Deity Microphones has finally released their V-Mic D3 and D3 Pro on-camera microphones that were first shown at NAB 8 months ago. You can see our interview at NAB with Deity below.
The V-Mic D3 and D3 Pro microphones are rather unique as they feature a microprocessor that reads the plug/connector on your camera, tablet, laptop, bodypack transmitter or cellphone and automatically adapts itself to meet the devices needs. That means you no longer have to carry around a lot of different adapter cables with your microphone. This makes it easier to use with whatever device you happen to own.
Adjustable gain
Deity also has a different take on adding +20dB of gain. Unlike other microphones which use a simple 1 or 2 position toggle switch, the V-Mic D3 Pro uses an adjustable knob so you can dial in exactly how much gain you need. In some ways, it’s almost like having an audio mixer built into the microphone.
Long battery life
Both microphones boast impressive battery specs. The V-Mic D3 uses a single AAA battery that Deity claim can provide up to 208 hours of run time while the V-Mic D3 Pro is USB rechargeable and offers a claimed run time of greater than 50 hours. Both microphones will go into standby mode when you are changing batteries in your DSLR and the D3 Pro will turn itself off after 15 minutes in standby. This is a really nice feature because it means the batteries won’t go flat in your microphone if you forgot to turn it off. So many of today’s on-camera microphones, especially for DSLR and mirrorless cameras don’t feature this function. The regular D3 can be in standby mode for a whopping 6000 hours (250 days!).
Inside each microphone is a 14mm pre-polarized capsule that offers a flat natural frequency response. Unlike other microphones on the market that have a pronounced bass boost that ends up mudding the sound, Deity claims that the D3 and D3 Pro offer the user a very realistic representation of sounds as they originally occurred.
Rycote suspension
Deity Microphones have also partnered with Rycote to co-engineer the included cold-shoe shock mount. These shock mounts feature real Rycote Lyre suspensions, the exact same ones used on boom poles, so your microphones won’t pick up handling noise that may come from your camera. It also means both the D3 and D3 Pro can come out of their shock mount and be used with other shock mounts if needed.
Location kit
Deity Microphones has also created a bundle for the travelling shooter, called the D3 Pro Location Kit. The kit includes the Rycote pistol grip shock mount, the Deity D-XLR, and a phantom power XLR to 3v 3.5mm TRS adapter.
Pricing
V-Mic D3 – $99 USD
V-Mic D3 Pro – $199 USD
V-Mic D3 Pro Location Kit – $288 USD
