I can't even really afford that but I know I need something better than the overhead condensers that came with my Samson drum mic kit. Any suggestions? Cheers.

Hmm....here a MF link with some choices.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/recording-microphones?_requestid=2021559

You might check those out regarding your price range and ask for some personal experiences/reviews on this forum.
I've had an Equitek E100 since it came out and I'm very happy with it but it was 399$ back then.
Condenser mics have become much more affordable since those days.
Hope that helps a bit....at least you got a bump.....carry on.

@Quazelar... Thanks. My problem is I know quite a bit about dynamic mics and brands but I've never really gotten a chance to explore condensers and ribbon mics so I'm at a loss. I guess I should mention I'm a male with a deepish voice but I do cross into higher register stuff and would be using it for everything from soft mellow acoustic to screecher/growler metal. So basically I need a general purpose mic suited to the male voice. Perhaps if I had some suggestions on even mics outside of that price range I could research and compare budget mics that emulate their more costly counterparts. Big order I know but I don't really know where to start looking and I can't afford to make a mistake with this purchase. Cheers.

 I was on that quest a while back ago beepster. I picked up an AKG condenser. for about $200. I found that I still much preferred my standard sure58 dynamic mics for recording. I don't think condensers are as mission critical as some folks tend to lead on. especially for vocals JMO

I know...you don't want to buy the wrong condenser mic.
I got rid of my Equitek E200 because it was dark sounding on my voice (overstatement).

I still think soliciting comments/ recommendations from this forum is a good approach.
Getting a reasonably good condenser at your price point may may be a quite subjective assesment given our different vocal timbres, etc.
Next best ideal is to head to a local music store that will allow you to actually try a few on the house demo setup which is what I've done prior to purchasing.

I'm sure some others will chime in with some thoughts.

Good luck on the quest...

@ohgrant... My old branded dynamic mics are pretty beat up from live usage so they don't really sound as good as they should for vox. I'd like to get one of those hybrid Shures that cross the Beta Greens and 58's (Beta 58 i think they're called... it's been a long time) but those are pretty pricey and I'm not sure they'll get me where I want. That MF link seems to have some good stuff but it's so hard to tell with mics until you actually use them. There seems to be a fine line between airy/full sounding and tinny/muddy with condensers. I'd like to use whatever I get on my acoustic guitar as well. IDK... such a big subject it's a little overwhelming. I just wish I had like $500 or more to throw at this and I could go for more tried and true models. Oh well. Sucks to be broke.

Beepster

Sucks to be broke.

 
 I know the feeling and when you have GAS... you're always broke...

@Quazelar... Yup, definitely trust these guys. I kind of have another somewhat pathetic problem while buying gear. I don't move around so well anymore so getting out to stores is a major hassle and being stuck out in the country means there are only one or two very tiny music shops around here that aren't really recording oriented. I'm just a big ole pile of useless when it comes to certain things so I rely on the internet and endless research to get my gear together. I've had very good luck with my purchases so far but it really is a nerve racking until the gear is in my hands.

Anyone know of any budget mic shootout type articles on sites like SOS? Maybe I should ask Mr. Anderton next time I see him poking about.

Okay....a MUCH less than direct way might be to listen to a few songs by forum members noting if there voice timbre/tone is similar to yours and inquire what condenser they are using.

Of course, having a above average audio interface may come into play as part of the equation also.

Just occurred to me, after you get some recommendations here there may be an accceptable return policy from MF so you could make an exchange if need be.

I've used dyamics to record vocals eons ago but (to me) it's not acceptable for the long term recording.
For acoustic....the condenser is necessary.
Never was clear on the application for ribbon mics which may be cost prohibitive anyway.

More non help from me.