The Audio-Technica U857Q is a flexible gooseneck microphone designed for outstanding performance in schools, houses-of-worship, boardrooms, government facilities, etc. The microphone capsule features a cardioid polar pattern for superb rejection of off-axis noise and ambience.

The wide linear frequency response delivers smooth, accurate reproduction of speech without noise, artifacts, or colorization. The ultraflexible gooseneck enables positioning while resisting inadvertent repositioning. Optional interchangeable capsules provide cardioid, hypercardioid, omnidirectional and UniLine cardioid polar patterns for added flexibility.

For Boardroom, Schools & Public Speaking    Smooth Frequency Response    Gooseneck with Flexible Positioning    UniGuard Shielding

UniGuard shielding provides exceptional rejection of radio-frequency interference.

Low-frequency noise and proximity effect is reduced as a result of UniSteep filtering.

Cardioid, hypercardioid and omnidirectional capsules are available as options and provide added flexibility.

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. is the lens interchangeable?

A: no no no

Q: 2. How is the back focus? This is always a concern with fixed lenses for me.

A: We are not aware of any back focus issues with this camera. It will work very well.

Q: 3. How does the aperture scale as you zoom in? So at what focal length does it become f1.4, f1.8, etc?

A: That is a bit difficult to tell, since the actual focal length is not displayed. What is displayed is either a bar graph or a number between 0 and 99 (when digital zoom is turned off. The aperture does appear to close linearlly with zoom, not reaching F3.5 until its almost fully zoomed. Based on the 0 to 99 numeric zoom indicator, its: 0 - F1.2; 18 - F1.4; 31 - F1.6; 41 - F1.8; 51 - F2.0; 58 - F2.2; 70 - F2.5; 77 - F2.8; 90 - F3.2; 99 - F3.5. Also, when zoomed to double the widest angle, judging by the image magnified 2X, the aperture is F1.8.

Q: 4. Will this fit on a DJI Ronin-M? It would be close and would depend on where the center of gravity point is for the camera.

A: The JVC HM170UA is a bit too long to be properly balanced on the Ronin-M. The camera is almost a foot long and the maximum depth at center mass on the camera base plate is 4.7 with the Ronin-M. A camera of this size would work better on a more traditional stabilizer system, such as the Steadicam Solo with Arm and Vest Kit.

Q: 5. Headphone jack?

A: The JVC GY-HM170UA 4KCAM Compact Professional Camcorder with Top Handle Audio Unit does have a headphone jack.

Q: 6. Has the JVC GY-HM170 got a wireless remote control?

A: No

Q: 7. Does the unit have optional manual iris control or is it auto iris only?

A: This camera doesn't have a dedicated button with 'A', 'S', and 'P' settings, but each of those modes can still be set; it's just a bit fiddly.Summary:To put the camera into 'A' (aperture-preferred mode), you will put the camera into all-manual mode, then set the shutter to auto, then set the gain to auto. This will leave you with manual control of the iris.Details:1. Put the camera in full-auto mode by pushing the FULL/AUTO button. Then push the same button again; this will clear everything, puttin all functions into full manual mode (except for focus, which is handled separately).2. Adjust the IRIS to your desired setting. Keep in mind that this may change as you zoom, because the maximum aperture is f1.2 only in the wide-angle range; it decreases to f3.5 pretty quickly as you zoom the lens, dropping to f2.0 about midway through the zoom range.3. Press and hold the SHUTTER button on the side of the camera; this puts the shutter into AUTO mode. The shutter speed indicator will disappear from the LCD screen.4. Set the GAIN to AUTO mode (AGC). This is the fiddly part. You must first set default values for the GAIN switch's L, M, and H positions. The camera default is L=0, M=3, and H=6, but I changed those to L=0, M=6, and H=AGC. So, flipping the external switch to 'H' then sets the gain to AUTO. I also put these settings into my FAVORITES menu for easy access.You can also set the upper limit for the gain. I've set mine to 18db, because anything above that is really noisy. So, in AGC mode, my camera won't go above 18db. If you're desperate to record that evening campfire scene, there's always the LOLUX button, which sets the gain to 30db.5. Exposure compensation. You can tweak the exposure settings by pressing and holding the AE LEVEL button until a white box appears on the LCD screen (AE +/-), then adjusting exposure up or down with the little arrow buttons located on the lower-left side of the camera, nearest the battery. Note that, in low light, this may not have any effect if your camera has already reduced the shutter speed to 1/30 and set the AGC to its maximum.If there's an easier way, I haven't found it. The key points are A) to set the defaults for GAIN, and B) to remember to turn FULL AUTO on and then off at the start. Also note that you can use this same approach to put the camera into 'S' (shutter-preferred) mode.

Q: 8. Can you edit footage from this on iMovie?

A: When it comes to editing video from a camera, it is not so much the camera as the need for a late model computer and correct software. Make sure you have iMovie 10.1., record in the MOV file and you will be good to go.

Q: 9. Can you output a clean 4K signal at 30p through the HDMI connector while not recording?

A: Yes, you can output a clean 4K signal at 30p through the HDMI connector while not recording.

Q: 10. Has anyone used the JVC GY-HM170 for performance work? What are your thoughts?

A: I used it for filming part of a movie 8 Ball Clown and am planning to use it as primary camera for 8 Ball Clown II - I like the quality, not a low light camera, the manual operation takes a bit to get used to but then again all of them do. I bought 2 extra batteries and 128G cards, so I should be able to film quite a bit without stopping. The onboard sound is pretty good - I'm probably adding wireless mics, but its good. I use Bose headphones so I can get better sound and adjust volume. note most of the movie was filmed on a canon t2i - because I just wasn't ready to switch because I had not touched the camera - but I'm more comfortable with it and will practice to get used to it. I did some minor filming for commercials in 4k and that went well - but that was outside in bright light. I will always use a dslr in low low light.I edit in Final Cut - so the video output is easy to bring in and edit - one of the reasons I went with this camera.