Buy Rode Boompole Microphone Boom ArmRode Boompole Microphone Boom Arm Product Description:
- Lightweight aluminium constructionLength Collapsed: 2.8 feet (855 mm)Length Extended: 10.6 feet (3232.5 mm)
- New ultra smooth extension and retraction system
- Easy to use locking mechanism
- Precision balanced
- Compatible with NTG1, NTG2, NTG3, NT4, NT5, NT55 and M3 microphones
Product Description
Designed for the professional, the Rode Boompole is a high grade professional boom pole for location recording. The boom pole allows you to mount your microphone securely and swivel it in a range of directions that will allow you to easily change positions and follow your sound source. The Boompole extends from 33 inches to 10 feet. Machined from high grade aluminium.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
26 of 32 people found the following review helpful.
Rode Mini Boompole
By Danny Grizzle
Online information about this boompole is inadequate, so I thought I would write a quick first impression review.I just purchased the Rode Mini Boompole as a handy little boom for run and gun audio. It will mainly be used with my new Tascam DR-100 portable digital recorder and external XLR mics, mostly Rode NT-4 stereo and a Sennheiser MKH 40.My other pole is a Gitzo, but not carbon fiber. So I am working with cheap gear, not the fancier booms that full time production audio guys use.The Rode Mini Boompole is made from aluminum tubing. It arrived with evidence of residual manufacturing oil. I wiped it down with no bad effects. I'd characterize build quality as better than a lot of indy filmmaker gear, which features a lot of improvisational engineering - dollies made with skateboard wheels and such. Machine work on locking collets is good looking and everything works well. When you disassemble the pole, as I did in an attempt to load a mic cable internally, the machine work in thread cutting is not as polished. But it is completely acceptable in a $100 item that works very well.The Rode Mini Boompole appears large enough to feed an XLR connector internally, but this turns out not to be the case. The pole's throat is slightly too small, which appears to be a design oversight. Still, the smallest extension on the mic end of the pole is much larger than my Gitzo, which is barely large enough to thread a permanent cable before the XLR connector is affixed.The Rode Mini Boompole does have machined channels at both ends where a permanent internal cable could be installed if desired. It also comes with velcro straps used to secure a cable externally, which is what I did when mounting my Rode NT-4 stereo mic.I like the dense open cell hand grip material covering the entire first section of the pole. The rubber end at the base is a bit under engineered, if someone is going to rest the pole end on the ground during breaks in production. Just a flat disk of rubber less than a quarter inch. I would expect something a little more rugged and robust.So far, I have only used the boompole in a noisy environment (high school football). Even without a suspension mount on the Rode NT-4 stereo mic, I did not notice any handling noise, even though I was listening and testing a bit. Likewise, using the supplied velcro straps to secure the mic cable externally did not seem to cause problems.My initial reaction about weight was a bit of concern, but this turned out to be no problem, even with the largish Rode NT-4 mounted using an internal 9-volt battery in lieu of phantom power off the recorder.In general, I enjoyed using this boompole. My application is fairly casual, no long tiresome booming. For quick sound grabbing, this is a nice addition to my kit at very low cost. I'm happy with the purchase, and would recommend it to others.=====UPDATEI've had the boom a couple of years, and I like it better now than when I first got it. Why? Totally new application - running a boom camera. Running a Sony DSC-HX9V attached to the Rode Boom makes for spectacular shots rivaling crazy expensive cranes and jibs. But the entire setup is super lightweight. I bought my HX9V at Amazon.For this application, I recommend the full length 10' Rode Boom Pole.A couple of key accessories make this work:Giottos MH1004-320 Mini Tripod Ball Head. This is a tiny ball head that is all you need to connect the HX9V to the Rode Boom.The trickier part is monitoring. The HX9V outputs video via HDMI while recording, so monitoring is simply a matter of rigging a monitor to the boom pole.I have a SmallHD DP6 monitor which I attached to the Rode Boom using a Manfrotto Magic Arm and a Manfrotto Super Clamp. This adds considerable bulk and weight, really too much for extended use and also the bulk really makes it difficult to move through crowds without bumping into people.However, the spectacular lens and image stabilization of the HX9V make for very compelling video. So much so, I am going to purchase a SmallHD DP4 EVF monitor for this rig. The Manfrotto mounting hardware has to go, however. I was not able to find anything through normal channels, so I started looking through bicycle specialty retailers for handlebar mounts. I've decided on a product called "RAM Mounts Roll Bar Mount Kit." It looks very compact, is sized correctly to grip the Rode Boom Pole with a band, it has two articulated ball joints, and a tripod screw that should be perfect for the SmallHD DP4. Plus, I'm hoping the whole device will be rugged and strong since it is designed for jarring off road mountain biking.A package of Bongo Ties, available from Amazon, used for cable management of the HDMI cable, completes the package.Nothing is perfect, and it would be great to have remote control of the HX9V, especially start / stop recording. That's the only major downside of this rig - the fact that you have to haul the camera down to start or stop recording, which adds a bunch of garbage footage to the beginning and end of every shot. Still, I like it.One other thing to keep an eye on is EV compensation. The HX9V does not have manual exposure control, which may sway some people to choose the NEX-5n or NEX-7, and the camera tends to overexpose 1/3 to 2/3rds of a stop. I spend too much time checking EV compensation while shooting; I need to figure out how to lock down this setting.FWIW - I actually think the inexpensive HX9V is a better choice for this application than an NEX-5n or NEX-7, which are much more expensive cameras. I plan to buy an NEX-7 soon as it becomes available, but with other applications in mind. Riding the boom pole, the small sensor of the HX9V offers more insurance of sharp focus. Plus the HX9V 1080p 60fps video is spectacular slo mo, apparently the same as the NEX, though I yet have the NEX-7 and have not tested.The HX9V is spectacular as a pole camera, and also as a handheld steadicam, frankly, another application for which I bought a $12 pistol grip from Amazon. Surprisingly, the audio from the built-in stereo mic is decent also, especially considering the pole cam is frequently used to get in very close quarters shooting where it would not be possible for a cameraman to normally be. One suggestion on audio - add a packet of Rycote Micro Windjammers to your kit to block wind noise. I had to fudge mine about a bit, cutting the adhesive patches to fit the stereo mic on the HX9V, but I think the end result is going to be good, though I have not yet tested outdoors.One final thing: be sure to get a spare battery or two for the HX9V because this is an addictive way to shoot. The HX9V batteries can only be charged in camera, so you cannot charge while you shoot. Because the camera cannot be remote controlled, I tend to overshoot, and the batteries do not last terribly long. If I were a wedding videographer, I'd take at least 3 batteries to every shoot.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
Great price and quality
By Dub32
I like rode stuff because you get more than what you pay for. This pole would be fine on a pro shoot, and for about 200 less than a comparatively priced pole from a pro company. Save your money for a good mic, and get this less expensive pole.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.Great value
By traveler
The Rode full size boom pole is an outstanding value in boompoles. I have used the Rode pole on several shoots and I found it easily performed the equal of boompoles costing 2 to 3 times as much.the cushioned grip end is a nice feature. The joins lock tightly with no play. Both ends of the pole have a removable piece that will allow an XLR fitting to pass down the inside of the pole, so it would be possible to put a coiled XLR mic cable inside. I used it with a Rode NTG-2 and Rode SM3 shockmount.
Latest Price: See on Amazon.com!
More Info: See on Amazon.com!
See Customers Review: See on Amazon.com!
