Sony NEX 5 external pro microphone connection

I own a NEX-5.
I have bought also the external microphone by Sony.
But for my pourpuse it'd be better to be able to connect the standard microphone port on the top of the camera to professional XLR microphones.
I own also a microphone preamplifier but I need a cable to connect the imput of the preaplifier (3,5mm jack) to the microphone aoutput of the camera:
Is anybody able to give me some suggestion to build by myself such a kind of cable?
I think I need the electrical scheme and the right connector
I need help!!
 
Francesco, welcome to Serious Compacts and thanks for jumping in with your technical questions right away. Fortunately, we've got quite a few NEX shooters, so I'm hoping you can get the help you came here for soon.
 
Francesco,

First welcome. I will be of no help directly, but I might suggest that if no one comes forward here that you try the NEX forums at dpr review. The general tone of many threads over there can get a little acrimonious at times, but they do have a lot of members who get way down in the weeds on technical issues. Here is the link but, you have to promise to hangout here and post images from your NEX. :)

Sony NEX Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review
 
what you need is an XLR to mini plug cable. They can be found at any music store that sells guitars, keyboards or PA systems for $5-$20. The more expensive ones will have gold plated ends which are not needed and the cheaper ones will not be very high quality. Get the ones in the middle. Radio Shack stores in the US anyway will also carry them but they will be a few bucks more

The issue you will run into if you try to DIY one is the impedance is different between a mini plug and XLR so you will need to solder in a resiter along the way if you DIY it and for $10 it is not worth it.

You should not need to use a preamp for your mike unless you are needing it for phantom power of lavalier mics. Honestly however I would not use one, I would instead go for a Shure SM57 and hand hold it. There is a reason TV reporters do it that way.

(BTW I used to do pro audio and was a roadie for many years so feel free to fire away any mic or sound questions)
 
to solve?

The problem is that NEX cameras don't have a mini plug...

As the NEX 5 has not a miniplug the only solution is to biuld a cable with a miniplug on one side and the plug to insert in the top of the camera on other side. With this inviroment I can use a preamp (sold by B&H for example) to connect 2 pro microphones to the audio input of the NEX.
The problems are 2:
a) to find the connector to put on the camera side of the new cable
b) to know which of the pins in the sony plug are the ones devoted to audio

In DP forum a guy suggested to use the flash (distrojing it) to reach the Sony plug.. does anybody know where to buy the plug for the audio/flash connection of the NEX or the right name of this item?

all my best from Genoa, Italy

PS with an adeguate audio input I do think that nex could be a cheap anternative to othe more expenmsive DSLR in semipro video shooting
 
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