I have the handycam above. The inbuilt sound is not always as good as I'd like when I am a few feet from the object I am recording and in a noisy environment. Especially when recording someone speaking.
Could someone more knowledgeable than I please advise if they know of good solutions (lapel mike, directional mike etc) that are suited for a more 'budget' pocket, but not necessarily a budget sound!
If it has a 3.5mm microphone jack, you should be able to use any microphone with a TRS (Tip Ring Sleeve) connector. Beware of TRRS connector microphones, since they won't work with a default audio jack.
I had very good experiences with so called "shotgun microphones" in situations, like you describe.
The record a "cone" in front of them, nearly nothing to the sides, nothing behind.
Probably too late, but maybe useful for someone else.
Record the sound separately and then sync it to the video in your editor. You will need a mediumly decent editor to do it. I use Kdenlive (free) in Linux and CyberLink PowerDirector (paying) in Windows.
So, do you need a new recorder? Most probably not. If you have a smartphone, you have a recorder. Put it in some pocket on your subject and film him/her from far away. The sound will be quite good. There are some very cheap smartphone lapel microphones but even corded hands-free earphones can be used as such.
