GoPro Wireless Mic review: a beginner mic with Bluetooth
Digital Camera World tested the Complete Kit of GoPro's first wireless mic. Bluetooth keeps the camera waterproof, while a receiver gave the more reliable link.
Bluetooth: dry camera, single mic
Bluetooth lets the mic talk to a camera with no receiver at all. That matters because a wired link to a GoPro, either through a Media Mod or with the side access door left open, ruins the camera's waterproofing. The reviewer points to boats and beaches as places where Bluetooth keeps water and sand out, even though the mic itself is not waterproof.
The price is a set of limits. Bluetooth works with only one mic, so a two-person setup is off the table. Audio is 16-bit, and stated range is 100 m. Pairing needs a press and hold on the mic button, and a hold that runs too long switches the mic off instead. Once in pairing mode, the GoPro Mission 1 Pro found it right away.
Near the edge of the reviewer's yard the audio turned garbled, and it dropped when a building came between mic and camera.
Receivers: steadier and cleaner
The two receivers raise quality to 24-bit and stated range to 150 m. The reviewer walked past the point where Bluetooth had failed. The link dropped only behind a building and near a metal propane tank.
The small USB dongle has no controls. The larger receiver needs a cord, but it has a level dial, status lights and a headphone jack. The reviewer ended up using the larger one to turn levels up.
With two mics connected, the Mission 1 Pro shows only one audio level indicator. The reviewer calls that a gap in the camera, not in the mic set.
Sound, wearing and battery
Compared with a bare GoPro, an iPhone or a mirrorless camera, the difference was large. The reviewer left levels at +12 in most scenes. A big echoey room hurt quality more than a small one. Outdoors, the wind muff coped well, and wearing the mic worked better than holding it, which avoids catching loud breaths.
A transmitter weighs about 10 g and attaches with a clip or a magnet. The magnet holds over a thick sweater but is easier to knock off thicker fabric. Splash resistance is the one thing the reviewer wished for.
Each transmitter lasts 6.5 hours, and the TRS receiver 13 hours. GoPro says the two-mic set gives 20 hours when the mics are used separately. The reviewer ran the mic for about two hours without trouble.
Kits and what they cost
A lone transmitter for Bluetooth costs about $50. Add a USB receiver and a single-mic kit is about $80. The Complete Kit that was tested costs about $160 and adds a second mic, both receivers, two cords and a charging case.
It works with GoPros including the Hero13 Black, Hero12 Black, Max 2 and Mission 1 series over Bluetooth. Older Hero models need the TRS receiver and a Media Mod or Pro Mic Adapter. Some budget cameras, among them the GoPro Lit Hero, do not support mics.
Missing features and rivals
The verdict says the mic lacks 32-bit float and an option to save an audio backup. The review itself is not consistent on this: its pros list a mono track with safety recording, and the text describes a mono mode that records a safety track. The reviewer says the manual was a must for finding that mode and dynamic noise reduction.
The frequency is fixed, so there is no channel to switch to if interference shows up. The DJI Mic Mini reaches 400 m, supports wired and Bluetooth links, and has longer battery life but no safety track. The Rode Wireless Micro is cheaper and also beginner-friendly, though it uses only USB-C and has no built-in noise cancellation.
Our take
The mic looks built for one buyer: someone who already shoots with a GoPro and wants dry-camera audio without extra gear. Buyers who need two mics on Bluetooth, or distance beyond 150 m, are better served by a rival. The unclear safety-track claim is worth settling on a product page or in the manual before anyone relies on a backup recording.
Source: Digital Camera World