The best gifts for photographers in 2023
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What’s the best gift for the photographer in your life? It’s not a camera, even if you were trying to spend upwards of a thousand dollars. The best things you can put under the Christmas tree are the fiddly bits and accessories, things everyone needs and no one gets around to buying. That, and maybe something a little flashy too. Here are some solid picks that will make any photographer’s next shooting session just a little bit better.
Some extra microfiber cloths
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Every photographer eventually arrives at the same number of microfiber cleaning cloths: several too few. Help stave off the inevitable for a little while by buying them some more. To make it feel like a luxury, get slightly more than seems reasonable. Six is a good minimum number to make them feel like they’ll never be wanting again.
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A place for cables and cards
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There are dozens of highly engineered and luxe cable organizers. You could spend forever trying to find a perfect one. Save your favorite photographer from this fate by just buying them one, or even a second one. If you want to spice it up a little, put some other gifts inside.
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A photographer’s multitool
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Any photographer who shoots with a tripod needs a quick way to tighten up what’s come loose. A keychain-friendly multitool with a flathead and a 4mm hex wrench will always be in arm’s reach. For the photographer with a more intense suite of accessories (or a bicycle) you can upgrade to a multitool with more components, just make sure it doesn’t include a knife unless you’re also trying to gift them travel headaches.
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A way to get dust off their sensor
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Switching lenses in the field always comes with the risk of getting dust on your sensor, and without the right tool at hand, a photographer will be reduced to trying to blow dryly, or worse. The classic Giottos Rocket Air Blaster is the best solution to the problem (though you can also find cheaper options that don’t hold up as well if your budget demands.)
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Better portraits of their kids
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Any photographer with young kids will know the agony of trying to get them to look at the camera, much less smile in that general direction. This simian assistant can help with that. Just be wary of size, though; it can be a tight fit on lenses with an 82mm or larger front element.
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An excuse to shoot some more of their film
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You could get the film photographer in your life some more film, but chances are good that they already have too much. A gift card for development will encourage them to shoot some more of it. The Darkroom’s mail-order service is about as simple as it gets. The cost to get mid-quality scans and a set of prints for a roll of 35mm color film is $15 at the time of this writing, and $20 will let them opt for better scans and no prints, or extras like uncut negatives or slide film processing. This one’s on my list.
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The ability to charge up no matter where they are
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All travelers have charging needs, but photographers have more things to charge more often. If your photographer is an international jet setter, this colorful set of power adapters will make them think fondly of you at least once a day while they’re out and about.
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Insurance against dropping their camera
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The only thing worse than making sure your camera is always leashed to you is accidentally dropping it. Peak Design’s cuff tries to make the former easier with a simple attachment design, anchors you can put on multiple cameras and a wrist strap that stays out of the way when not attached to anything. Once I got mine, I swore off neck straps forever.
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A versatile, portable light
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Whether it’s for product photography or video, a portable, temperature-tunable light like the Lume Cube Panel Mini will come in handy as a supplement to a flash.
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A little extra digital breathing room
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When it comes to the things you can never have enough of, storage is towards the top of the list. This durable, portable SanDisk SSD is a great way to remove or delay a photographer’s storage space headaches. Any size will do, but 1TB is a good amount for creating maximum elbow room without paying out the nose.
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A way to print phone photos
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Some people are photographers because they like cameras. Others are photographers because they like pictures. A great gift for any group’s de facto documentarian – the one who thinks to pull out their phone and take a shot – is another way to enjoy and share their work. The Fujifilm Instax Link Wide Printer uses Instax wide film to print photos from a smartphone over Bluetooth, providing some of the joy of instant photography without the limitations. Just remember to gift it with film.
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Some software with offsite storage
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It can be frustrating to pay a subscription for what was once a one-time purchase, but Adobe’s Lightroom Photography plan takes the edge of by bundling something you’d probably have to pay a subscription for anyway: an offsite backup. At $120 for a full year, you can save a photographer friend the frustration of biting the bullet themself.
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This article comes from DP Review and can be read on the original site.
