Gifts Under $100
Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Film Camera – $100
The Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Film Camera is a great gift for kids, teens, amateur photographers, and anyone that simply misses the days of Polaroid cameras. The Fujifilm Instax delivers instant gratification in the form of photographs the size of a business card, letting users print out memories as they happen. It features an easy to use exposure adjustment, automatic flash, and a pop out collapsible lens. There are different types of film packs users can purchase, which feature colorful borders and different themes.
SpinLight 360 – $90
The SpinLight 360 offers photographers a portable lighting system with easy to use light grids, bounce cards, colored gels, light blockers, and more. The SpinLight 360 kits make it easy for on-the-go photographers to create the effect of professional lighting rigs wherever they are shooting. The original set, which will fit most standard flashes, is priced at about $90, and offers the basic attachments that any photographer will need. Any photographer on your list will appreciate the SpinLight 360, making it easy to bounce, block, and redirect the flash, without having to use an off-camera flash.
Tenba Classic 9211 Camera Bag – $90
One thing that will become apparent when searching for a gift for photographers is that they carry around a ton of equipment with them. That’s why every photographer–amateur or professional–will need a camera bag to tote lenses, flashes, and cameras when shooting on the go. This Tenba bag is classic and professional looking, and it’s perfect for either a man or a woman. It’s slim, lightweight, and can store a Mirrorless camera with 3-5 lenses or a DSLR with 3-4 lenses, along with a flash and other accessories. It even features a rear zippered pocket that will easily fit an iPad or notebook.
NIX X08D 8 inch Hi-Res Digital Photo Frame with Motion Sensor 8 inch – $60
Digital photography means most photographers shoot more photos than they could possibly print out and frame. That’s what makes a digital picture frame the perfect gift for seasoned and amateur digital photographers alike. The NIX X08D features an 8-inch high resolution display that users can load up with their favorite digital snaps and even videos. It even features an automatic motion sensor that will turn the display on or off when someone enters or leaves the room, which helps save on energy usage. With a digital photo frame, the photographer on your list can easily put their latest and favorite shots on display.
Olloclip iPhone Camera Lens System $70
Have a friend or family member who is constantly snapping pics with their iPhone? Think about getting them the Ollocip, which features a 4-in-one lens for the iPhone. It offers two different macro lenses at 10x and 15x, as well as a fish-eye and wide-angle lens. It’s the perfect addition for any iPhone photographer in your life. But as a quick note, it is only compatible with the rear-facing camera on the iPhone 5S, 5, 4S, and 4.
Riley G Design Works Camera Strap – $69
Photographers need a sturdy camera strap to ensure their precious equipment never hits the ground. So why not buy the stylish photographer in your life a high quality camera strap like the ones sold at Riley G Design Works? With a large selection of designs, and even the option to create a custom strap, they are sure to delight anyone with an expensive camera. Options in the Dapper Series of straps start at $69, with colors and patterns to suit any shutterbug on your list.
Gifts Under $50
Expolmaging ExpoDisk – $50
Setting white balance can be a pain for any photographer, with many succumbing to altering white balance when editing photos. But with the Expolmaging ExpoD, users will be up and shooting with accurate white balance in no time. The ExpoImaging ExpoDisc 2.0 White Balance Filter will help photographers take properly balanced photos from the second they press the shutter. It fits perfectly onto 77mm lenses, but on smaller lenses, users can simply hold the filter in front of the lens when adjusting the white balance on their camera. Pick this up for your favorite photographer for just $49.95 and make wintertime photography in snowy climates a breeze.
Universal 3-in-1 Smartphone Lens Kit – $30
If the Olloclip iPhone lens is out of your budget, or the person on your list doesn’t have an iPhone, you can opt for this less expensive universal 3-in-1 lens kit that will fit most popular smartphones. It features a fish eye lens, a 2-in-1 macro lens, and a wide angle lens with a clip that will fit on both the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy, as well as a number of other devices. The lenses easily clip onto a user’s smartphone, so they can make the most of their camera on the go. This will make for a fun gift for any smartphone photo enthusiast, all while improving their Instagram clout.
Lightroom Presets – $30
Lightroom is a popular photo editing software from Adobe that lets photographers quickly and easily edit photos by focusing solely on photo editing features. Users can apply quick fixes to straighten, crop, and edit photos along with a bevy of other tools focused on a photographer’s needs. Lightroom Presets offer different filters and effects that users can apply to photos in an instant, without having to play around with individual settings. Bundles range in price starting as low as $29, for a set of pre-set filters, but if you aren’t sure what version of Lightroom the photographer in question is running, or what filter packs they may already have, you can simply opt for a giftcard instead.
Lightweight Tripod and Bag – $23
A portable tripod is crucial to photographer’s equipment arsenal, which is why it will make for the perfect gift. This tripod from Amazon weighs 3 pounds and will extend up to 60 inches tall, but collapses down to an easy-to-tote 24-inches. This gift can also serve as the perfect hint to the family photographer that you’d like to capture a family photo this year. Just make sure you add in the wireless shutter release featured later in this article, to make hands free snaps even easier.
Gifts Under $20
8GB Camera Shape USB Flash Drive – $20
Every photographer needs a flash drive or two–maybe even more–to store all their digital photos, and this USB flash drive is shaped just like a DLSR camera, with the USB stick acting as a lens. It will make for the perfect stocking stuffer for any pro or amateur photographer on your list, as a nod to their career or favorite hobby.
FotoTech Wireless Shutter Release for Nikon – $10
A wireless shutter release allows photographers to take long exposure photographs without accidentally shaking the
camera resulting in blurry photos. Put one of these in any photographer’s stocking, and it is sure to be a hit. It can activate the shutter release from up to 16 feet away, and when paired with the tripod mentioned earlier in this article, maybe you can finally get a family photograph without anyone making the mad 10-second dash from behind the lens. The wireless shutter release listed here is for specific Nikon DSLR models, so make sure you double check what brand of DSLR your photographer is shooting with. A quick search will turn up the same product for other brands, such as Canon.
Lens Cleaning Set for DSLR – $15
Keeping lenses dust free and in good working condition is crucial for photographers, especially since their equipment is often fragile and expensive. Any photographer will appreciate this lens cleaning kit, which makes it easy to keep precious lenses dust and scratch free. It comes with all of the essentials, including hypoallergenic lens cleaner, a lens cleaning pen, a lens brush, air blower, lens tissue paper, and MagicFiber Microfibers cleaning cloths.
DSLR Lens Coffe Mug – $10
This coffee mug looks just like a DLSR lens and will make a thoughtful, yet inexpensive, stocking stuffer or gift for a friend or coworker. It looks just like a lens one would find on a DSLR camera, except it will hold coffee, tea, or any other beverage. For only $9.99 it has all the design of a DLSR lens without the price tag, and it’ll be a hit with the photographer on your list. The only caution, it is so lifelike, you might accidentally take this on a shoot instead of your real DSLR lens.