Photographers are a tricky bunch to shop for, especially those avid shooters who seemingly already have all the gear they need. Cameras, lenses, bags, tripods, and so on—it’s a tough task to find a photo-related gift for the photographer who already has it all. Since the Pope’s Leica is no longer on the market, here are some ideas for not-so-common gift options sure to please all types of photographers.
Lensbaby Special Effects Lens
Sure, your photographer has all the fastest, sharpest, and most exacting glass they need, but do they have the lens that excels in the world of soft focus, smooth bokeh, and creative depth of field? A Lensbaby, like this Composer Pro II with Sweet 50 Optic, is the perfect contrast for shooters obsessed with resolution and sharpness. Its flexible body offers unique depth-of-field control and the swappable optics offer a distinctly playful, ethereal, and fun image quality.
Potensic ATOM 2 Drone (Fly More Combo)
Even the most ardent stills photographers are cognizant of the popularity of drones in the image-making world, and the Potensic ATOM 2 Drone (Fly More Combo) drone is a perfect entry point into this aerial realm. While typically used for video applications, drones can be a very useful secondary camera for stills shooters to get some truly unique vantage points for dynamic photos. Especially for landscape shooters, drones open up access to some harder to reach locations or can even just be used as a recon tool to seek out the perfect backcountry shooting location.
Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan with 1TB Cloud Storage
More than likely, the photographer who already has it all already has a Photoshop subscription, but gifting another year’s subscription to the CC Photography Plan will be a much-appreciated gesture. Just like extending the subscription length of someone’s favorite magazine, gifting an additional year of Adobe CC will keep your photographer working seamlessly with the most up-to-date editing software for an extended period of time.
Gaffer Tape
Another item most photographers already have but can always use more of, gaffer tape is the proverbial duct tape of the imaging world, and capable of fixing nearly any problem on set or in an emergency out in the wilds. It’s also a bit like gifting someone socks—gaffer tape maybe isn’t the most exciting present out there, but it’s something that will certainly be appreciated out of necessity.
Canon PowerShot SX740 HS Digital Camera
Most avid photographers, of course, own their own cameras and a lens or two or more, giving them what they need for most shooting scenarios. Many photographers, though, don’t own a 900mm super telephoto lens, and even those who do don’t own one that fits in their pocket. Enter the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS Digital Camera, a sleek digital camera designed solely for telephoto shooting with its built-in 24-960 mm equivalent lens. It’s perfect for birding and wildlife observation and stands as a unique option that’s capable of longer-range shooting than a smartphone while being substantially smaller than most other cameras.
Memory Card Case
Most photographers love camera bags and likely already have quite a few for various shooting situations or amounts of gear. One type of equipment case that is often overlooked, though, is a memory card case. Memory cards are so small, you can fit them anywhere in another bag, but that’s also a problem and can lead to losing or misplacing cards—or even damaging them. A simple case, like the Pelican 0915, is invaluable for those working with multiple memory cards for a trip or job and helps to keep everything organized and easily accessible.
Portable Hard Drive
If there’s one thing photographers, or content creators in general, can never have too many of, it’s file storage space. Over time, with each shoot or finished job, more and more memory is needed to keep your archive safe and accessible. Something like the Samsung 2TB T7 Portable SSD is a perfect choice for many photographers’ needs and is something worth picking up every year or two just to keep files clearly organized and regularly backed up. Being an SSD, file transferring is quick and reliable, and a 2TB capacity is a great starting point for photo and light video needs.
Apple iPad Pro
As an enticing alternative to the desktop or even laptop that most photographers have, Apple’s iPad Pro is a great tool for editing and working with your photos when you’re on the go, or even at home in a more casual setting. With full compatibility with Adobe Photoshop and the ability to work with the Apple Pencil for intuitive control, editing photos from an iPad is a great way to free oneself from the monotony of long hours of desktop editing. Beyond its mobility, the large touchscreen also affords a unique means for tactile control over selections and masking that can be a real asset for more complex editing needs.
Instant Film Camera
Sometimes serious photographers need to be reminded that there’s a fun side to photography, and there’s nothing better for the job than an instant film camera, like FUJIFILM’s instax mini EVO Hybrid Instant Camera. Featuring a stylish design, these cameras breathe fun into the shooting process with their ultra-intuitive point-and-shoot operation and satisfyingly immediate printed results. The instant prints are great for sharing with friends or models, or for going straight onto the fridge or in an album, as a keepsake with a bit more emotional and physical weight than just another smartphone snap.
If you didn’t see quite the right thing here, don’t fret: we’ve got loads of guides to help you shop for you difficult photographer at our big, wide SuperStore of great stuff. Because let’s be real—if they really “had it all,” they’d be us.
