Rode NTG2 Dual-Powered Condenser Shotgun Microphone with Switchable High-Pass Filter

Rode NTG2: The Dual-Powered Field Shotgun for Cameras Without Phantom Power

The Rode NTG2 is a supercardioid condenser shotgun microphone built around one practical reality of field production: not every camera or recorder can deliver 48V phantom power. The NTG2 runs on either standard 48V phantom or a single 1.5V AA battery housed inside the body, giving the operator a single shotgun that covers boom-pole work into a phantom-capable mixer and on-camera DSLR work where the body or hot-shoe XLR adapter cannot supply phantom. The 11.0 in body offers more reach than the entry-level NTG1, and the satin-nickel aluminum finish keeps reflections off the body when the mic appears in-frame on tight setups.

Supercardioid Pickup That Rejects the Room and Holds the Speaker

A shotgun pattern is only as useful as its off-axis rejection. The NTG2 uses a supercardioid pattern with a long interference tube, narrowing the front lobe to focus dialogue pickup on the speaker on-axis while rejecting side reflections, HVAC noise, and crew movement. Native frequency response runs 20 Hz to 20 kHz with a switchable 80 Hz high-pass filter built into the body — flip the switch and rumble from air handlers, traffic, and pole vibration drops out before the signal hits the recorder. The 18 dBA self-noise floor is quiet enough that the mic does not contribute hiss to room-tone beds or ambient nat-sound recording.

Dual-Powered Operation for Camera, Boom, and Field-Recorder Workflows

The NTG2 accepts 48V phantom from any standard phantom-capable preamp, mixer, or camera audio module. When phantom is not available — DSLR and mirrorless bodies, lower-tier portable recorders, hot-shoe XLR adapters without phantom — a single 1.5V AA battery in the rear compartment powers the mic for approximately 200 hours. Switch position selects the source. This is the headline differentiator over the NTG1, which requires 48V or 24V phantom to operate. Wedding videographers running into camera, indie filmmakers running into a Zoom F3, and ENG operators on legacy field gear all stay covered with one mic instead of stocking two shotguns for different signal chains.

Boom-Operator Reach and Documentary Run-and-Gun Use

At 11.0 in long, the NTG2 puts more glass between the mic and the boom pole tip than shorter shotguns, extending working distance and letting the operator stay further out of frame. The 5.7 oz body keeps fatigue down on long takes. 131 dB max SPL means concert stages, crowd capture, and loud sources do not overload the capsule. Documentary B-camera audio rigs, conference B-roll, sports sideline ambient, and reality-TV field crews use the NTG2 as the workhorse shotgun on the cart and on the camera.

Built-In 80 Hz High-Pass Filter: HVAC Rumble Dies at the Microphone

The body-mounted switch enables an 80 Hz high-pass filter that rolls off everything below the male-voice fundamental. Air-conditioning units, traffic, footstep transients through hard floors, and handling rumble through the boom pole all drop out before they reach the recorder. This matters most on field shoots where a recorder cannot apply a clean filter post-input or where the operator cannot return to the room to swap a noisy preamp. Cut at the source, not in the edit.

What's in the Box and Who This Microphone Is For

The NTG2 ships with the ZP1 padded zip pouch for transport, the WS6 foam windshield for basic indoor and low-wind use, and the RM5 mic stand mount. First-time DSLR videographers buying a real shotgun get a mic that runs on a battery when their hot-shoe rig cannot supply phantom. Indie filmmakers moving up from the NTG1 get extended reach and dual-power flexibility on the same boom-cart workflow. Documentary and ENG crews comparing against the NTG3 get a value-tier shotgun that covers most field-dialogue work for less than the moisture-resistant top-tier RF-biased model. One purchase, both power options, full XLR signal chain.