Comments about RODE NTG3 - Precision broadcast-grade shotgun microphone:

This mic will make you look good.

Comments about RODE NTG3 - Precision broadcast-grade shotgun microphone:

This mic costs less than half that of the Sennheiser 416, but soundwise the NTG-3 is equal to the 416, and perhaps a little better off axis. Bass response is only slightly less on the NTG-3, but with the bass roll off switch engaged on the 416 they sound the same. The only negative I can find -- the NTG-3 has no bass roll off switch.

Comments about RODE NTG3 - Precision broadcast-grade shotgun microphone:

I will be using this for broadcast documentary and corporate interview audio for video.
It has been touted as a "416" killer, but the mic is different enough and modern enough to stand on its own merits. I have always found Sennheiser shotguns to be a bit over the top on the high end they deliver, making dialog on some subjects too sibilant. While the NTG-3 is indeed crisp, it has a smoother high end than a 416 and will be more flattering on a wider variety of subjects, and will re-quire less de-essing in post. I think it strikes a very nice comprise between crispness and smoothness. In addition, it has nice off axis response; while going off axis will certainly cause a drop in level, it wont sound nasely or off-phase, and I think the off axis results are totally usable...this will make the mic more forgiving with moving subjects, or if recording conversation, without the sort of off-axis artifacts that make the 416 more difficult to use. Maybe its all a matter of what youre used to to some extent, but I would rate better sound as a desirable improvement, so in this respect I think the NTG-3 is an improvement over the older design. The mic over all sounds a bit smoother, yet its high sensitivity and very low output impedance yields a very hot signal. On my wendt mixer, I only need to pot up to about 35% (at 0 db trim) to get a very nice level for overhead dialog booming, about 18-20 " from the subject at about a 40 degree angle, normal speaking voice....that leaves PLENTY of gain to spare, so even mixers or preamps with low gain can make use of this mic.....its almost as hot as my B6 lavs.
The only thing I dont like about this mic is its weigh....about 50% heavier than my 4073a....it is almost exactly the same weight as a 416, but I think considering how much time this mic will spend on the end of a pole, they should have paid a bit more attention to that detail. Outside of that, it SEEMS very well constructed, sounds great, and the slightly wider acceptance angle and off - axis respose conpared to a 416 does not seem to have incurred a cost to the user....I really was not able to notice any more ambience on the samples posted on youtube, and I can't hear an increase in ambience over my 4073a either...over all sound is VERY similar to a 416.....in a blind test in the online samples, I could not tell the difference.....certainly, the off axis performance is a noticable improvement; I would not let it's lower cost deter me, so far I think this is a terrific mic.
I did get a defective mic when I first purchased, but Abes exchanged it since I had not taken it out in the field yet. That only took four days, and the replacement worked perfectly; since then I have used it on two corporate shoots on sit-down interviews, and the mic sounds really great....you can't go wrong with this one, its a no-brainer. It would be nice if they came out with a LONG shotgun along the same lines for wide exteriors and wildlife audio....