Canon s100 - how to control audio recording levels?

[defaultluser]

So I love my new s100, and the video it takes is a fantastic step-up from my G11. However, I've recently had problems with louder noise sources (amplified concerts) getting clipped in my videos. Obviously I need to adjust the levels manually to avoid this, but I can find no such control - not in the video menus, not in the main menus, and not in any of the controls (including the wheel and the lens ring).

This review says I can adjust the audio input sensitivity for videos:

http://www.thephoblographer.com/2012/01/21/review-canon-s100/

But there's no mention of how to do it, nor is there any mention in Canon's instruction manual (no surprise).

Can anyone here help me find this lovely hidden feature?

 

[UnknownSouljer]

Not that this is definitive at all, but in the dPreview review, they say this:

Unfortunately, the S100 does not offer any manual control when recording movies, save for exposure compensation. Aperture, shutter speed and ISO are all automatically set by the camera. Unlike the S95 though, AF is possible, and the S100's lens can be zoomed during movie recording. Although it is possible to begin video recording from any mode by pressing the movie record button, the dedicated Movie mode allows you to shoot in the S100's special movie modes: Super slow motion and iFrame. Pressing the shutter button in this mode will capture a still image but will also cancel video recording.

The video in general seems to be fairly limited on the camera. If I can dig up anything else, I'll post it in the thread. I realize the quote doesn't directly relate specifically to audio sensitivity, but it's a bad sign when everything else isn't controllable either...

 

[madFive]

Yeah, when recording something as loud as a rock concert, a simple adjustment of the recording level isn't going to get you clearer audio even if your camera had that option. The insanely loud volumes you'd be dealing with will be flapping around your mic diaphram just like they do your ear-drums. You'd need a specially designed mic to be able to record from a concert audience, and even then I doubt you'd like what you hear, just because concert audio mixes usually suck anyways.

My recommendation would be to physically muffle the mic with maybe a piece of foam (try different materials) and see what that does for the recording sound.

 

[defaultluser]

Yeah, when recording something as loud as a rock concert, a simple adjustment of the recording level isn't going to get you clearer audio even if your camera had that option. The insanely loud volumes you'd be dealing with will be flapping around your mic diaphram just like they do your ear-drums. You'd need a specially designed mic to be able to record from a concert audience, and even then I doubt you'd like what you hear, just because concert audio mixes usually suck anyways.

My recommendation would be to physically muffle the mic with maybe a piece of foam (try different materials) and see what that does for the recording sound.

Excellent suggestion!