Review: Sennheiser MKE 400 Shotgun Mic

Vlogging is all the rage these days and manufacturers are bringing out cameras especially designed for this purpose, such as the Sony ZV-1 I currently have for review. Others such as Canon also actively tout certain models as “ideal” for that purpose.

But vlogging (and video in general) is more than just visuals, with audio a major component – and in fact could be THE major component in many cases. So, what of course is needed is a decent mic to capture your dulcet tones accurately and cleanly.

The truth is that while most modern cameras have a built-in mic, they are a compromise at best and bloody awful at worst. Designed specifically for this purpose then, is the Sennheiser MKE400. As long as your camera has a 3.5mm audio socket (or if the smaller type can take the appropriate adaptor), you are good to go. The socket is both TRS and TTRSA compatible with both cables supplied.

You can either top mount it if there is a hot shoe available (it doesn’t need the power as it runs on a ‘AAA’ battery) or failing that and your camera has a standard tripod mounting point, an inexpensive bracket will let you side mount it.

Described by Sennheiser as a “highly directional compact shotgun mic”, the MKE 400 is packed with professional features. The design of the mic is to isolate your voice and at the same time enhance the audio. On the side is a 3-way switch for sensitivity you can set according to the environment, and a second switch enables a low-cut filter making sure only the essential frequencies are recorded for the best clarity.

Furthering the minimising of noise are integrated wind protection and internal suspension mounting, and the MKE 400 also comes with a furry windshield in the box (colloquially a dead cat / wombat) for extreme situations.

For monitoring, there is also a headphone socket available.

As well as the “base” unit, you can purchase an MKE 400 Mobile Kit which adds a smartphone clamp and Manfrotto PIXI Mini Tripod to the package.

The Sennheiser MKE 400 is priced at AUD$319 and the Sennheiser MKE 400 Mobile Kit at AUD$399 but shop around and you might save a few dollars. Berar in mind there are older models still floating around in retail land, so make sure the one you buy is the latest version (sadly Sennheiser didn’t brand it the ‘MK II’ for some reason).

I have been using the MKE 400 in both the original version and the newer one for several years now. As a small mic to keep in the travelling case I found it adaptable to just about anything I do with video whether it be with my Fujifilm X-S10 or even the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro. I even use it on a GoPro Hero 10 / 11 Black along with the MediaMod, it is that flexible.

For more information including technical specifications, click here.