If you’re looking for some affordable gift ideas this year, these gadgets make great stocking stuffers. From action cams to portable lighting and audio solutions, we’ve got something special for the imagemakers on your gift list that won’t bust your budget.
GoPro HERO11 Black Creator Edition
The latest addition to GoPro’s series of HERO action cams certainly lives up to its name. Billed as the most powerful GoPro yet, the HERO11 boasts a slate of welcome updates including a larger sensor with an 8:7 aspect ratio that makes it suited to vertical video and a HyperView option for more generous wide-angle shots. With the ability to capture 27MP stills, it can also record 5.3K video in 10-bit colour at up to 60 fps, 4K at up to 120 fps and 2.7K at up to 240 fps for stunning slow-motion clips. Improved HyperSmooth 5.0 stabilization keeps footage super-steady and a new Horizon Lock function always keeps it level. The creator kit comes with handgrip, battery and two MOD accessories.
Aputure MC RGBWW LED Mini Light
This revolutionary miniature LED fixture packs an incredible amount of punch and innovative versatility into its diminutive palm-sized dimensions. You can use it as a standalone light source or in combination with several others to illuminate an entire scene: the MC Mini also comes in a four-light creator kit and a 12-light production kit; you can even control and synchronize up to 100 units at once from up to 400m away using the Sidus Link mobile app. The real breakthrough here though is the underlying RGBWW technology: in addition to red, green and blue LEDs, it also packs two additional white LEDs – one balanced at tungsten and another at daylight – to reproduce incredibly accurate colour.
Sennheiser MKE 200 Mobile Kit
Designed for content creators on the move, this complete kit includes the Sennheiser MKE 200 directional on-camera microphone with windscreen, smartphone clamp and two 3.5mm cables, plus Manfrotto’s handy Pixi mini tripod and a convenient storage pouch to keep everything together. The mic’s super-cardioid capsule captures ample detail while rejecting background noise; the built-in windscreen and shock mount also help keep unwanted sounds at bay, while the included furry windshield accessory adds another measure of protection. Made of sturdy lightweight aluminum, the compact mic sports a cold-shoe mount beneath the shock mount to support just about any camera, as well as a standard 1/4-inch screw hole for the tripod. The mic draws its power from the camera via the included 35mm cable or from your smartphone when using the clamp and compatible cable provided.
Datacolor SpyderX Elite Photo Kit
You might have trouble stuffing all of this into a stocking, but it’s the kind of gift that a serious professional – or anyone who obsesses about the colour accuracy of their shots – would love to see under the tree. The SpyderX Elite colorimeter is an ingenious device featuring a lens-based colour engine that pairs with provided software to give users a fast and accurate step-by-step calibration process with the ability to perform side-by-side before-and-after comparisons for evaluation. This kit also includes the SpyderCheckr 24 standardized colour array to colour-correct a camera and the portable SpyderCube reference tool for setting things like white balance, exposure and brightness.
DJI Pocket 2 Combo
You might be pleasantly surprised by the level of smoothness of the perfectly stabilized 4K footage you can capture with this tiny handheld camera, thanks to its built-in cutting-edge 3-axis gimbal. Building on the success of the original Osmo Pocket model, this second-generation version retains an uncluttered layout and unparalleled ease of use, while adding improvements such as a larger 64MP CMOS sensor and intelligent features like ActiveTrack 3.0. But it’s in the audio quality that you’ll find the biggest boost over its predecessor: four directional stereo microphones and DJI Matrix Stereo audio zoom combine to deliver high-calibre audio performance that the vlogger on your gift list will surely notice – and appreciate. This combo kit includes essential accessories.