External Nikon D3300 Microphones with 3.5mm Mic Jack

Nathaniel Stephan
November 21, 2025

Table of Contents

The Nikon D3300 has a 3.5mm mic jack and built-in mono microphone.

A shotgun mic or wireless receiver can be used to improve the audio.

The D3300’s mic doesn’t have the best audio quality. It’s useful for syncing audio from an external recorder.

A video editor can sync audio captured with an external recorder to the audio recorded by the Nikon D3300’s built-in microphone. All commonly used editors have the ability to sync multiple audio tracks in post production.

There are many affordable lenses for the Nikon D3300 that are useful for video.

Does the Nikon D3300 record audio?

Yes, the built-in Nikon D3300 microphone records audio when shooting.

The microphone is mono, not stereo. Quality will not be great. It will pick up wind noise outside or echos when used indoors.

An external microphone can greatly improve the audio quality of the D3300.

Can the Nikon D3300 use an external mic?

Yes, the Nikon D3300 can use an external mic with 3.5mm jack.

A shotgun mic or wired lavaliere can be plugged into the D3300.

Wireless microphones, like the DJI Mic 3 or Rode Wireless Micro can be used.

Can a XLR microphone be used?

No, there is no way to use an XLR microphone directly with the Nikon D3300.

An external recorder like a Zoom H1n or Tascam DR-40X can be used to record audio. Tracks can then by synced during post production.

Can headphones be used on the Nikon D3300?

No, the Nikon D3300 does not have a dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack.

That is because the D3300 is an entry level camera with a reasonable original price.

There is no way to monitor audio on the D3300. If you need to monitor audio, get an external recorder with a headphone jack.

Does the Nikon D3300 have a speaker?

Yes, the Nikon D3300 has a mono speaker. It can be used to listen to audio during playback of a video.

Video can quickly use of storage space, but there are cheap compatible SD cards for the Nikon D3300 available.

Affiliate Advertising Disclosure

Outside the Shot is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. I also participate in affiliate advertising programs with KEH, and WEX Photo Video. More can be found on the Affiliate Disclosure page.