Mics (technical term)?

[LAmind]

What are those microphones called that can be put onto the flash port of sound film cameras, say a Super 8, on the top? They stick out and are good for interviews because they point at the subject. I'd like to buy one but don't know the technical term for it so it's hard to search.

Also what's the difference between a shotgun mic and boom mic?

[Spoon boy]

I think you will find that they are one in the same. If you get a decent shotgun microphone you can stick it in a windshield basket case and furry windjammer on top of a boom with suspension. Make sure you buy a decent mic with a XLR connection (3pins). If you want to connect it to a normal camera use a XLR to midi (1pin) cable and always use a mini suspension rig on the hot shoe of the camera to stop vibrations. You can also buy mini foam windshields and windjammers to stick over the mic when it's on the camera.

I think I'm right but if I'm wrong I'm sure somebody will correct me... mumble.

[Alex]

I suppose the other difference when discussing shotgun versus boom is that the boom mike is never left on the camera, but rather is attached to a long pole so a "boom operator" can lean the mike as close as possible to the actor as they say their line, without being seen.

Mikes on cameras have their moments, but if you are filming an acting scene and you have to pan your camera, the mike on the camera will give away the scene because the acoustic recording characteristics will change as the camera is panned.

Even if you don't pan the camera, everytime you change camera angles, the sound acoustics will change if you only have a mike on the camera.

The mikes that mount on the camera versus boom mikes usually are shotgun mikes.

[Actor]

A boom mike is simply a mike mounted on a boom, any kind of mike.

A shotgun mike is a mike that is highly directional, picking up sound from a narrow angle to the front while being fairly insensive to sound from the sides or to the rear. It is called a shotgun mike because most mikes of this type are long narrow jobs.

[Alex]

But using any kind of mike on a boom can be pointless. (hey, an esoteric pun)