How to make windshield (dead cat) for a camera mic?

When you don't want to put a external mic on top of your camera, and you want to capture audio from the camera, but protect it from wind, what can I use to make a windshield or dead cat to cover the mic on the camera? 

You didn't say what camera that you have, but on my Canon77D and 90Dcameras, the internal mics seem to be tiny pin holes in the camera bodies high up in the detent where your right index finger is located when it isn't on the shutter button and you are just carrying one of them. Maybe a cotton ball could be attached over them, but any glue, even a rubber cement would likely plug the holes and you wouldn't be able to record any sound. Maybe you could attach the cotton the cotton ball to your middle finger and just hold the camera with the cotton ball held over the holes. I think cotton balls would be about the right size, but how to hold one over the mic holes without using a glue is going to be difficult, as most means of attachment either won't work or will end up plugging the holes.

If you have another model camera, your first problem will be finding the tiny holes where the mic is located. They are very small and easily overlooked, and they are not likely in the same position on every camera. I just spent several minutes looking for them on my cameras. If you come up with a way that works, please share your solution with the rest of us here.

I never found that the built-in mics ever sounded very good, even when used indoors, so I have always used some kind of external mic, either a shotgun style with a dead cat attached and mounted to the camera cage, or a wireless with the mic itself usually tape attached to the hollow in the middle of the chest. For women, the standard lapel mic with foam cover and attachment clip can be attached to their bra and hidden easily (have them do it).  If on me, my shirt does the dead cat thing as a loose cover over me and the tape attached mic in the middle of my chest. I has worked surprisingly well for me and just the shirt loosely fit over the mic has done surprisingly well as a wind filter.

They make tiny mics so small that they are just a small bump on the end of the wire, but they aren't cheap. These can be attached to one side of your eye glasses, hidden under a lapel of your shirt collar, etc. , but these positions don't do well outdoors since they can't be protected from the wind very well.

I recommend that you always have an audio output that you can plug a set of headphones into so you can monitor the audio whenever recording a video, especially if using an external mic. Most of the better cameras have this audio output jack, but some still cameras with video capability don't always have them. You will be very unhappy if you complete your video and discover that the mic was bad or unplugged. Another recommendation is to always have a means of recording back-up audio. My audio recorder is a Zoom H1N. It records in mono or stereo, has good sound quality, and is quite small. It is always attached to a cold shoe on my camera cage, and provides at least reasonably good back-up audio, if something goes wrong with my main audio being recorded by the camera. Silent movies without narration are of little interest to people today. If the video goes briefly dark, but the audio continues, those watching can at least understand what is happening, until they can see it again.

Charley
 

If you can find a piece of fuzzy fur with double sided tape on it, cut yourself a small piece that will cover your mic hole. 

"If you can find a piece of fuzzy fur with double sided tape on it, cut yourself a small piece that will cover your mic hole. "

But be careful not to plug the holes with the tape. 

Cotton balls are pre-sized better than most fur pieces and do work well, but if you can find a fur sample that will work, great. Again, be careful not to block the holes with the sticky backing or adhesive, whichever you use.

Charley

They make double sided tape circles with fir on them for such cases

Side note, where did the term "Dead cat" come from?     My wife rolled her eyes when she overlooked and saw this thread title over my shoulders. 

I think the term came from Hollywood, as did many names like "Apple Box".
 
A "Dead Cat" is a soft and fuzzy cover, that doesn't move from where you put it, much like a dead cat. It makes a great microphone cover to slow the wind as it nears the microphone to reduce wind noise. The thicker and longer the fur, the better the wind filtration, as it slows the wind before it reaches the microphone. Spoken words and music sound frequencies aren't much affected by the fur.

Apple Boxes of the Hollywood name, are an assortment of sturdy wooden boxes of different heights. The standard full size is 12 X 20" and a full set includes one of each height of 8, 4, 2, and 1", so stacking them can produce any height in 1" increments from 1 inch to 15 inches. They are great for height adjustments of models and equipment. The 8" size, when placed on end, is about the perfect height seat for posing a model too. In the early Hollywood days, they probably made them from Apple Crates, thus the name. I made my own when I wasn't happy with the quality or price of what I was finding for sale. The attached photo is of them. I made two sets, and I'm in the process of making two sets of Half Apple Boxes (12 X 10") with the same heights, since I was recently wishing that I had them for my studio.

Search for your camera + dead cat on Amazon and you'll have a bunch to pick from