<div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:1rem;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)">Dear colleagues, </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:1rem;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:1rem;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)">Claire Bowern and I have written a tutorial article (under review) about exactly this: <div style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)" dir="auto"><a href="https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/amaliaskilton/wp-content/uploads/sites/10135/2024/12/Tutorial-Video-Documentation_Submission.pdf" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:1rem;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(66,133,244);color:rgb(66,133,244)">https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/amaliaskilton/wp-content/uploads/sites/10135/2024/12/Tutorial-Video-Documentation_Submission.pdf</a></div></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:16px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:1rem;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)">The preprint offers camera recommendations at various budgets.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:16px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:1rem;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)">My experience is mostly working on informal conversations between 2-3 participants, in very noisy places, moving freely while they interact. </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:16px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:1rem;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)">For audio, what I find most effective - assuming that there is a relatively stable participation structure - is to mic each participant using an integrated mic/recorder such as the Olympus VP10 (current model VP20). This avoids issues with cables, as the recorders are wireless.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:16px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:1rem;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)">However, this is infeasible if you can’t predict who the focal participants will be, and in that case I recommend a cardioid microphone attached to the video camera. I use the Rode NT4, but the cardioid pickup pattern matters more than the make and model. Shotgun mics are too directional for conversations. </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:1rem;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:1rem;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)">A Zoom H4N or similar audio recorder placed near the camera and recording via the external microphone can also be a reasonable solution, as others have mentioned. </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:16px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:1rem;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)">Happy to discuss more with anyone next month - right now I am in the field!</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:16px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)"><br></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:1rem;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)">Amalia Skilton </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family:-apple-system,"helvetica neue";font-size:1rem;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:1px;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);border-color:rgb(49,49,49);color:rgb(49,49,49)">Linguistics & English Language, University of Edinburgh</div></div>