Here is a summary for my research so far
Canon 5D Mark II Audio Exposed – Boom Mic (juicedLink, Zoom H4n, Microtrack II, BeachTek)
Juicedlink 231 has the lowest noise level
H4n has good noise control, make sure you turn on the high pass filter + wind filter/dead cat (even with a shotgun mic, still wind prone)
A nice mic shootout:
http://www.dvcreators.net/shotgun-shootout/#
http://www.giovanninavarria.com/blog/tag/shotgun-mic
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<$200
Rode VideoMic, 3.5mm output, 9V battery. $150
Azden SGM-1x, XLR, Takes AAA battery. $159.
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$200-$250
Sanke CS3
Audio-technica AT875R $199, non powered
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$250-$500
Rode NT3 (noticablly tingly comparing to AT4053b) $270
Sennheiser ME-66/k6 ($210 for mic, $480 for kit: Sennheiser K6 Powering Module (Battery or Phantom) , WindTech SG-1 Windscreen, Universal Shockmount, Pearstone 3-Pin XLR-M to Angled 3-Pin XLR-F Straight Audio Cable (1.5')) you get the kit used for $350 ish on ebay
Rode NTG-2 $269 for the mic
Pros:
* Great Mic for the Price
* Narrow Pickup Pattern to reduce noise
* Clean and clear tone
* Natural sound
Cons:
* Can get a little boomy in low-mid ranges if speaker is too close
* Pronounced proximity effect
* No shock mount/case included
When compared to ME-66, this is picks up more ambient sound. Thus, better for documentary, behind the scene type of audio instead of narrated film
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$500-$1000
Rode NTG-3 $700
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AT4053b, (softer than NTG-3 or NTG-2) $600
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$1000+
Schoeps MK41 -- only indoor/low humidity. AF condenser. small room. low ceiling, hard surfaces, close to subject
Sennheiser MKH 416 -- industry standard for outdoor mic. RF condenser. Large room
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Lavalier
For ultra-low budget - and quality that corresponds - a passable recorder would be the Zoom H4n ($300).
If you are truly doing only sit-down interviews and nothing else you can use hard-wired lavs. You want decent quality, so the Countryman EMW series ($200ea) are a good choice. They can be plugged directly into the Zoom H4n. If you want the lavs to be "invisible" you can go with Countryman B3 ($200ea) or B6 ($325ea) lavs; you'll also need adapters to connect them to the Zoom. Other decent brands of hard-wired lavs are Voice Technologies and Tram. If you want to go wireless the Audio Technica ATW systems ($500ea) are okay and the Sennheiser G3 systems ($600ea) are very nice on a budget - although most replace the lavs with the Countryman or Tram.
If that's getting too pricey you can get a cardioid condenser mic like the Oktava MK012 (about $325) and suspend it above and between the interviewer and interviewee. (If you get the Oktava be sure it's the true Russian version and not the Chinese knock-off.)