Does the zoom mic video camera option really work?

[Brian]

I have the zoom mic option on my video camera. I tried some tests and all
that seems to happen is that the audio gain of the microphone is controlled
by the zoom control on the camera. The more you zoom in he louder the sound
becomes.
If i zoom out when there is a drop in the level of sound. If I turn off the
zoom mic feature then the sound level is restored when the camera is in a
fully zoomed out position. I also turned the camera away from the sound
source but there was very little change in volume.
So I'm wondering if the zoom mic option is of any real use. Do others that
use this feature get different results?

--
Regards Brian

[mike]

My reply to this question has always been "cameras zoom, microphones
don't" so yes, it's a gimmick.
The only way to get good sound is to get the mic as close to the
source as possible.
Even a $20 lav mic sounds much better at 50 ft. than a $2,000 shotgun
mic.

Mike

[Bo...@somewhere.com]

I have that feature, I'll try it out and let you know! It's possible they also
use phase canceling tricks with the multi channels.

What camera do you have?