Rode NTG2 Review

The Rode NTG2 is quite a legend when it comes to shotgun microphones. It has been one of the first choices for aspiring filmmakers in the era of the Canon 5D Mark II.

This microphone is still sold to this day. We’ll see in this review if this option from Rode is still a great value for money or if you should just get a newer microphone.

Rode microphones

Rode Microphones is a famous Australian company that makes microphones. They are well known in the audio industry, whether it’s for field and voice recording, podcasts, or karaoke.

Some other famous brands are Shure, Audio-Technica, and Sennheiser. When it comes to how Rode microphones sound compared to other brands such as Sennheiser, I would say that they sound fuller but less detailed.

This is especially good for recording dialogue in cinema; voice reproduction is more realistic that way. When you speak to someone, you can’t hear much of the conversation unless they are whispering into your ear.

The Rode NTG2

The Rode NTG2 is one of Rode’s first popular offerings when it comes to affordable shotgun microphones. Released in 2004, this microphone was extremely popular when the democratization of filmmaking appeared with DSLRs.

The Rode NTG2 is a simple shotgun mic that is extremely well built and durable. It’s quite big and heavy compared to today’s offering.

It could be easily used as a baton by the cops. The microphone uses a single AA battery, which can be quite handy compared to internal lithium batteries that can’t be replaced.

The microphone also has a low-pass filter if you want to cut down on bass when recording from a close distance.

It’s biggest flaw is the 250 ohm impedance, which makes it really hard to drive an audio recorder. Since then, they have released newer and more efficient models.

The Zoom H4N, for example, can’t really drive this microphone efficiently, resulting in cranking the gain and having white noise in the sound.

How does it compared to other Rode Shotgun Microphones?

We will only compare it to the most popular models from the brand, which are the NTG 3, the NTG 4+, and the NTG 5.

The NTG2, being the oldest microphone, should be the most outdated when it comes to performance. But this is sometimes a question of preference.

The big flaw of the NTG2 that we mentioned is the high impedance that comes with the problem of powering the microphone and getting the right level of input without introducing noise.

The other models, such as the NTG3 and NTG5, have a much lower impedance of 25 ohms. While the NTG 4+ has an impedance of 200 ohms,

The newer microphones are smaller and lighter as well. Though the finger print of a shotgun microphone isn’t that important.

When it comes to sound, the NTG3 is the fullest sound especially in the low end making the microphone recordings sound rich and very cinematic. Thin voice have body with this microphone which can be pretty good.

The NTG4+ and 5 have a more detailed presentation especially in the high frequencies but honestly can sound a bit thin at times. Especially the NTG4+.

The NTG2 sounds less detailed, as if the recording was made from a farer distance. It has less of this richness that the NTG3 has but sounds quite natural.

Compared to the Sennheiser MKE 600 and MKH-416

Sennheiser shotgun microphones are some of the most detailed out there. The sound recorded is very airy, and you can clearly hear the small noises the lips and saliva make in the mouth.

If you love details and clinical sound, Sennheiser might be a better option. If you love rounded and natural sounds, perhaps the NTGs might be better. Note that the MKE 600 also has a high impedance.

Pricing

The NTG2 and NTG4+ are the most affordable of the bunch. They cost a little bit more than 250 euros. 260 euros for the NTG2 and 279 for the NTG4+ brand new.

The NTG3 cost 599 euros, while the NTG5 cost around 489 euros and 529 euros as a kit with the handle.

The Sennheiser MKH 416 is 999 euros quite expensive if you ask me. While the MK 600 is around the same price as the NTG2.

Verdict

8.0 out of 10.

The Rode NTG2 is a good and affordable microphone. It’s only issue is its high impedance of 250 ohms, which makes it hard for the preamp to drive it without having to crank the gain and introduce some noise.

I think overall, the Rode NTG3 and Sennheiser MKH 416 are the superior microphones in this category when it comes to sound quality.

But both of them come at a steep price, which makes other offerings such as the NTG4+ and NTG2 or even the MKE 600 entry-level an alternative.

I wouldn’t go for a high-impedance phone, knowing how annoying it can be to record sound at a distance. If you have the cash, go for the NTG3, and if not, choose between the cheaper, lower-impedance microphones.