And after many trials they learned to never count on the camcorder mic. While externals may do they took to having a backup audio recorder just in case. In post production they can sub in the other recording.
Example device to add -> http://www.amazon.com/Tascam-DR-05-Solid-State-Recorder/dp/B004OA6JW0/
There are plenty more out there.
Bob
I am looking for recommendations for a camcorder that would be used to interview people for an oral history project. Our store is in a historical district so there are a lot of people that we can talk too. Eventually, we will take the interviews and play them in our store for tourists and local visitors. The camcorder would also be used for our local events in the park, filming demonstrations, etc. We would like it to use an SD card, HD compatible, good on board microphones, and the best zoom we can get. Preferably we would like to keep the budget around $3,000 but are open to recommendations!

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