One key way to distinguish between microphones is their “pickup pattern” which is the area around the microphone that picks up sound.

OMNIDIRECTIONAL

Having an "omnidirectional" pickup pattern means the mic picks up sound evenly in all directions.

These are actually the least common types of mics used in video production. Why? Consider the example of a singer in a small club. An omnidirectional mic would pick up the singer at the same volume as the people in the audience—so audience coughs and talking would be loud and distracting.  So why do omnidirectional mics even exist? They do have value in situations where important sound could come from any direction—like a conference room, in which several business people are gathered around a table, all talking into a single speakerphone.