy it is when locked into place. It fits perfectly into my mics thread. it shortens up which makes things a lot easier if you are a film student like me that keeps it in my car. If you get this product for short films, movies or any type of production like that where another person is needed to hold the very light pole up. You are not going to find a better boom pole for this price on any website including amazon unless it is used and tarnished in some way. the packaging was its original package and you are saving $100 on this thing. Get a 10' cable extension (I suggest an XLR adapter, way more sturdy and best results) and you are good to go. plug it right into your camera or into a portable recorder for later syncing. I highly recommend this to anyone, in fact a film student had already seen me use this once and has bought one for himself

When I am traveling on a film shoot with a small crew, I always pack this along. It's lightweight, solid, and gets the job done. Keep in mind that it isn't particularly long, so you'll need to remain relatively close to the subject in comparison with other boom poles. I use some velcro straps to hold the XLR cable to the pole.When you get this pole, make sure you get used to how to tighten and loosen the tubes. I've heard some complaints about it, but I haven't had any trouble with it. The main thing is you shouldn't over-tighten or over-loosen the thing, and it works brilliantly.

I have only used very few boom poles in my experience working with film/video. Of the few I have used, none were of the top o' the line models but this particular boom pole was the best one I have used. While the other ones transmitted "tapping" sounds from handling the pole, the Rode Micro had minimal sound transference. To list the positives, not in any order of preference...1. Very lightweight2. Easy to expand/collapse3. Compact (great for recording in tight spaces or for transporting on long hauls)4. Noise from handling is minimal during recording (handling any boom requires good technique to avoid ANY sound transference)5. PriceProbably the only thing negative I can think of with this pole (which is true for most poles) is that affixing the microphone wire along the pole can sometimes create unwanted tapping. Of course, this is where pole technique comes into play but more importantly, how you set up your rig. The more expensive poles have a feature where the XLR connection runs through the inside of pole however that feature worth the price you pay, I'm sure.If you already own a good supply of equipment or are operating simultaneous sound recordings, this is will make a great backup. But if you're like me, working on a very tight (and low) budget, this IS DEFINITELY WORTH the investment. I'm very happy with it

I use it for YouTube videos. Works great.