The "Canon Directional Stereo Mic (DM 50) for Camcorders with the Advanced Access Shoe" is a great accessory for the Canon GL2 MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom. It installs easily on the camera and automatically takes over for the built in microphone.

The microphone has three options "Shotgun", "Stereo1", and "Stereo2". The "Shotgun" mode is used to capture forward sound only, while the two "Stereo" modes allow you to capture sounds from the side and, with "Stereo2", from the back. I typically leave it set on "Stereo1" since it seems to capture the ambiance of the scene without being flat.

Highly recommended!

The Canon DM 50 works fine on my HV30 camcorder. Its a pity the manufacturer of the camera, Canon, cannot do better with the on board mike. Its placement on top of the camrea facing up is not the best. The DM50 shotgun overcomes those problems.

This microphone is adequate for close to mid range pickup depending on the noise level. It has three settings, one that emulates a shotgun Mic and the other two are for stereo wide and narrow. I own the Canon HV-20 and this MIC virtually eliminates the tape mechanism sound!!! It comes with a wind screen that works well under still to mildly windy conditions. The DM-50 runs of off the camcorder battery which eliminates the weight of having two AA batteries.

only used it once so far for a live music event at a bar and it seems to have worked just fine so far as I can tell.

I recently bought a Canon HV30, and after reading the reviews, I determined that I would need some sort of external mike. It's too easy to pick up the sound of jiggling controls with the lightweight plastic housing on Canon camcorders. I had trouble picking a mike from the various candidates at first, but after doing a little research, I realized that the Canon DM-50 is the best choice. Here's why...

First and foremost, this mike doesn't add much size to the camcorder itself. The other mikes I looked at were as big or bigger than the camera. With a camera like the HV30, size is important. If you put a giant furry mike on top of it, you'll never get away with casual shooting in a public place. Everyone will see your camera from a mile away and either hide or mug for the camera. I like to keep my camera tucked in a big pocket in my jacket, so I can pull it out to shoot inconspicuously. This is the only mike that comes close to allowing me to do that.

Secondly, one type of mike doesn't cut it for all purposes. For dialogue, you need a mono shotgun. For ambient sound, you need a stereo wide dispersion mike. It makes no sense at all to get a mike that only serves one purpose. You just need to carry two mikes around with you and switch all the time. The Canon DM50 does either or both with a simple flick of a switch.

Thirdly, this mike is self powered. No need for an additional battery. This mike puts very minimal drain on the camera's battery. That is much better than carrying around the added weight of a bunch of AAs or a 9 volt.

When I got this mike, I did some tests, shooting in difficult situations... I shot music at a loud piano bar, ambient sounds at a quiet coffee house, and dialogue above the clatter of dishes at a busy restaurant. The Canon DM50 performed well under all of these conditions. There isn't a terrific amount of bass in this mike, but that is to be expected for a microphone of this type. It's enough, however, to put across music well without sounding too tinny. I experienced no camera noise in any of my tests. This mike does the job.

If I was a pro shooting movies for theaters, I'd want a really good mike on a boom. But I'm not a pro, and the Canon HV30, good as it is, isn't a pro camera. I'm shooting off the cuff vacation movies and documenting panel discussions for my work. This mike is perfect for that. No need to hesitate to get this mike if you can afford it. It's all you need.