Unique Photography Gifts at Every Budget Level

TS-Good-Photography-Gifts-at-Every-Budget-Level

This holiday season, if you’re looking to gift the special photographer in your life something thoughtful and unique, not tacky or cliché (looking at you, lens-shaped coffee mug), then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a list of some of our favorite unconventional but essential (or at the very least useful) gifts for photographers.

Photo Gifts Under $100

Ruggard 19 x 19" Padded Equipment Wrap

Your photographer loved one most assuredly has a bevy of breakable equipment, but their methods for stowing and traveling with it might not be quite up to par. Enter, the Ruggard 19 x 19" Padded Equipment Wrap. Though these padded wraps come in smaller 11 x 11” and 15 x 15” sizes, I love the 19 x 19” versions because they can hold camera bodies, lenses, flashes, drones, iPads, or pretty much any other accessory you throw at them. Available in black, blue, gray, red, and yellow, you could even gift an array of colors to help your recipient sort and organize their gear pile.

Lensbaby Spark 2.0 with Double Glass

If you know the manufacturer (and corresponding lens mount) of your giftee’s go-to camera, the Lensbaby Spark 2.0 with Double Glass could be the ideal way to unlock their creativity. Available in Nikon Z, Sony E, FUJIFILM X, Canon RF, and Micro Four Thirds mounts, this quirky lens unlocks a whole new look for photo and video with a tilt angle up to 15° in any direction. This means super selective focus with wacky distortions and blurs. With an impressive minimum focus distance of only 1.25’, the Spark 2.0 is ideal for dreamy close-ups and wides.

Photo Gifts Between $100 and $250

FUJIFILM INSTAX WIDE 400 Instant Film Camera

Instant film cameras have seen a massive resurgence in the last decade, but most still employ square or portrait style compositions. For those looking to mix it up a little, the FUJIFILM INSTAX WIDE 400 Instant Film Camera is just the ticket. With its innovative landscape-style 2.4 x 3.9” images printed on 3.4 x 4.3” film, the 16x9 style camera has a retractable 95mm lens and a built-in flash so you can capture group photos, creative nature shots, and innovative compositions that traditional instant photographers only dream about. Maybe they’ll even take some great memory-preserving photos of you.

Hobolite Iris Bi-Color LED Light Creator Kit

Most photographers have dabbled with continuous lighting or flashes to help illuminate darker scenes, but what makes the Hobolite Iris Bi-Color LED Light stand out is the sheer array of styles and looks it can achieve. The light itself goes from 2700 to 6500K CCT with a respectable 300 lumen output, but add in the frosted dome, magic lens, Fresnel lens, or any one of four included gel filters, and things really start to get interesting, with idiosyncratic effects that take photos to the next level. It’s cute and portable but still packs a lovably personalized punch.

Photo Gifts Over $250

Pelican 1535AirWD Wheeled Carry-On Hard Case with Padded Divider Inserts

Rolling hard cases have typically been the domain of high-level photography carting a ton of gear to far-off locales. What makes the Pelican 1535AirWD Wheeled Carry-On Hard Case so special is bringing that durable form factor to a lighter, more flexible package. While still being waterproof, crushproof, and IP67-rated, the 1535AirWD is much lighter than typical Pelican cases and small enough to carry on with most major airlines. The padded divider inserts mean you can constantly re-style the cases’ interiors to fit the needs of each shoot and even use the case for secure home storage.

Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4 Lens

A nifty fifty might be the cornerstone of many photographer’s kits, but the 85mm is often a great second lens for portrait shoots and getting more personal with subjects. The Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4 lens is an exciting new challenger in this competitive space, with its fast aperture, sharp output, and compact design. Available in Sony E, Nikon Z, and FUJIFILM X mount, the Aurora 85mm can deliver fantastic results with pleasing bokeh from its 15-blade diaphragm and extremely minimal chromatic aberration. If your recipient’s looking to fill out the longer end of their glass collection, give this lens a look.