The holidays are fast approaching and if you're as unorganized as me when it comes to buying presents, you'll likely have left it to the last minute. But fear not!
I've put together a brilliant range of camera kit and accessories to stuff the stockings of the photography lovers in your life, and as a photographer myself I know they're gifts they'll actually want to receive. Sadly, I can't say that with the same level of confidence about that new pair of socks from grandma!
These gift ideas are suitable for all budgets from cheap and cheerful memory cards and cleaning equipment, to more lavish drones and trail cams. But you'll need to be quick, as Christmas is just around the corner. Fortunately many of these items can be brought via our affiliate links through Amazon. To make sure you receive Amazon packages in time for Christmas day be sure to order no later than 22nd December when using the 2-day delivery option, the 23rd December for the 1-day option and December 24th when ordering with same day delivery. Let's get to my top picks...
Memory cards
Three things are guaranteed in life: death, taxes and if you’re a photographer – you will never have enough memory cards! With a recent upgrade to more modern Canon EOS R5 Mark I and EOS R6 Mark II cameras I’ve been gradually upgrading my SD cards to the newer UHS II and UHS III standard cards – these can be identified by their additional row of contacts on the back which enable faster transfer speeds and allow my cameras to shoot as fast as possible. I’ve found Lexar’s Professional 1667x cards to be reliable and good value, I’ve also enjoyed using the company’s same line of CFexpress cards with my EOS R5, too. Just be sure to check what memory cards are compatible with your recipient's camera first.
Hard drive
Riffing off my previous idea, we also need hard drives to store all of our photos on too. The large RAW files of super high res cameras like the Canon EOS R5 Mark II and Sony A7R V for example, eat gigabytes of data for breakfast and a plethora of drives is required to not only store all of our photos, but to back them up several times over for security. In recent years I’ve been using Samsung T7 SSD drives which are rapid and portable for storing my shots, then mechanical drives from LaCie and Western Digital to back them up as they’re less expensive. I don’t know of a photographer that wouldn’t benefit from any of the aforementioned drives, though if you're on a super tight budget even memory sticks are really handy for us.
Spare batteries
Give your loved one extra firepower with a spare battery that will allow them to stay out longer on demanding photoshoots. First-party OEM batteries are a safe bet, though they are expensive. I can also recommend Hahnel’s Extreme HLX-E6N batteries, which are more cost effective, and I’ve used them for many years. My only caveat would be if you’re using Canon’s latest EOS R5 Mark II as it requires a special EL-E6P battery for access to all of its available features, so if you know the recipient shoots on a Canon EOS R5 Mark II I’d suggest sticking to Canon’s first-party offering to play it safe.
Camera cleaning kit
Photographers face an ongoing battle with dust, dirt, sand, and other muck, which degrades image quality once it’s found its way onto lenses and camera sensors. So photographers will jump for joy if you present them with a cleaning kit to help keep their camera kit spick and span! A comprehensive cleaning kit with good quality air blower, lens pen, microfibre cloths and sprays gives photographers all of the tools they’ll need to maintain their kit and if you’re feeling particularly generous you could throw in some sensor cleaning swabs for good measure.
'Nifty' fifty lens
Lenses with a focal length of 50mm are an ideal Christmas present as they’re usually very affordable, such as Canon’s EF 50mm f/1.8 STM which costs $125 and can usually be found on sale for even less. These are an ideal compliment to a kit lens as their wider apertures make allow for creative depth of field effects you simply can’t achieve with a standard 18-55mm lens. If the photographer in your life already has a 50mm, consider a 35mm as these can also be budget friendly, or even look for old vintage lenses like the legendary Helios 44-2 58mm f/2 lens which can be found second-hand on eBay for around $50 and offers unique vintage charm. It could just be the lens they never knew they needed!
Drone
There’s no question that the DJI Mini 4 Pro’s small demeanour means it will easily fit inside of a stocking, though I am really stretching the budget of what a stocking filler should be. That said, if money is no option, this would make a fantastic gift with its 24MP 1/1.3 CMOS sensor and 4K/100fps video capabilities. It’s worth noting there are no shortage of more affordable drones on the market for tighter budgets and you can even get drones for under $50 to give that photographer in your life their first entry-point into drone flying and work on their piloting skills over the festivities, before upgrading later down the line.
Microphones
Modern digital cameras walk a tightrope for both photographers and videographers. Most new cameras not only have brilliant capabilities for stills photos, but can come packed with video features too. Audio is a key part of creating professional content and especially if you’re vlogging and creating content for social media or Youtube. I’ve been impressed with the DJI Mic 2 (above left), you could even splash out on a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo which also comes with a microphone and is a gimbal-stabilized device for recording video. For stricter budgets you could consider a basic hotshoe microphone like this Takstar model (above right) as several models can be picked up for under $50, Rode models are very good, too!
Trail camera
If your loved one is into all things concerning nature and the natural world, I’m sure they’ll be over the moon with a trail camera. Whether it’s set up in your garden to document your local wildlife, or set up on a trail where an animal is expected to frequent, these nifty devices are the perfect way to see exactly what wildlife is visiting. The best news is many cost under $100.
Mini tripod
Most photographers I know have a cupboard full of tripods, but do they have a mini tripod? Probably not! The Joby GorillaPod 3K kit would be a welcome addition to most photographer’s kit bags as it’s portable and very capable. Its uses range from holding a camera steady for long exposures and negating the need to bring a bulky full-sized tripod, to holding small LED lights for still-life shots at home, or an off-camera flash or microphone – the possibilities are seemingly endless.
