Action Cameras with External Mic Input

Sometimes action camera onboard mic's just don't cut it, you want a better sound quality and you already have or want to invest in some decent microphone and audio recording equipment.

After all, you have your action camera for recording amazing video and photography footage, why not use stand alone audio equipment which was also made to do it's job better than a camera ever could.

In this page we have listed and ranked the best action cameras with external mic input or at least have the potential to connect an external microphone to with the use of mini USB or straight in with a 3.5mm jack. Some of the cameras that are in this list have mini USB and this is so that you can easily add a mic by using a Mini USB to 3.5mm Female jack adapter.  So you may need to buy this adapter to get better audio with your microphone equipment.

You can also get an action camera to work with an external mic if it has USB Type-C connection as this also has the 10pins required to send the audio signal through like mini USB.

We have also added sorting options for you, so if you don't want to spend that much you can find a cheap action camera with external mic input as well as sort by battery length if you'll be out all day in the field and that is your main requirement after the mic feature.

Which Action Cameras Work With External Microphones

You can buy an action camera with a 3.5mm jack input, mini USB (the square shape) and you can use an external microphone in the majority of cases.

With the type-c micro USB, the camera needs to have the firmware to accept an external microphone.

For instance, the The Yi 4K uses micro USB Type-C and when they released the camera, you could not use an external microphone with it. They then released a firmware update and now you can use external mics by connecting a microphone to a microUSB type-c converter.

So you are better off getting an action camera that has miniUSB or 3.5mm to be sure that it works with an external mic, although some do work with external mics where they have the USB type-c.

Why An External Microphone

You may want separate audio recording for many different things and a lot of you out there will have totally different requirements after needing an external audio mic, here on the best action camera with external microphone input we hope we have you covered.

What types of things could you be needing this for? The first things that come to mind are for vloggers, you come in all shapes and sizes and vlog about a multitude of things; from doing product reviews, to your daily life, through to motorcycle vlogging. Each and every one of you will definitely benefit from having an external mic input on your action camera so that your audience can hear you more clearly, especially if you're motorcycling or doing anything that involves separating you from your camera.

How Do I Connect A Microphone To An Action Camera

You have various connection options to decide from when choosing an action camera and you may or may not have to buy extra equipment to connect your audio mics to the camera you want to purchase.

First of there is the 3.5mm female jack input, which of course will take a 3.5mm male jack lead directly from a microphone that you have or wish to buy. This is a simple option but this feature is not the most abundant on action cameras.

The other option is to choose a camera which has mini USB or micro USB Type-C, as these have the 10 pins required to send the audio signal from the mic in to the camera. You will though need to buy an adapter for these so that you can convert them in to a female 3.5mm audio jack. From there, you can plug your microphone in to the camera.

USB Type-C to 3.5mm female jack converter.

Mini USB to 3.5mm female jack converter.

Some action cameras, not many have their own branded mic input equipment but they are made by many different companies now and are a plenty on Amazon, Banggood, Gearbest etc.

Once you have that, you can look in to getting a simple Lavalier Mic Setup for your action cam and you're well on your way.

Action Cameras With Mini USB Ports

With mini USB ports you can use cheaper mini USB mics direct from the manufacturer, SJCam is one such brand that allows mic in straight out of the camera.

This is probably the cheapest way to get an external mic recording in to your action camera. If you own any of the following action cameras or have a mini USB port you can plug the mic straight in and just start recording better audio.

SJCam sell a mini usb microphone that is plug and play and a great price compared to the GoPro accessories, mods and adapters you have to buy.

SooCoo too have their own external mini usb microphone that only works with their cameras.

 

 

Action Cameras With 3.5mm Audio Mic Jack

Below are action cameras that have an inbuilt 3.5mm audio jack port, which means you can plug a mic directly in to this port.

This is probably the quickest, cheapest and easiest way to get an external mic recording in to your action camera. If it has a 3.5mm audio jack then you can plug any microphone with a 3.5mm male jack straight in.

Unlike the adapters with the USB-C cameras we talk about below and the mini usb microphones which SooCoo and SJCam use above, they are all limited to those adapaters and mics, you have to use their accessories and adapters.

With a 3.5mm audio jack port, you can plug any microphone you already have right in and away you go.

Action Cameras with USB Type C

With USB Type C you can plug in an action camera microphone attachment which means you can then record audio externally, outside of the inbuilt mics on the action camera.

All these cameras below have USB Type C which means you can buy an adapter, depending on the brand, plug it in to your cameras USB Type C female port and then plug a microphone of your choice in to that microphone attachment.

This isn't the case for all action cameras as some manufacturers actually block you from using third party microphone attachments and force you to purchase their own brands.

Here is a list of those that sell attachments so you can use an external mic on your action camera, if your brand isn't in this list, don't worry, you still have the options above with 3.5mm jack and mini USB ports if you're looking in to a new action camera.

DJI Osmo External Microphone Adapter

You can use the USB-C to 3.5mm mic adapter for your DJI OSMO Pocket if you want external audio recording.

Or use a third party like the Cynova Osmo Action Dual 3.5mm adapter which is cheaper and a great alternative.

GoPro External Microphone Adapter

For older GoPros, such as GoPro Hero 3, GoPro Hero 3+ and GoPro Hero 4 Black you can use the mic adapter here which will let you plug in any 3.5mm microphone to record in to your GoPro.

If you have a newer GoPro, such as the GoPro Hero 5 Session, GoPro Hero 5 Black, GoPro Hero 6 Black, GoPro Hero 7 Black or the GoPro Hero 8 Black you can use this mic adapter which will convert from USB-C to 3.5mm.

Insta360 One External Microphone Adapter

You will also need a special Insta360 mic adapter if you want to use external microphone on your action camera, you can buy that from the Insta360 official store here https://store.insta360.com/product/mic_adapter

 

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