7 Best Action Camera Microphone Attachments To Use In 2022

Videos are more popular at present due to the immense growth of social media, and hence the popularity of action cameras is also increasing. People are also searching for action camera microphone attachments. Action cameras are one of the most budget-friendly options and come in a compact form. Like other cameras, it is not bulky.

Yeah, you can always start with your phone camera, but the versatility of an action camera is much more than that of the smartphone. Action cameras are made much more durable. Many action cameras are waterproof, if not then it comes with their own waterproof case. And has a great stabilization. 

The introduction of horizontal leveling in GoPro took the action camera industry to another level. Many action cameras shoot at linear angles, wide and ultra-wide-angle too. Some even have a front display. The front display and ability to shoot in ultra-wide-angle make it perfect for vlogging.

Best Action camera microphone attachments –

Any video with bad audio quality is not desirable. It won’t keep your audience engaged. Although the audio quality of some action cameras is not bad, it gets degraded when we keep it inside a case and when there is heavy wind. And it’s always a good idea to use an external microphone with any camera as it will increase your audio quality drastically.

In this article, we will discuss some of the best action camera microphone attachments available. We kept the microphones in two categories- Shotgun Microphones and Lavalіer microphones. You may need some additional microphone adapter as some action cameras do not have the 3.5mm jack option for external microphones.

What is a shotgun microphone?

It works as a directional microphone, where audio coming from only the front gets recorded and sound from the rear and back is ignored. It is a one-direction microphone. It can be a condenser or dynamic. The situations where it can be used are – interview shots, run and gun vlogging, and speaking in front of youtube videos.

As shotgun mics are a little big because almost all have tubes in them, it is not usable in situations like moto vlogging. In overhead videos like product review videos, a lavalier mike will be a better option than a shotgun microphone.

My recommendation for Shotgun microphones are –

1. Rode Video Mic go –

Rode microphone is always known for its great audio quality. Rode Video mic Go is also easy to use. You just slide this microphone on the hot shoe of the camera and the audio port on the microphone jack. This microphone is also a very affordable one. It is a directional microphone. 

 It comes with a straightforward cable that you attach to the camera. This microphone is powered off the cable, it does not run on a battery. It is a plug-and-play device and will run until your camera battery power runs out. There’s no control button on the mic. You can only adjust the audio level from inside the camera. Vibration and banging noise is also minimized because there is shock absorbant material covering the microphone.

2. Rode Videomic Pro –

Similar to the Rode video mic go, Rode VideoMic Pro is also a directional shotgun mic but with some additional features. Rode videomic Pro is smaller in size compared to Rode video mic go. It is one of the best rode shotgun mics.

Rode VideoMic Pro runs on a 9volt battery. rode videomic pro battery runs a very long time approx 70hr,  but before recording anything please make sure to turn it on. If you miss that then your microphone won’t start recording. Also, remember to turn off your microphone after recording, otherwise, it will drain your battery. 

There are buttons on the backside of the camera that can use to change the input level on the camera (-10db, 0, +20db).

3. Sennheiser MKE 400 Shotgun Microphone –

MKE 400 shotgun microphone has a tiny form factor. Even with a smaller size, it delivers higher quality sound. With Sennheiser MKE 400 microphone you don’t need any additional wind protector like deadcat. The whole outer layer capsule is an in-built protector. 

The batteries used in this microphone are two 1.5v AAA batteries. Has an operating time of approx 300hr. A pretty long time if you ask me. And one additional feature that amazed me is that it automatically powers on and off with the camera. This is helpful so now you won’t accidentally leave it on.

4. Boya BY mm1 –

This mic is the cheapest shotgun mic on the list. It is a cardioid microphone. You can get this microphone at around 30 dollars but it’s an amazing microphone for the price. It’s even comparable to the rode video micro. 

 Boya by mm1 also does not require any battery to run. Plug and play. It is ideal for vlogging and works on smartphones, camcorders, DSLR, etc.

What are Lavalіer microphones?

Lavalier microphones are small microphones that can be attached directly to the body or clothing. There are two types of a lavalier microphone. lapel mic wireless and wired. In wireless signals, a small transmitter is used and it uses radio frequency.

A wired lavalier microphone restricts the movements but is very budget-friendly. Moto vloggers often use wired lavalier microphones which they attach inside their helmets. A wireless lavalier microphone is used in public speaking engagements, overhead interviews, and events where the actor needs more freedom. Lavalier microphones are also called “lav” or lapel mics.

My recommendation for Lavalier microphones are –

5. Rode smartLav+ –

Rode smartLav+ is an Omni directional microphone. It is pretty small-sized but has a high-quality microphone. You can attach Rode lapel mic to your cloth with the inbuilt clip. It is not meant to record in open areas with busy roads. As it is a lapel mic, you try to clip it on the collar of your shirt. Try to keep away the microphone from rubbing it with other clothes. In a closed room or in moto vlogging it will work best.

6. Rode wireless GO II –

Rode Wireless GO II is the successor of the previously popular Rode Wireless GO now with Many added features. It comes with two transmitters and one receiver. With the new update, you can change up to 10 output level.

The official site says that Rode wireless 2 stays connected up to 200meters. Both the transmitter have built-in mics but to get even more quality from it use another lapel mic with it. This rode lapel mic wireless lasts around 7 hours with built-in lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.

7. DJI Mic –

DJI Mic is DJIs first audio system. It comes with 2 transmitters and 1 receiver. The receiver has a touchscreen display. It comes with its own charging case. The moment you open the charging case both the transmitter and receiver automatically pair. Battery life is decent. You can get around a total of 15 hours of recording time. 

You can attach the transmitter with an integrated clip or with magnets that come with it. The transmitter is an Omni directional and has built-in storage. The range is apx. 250 meters (820ft ).

Conclusion –

I hope this article helped you. These are my recommendation for the action camera microphone Attachment. What microphone will you choose for your action camera? Please comment below.