There's a new budget shotgun out under the 'Synco' brand, which is made by Guangzhou Zhiying Technology Co., Ltd. This mic is clearly targeting the budget segment, as it is retailing for $250 but from reviews, it sounds better than previous generation shotguns at that price point.
http://syncoaudio.com/ 416 Killer? Synco Mic D-2 Shotgun Mic for Voiceover
SYNCO MIC D2 | Unboxing and Review
I think the Synco D2 and the Deity SMic 2 are competing for this under-$500 segment, and maybe Rode's new NTG-5 is in that segment too if they ever sell it without the kit. It's interesting to see the Chinese manufacturers slowly move up from no-brand mics, to now branded mics with decent sound quality. These won't equal a 416 yet but in a few more generations, they could be very close at a fraction of the price.
