Best Gifts For Filmmakers & Videographers

It’s that time of year again! You have a filmmaker in the family, but don’t know what they could possibly want. The list below will give you ideas and inspiration on how you can equip their creativity in the coming year.

I have recently used this camera and to put it simply: it’s a beast. After the massive success of the Sony FS7 and FS7 II, Sony has again made a bold camera that commands the attention of filmmakers of both documentary as well as narrative fields. With a full frame 6K sensor that can record up to 120 frames per second at Full Frame 2K, 15 stops of dynamic range, and great low light performance, this is a dream camera for any filmmaker out there.

If the person you are shopping for is in search of a cinema camera then the Canon C70 may be the perfect gift. Recently released, this 4K, up to 120 frames per second, 2-10 stops of internal ND, cinema camera has Canon’s famously good color science. This camera utilized Canon’s RF mount and accepts all the brand-new lenses that Canon has put out under that mount, most of which have lens stabilization built in.

Get the budding filmmaker everything they need to get started making their movies. This bundle comes with accessories to make the learning process easier. The base of the kit is the powerful Nikon Z 50, a 4k UHD camera which has great 1080p slow motion, vertical video processing, a versatile 16-50mm lens, and many more features. The kit comes with all that is pictured above, including the excellent RODE VideoMicro mic, GorillaPod 3K kit from Joby, and a travel kit bag.

For the person who wants to take their vlogging, photography, or video skills to the next level, this PowerShot kit from Canon will make them even more excited to share their content. With intuitive controls, live streaming to YouTube capabilities, a powerful sensor, and cinematic fast lens, this is a killer kit!

This year, live streaming has become a primary way for people to communicate. Using your laptop or phone’s camera can lead to less-than-stellar results and setting up something professional with a high-end camera can get complicated and expensive. This is that perfect affordable and easy solution for the person who wants a quality live stream recording camera that will allow you to stream to multiple platforms all at once, with three microphones for solid audio recording, and a great 1080p sensor that is geared for low light situations.

The RX100 line from Sony has been a favorite for years and the VII version is no exception. This compact camera is the perfect pocket-sized camera that you will actually want to take with you. With this camera you don’t have to worry about added bulk, and you get many excellent features common to the Sony RX100 family, such as a great flip-up screen, excellent Zeiss optics, and a cutting edge 4K sensor. And this shooting grip kit allows you to get even smoother shots.

Every filmmaker needs to make sure that their footage is secure. With this RAID hard drive from the exceptionally reliable Sandisk, they will have peace of mind that all the hard work that went into making the footage will be safe thanks to the multiple hard drive configuration. And the fact that it is a thunderbolt drive will thrill them as they see their footage copied, edited, and exported at blazing fast speeds.

For the filmmaker who needs to get that dialogue just right, this mic is a big step up from the on-camera mic of their video camera. Since it is a wired lavalier, it eliminates the problems of interference that you can get from a wireless receiver and transmitter communicating with each other. Great for static subjects such as an interview.

The CineEye 2 is a video transmitter that can send a video signal all the way up to 1200 feet (36.5m) to several different receivers all at once. You can watch playback on your mobile device or through any other screen that has a receiver attached. One of the most important things to look for in a unit of this nature is low latency, and this device has nearly zero latency, which means it is great for broadcast purposes and even focus pulling.

Using your smartphone to record video used to be a tough affair. No longer. Advances in phone technology and recording capabilities mean that in your pocket is a very solidly functional video camera. The Shoulderpod G2 looks to make that video even more functional by allowing you to add the accessories you would normally add to a more professional setup as well as giving you a more stable grip and a package that allows you to get smoother movement.

One of the leading producers of high-end flashes, Profoto has given photographers a reliable and simple to use flash that will make incorporating this unit into your workflow a breeze. Whether you want to use it on camera or place it off camera, this flash will give you great photos with a natural flash look. And it has an included AirTTL remote that gives Nikon cameras extra functionality.

The Helios FP2 is the smaller brother to the popular Titan Tube from Astera. I work as a lighting professional and the Astera tubes are on nearly every set I work on. This light is incredibly bright, has amazing RGB functions and is often the motivation for the lighting as you can place it in the shot and get a really cool look. This light allows you have animated, colored lights that draw the viewer’s attention. It’s definitely a top tier light for any filmmaker taking their lighting seriously.

The Profoto A10 is a top-of-the-line flash that will leave your camera owner amazed. The performance is outstanding as you would expect from any Profoto equipment. It also has integrated Bluetooth, so it will connect with a very wide range of devices. Surely, a flash that is future-proofed.

Trust me, a carbon fiber boom pole is a huge deal for anyone who needs to boom their mic out of frame and often has to have their arms fully extended for long periods of time. This boom pole has internal cabling, which means that the cable doesn’t need to be wrapped around the boom pole, removing the chance that the cable will move during a take leading to unwanted noise. This is a solid performer and a great value at under $300.

This is the SSD to own. It has the best of everything: price, capacity, and reliability. That combination has made it a star. This hard drive is currently being used as the recording solution for many different video cameras, including the extremely popular Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 4K and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 6K, as well as many other cameras. It is small, durable and a must have!

Very recently released and a new form factor from Aputure, this light has me extremely excited and definitely makes the top of the list of items I would want to receive as a gift. This light is RGBWW meaning it can both accurately portray any white light you want as well as give you the full spectrum of color reproduction. Red, blue, green, yellow, orange — any color! Aputure has been consistently putting out lighting units that are professional grade, while aimed at filmmakers who need more wallet-friendly options. They are beloved by the indie film community and for good reason.

I have the big brother to this unit, the Hollyland Mars 400S and that unit is a lifesaver. This one is no different. With great a transmission range of 300 feet, a very low latency, and a very well-designed body, this is the perfect HD video transmitter and receiver system for the filmmaker.

Aputure had a headline-grabbing year, releasing several new lights. The 300X is a bi-color version of their massively popular Aputure 300D Mk II. With an expanded vari-white CCT range of 2700 to 6500K this light allows you to go beyond the ranges of many other bi-color lights and get warmer than tungsten colors as well as cooler than daylight looks. The output is also exceptional, especially at this price point and for a bi-color light.

I have recently had the opportunity to work with these bulbs and they are a must for any kit. Building upon Astera’s solid reputation for excellent colors, great programmable features, and reliability, these are way more than just light bulbs. These bulbs can be powered by the same socket you would put a normal e27 bulb into, but the things they can do are so far greater. You get full RGB capabilities and the best part is, it looks like an actual light bulb so it can seamlessly hang or stand in your scene without feeling out of place. This is the perfect gift for the lighting professional in your life or for someone who wants to take their film lighting to the next level.

Cement your director status with this director’s chair. This is the classic chair that everyone who has watched either behind the scenes or movies about film knows is on set. And trust me, they are actually on sets. Get your filmmaker their own throne from which they will rule their film set.

This lavalier audio recorder fits in your talent’s pocket. There has been quite the size reduction as well as added functionality in the audio equipment field over the last years and Tascam is definitely one of the innovators with the DR-10L. This is great for the videographer who needs a lightweight solution when they don’t have the option of using a boom or sound person. This is great for the one-person-band who either wants to or has to do do it all.

Light up your scenes with the filmmaker-favorite Godox VL300 300W LED Video Light. The VL series, which includes a 150W, 200W, and this 300W video light, comes in a lightweight and compact build, yet delivers impressively powerful light. The LED monolite-style construction includes a whisper-quiet fan, V-mount battery plates, and CRI and TLCI ratings of 96 and 95, respectively, giving you supremely accurate color renditions.