many thanks for the replies, Paxvobiscum, I think you have incorrectly read the post, I was asking for a camera WITH a mic socket, yes the items you have suggested may be good but they are NO good if I cannot use them due to not having a socket on my camera.
Sorry - let me clarify that then. You did say that you were happy with the picture quality on your Panasonic, so the
Mini Windjammer or the
Micro Windjammer , or indeed an cheaper eBay or Amazon copy, could well make a big difference to the audio quality of your existing camera in windy conditions.
You are correct that I did not answer your question of recommending a camera with a mic input socket, mainly because I wanted to be sure you were aware of the bigger picture. An external mic, of whatever quality, will not per se solve the problem of wind noise, but efficient wind protection on the mic which is recording the audio will definitely help.
If you are thinking about replacing your camera anyway, then certainly go for one with a mic-in socket, and if possible manual audio level control as well. Automatic Gain Control works well on many cameras most of the time, but it can 'pump' annoyingly under certain conditions and it helps if you can override it.
also in your video I notice that the bushes and trees are not moving which would indicate lack of wind, as you must be aware you cannot see wind only movement of objects generated by the wind and has it passes an object would generate noise which in the case of the inbuilt mic in the camera as the wind passes past the mic will make a noise and the stronger the wind the greater the noise.
I can assure you that the scenes over the opening titles and other footage from the same vantage point (from halfway up the hill) were shot when there was enough wind to make audio recording without wind protection impracticable. You can see the broom/gorse bushes blowing in the wind (and it was pretty cold I can tell you!) There was rather less wind at the level of the station, but it was breezy on the bridge itself and the shore beside the bridge where some of the audio was recorded.
EDIT: Here's another video taken from track level on the other side of the bridge. It is quite a breezy location and you can hear what happens when the mic isn't protected from the wind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQuhVYLIXtc
thank you for the suggestion to reduce the noise and I may be interested in them if/when I purchase a camera with a mic socket.
I was just concerned that you might go to the expense of buying a new camera and an external mic to go with it, and then find that you still had the same problem with wind, so to speak.
The subject of avoiding wind noise comes up again an again on the video forums like
dvinfo where nubies to film and event video have the benefit of advice from seasoned pros who have years of experience in the broadcast and film industries. It's not about spending loads of money, more like understanding the situation so that problems can be avoided. For filming out the window of a fast moving train full professional quality wind protection is the only way to go.
Sorry if I appeared unhelpful initially.
