The photo gifts we’d buy for ourselves if money were no object

Photo: Mitchell Clark

As camera reviewers, we have the good fortune to try the latest and (sometimes) greatest in camera tech. In some ways, this can help tamp down on the all-too-common gear acquisition syndrome; it’s hard to justify buying new cameras or lenses for our personal collections when we’d be too busy testing out new products to ever use them.

However, that doesn’t mean we’re completely unaffected. After all, when your job is testing cameras, it becomes really easy to cast your eye towards all the accessories meant to make your shooting experience easier, faster, or more luxurious. And sometimes you just really want that one special lens to shoot whenever and wherever you want.

As a fun holiday exercise, we’ve compiled some items that we think are cool but couldn’t justify actually buying for ourselves unless money truly was no object.

Dale

When thinking about what photo products I would buy if money were no object, I realized that most of the things I really wanted aren’t necessarily that expensive. Sometimes, they’re just difficult to obtain.

Another Lowepro Photo Sport 300 photo pack

Photo: Dale Baskin

A couple of months ago, I wrote an article about my favorite camera pack, the Lowepro Photo Sport 300, and it’s been my go-to pack for over a decade. I love this pack because it just doesn’t quit. Mine has trekked through tropical jungles, ridden on roof racks through snowstorms, dragged across ice in the sub-arctic and been bungied to the backs of motorcycles and tuk-tuks. It’s a product I genuinely love.

Unfortunately, Lowepro doesn’t make this exact model anymore, and while it makes similar models today, I like this one. If I found a good copy, I would buy it to save for the day when my current one finally gets pushed beyond the breaking point.

Mentorship by a photographer I admire

I believe that no matter how good you are at something, you can always learn more. Most of the things I’ve learned in photography over the decades fall into two categories: things I learned from trial and error and wisdom passed on to me by more experienced photographers.

“While I can easily trial and error my way through life, mentorship and advice from the best photographers in the world is a rare commodity.”

While I can easily trial and error my way through life, mentorship and advice from the best photographers in the world are a rare commodity. So rare, in fact, that it’s not something you can buy. They must recognize your passion and be inspired to take you under their wings.

However, if there was any way to swing it, I would find an opportunity to be mentored by a photographer that I admire, like Joel Sartore, whose work I’ve followed through years in the pages of National Geographic, or Cristina Mittermeier, who has done fantastic work with conservation photography.

An opportunity to tell an important story

Climate change is having a tremendous impact on the Amazon basin. Photo: Dale Baskin

Many years ago, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to live in the Amazon, and I’ve been back many times since. Unfortunately, in the 20 years since I started going there, I’ve been able to see the impact of climate change in the Amazon basin firsthand: water at historically low levels, villages cut off when smaller tributaries dry up, and the resulting cultural and economic impact that ensues.

If I could really buy myself a photo gift where money was no object, it would be a return to the Amazon for an extended period to tell this important story, focused on the environmental impact of climate change in the Amazon and its impact on the people who live there. This one may not be so far-fetched, and the more I think about it, the more I realize I should probably apply for a grant to do this.

The Sigma 14mm F1.4 DG DN Art lens

Photo: Dale Baskin

OK, I’ll give in to good ‘ol consumerism on this one because it’s fair for anyone to lust after something they want. Strictly speaking, I don’t need the Sigma 14mm F1.4 DG DN as I already have the Sigma 14mm F1.8 DG HSM Art, which is fantastic for astrophotography. But dear lord, that 14mm F1.4 is a beautiful optic. So, yeah, if money were no object, I’d likely find myself splurging on this.

Matt Waller

You may not be familiar with Matt’s name, but you’re certainly familiar with his work – he keeps the marquee at the top of our site up to date with our latest stories and pictures.

Lightpix Labs FlashQ Trigger kit

Image: Lightpix Labs

As a small camera user (my everyday carry is an Olympus Pen E-PL10) who’s trying to get into off-camera flash, every trigger I try has been just too big and clunky, not much improvement on the on-camera flash. I recently found these, which are just what the doctor ordered. And yes, I could just buy them (and will), but they would make ideal small-camera-afficionado stocking stuffers (assuming one can find them in the stocking).

Richard

Something flashy

Image: Profoto

In common with Matt, having more regular access to an offboard flash is probably the thing that would most improve my photographic life. In practice this is unlikely to happen, given I’m perpetually working with a chaotic mixture of whatever camera is going to be launched next, so the likelihood of me finding something compatible with all the different x-TTL systems is essentially nil.

While, given the ‘cost no object’ ethos of this article, I like the idea of something powerful enough for any situation, such as a ProFoto B3 or A2. In reality, I suspect something like a Godox V1 or V1 Pro would actually get more use in my hands. I love the idea of it having its own Li-ion battery and being USB chargeable, as it means I might actually be able to keep it topped-up when I’m traveling. Given the company’s smaller Li-ion flashes all feature removable batteries, separate chargers and the awkwardness of having to find power lead adapters, they’d probably end up taking up just as much room in my bags, so I’d rather that space was given over to the flash itself, rather than accessories and peripherals I’d inevitably leave in hotel rooms and on trains (as I have a number of X100 chargers, down the years).

Image: LumeCube

In addition to a Godox, a couple of LumeCubes would mean I stopped worrying about TTL compatibility and would also provide a flexible option for a bit of fill for both stills and video work

A photo trip

A photo Richard took on his last trip to the UK.

On which note, perhaps the best thing I could buy to improve my photography next year would be a holiday. I’ve increasingly found that I shoot my best galleries while on vacation and, looking out of the window at another gray, wet Seattle December day, following a weekend where I didn’t take a single photo, the idea of a change of lighting, a change of scenery and a something novel to spur the imagination seems incredibly welcome. Of course, there’s then the question of whether it’s really going to be an inspiring creative opportunity if I’m feeling the nagging (self-imposed) pressure to get photos for work, but that’s not a quandary I can buy myself out of, irrespective of unlimited fantasy budgets.

Mitchell

A better camera strap

I don’t mind the Peak Design strap, I just think there’s something better out there for me. Image: Peak Design

In absolute terms, most camera straps aren’t particularly expensive. However, the issue is that I’m not 100% sure what I want, and I’d probably have to try a ton of them to find out what I actually like. Other than manufacturer-provided straps, I’ve only used the Peak Design Slide strap. It’s fine, but I don’t love it… though I also don’t have any specific improvements I’m looking for; just a general feeling that it could be better. That may not really be its fault, as a metal plate on my collarbone makes me especially sensitive to how things fall across my shoulder.

I do have two in mind that I’d start my search with. The first is the MagPul MS4. It’s actually a rifle strap, but it’s compatible with the QD mounts that show up on some camera accessories, and it can be used in both single-point or double-point mode, depending on how I’m carrying it. The other option I’ve considered is on the completely other end of the complexity spectrum: one of those straps that are made out of recycled climbing rope, which I feel would be a very comfortable material, but only for lighter-weight setups.

A press photography pass to Kendrick Lamar’s Grand National tour

Image: Kendrick Lamar

The only concerts I’ve photographed were for small indie bands with crowds that could be counted in the dozens, not the hundreds or thousands. So, while I’m approximately 0% qualified to photograph what will likely be one of the biggest tours of the year, I would still absolutely say yes to the opportunity if someone offered. I think it’d be extremely cool to photograph one of my favorite artists at what very well could be the height of their popularity – and think of what a great sample gallery that’d be.

What I’m saying is that if you’re part of pgLang and want to make my Christmas, you know where to find me.

A massive card reader station

Image: Lexar

A downside of writing our accessory roundup is that I often end up covering things that I couldn’t possibly justify buying but that I still want. One of those items is this $600 docking station from Lexar, which can accept up to six (sold separately) card reader modules and lets you offload from them all at once at speeds up to 40Gbps.

Obviously, we work with a wide variety of cameras at DPReview, which involves juggling several types of cards. And while I’ve pretty much never needed the ability to dump six, it’d be fun knowing I could, even if I could realistically do my job just as well with a single CFexpress type A and Type B reader. Another plus of the Lexar dock: it gives you a few extra ThunderBolt and USB A ports, and I always feel like I could use one or two more of those despite already having a ThunderBolt dock.

The Sony 28-70mm F2

This is an incredible setup – it’s a shame it costs $9,400.

My personal favorite time to take photos is late at night, so I’m always looking for the fastest lens I can get my hands on – an unfortunately heavy and expensive hobby, I know. That’s why Sony’s new 28-70mm F2 is so compelling to me; it’s a stop brighter than standard 24-70mm lenses, and even though it’s got a tiny bit less range, it’s still way more versatile than the F1.4 primes that make up the bulk of my arsenal. Of course, it had better be, given that it costs $2,800. Plus, I’d have to pay even more if I truly wanted to get one for myself since I currently don’t own any Sony bodies.