External mic jack mod for Lumix GX80 / GX85

I love my Panasonic Lumix GX85 mirrorless camera, it can do 4K video, has IBIS and the 15mm Leica lens is awesome. Both the lens and camera are small making the whole setup super portable. There is one massive downside though, the camera is lacking the mic input making it a pain to get good audio. You have to use an external recorder and sync the audio and video in post.

This has been on my mind since I bought the camera a couple of years ago. I have searched the web and the external microphones have been mentioned by other people, but nobody actually shared a solution. For some time, I was hesitant to poke around inside the camera, but I’m glad that I eventually did.

It is now possible to use an external mic with the Panasonic Lumix GX80/85 by soldering a microphone jack to the three test pads on the main circuit board of the camera.

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