Tired of relying on your DSLR camera’s internal microphone and audio recording capabilities? If so, you might want to check out Shure’s new VP83F LensHopper Camera-Mount Condenser Microphone. A highly directional supercardiod device that mounts directly onto your camera, the VP83F records at 24-bit/48kHz, and yields 10 hours of recording time from a pair of AA alkaline batteries.

Both the VP83F and the VP83 (the identical microphone that does not include flash recording) are shoe mounted devices with gain and low-cut filter switches. The VP83F has a headphone output for real-time monitoring. Audio can be routed to your camera’s internal tracks for redundancy.

From what I can tell, scrolling through the VP83F’s LCD menu seems easy, despite the small size of the back-lit screen. Windscreens are available as an additional purchase.

More information on the VP83F (MSRP $436) and the VP83 (MSRP $286) can be found on the Shure website, www.shure.com.