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Unlike, for example, Zoom H5 which is shipped in a rock-solid plastic box, Rode VideoMic Pro is shipped in a cheap plastic piece which holds it in the box. The piece is much bigger than the microphone and is difficult to handle, since its only purpose is to be used during the original shipping.

Since I need to transport the microphone in my bag, one of the concerns is that I can't just put it directly in the bag together with lenses and camera, because it is too fragile for that.

What I have tried:

  • I went to nearly every supermarket in the town, searching for the box of appropriate size with no success.
  • I searched on Rode website; they doesn't sell any boxes for their microphones.
  • B&H accessories don't contain anything related to transport.
  • A search on Amazon was also unsuccessful.
  • Companies which make custom-sized boxes are mostly centered on large boxes for shipping or storage. There is MyCaseBuilder which is great, but I live in Europe, so $50 shipment plus taxes is too expensive.

I hardly doubt I'm the first one encountering this issue. How other people solved it?

The original packaging of Rode VideoMic Pro looks like this:

enter image description here

By comparison, here's a box for Zoom H5:

enter image description here

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5 Answers 5

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I am owner of Rode VideoMic Pro and have to say I just throw it in my bag together with dslr and lens. Wind cover gets a bit deformed sometimes, but it gets into original shape in five minutes after taking it out of the bag. I have one of the cheaper Lowepro bags and I can fit in my Nikon D5200 with one lens on, second lens and said microphone just fine. Mic fits vertically to the corner of the bag next to the second lens. I have been carrying it like this around for almost a year and I haven't encountered any issues.

I would therefore suggest to just throw it in the bag nicely, if it wont wiggle and bump around during carrying, it will be just fine without any dedicated case.

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  • +1 thanks for confirming my suspicion that it is durable enough from personal experience.
    – AJ Henderson ♦
    Sep 26, 2014 at 19:10
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I haven't worked with the VideoMic Pro, but I have worked with the RODE VideoMic, and I usually just put that straight into my camera bag with everything else, unprotected, and never had any issues. If you're bent on buying a case for it though, I would look at a Pelican case (the Pelican 1060 might be big enough: http://www.pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=1060). I use a Pelican 1040 to house my TASCAM DR-40, and the case is super durable (and waterproof, too, I believe).

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  • Vanguard also makes a nice cheaper version styled after Pelican. They aren't as insanely durable or water-resistant, but they are also like 1/3 the price.
    – AJ Henderson ♦
    Sep 27, 2014 at 23:21
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Why do you think that it isn't as durable as your camera or lens? I don't have experience with that particular mic, but in general, professional quality mics are also built very solidly. The wind cover might get a bit squished, but the microphone itself should be even more durable than your camera or optics are (since it should be able to resist damage from shakes that your camera won't survive).

If you are really concerned about it, any type of partitioned case should be sufficient. Alternately, you can get a small road case for it. But really, I'd probably just throw it in a heavy cloth bag and throw it in with the rest of your kit.

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  • I think that it isn't durable for two reasons. First, the capsule and the mount are linked with rubber which can easily be damaged (and I nearly damaged it recently). Second, the audio cable cannot be unplugged from the microphone, and can be damaged as well in a bag. By comparison, a DSLR has only two fragile parts: the eyepiece made of rubber and the monitor (which, on my model, is protected by a piece of transparent plastic). As for the fragile part of the lens—the front glass element, it is protected by a cap.
    – Arseni Mourzenko
    Sep 23, 2014 at 22:04
  • A heavy cloth bag is a good suggestion. I'll wait for a few days and if there are no other answers, I'll accept yours for this suggestion.
    – Arseni Mourzenko
    Sep 23, 2014 at 22:05
  • @MainMa - note that you are somewhat over-estimating the durability of your gear. The internal mechanisms of a camera can be damage from harsh drops, and a lens even more so. The front element actually isn't all that fragile as it is hardened glass, but the internal mountings are high precision and easily knocked out.
    – AJ Henderson ♦
    Sep 24, 2014 at 1:15
  • I know. I've used my gear for years and damaged a non-weather-sealed lens with sand so that auto-focus is practically not working any longer. While I would avoid dropping my camera/lens from the third floor, I still hardly doubt it will be damaged when being inside the bag. The microphone—not so sure.
    – Arseni Mourzenko
    Sep 24, 2014 at 1:23
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Here's what I use: an Amazon Basics case for a 5-inch satnav. It's semi-rigid, and just the right size for the Videomic Pro, although it's a tight fit with a fluffy windjammer on, and even has an internal pocket where I store two extension cables and spare rubber bands for the shock-mount. Here's the link on AmazonUK: Amazon Basics SatNav Case.

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Here's a way you can build one for under 10$.

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  • This is the best answer I have found so far. Seems pretty amazing that Rode wouldn't sell a specific hard case for the VideoMic Pro
    – Andrew Gray
    Sep 5, 2016 at 11:11

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