Gifts for Photographers

Photographers are loyal to their camera system and picky about lenses, so buying glass for them is a gamble. The safe ground is everything around the camera: cards, straps, bags, cleaning gear and supports that work with whatever they shoot. Those are the things that wear out, get lost or never quite get upgraded.

Under $25 9 ideas

  1. Giottos Rocket Air Blaster AA1900

    The rubber bulb every photographer ends up using to puff dust off a sensor or lens without touching it. It beats canned air, which can spit propellant onto glass.

    GiottosStocking stuffer

    See it on Amazon

  2. LensPen NLP-1 Original Lens Cleaning Pen

    A brush on one end and a carbon cleaning tip on the other, small enough to live in a jacket pocket. It lifts fingerprints off a lens in the field without fluid or a cloth that has been rattling around a bag.

    LensPenStocking stuffer

    See it on Amazon

  3. ZEISS Lens Cleaning Wipes, 200 Count

    Individually wrapped wipes from a lens maker, so they can toss a few into every bag. Useful on lenses, filters, the camera screen and their glasses too.

    ZEISSStocking stufferGets used up

    See it on Amazon

  4. Peak Design Anchor Links

    Small quick-release connectors that let them swap or remove a strap in a second. Handy for anyone who shoots on a tripod and hates a strap flapping in the wind.

    Peak DesignStocking stuffer

    See it on Amazon

  5. OP/TECH USA Rainsleeve, 2 Pack

    Clear plastic rain covers that fold flat and weigh almost nothing. Cheap insurance for someone who keeps shooting when the weather turns.

    OP/TECH USAStocking stuffer

    See it on Amazon

  6. Anker 2-in-1 USB-C Memory Card Reader

    Reads SD and microSD cards straight into a laptop, tablet or phone with a USB-C port. Newer laptops have dropped the SD slot, and this is the fix.

    AnkerStocking stuffer

    See it on Amazon

  7. Understanding Exposure, Fourth Edition

    The book many photographers credit with finally making aperture, shutter speed and ISO click. A good gift for someone who just bought a real camera and still shoots in auto.

    Bryan PetersonBook

    See it on Amazon

  8. The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos

    A book about composition rather than gear, so it suits anyone at any stage. Freeman explains why certain frames work, with hundreds of examples.

    Michael FreemanBook

    See it on Amazon

  9. Fujifilm Instax Mini Instant Film, Twin Pack

    Twenty shots of instant film. Pair it with the Instax camera below, or give it on its own to someone who already has one and is always running out.

    FujifilmGets used upStocking stuffer

    See it on Amazon

Under $50 5 ideas

  1. SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Memory Card

    Fast enough for burst shooting and 4K video, and a working photographer can never have too many cards. SanDisk Extreme PRO is the card most of them already trust.

    SanDisk

    See it on Amazon

  2. Think Tank Photo SD Pixel Pocket Rocket

    A small folding wallet that holds nine SD cards, with a tether so it can clip to a bag. It ends the habit of loose cards in jeans pockets.

    Think Tank Photo

    See it on Amazon

  3. Pelican 0915 Memory Card Case

    A crushproof, water-resistant case for a dozen SD cards. For the photographer who shoots outdoors or travels and wants the files to survive the trip.

    Pelican

    See it on Amazon

  4. JOBY GorillaPod 1K Kit

    A bendy-legged mini tripod with a ball head that wraps around railings and branches. It goes where a full tripod would never get packed.

    JOBY

    See it on Amazon

  5. Peak Design Cuff Camera Wrist Strap

    A wrist strap that cinches tight when they need it and goes loose when they don't. Good for street photographers and anyone with a small camera who finds a neck strap too much.

    Peak Design

    See it on Amazon

Under $100 4 ideas

  1. Peak Design Slide Lite Camera Strap

    A slim sling strap that adjusts length with one hand and detaches with Anchor Links. Far more comfortable than the logo strap that came in the box.

    Peak Design

    See it on Amazon

  2. Peak Design Capture Camera Clip

    Clips a camera to a backpack strap or belt so it stays at hand on a hike. Hikers and travel photographers use it to stop digging the camera out of the bag.

    Peak Design

    See it on Amazon

  3. Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 Instant Camera

    A fun second camera with no settings to fuss over and a print in hand a minute later. Serious shooters like it because it is the opposite of their main kit.

    FujifilmAn experience

    See it on Amazon

  4. Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1TB

    A palm-sized, fast drive for backing up a day's shoot from a laptop. Raw files fill internal storage quickly, and this is the usual answer.

    Samsung

    See it on Amazon

$100 and up 3 ideas

  1. Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L

    A small cross-body bag that holds a camera, a spare lens and the day's essentials, and does not look like a camera bag. Good for city walks and travel days.

    Peak Design

    See it on Amazon

  2. Manfrotto Befree Advanced Travel Tripod

    A compact tripod from the best-known name in tripods, sturdy enough for long exposures and light enough to carry. A real step up from the flimsy tripod most people start with.

    Manfrotto

    See it on Amazon

  3. Peak Design Travel Tripod (Aluminum)

    Folds down to roughly the width of a water bottle and fits a backpack side pocket. The splurge for a photographer who leaves their current tripod at home because it is too bulky.

    Peak Design

    See it on Amazon