3 Types of Surveillance Camera Microphones — Comparing Their Uses

Posted on by

圖片

 

3 Types of Surveillance Camera Microphones

Built-in Microphone / External Microphone / Built-in + External Microphone

Surveillance camera installations can have blind spots, so a wide-angle shot is needed to capture complete coverage of the monitored area.
As the field of view widens, audio pickup quality tends to weaken. If a monitored area has higher audio requirements, an external microphone is needed to ensure clear sound capture.

 

圖片

 

 

Built-in Microphone

Refers to a microphone pre-installed inside the device, which cannot be supplemented with an external one.

Advantages:

  • No external microphone needed, making installation more convenient.
  • Suitable for outdoor environments and sites focused primarily on video monitoring.
  • Suitable for smaller indoor spaces.

Disadvantages:

  • If the built-in microphone fails while the video system still works, repairs are more cumbersome.
  • Audio pickup quality is limited by ambient noise.

 

圖片

 

 

External Microphone

Refers to a camera with no built-in microphone, requiring an external one for audio capture.

Advantages:

  • Microphone placement can be flexibly adjusted — the closer to the sound source, the clearer the audio and the less interference from ambient noise.
  • Suitable for locations with higher audio requirements, such as checkout counters, reception desks, bank counters, or prisons.

Disadvantages:

  • Requires installing an additional microphone, increasing equipment cost and installation steps.

 

圖片

 

 

Built-in Microphone + External Microphone

Has a built-in microphone while also supporting an additional external one.

Advantages:

  • Highly flexible — both the built-in and external microphones can be used for audio capture at the same time.
  • If the built-in microphone fails, the external one can serve as a backup.
  • Suitable for scenarios requiring precise audio capture, such as checkout counters, reception desks, bank counters, or prisons.

Disadvantages:

  • Requires installing an additional microphone, increasing equipment cost and installation steps, and extra care is needed to adjust settings when multiple audio sources are present.

 

圖片