By Brady Betzel

Thanksgiving is here, and the rest of the holidays are fast approaching, so to embrace the season of giving, we’ve decided to make some suggestions. Most creative professionals, like myself, have hobbies that come with a beefy price tag — photography, videography, computer-building. So what can your loved ones get you that won’t break the bank but also keep you creating? I’m glad you asked, because I have five somewhat out-of-the-box holiday gift ideas that I know I would like.

Sennheiser XS Lav USB-C Mobile Kit
If you start a podcast, you are going to want a microphone. If you have a microphone, you’re going to want a mini-tripod. If you have a mini-tripod, it might as well hold your phone for a video podcast or a Zoom. Now that I have fully channeled “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie…,” you should check out the Sennheiser XS Lav USB-C Mobile Kit.

The Sennheiser XS Lav USB-C Mobile Kit retails for $99.95. It includes the Sennheiser XS USB-C Lav, Manfrotto Pixi tabletop tripod, phone clamp with cold-shoe mount, foam windshield and pouch.

Whether you are looking to up your Zoom audio game with a dedicated lav microphone or to start a podcast, the Sennheiser XS USB-C Mobile Kit is an inexpensive way to immediately improve your audio without buying a desktop-real-estate-eating microphone (I’ll get to one of those next). The Sennheiser XS USB-C mic is compatible with many USB-C-connected devices, like a Windows- or MacOS-based computer, Android phone, iPhone and even Linux!

It can record in 8, 16, 32, 44.1, and 48kHz sample rates and has a frequency response from 70Hz to 18,000Hz. It is powered over a 2m-long USB-C cable and can be hidden easily. The Sennheiser XS USB-C Mobile Kit is great for multiple purposes, including filming interviews using Filmic Pro on your phone, Zoom meetings or temp voice recording for an edit. And it can be tucked out of the way easily.

If you’ve been frustrated over the past two years with terrible audio from your co-workers, this could be a great gift to send out over the holidays to help everyone up their work-from-home online meeting game. The Manfrotto Pixi tripod is an amazing bonus: It’s tiny, as the name Pixi implies, but is also ultra-sturdy. It could hold a medium-sized camera or a GoPro without issue — not to mention an iPhone or Android phone — using the metal clamp.

Overall, it’s one of the best value gifts on this list, and you’ll immediately see the benefits.

Shure MV7 Podcast Kit
If the Sennheiser XS USB-C Mobile Kit isn’t enough for you, you’ll want to check out the Shure MV7 Podcast Kit. lThe Shure MV7 Podcast Kit retails for $269 but is currently $239 and includes the MV7 USB and XLR microphone, Manfrotto Pixi mini tripod, 10-foot Micro-B to USB-C cable and a 10-foot Micro-B to USB-A cable. It’s simple to install and, when connected with USB, can be paired with the ShurePlus MOTIV app to control features like auto-level mode, tone and distance. The Shure MV7 even has a headphone jack on the back and volume controls on the mic itself. It’s a dummy-proof professional mic.

For the editors, producers, assistant editors and others who want to record almost pro-level voiceovers for their edits, jump to the top of their Zoom meeting with the highest quality audio, or start creating podcasts and tutorials, the Shure MV7 is a good choice. It is the younger sibling to the famous SM7B XLR microphone (you’ve probably heard this used in your favorite podcasts), just cheaper and USB-compatible right out of the box.

If you are an iPhone user with a Lightning connector, you will also need to purchase the AMV-LTG Micro-B to Lightning cable for an additional $27. Unfortunately, the microphone is advertised as being compatible with iOS out-of-the-box, but you will need to purchase the AMV-LTG to fully connect.

Aside from that, the Shure MV7 is a phenomenal holiday gift for anyone looking to up their podcast, tutorial or TikTok audio game, or even for the professional editor looking to up their temp voiceover game (or maybe turn temp voiceover into permanent voiceover).

Helios 44-2
Besides being an editor, I love photography. Unfortunately, my bank account can’t always afford all the Canon L Series lenses I would like. But trolling Instagram led me down some weird lens rabbit holes, where I found the Helios 44-2 58mm f/2 with Canon EF adapter. According to the Helios-44 Wikipedia page, “The Helios 44-2 is a [M42] Soviet copy of the Carl Zeiss Biotar 58mm f/2 lens produced under the Helios lens brand.”

It’s a kind of a trendy niche lens, and if you do a quick Instagram search for Helios 44-2, you will find some really incredible images. What sets this lens apart is its circular bokeh. It’s not necessarily the sharpest or highest-fidelity lens, but much like Lensbaby lenses, it has a unique characteristic that can be fun to play around with when shooting head shots or family shots that aren’t vital.

Since this a fully manual lens, it also helps improve your photography chops — there is little room for error when hitting focus. But when you get it right, you can get some magical-looking shots. I found one that had been rehoused on Amazon for about $70; the only caveat here is that it ships from Ukraine and took about 30 days to get to me. I love it. It’s a fun lens, and it’s even more fun trying to film video and keep everyone in focus…some might call that torture, but not me.

Either way, experimenting with the Helios 44-2 lens really got my creative ideas swirling. Once I figured out how it worked and was able to get that circular bokeh look, I was hooked. I leave it on my Canon 5D a lot more than my L Series lens at the moment.

Fenix HM65R Rechargeable Headlamp
This holiday gift idea is a strange but very important one. If you are a tinkerer or a computer builder or a poor embroidery-machine repairman like I am, then you need a good flashlight. And what’s better than a flashlight? Well, a headlamp! The Fenix HM65R rechargeable headlamp is on the higher end of headlamps and immediately levels you up to dad mode.

The Fenix HM65R retails for $94.95 and will outshine almost every flashlight in your house with its top brightness of 1400 Lumens. It’s impact-resistant (up to 2m), waterproof (up to 2m), USB-C rechargeable, has multiple brightness settings for Spotlight and Floodlight modes, and includes five years of free repairs.

You can use either the rechargeable 3400mAh battery that comes with the Fenix HM65R or two regular CR123A batteries, which retail for around $10 for a two-pack and are easy to find at stores like The Home Depot. The headlamp itself is small and light — it is 3.17 inches x 2.17 inches x 1.57 inches and weighs 3.42oz. It will not only light up that DIY PC build you’ve got scheduled, but if you are going fishing, hiking or are scared to put your trash out at night, this will light the way.

Wacaco Picopresso Portable Espresso Machine
Finally, what editor, production assistant, makeup artist or rotoscoper doesn’t like coffee or espresso? We’ve all been there: You start a new job, and they have terrible coffee, or worse yet, no espresso! Or you are working from home but are craving that coffee shop taste.

A perfect gift for that espresso snob in your life is the Wacaco Picopresso portable espresso machine. The Picopresso retails for $129.90, weighs just under a pound and can fit in a decent-sized pocket. Think of it as a little shorter and a little wider than a soda can. Using the Picopresso is relatively easy if you have access to boiling-hot water and a nicely ground espresso roast.

It took me about 20 tries to get the hang of using the Picopresso, but that was because I wasn’t priming it before pulling an espresso shot. Once I discovered that I needed to prime the espresso shot with hot water for about 15 seconds, then continue pulling the shot, I was pulling beautiful espresso shots complete with the luxurious crema on top. It does take a minute or two to clean up the Picopresso, but it’s worth it if you don’t have access to a typically pricey espresso machine. In fact, the shots I pulled were better than the ones I get from the Starbucks drive-thru.

Brady Betzel is an Emmy-nominated online editor at Margarita Mix in Hollywood, working on shows like Life Below Zero and Uninterrupted: The Shop . He is also a member of the Producers Guild of America. You can email Brady at bradybetzel@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @allbetzroff.