Marked Down - Rode Videomic with Rycote Lyre Mount

The rap on the classic Rode Videomic has been the shock mount.  Review after review has praised the mic - but slammed the flimsy elastic mount.

Rode addressed this problem with a more substantial shock mount on the Videomic Pro - but the VMP is almost $100 more expensive, which can be a big deal for for the low budget shooter.

It seems that Rode has been listening, and has now integrated the classic Videomic with a Rycote Lyre Mount - dispensing with the flimsy elastic bands on the old mount, and replacing them with the Rycote's solid "Hytrel" thermoplastic - which is advertised to have the flexibility of rubber and the strength of plastic. Here's a Rode promo video with the details:

With this new mount, the Rode Videomic becomes a very good value for money - especially since it is now marked down to $169 at Amazon, and $149 on eBay.  As usual, there are only a few left at these prices, so, if you need an external mic, but your budget is less than $200, it may be time to pull the trigger.