If you’ve just got your Canon EOS Rebel T5 (also known as the EOS 1200D) and thought…
“Now then, how do I connect my microphone to my Canon Rebel T5?”
Then you’re in for some bad news…
To be able to use an external mic on your Canon Rebel T5, it needs a 3.5mm microphone jack.
It does have a 2.5mm jack which you might mistake for a mic input, but this 2.5mm jack on the Canon Rebel T5 is actually just for remote triggering.
So the Canon EOS Rebel T5 does not have an external mic input.
However, it has an internal mic that records in ‘mono’, so of course, you can still record videos with sound.
But the sound quality will not be anywhere near as good as using an external microphone.
This is not to be confused with the Canon Rebel T5i. The Canon Rebel T5i does have an external mic input, but there are better alternatives compared to the T5i which we describe later.
Table of Contents
Can You Connect An External Mic To Canon Rebel T5
The Canon Rebel T5 does not have a 3.5mm microphone jack, so you cannot just plug in and connect an external mic.
Since the Canon Rebel T5 does not have an external mic input, you might want to use an alternative camera that does have an external microphone input.
In the next section, you can see why we recommend the Canon EOS Rebel SL3 as the best alternative.
There is also a way to use external audio without physically attaching a mic to the Rebel T5, which we describe later in the post.
Alternative To The Canon EOS Rebel T5 That Has A Mic Input
If you need a similar camera to the T5 with an external mic input, then try the Canon EOS Rebel SL3.
Best Alternative To Canon Rebel T5
If you need a camera like the Canon EOS Rebel T5, but with a microphone input, then the Canon EOS Rebel SL3 is the best alternative.
Why We Recommend the Canon EOS Rebel SL3
The main reasons I recommend the Canon Rebel SL3 (also known as the 250D), are as follows:
Way Better Battery Life
The Rebel SL3 has a 1070 shot battery life vs a 500 shot battery life on the Rebel T5.
This means I can go much longer without replacing the battery on the SL3.
SL3 Has A Fully Articulated Touch Screen
I’ve found the fully articulated touch screen very useful when recording.
If the camera is pointed at you, you can flip the screen around so you can still see what is being recorded.
This way you can adjust your framing or settings straight away if something looks wrong.
It is much better than filming for ages without realising, only to find you have unusable footage!
On the other hand the Canon Rebel T5 has a fixed screen and it is not a touch screen.
Higher Resolution
The SL3 can record 4K video at 24fps or 25fps, and 1080p at 60fps, but the T5 can only do up to 1080p at 30fps.
Having the ability to record 1080p at 60fps means I can actually have some decent slow-motion footage at 1080p.
Some other reasons I like the SL3 better than the T5:
- Better DIGIC 8 processor makes it faster and better.
- Higher ISO limit make it better in low light situations.
- The SL3 has 5 fps for continuous shooting of images, compared to 3fps on the Rebel T5. This is useful for taking pictures of fast moving subjects (like sports or wildlife).
- SL3 has a better autofocus system overall.
Of course the main reason is that there is an external mic input on the Rebel SL3, while there isn’t one on the Rebel T5.
This means you don’t need separate audio and video tracks and you don’t need to do any extra steps in post-production to synchronize them (we describe this later in the post).
Also, all lenses that work on the Canon EOS Rebel T5 will also work on the Canon EOS Rebel SL3.
This makes switching cameras a pain free process.
Best Alternative To Canon Rebel T5
If you need a camera like the Canon EOS Rebel T5, but with a microphone input, then the Canon EOS Rebel SL3 is the best alternative.
How To Use External Audio With Rebel T5
If you are desperate to use external audio for your Canon Rebel T5, there is still a way to get this done without attaching a mic to the Rebel T5.
Since you cannot use an external mic attached to the Rebel T5, you have to be a bit more creative.
One way to use an external audio device is to just record separately using a microphone that isn’t attached to your Canon Rebel T5.
You can then synchronize the audio and video in your post-production process.
Basically, you would:
- Record your video with your Canon Rebel T5.
- Record audio separately with a microphone.
- Join the two audio and video tracks together in your editing software.
The video below shows you one way of doing this with a sony a6000, but the same concept applies to the Rebel T5.
Can’t I Convert The 2.5mm To A 3.5mm To Use A Mic On The T5?
No.
For this specific 2.5mm jack on the Canon Rebel T5, it is only possible to use it as a remote trigger. An adapter won’t help you here.
There is no capacity for you to use an external mic which is plugged into the Canon Rebel T5.
Even if you do manage to use adapters to get an external microphone to ‘fit’ with the 2.5mm jack, the resulting sound quality will still be the same as if you were using the internal microphone on the Canon Rebel T5.
Conclusion
You should now know that you cannot attach an external microphone to the Canon Rebel T5 as it does not have a 3.5mm microphone jack.
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