Is gift-giving on your mind right now? Or maybe gift-receiving? I’m here to help with 12 gifts photographers will love. Plus, I’ve thrown in an extra bonus gift for the photographer who has everything.
You might be buying for another photographer. Or, just maybe, you’ve been asked what you’d like for Christmas. Or, even better, you’re planning on surprising yourself with a gift you’ve carefully selected for and placed under the tree!
All these gifts are ones that I own and love. A few of the links lead to newer versions of what I own. If I were buying, I’d definitely buy the newer version! And one more thing. Some of these links are affiliate links. This means that I may earn a small commission if you click on a link and buy the item. It never costs you more! The commission helps support this blog. Thanks!
Gifts Photographers Will Love: Moment Lenses for their iPhone
Moment lenses have been named the best lenses for iPhone photography by The Wirecutter many years in a row. They are professional quality glass lenses.
My favorite two are the Telephoto lens and the Macro lens. The Telephoto will even work with the telephoto lens on the iPhone, making it that much stronger! The Macro lens is easy to use, provided you can get very close to your subject. It takes beautiful close-ups of flowers. Since you do have to be very close, it’s not great for insects that are alive. I’ve tried it on spiders, and they tend to flee as I approach with the lens.
Be sure to also buy a Moment iPhone case (they do have cases for other mobile phone brands, too.) and a Drop-in Lens Mount. You’ll have to match the case and the lens mount to the iPhone model. The lenses attach to Moment cases. I also add a strap. It makes it easier to find my indigo-blue case and to hold it securely. My strap is red.
Here’s a tip to share with your lucky photographer: They can download the Moment app in the App Store. They’ll need to use it to shoot when they are using the lenses. It allows them to choose which iPhone lens is doing the shooting. They’ll choose the one they’ve mounted the Moment lens to.
Safety Gifts Photographers Will Love
During the summer, I wrote a blog post about getting back into shape to travel, and it wasn’t about going to the gym. In it, I told the story of dropping my camera. One of the things I learned was that BlackRapid straps had evolved with just that scenario in mind. I’d used them for over ten years but hadn’t stayed up on technology. Don’t be me. Buy your lucky photographer a new BlackRapid strap!
They come in various designs, so take some time to look. This link leads to a BlackRapid strap designed especially for women. Your lucky photographer might prefer a different design. Share a link with them to the instructions on how to set it up and how to attach the additional Camera Safety Tether. I wish I had had that on my camera when it dropped!!!
This workshop is a gift that photographers will love!
If your lucky photographer owns a DSLR or mirrorless camera, be their best friend or relative and give them the Camera Mechanics Workshop! You can learn all about it by clicking on the link. It’s taught online and they will have unlimited time to finish it. The next session starts on January 14th. That’s when the classes will become available. By the end of February, they’ll be using all four professional modes and know when to use them and why! This class takes busy camera owners from confused to camera-confident without reading their manuals!
Tripods for an iPhone can be gifts photographers will love!
I’m amazed by the ingenuity of tripod designers! The three tripods in the photo all will hold an iPhone and all are easy to carry and to use.
The MeFoto SideKick 360 Smartphone Tripod Adapter:
At the bottom left, there’s the MeFoto SideKick. This handy device will screw onto the top of a full-sized tripod or latch into an Arca tripod head. You can screw it onto the top of a light stand, too, turning the light stand into a tripod. The link leads to the larger model.
It also does fine just sitting on a flat surface. It can be adjusted to shoot both horizontally and vertically! You can even use it with the Platypod and the Smatree Q3, which I’ll cover later.
It’s important to match the size of the iPhone, including its case, to the MeFoto SideKick. It comes in two different sizes and many different colors. Small and Large.
The Smatree Q3 Telescoping Selfie Stick with Tripod Stand
Another tripod gift photographers will love is shown at the top of the photo. The Smatree Q3 goes with me almost everywhere. You can use the base by itself. (The MeFoto SideKick makes it easy to attach your iPhone to the base.) If you attach the selfie stick to the base and adjust it to its full length, you have a full-height tripod for your iPhone.
The selfie stick comes with a built-in ball head for adjusting the shooting angle of the iPhone. It also comes with a simple but useful iPhone holder.
Wonder what the other piece above it is? That’s how you’ll attach a GoPro to the tripod! I also attach my Theta Z 360-degree Camera to this tripod. It allows me to shoot 360-degree photos without being in the shot. I use the timer and hide before the shot is taken.
Of course, you can always use it as a selfie stick!
The Pocket Tripod Pro makes a convenient gift photographers will love
The remaining tripod in the photo is the Pocket Tripod Pro. It really does lie flat like a credit card and tuck into your wallet.
When you set it up, which takes seconds, you have a tiny tripod for your iPhone. Mine is always in my handbag!
What about a tripod for a DSLR or mirrorless camera?
The Platypod Max and Platypod Ultra will both hold a DSLR. If your lucky photographer is going to be using a long lens, the Max is a better choice.
They are both amazing. These are gifts photographers are sure to love! Be sure to add in some optional accessories, like the Benro IN00 Ball Head. It makes attaching your camera much easier. If you click on the link, you can learn about all the different ways to use these handy tripods. (OK, let’s be honest here. They really are not tripods… because tripods have three legs! I guess I should call them camera supports?)
And don’t forget to point out that the MeFoto SideKick will also attach very nicely to either Platypod!
Mirrorless cameras and DSLRs can always use new memory cards!
Memory cards keep evolving by getting larger and faster. Help your lucky photographer keep up by throwing a few of them into their Christmas stocking. Be sure to do a little research first. Some new mirrorless cameras required special memory cards. Also, they come in different sizes. You may need an elf to help snoop around to find the right size! My favorite brand is SanDisk, by far!
Don’t forget to throw in a new SanDisk ImageMate Pro USB-C Multi-Card Reader Writer. I just replaced my old card reader with this one and can’t believe how much faster it is!
Small bags are gifts photographers will love every time they use them!
I’ve discovered the greatest bags for carrying small cameras, lenses, and all sorts of other camera equipment. One of them, the Anti-Theft RFID Sling Backpack at Target does not look like a camera bag. It’s small and lightweight and, best of all, much less expensive than a camera bag. I’ve bought two other models of their Anti-Theft bags as well and love all of them. You can find them online or in the travel section at Target. Bags by Travelon are also great. Target carries them online.
These stocking stuffers are gifts photographers will love
I always have a LensPen with me when I’m out shooting. It’s in my 7-Essentials Bag. They come in different sizes now. I have the larger size for cleaning my DSLR lenses. I just bought the smallest size from Moment. It’s designed to clean the lenses on my iPhone.
A gift of the CamKix Wireless Bluetooth Camera Shutter Remote Control Clicker for Smartphones is sure to be a success! This small and lightweight remote allows you to shoot your iPhone from up to 30 feet away. Your lucky photographer can set up their iPhone on the Smatree Q3, walk away from the camera and shoot. It’s perfect for group shots when the photographer wants to be in the photo.
Are you in a particularly generous mood?
There are many more gifts that photographers will love. Some are “somewhat” expensive, and some might break the bank. I’ve listed the cameras I recommend on my website here. I keep the list up to date. Some of them are definitely bank-breakers and some are not.
But what about the bonus gift I promised? Well, there’s one “sort of reasonable” camera gift that any photographer who shoots video will love. The GoPro HERO10 Black is fun to use and surprisingly good at capturing action. This is the gift for photographers who do action sports or shoot photos or video of people who do. (I fall more into that category. 😉) I have the GoPro HERO9 Black and can hardly believe how much stabilization is built into the tiny camera. If I were going to buy it today, I’d buy the latest model!
My son uses his while scuba diving and does recommend getting a protective cover if you’ll be diving. The camera is waterproof by itself, but the case will offer additional protection. He also has learned from experience that tethering it to yourself is vital.
I recommend that you include the handle in the photo. It floats, so if the GoPro goes overboard, you have a chance of retrieving it. And, best of all, it’s a comfortable and stable handle. I use it all the time when I’m stalking our dog and grand-dogs, not to mention the grandkids.
Have a wonderful time shopping for your lucky photographer.
I usually include all the links at the end of the post, but this time, I decided it was easier for you if I included most of them near their photos or when I mentioned them.
As you can see from the photos, mostly taken on my back deck (which accounts for the strange shadows in the photos!), I do own and use these items. Where I’ve included a link to a newer version, I’ve mentioned the model that I own. Believe me, when I bought them, they were the newest version. I believe in future-proofing my camera equipment. That means buying the newest version, always knowing that it will be out-of-date before you know it!
Happy shopping! Let me know in the comments which gifts you bought!
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