DSLRs with microphone for recording audio

Are there any consumer DSLRs that include a microphone
so you can record sound. I have this on my 1D mark II
and use it often to add comments about a shot (30 seconds max).
I have searched dpreview, even looking at the camera buttons
but can't find any DSLR camera except the 1D with
the microphone. I need a simple camera for my lab with
this feature. A rebel XT class DSLR would be fine if it had a
microphone.

Roger

 

It isn't a simple camera but the Nikon D2H I believe has a microphone.

Tom

 

I'm looking for one under $2,500, preferring 8 megapixels
or more. I don't need speed, but low noise (large pixels)
is a requirement.

Roger

 

Would the Sony R1 be a candidate? It's got the nice big sensor, and
coming from the P&S world, it might have a microphone.

-dms

 

I've only seen it in pro DSLRs and in consumer compacts (e.g. the
Nikon Coolpix L2) - nothing in the rebel class .

But a small MP3 recording device like IRiver iFP 799 has a built-in
microphone, takes up almost no space, and can be used for voice
annotations.

Of course it is not as convienient as recording comments with the
image itself, but I introduce each comment with a short oral
description of scene (or just the time of day) to match comments to
photographs later.

 

I couldn't find if it has sound on the dpreview site.

The purpose for the camera is documenting samples in my lab, and
I need a 1:1 macro lens that works at a distance through
a window viewing a cryogenic sample preparation area.
Currently I have a Canon 20D with a 180 mm macro giving about
6 microns/pixel on the subject. But the 20D
gets used by other people and trying to take notes
and trying to correlate images with notes as samples are prepared
is very tedious in post processing and requires careful
synchronization of time stamps. A microphone tagging
info about each picture would save a lot of time.
And time is money.

Roger

 

I do the same, with an Olympus digital voice recorder, then take the voice
data onto the PC where I store the photos as well. This one has voice
activation, so you don't have to press a REC button all the time.

I use the image preview on the screen of my D200 and mention the image
number as stored in the camera as a link. Not as convenient as if the camera
had the mic built in, but it works pretty nicely for me.

Cheers,
ink

 

Hello, ink:

The Olympus W-10 might interest you. It's a little device that combines
a digital voice recorder with a digicam (640x480).

The W-10 can record up to 3 hours of audio and store up to 250 images.
Its 16MB of built-in flash memory can't be upgraded, alas, and the low
resolution is another drawback.

However, it could be fun to play around with, and even be useful,
at times. Olympus introduced it, several years ago, and it's available
fairly cheaply, now; the W-10 is readily found on eBay, for under
$50USD.

(I don't own one, incidentally.)


Cordially,
John Turco <>