I used this mic on my Canon GL2 to videotape a choir. At first I was worried about the noise around. It turned out greater than I expected ! It eliminated most of my unwanted sound and noises in the background. Sound quality is also excellent to me. Highly recommended item.

One feature it doesn't have is an off switch which would then activate the camera's built-in mic. Sony has this feature.

Nothing worse then dropping a chunk of coin for a high dollar 1080i camera and the sound is crap... (see Canon HG10). The DM-50 in the hot shoe cured that woe and nicely I might add. I use the #2 setting (Stereo forward).. #1 is Mono forward and #3 is stereo wide 180 degrees.
The sound quality of my live music recordings is important to me and the camera mic alone left me with tinny sounding flat audio. This mic adds clarity and bottom end. Warning this sucker is driven off the camera's battery.... BUY a bigger battery, but 2 just in case.

This mic is very easy to install on to your camera. It works for my needs, which are basic. Seems to eliminate most background noise.

DM50 Directional Stereo Mike works exceptionally well when you need to obtain audio in a large area and cannot use, or don't have, a wireless mike available. Improves quality of video substantially. The Canon version works well and has no compatability problems. Worth the investment.

The mic seems to be working wells, my only complaint is that it is a lot quieter than the camera's mic. So you have to make sure the volume is turned up.

I have had this mike for a month now, and have used it quite a bit. It is small enough to carry in a small bag, doesn't use a battery or extra cords, and works well at picking up sounds at a distance.
I was able to use it to mostly eliminate distracting sounds in a classroom, though it works best picking up amplified sound.
All in all, a good alternative to using the onboard mike. My HV20 has a mike that is simply too sensitive to surrounding noises.

I bought this mic a year ago for an older Canon camcorder (which has since failed.) When I replaced my camcorder, I bought the Canon HV20 because it has a hotshoe. The sound difference when recording with the mic (I'm generally recording classical music during concerts from the audience) is noticeable. The mic is small and light, easy to install. When I researched camcorders to buy a new one, I discovered that there are better directional mics on the market, but they are more expensive. I may eventually upgrade, but for now this will do.

The Canon DM-50 is the best shotgun mic solution for the Canon GL-2. I first bought the MA-300 adapter and put on a nice AT835b shotgun mic. However, the combination was quite heavy and unbalanced. With the DM-50, the weight is reduced by over a pound and the center of gravity in centered again. And the sound is excellent.

very pleased with the quality of audio and ease of use. highly recommend this product. I use it with the GL2 camcorder and have had great results.

The build quality is better than expected. It feels solid in your hand and well put together. The DM-50 fits well onto the camera and is nicely balanced. It runs a little less than the length of the camera, so it does not overwhelm the camera's profile. This is not a big issue, but it does mean the microphone should not get in your way under normal shooting conditions.

The microphone itself has some play, presumably to cushion it from camera noise. If so, it does not do a perfect job - more on this below.

To discuss the audio quality, I have to discuss the three modes, "Shotgun", "Stereo 1" and "Stereo 2".

"Shotgun" mode captures audio primarily from directly in front of the camera. While I have done no scientific tests I would guess it's main balance is at about 35 or so degrees. This mode captures sound in mono from a single element at the front of the unit. In this mode the audio quality is not great. There is little low-end response and the quality and the sound has, for lack of a better term, a slightly plastic quality to it. It is surprising when compared to the sound recorded from the side elements, which seem warmer and more dynamic.

"Stereo 1" mode seems to capture sound at about 90 degrees, combining both the front element and two separate elements along the side. The overall perceived quality of the sound is much better than using the shotgun alone. There is more warmth and richness in this mode, and it provides a nice balance of front centered sound, with some ambience from the sides.

"Stereo 2" mode captures sound at more than 180 degrees. The rear facing element seems to be designed to capture nearby sounds, but not more distant sounds. This could only be my perception, but if not, it seems like a nice way to allow commentary from the camera operator. However, the "Stereo 2" seems to be a little too weighted towards capturing sound from the sides at some expense to the front element. As a result, the sound quality itself is a little better, but the mix appears slightly off.

In all three modes, the isolation of sound it not perfect. Because the provided documentation says almost nothing about how the DM50 is designed, it is difficult to know how many elements are present and in what combination they are recording sound in each mode. It seems that even in "Shotgun Mode" the left and right front elements are still slightly present, but mixed in mono with the front facing mic.

In terms of eliminating motor noise, the DM50 does a better job than the on-board microphone, but the sounds of the motor and any manipulation of the controls are still present. In "Stereo 2" mode, the motor noise is cut in half from what you hear from the on-board microphones. In "Stereo 1" mode the noise is down to about a quarter and in "Shotgun" I would estimate it is about an eighth.

With the Canon HV20, the most common sound issue I find is with clicking the function button while shooting to gain control over exposure (usually a three click process). The DM50 does not eliminate this sound. In "Shotgun" mode the DM50 does the best job of reducing the problem, but even with the rubber rings in which the microphone rests, some of that sound it transfered up the camera.

The DM-50 promises "near professional" quality sound and that is what it provides. For professional sound you will need to find a more dedicated microphone, such as the VideoMic or Stereo VideoMic, or perhaps both if you wish to have coverage for the same theoretical range as the DM-50. However, the DM-50 provides excellent flexibility that it's competitors do not, so you should consider what your shooting needs are. The DM-50 also does not use batteries, but draws power from the Camera's battery. This can be either an advantage or a disadvantage depending your preference, but it is something to keep in mind when purchasing.

The DM-50 is best suited to users who want a single, trouble free microphone that can carry them through a variety of situations. In "Stereo 1" mode, the microphone is at it's best, providing a good balanced sound, though I wish sound from all around the microphone were captured in even quality. This disparity is perhaps the biggest problem with the microphone.

I only give this four stars because I know there are better mics out there. Having just written that, I love this mic. No wires, just slide it in and go. I got this mic shortly after purchasing an Optura 20 and noticing the terrible motor noise. Using the mic, I no longer have the motor noise and I am not sure how some of these other reviewers are getting zoom noise because I am not getting any. The mic also pics up wanted sound better than the internal mic.

DM50 works as advertised. Voice clarity is very clear and the windscreen makes a dramatic improvement over the internal microphone on the Canon HV20. This unit does add some weight to the camera but the improved sound quality justifies the additional arm load.

Some other microphones may work better and less expensive. Operating off the accessory shoe with no extra cables makes this unit worth the price.

ON TIME, BETTER THAN EXPECTED, TERRIFIC CUSTOMER SERVICE. I LOST TRACK OF MY DELIVERIES AND COULDN'T FIGURE OUT IF I HAD RECEIVED ITEM. I CONTACTED CUSTOMER SUPPORT. THEY WERE PROMPT, POLITE, HELPFUL, AND SOLVED MY PROBLEM.
5+ STARS

I've been using this directional mic for almost three years and have never noticed camera noise. It's compact and provides a good reach for most ambient sound situations.

I'm using this with an Optura 60. The sound quality is fine. It doesn't totally eliminate the motor noise but it's a definite improvement. Sure, there are cheaper mics that do a better job in reducing motor noise which I have tried, but the first time I forgot to turn on the mic I missed some of the first belly laughs of my newborn and immediately decided to give this mic a shot. Bottom line, the combo of better sound quality than the internal mic and camera integration was worth it.

Not seeing many reviews, I'm writing this as a warning. This mic is horrible. I bought it to get rid of the "motor noise" from my Canon Optura Pi, as many others have. When I listen now, the sound is much worse. You can barely hear people speak over the loud humming... THIS MIC IS HORRIBLE!

Although you can't get this item through Amazon directly, I thought I'd submit a review since I found it fustrating not finding anything on this microphone. After ordering it from BH Photo, I tried it out on my Canon Optura 20. The main reason I purchased an external microphone was to get rid of the annoying motor buzz noise. I thought the DM-50 having been made by Canon would have been very compatible with the Optura 20. I was wrong. The intelligent hot shoe worked nicely as it was convenient not to have to worry about turning the microphone on. The sound quality was horrible. It got rid of the motor noise somewhat but you can still hear it. What was bad was that the microphone produced an ambient annoying hissing, dirty noise, even with the wind sock. I thought it was perhaps picking up motor noise from nearby appliances but did not turn out to be the case. The microphone also picked up the hum from the zoom when zooming quickly, however this was the least annoying.

I ended up getting the Sony ECM-MSD1. It was cheaper, got rid of the motor noise and produced no noise artifacts. It does pick up the zooming noise though, but this might not be a problem since the zoom shouldn't be used that often anyways and usually at a slow speeds.