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Even though photographers tend to love gadgets and technology, they’re usually pretty picky about what they want. Consequently, people shopping for photographers and photography enthusiasts often go with pretty generic gifts like photography themed coffee mugs, t-shirts with photography jokes, camera shaped key-chains, and stuff of that sort. These gifts can be fun — everyone needs at least one camera lens coffee mug, but if you’re hoping to find a gift that’s a bit more personalized and practical for the photographer on your shopping list, hopefully this list will give you some ideas!
Before you start your Christmas holiday shopping, try to find out as much as you can about what the photographer you’re buying for takes pictures of, and what kind of gear they already have. Be sure to share this page on your Facebook & Twitter to give your friends and family a few ideas!
Zeiss Jumbo Microfiber Cloth
It doesn’t matter whether a photographer shoots Nikon, Canon, Pentax, or Sony — their camera lenses and filters are bound to get dirty at some point. The Zeiss Jumbo Microfiber Cloth is 12×16 inches and can be washed and reused.
See it on: Amazon.com | B&H Photo
Giottos Rocket Blaster
Sensors get dirty too, and a rocket blower tool is a great and inexpensive way to clean most of the dust off of camera sensors.
Check it out on: B&H Photo | Adorama
ICE 10 Stop ND Filter
A Neutral Density filter is essentially a dark piece of glass or resin that blocks a very specific amount of light and can be used to shoot long exposure photography during the daytime. The ICE ND1000 Filter is inexpensive, but the quality is excellent & allows photographers to experiment with long exposure photography during the daytime. You can read our review of this filter here. These filters come in several filter thread sizes, and it’s usually advisable to buy one for the largest lens you own.
Check it out on: Amazon.com
A 50mm Lens
50mm lenses have the affectionate nickname “nifty 50” because of their usefulness, image sharpness, and affordability. Nikon, Canon, Sony, and Pentnt inexpensive 50mm f/1.8 lenses that make for great additions to a photographer’s bag, if they don’t already have one. Nikon produces an even more inexpensive version than the one linked to below that you may come across, the Nikon AF FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D Lens, but be aware that this version doesn’t offer autofocus on the following cameras: D40, D40x, D60, D5000, D5100, D5200, D5300, D3000, D3100, D3200, and D3300.
See the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens on: Amazon.com | B&H Photo | Adorama
See the Nikon AF-S FX 50mm f/1.8G Lens on: Amazon.com | B&H Photo | Adorama
See the Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS Lens on: Amazon.com | B&H Photo | Adorama
See the Pentax DA 50mm f1.8 Lens on: Amazon.com | B&H Photo | Adorama
Transcend USB 3.0 Multi Card Reader
Using a USB cable to transfer files from camera to computer makes for one more thing to trip on — the Transcend USB 3.0 Multi Card Reader has slots for a CF card, SD card, and micro SD card, meaning that whether the photographer on your list shoots with CF or SD cards, this card reader can handle it!
See it on: Amazon.com | B&H Photo | Adorama
NEEWER 32-Inch Portable 5 in 1 Collapsible Multi Disc Reflector
A 5 in 1 reflector is an awesome, inexpensive gift that will come in handy, especially for portrait and fashion photographers. Around a foot wide when collapsed, the NEEWER 32 inch 5 in 1 reflector expands into a 32 inch circle and has a translucent, white, gold, black, and silver surface.
Get it on: Amazon.com
Joby Gorillapod SLR-Zoom Mini Tripod with Ball Head
Gorillapods are pretty odd looking, but they’re great for attaching your camera to all kinds of things like light-poles and railings. The Joby Gorillapod SLR-Zoom with BH1 Ball Head is designed to support up to 6.6 pounds, making this flexible mini tripod a useful piece of gear that is small and light enough to be carried just about anywhere.
See it on: Amazon.com | B&H Photo | Adorama
Altura Photo Professional Rain Cover
Inexpensive & useful, the Altura Photo Professional Rain Cover keeps a camera dry while shooting in the rain or snow and provides easy access to the controls.
Check it out on: Amazon.com
BlackRapid RS-2 Sport 2 Slim Camera Strap
The BlackRapid RS-2 Sport 2 Camera Strap is worn over the shoulder, with an underarm support that offers even more stability and security while shooting. This kind of over the shoulder padded camera strap is much more comfortable for most to use than the traditional around-the-neck camera straps that typically ship with most cameras.
See it on: Amazon.com | B&H Photo | Adorama
Portable Hard Drive
Extra storage space is something that every photographer can use, and a portable hard drive makes creating backups easy, even while traveling. You’ll find plenty of options when shopping for a portable hard drive — they come in various storage capacities, but you’ll generally find that 1 to 4 TB drives represent the best value when it comes to cost per GB of storage. Some popular options include the WD 2TB My Passport and Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB. For photographers who need an especially rugged portable hard drive, the LaCie Rugged Mini 2TB is designed to be shock, rain, and pressure resistant.
Browse Portable Hard Drives on: Amazon.com | B&H Photo | Adorama
MeFOTO RoadTrip Aluminum Travel Tripod
Even for photographers who already have a large tripod they use around town and in the studio, a smaller travel tripod like this can make a great gift. The MeFOTO RoadTrip Travel Tripod weighs 3.6 pounds but can support a load of 17.6 pounds, folds to just 15.4 inches, and extends to a height of 61.6 inches. For photographers who spend a lot of time hiking or need to keep their travel bag even lighter, the MeFOTO BackPacker Tripod is another option that weighs only 2.6 pounds and folds to 12.6 inches with a maximum height of 51.2 inches and a load capacity of 8.8 pounds.
See the MeFOTO RoadTrip Tripod on: Amazon.com | B&H Photo | Adorama