Omnidirectional
635a, RESO, AT804, M58, SM58: dynamic omnidirectional. General purpose, reporter/interview.
Cardioid
RE10/11/15/16/20: Dynamic cardioids. RE11 is best buy.
Schoeps CMC4/MK41, AT4051: condenser, capsule system, cardioid pattern. Short reach. Good for tight or hollow interiors. GVC swivel is very useful.
Senn. MKH406: condenser cardioid. Short reach. Great for tight or hollow interiors.
Senn. MKH435, MKH40P, AT4073a: condenser cardioid. Tighter pattern, tad more reach, tad more echo (except 4073). For interiors.
Shot Guns
Short
Senn. MKH416
condenser. Short shotgun. Tight pattern
Good reach. For open interiors and exteriors. Good all around mic.
K3U/ME8O, AT835
electret condenser, short shotgun. ENG,
AT835 is best buy.
Long
AT835
electret condenser. ENG full shotgun. Exterior overhead dialogue or long reach on camera.
Senn. MKH816, AT4071
condenser. Long shotgun. Tightest pattern. Excellent reach. For exteriors.
Lavaliers
Sony ECM-55
Strong bus, tight window (proximity). Good for studio talking head. Sensitive to wind noise.
Sony ECM-44
Smaller than ECM-55. Less bass, crisper midrange w/ boost. Can be used for limited overhead dialogue. Not so tight a window (less proximity). Excellent all around use.
Tram TR-50
Very small. Front facing grill. More open window (transparent). Sounds more like an overhead, less like a
Sony ECM-66, AT829, Senn. MKE-40
cardioid lavaliers. Suppression of background noise and feedback. Difficult to position/hide. Best for sound reinforcement.
Sennheiser MKE-2
Very small. Top facing grill. Very transparent and wide reaching sound. Most natural sounding; interfaces with 416 shotgun. Great plant mic. Sensitive to background noise, not much isolation.
Sony ECM-77, AT83OR
similiar to MKE-2.
Shock Mounts
Shockmounts
AT8415 (rubberband), EV 307 (spider) Light Wave, Rycote.