Are GoPro Accessories Universal?
You can find endless accessories for your action camera, to enjoy the experience from different angles and better footage. If you just bought a GoPro or a different brand action camera, but you haven’t made the most of it when you go skating or snowboarding with your friends, you may not know many of the possibilities that accessories can give you.
But are they all compatible with each other? Most action camera accessories are compatible with each other including GoPro’s. So how can you tell which ones are and which ones are not? It’s pretty easy, most accessories for action cameras come with the typical three-piece accessory mount (like the picture shown below) to mount your GoPro or another action camera with the thumbscrew.
If you have an action camera with a case and comes with this shape at the bottom you will have no problem with any accessories since they will all fit with the mount shown above. Which most of the typical accessories have with a few exceptions shown below.
So if you find any accessory with the three-piece mount (picture shown above) it will be perfectly compatible with any action camera that comes with a case with the same mount shown above. All GoPro’s are compatible with this kind of accessories and they will all fit perfectly.
If you are looking to buy a GoPro check out our GoPro Hero 7 Review if you’re looking for a more low-budget action camera check out our best 10 GoPro alternatives blog check here!
Accessories not compatible with all action cameras
Now that you know a little more about which accessories are compatible let’s see come accessories that are not universal and may not work with your action camera or GoPro.
The action camera housing, every action camera comes with a unique housing since they’re all a bit different in size and design, most action cameras already come with a case in the box when you buy one but some don’t. GoPro’s came with housing until Hero 5 since it doesn’t need one because it’s already built-in. Other cameras like the Yi 4K don’t come with housing and needs to be bought separately.
In the GoPro housing, you can find 2 types of cases, the case for the GoPro Hero 4, Hero 3+, Hero3, and the frame case for GoPro Hero 9, Hero 8, Hero 7, Hero 6, Hero 5, and the Hero (2018). What the GoPro case frame does is allow you to mount your GoPro onto accessories. It’s also worth noting that the new GoPro Hero 8 from 2019 doesn’t need the case frame since it’s already built-in with the camera (Check Out The Full Review, Click Here)
If you bought a GoPro, the housing or the case frame should already come in the box with the camera, if you need to buy it I have put some links below for each camera.
Batteries, action camera batteries depend a lot on what camera you bought, some are compatible with each other and some others are not, for example, GoPro has its own battery only for GoPro. But other brands such as GitUp, SJCAM or AKASO all share the same battery and are compatible with each other. My recommendation is to look for a battery that you know will work with your action camera.
Extra LCD Screen, some cameras don’t come with a screen, for example, the GoPro Hero 4, Hero 3, and Hero+ 3. If you want a screen on these cameras you will need to buy a separate LCD screen for them. Most action cameras today already come with a screen so if yours already has one you don’t need to worry about this.
Wi-Fi Remote or Smart remote is an accessory that allows you to control your GoPro with a remote, some action cameras are compatible with remotes and come with their own, like the GoPro Wi-Fi remote which is compatible with all GoPro’s but not compatible with any other brand.
Microphone, a microphone is a great extension to buy for your sports camera if you need to get good quality audio, but you need to be careful with which one you purchase since most microphones made for action cameras are made for a specific model of camera, for example, the Movo GM100 Lavalier Microphone only for GoPro and compatible with GoPro HERO3, HERO3+, and HERO4 Black.
Smartphone apps, each action camera has its own smartphone app so it won’t be compatible with other sports cameras, for example, if you have a Yi 4K you can connect to the GoPro App.
Filters, if you are looking to get some filters for your action camera, you will need to make sure they are compatible with your own since the size of the filter might not be correct with your action camera.
You might find some other exceptions so always make sure to check just in case that the accessory you are buying is compatible with your sports cam.
My recommended accessories for action cameras
You can use a GoPro camera to shoot almost anything and get good footage, but you may not know that you can make that footage looking better and easier to film with accessories. You can find tons of accessories in the market, here we’ve picked a great basic pack you need if you want to start recording with your action camera.
The 50 in 1 Accessory Pack
This pack comes with 50 different accessories all compatible with most action cameras, for example, GoPro, Yi, Gitup and many more brands. No action camera comes with this pack.
Floaters, chest mounts, bike mounts, a tripod, and more come with this pack. A lot of different accessories for different activities designed for all sorts of different purposes, We’ve reviewed this pack, and show you why this is a must-have as a beginner or amateur.
Check out the Full Review of the Pack Click Here
Best Accessories for Skiing
The winter is coming and you’re finally looking forward to going skiing. We are all preparing our board or skis to surf the snow. To get the amazing videos with your action camera this year, we’ve reviewed accessories and made a list of some necessities and “must-haves” accessories when going skiing.
Check out the Full Review Click Here
Hope this blog was helpful and you’ve found the answers you were looking for, we recommend you to check out our other accessory blogs if you are looking for some awesome equipment to add to your setup. Click here to check out our other accessory blogs.
