We’re moving up in our series of gifts for photographers this holiday season. This time we’re looking at cool items for less than $500. It’s a substantial amount of money so you have to be fairly positive before making a purchase. Is it an item that you or the person you’re buying it for really need? Will it replace something or upgrade it?
Before you find an answer to these questions, let’s have a look at the top 10 gifts you can get for less than $500.
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Vanguard Alta Pro 253 CB 50
This is a tripod that would please 90% of photographers. It is made of carbon fiber for durability and light weight and it has a central column that moves from 0 to 180 degrees. The smooth fluid-like ball head can be used for both photography and video capture and the legs adjust to 25, 50 and 80 degree angles. It’s also great for low angle photography
See more specs about this item here
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Lightning Trigger
Capturing lightning in still photography can be very challenging, not to mention frustrating. Lighting Trigger is the solution for avoiding missed shots. It is an automatic shutter release that helps you capture lighting by using an extremely sensitive optical flash sensor that responds to lightning flashes at distances of up to 20 miles.
See more specs about this product here.
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Strobe Studio Flash Kit 900W
Studio photography requires a decent set of lights. This kit is a great upgrade from a beginner’s kit and we recommend it for enthusiasts and pros. It consists of three 300w strobes with tons of accessories and modifiers.
See more specs about this item here.
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Wacom Intuos Pro Pen and Touch Large Tablet
This is the professional’s choice when it comes to editing on a tablet. It has 2048 levels of pen pressure sensitivity in both pen tip and eraser and a multi-function touch ring with 4 customizable functions.
See more specs about this item here.
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Samyang 35mm f 1.4
You can’t really get a better deal than this when it comes to lenses. This is a lens that can easily stand up to everything “premium” manufacturers have to offer in terms of quality. Optically speaking it is superb and its low light performance is impressive to say the least. Build quality is also top notch and these are just a few solid reasons why we highly recommend it.
See more specs about this item here.
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Apple iPad Air 32GB
A tablet can be a very useful tool for a photographer as it comes in handy when presenting your work to clients. The iPad Air needs no introduction as it is one of the most loved Apple products.
See more specs about this item here.
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Kiev 88 CM Medium Format Analogue Camera
Also known as the “Hasselbladski”, this is a Soviet era medium format camera. Its design largely replicates Hasselblad bodies, but one of the key differences is the focal plane shutter. It’s a great option for film enthusiasts and anyone wanting to get into medium format photography without spending a fortune.
See more specs about this camera here.
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GoPro Hero 4
The GoPro has become one of the most loved cameras in the world and if you’re honest with yourself, you know you want one. The new Hero 4 comes with twice the performance, a much more powerful processor, and high frame rate 4k30 and 1080p120 video, just to name a few cools specs.
See more specs about this item here.
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Asus PB278Q 27” Professional Monitor
For a photographer, the screen he or she edits on is one of the key elements in the creative process. A good screen will have good resolution and faithful colors. This monitor from Asus has 178 degree viewing angle and 100% sRGB color reproduction.
See more specs about this item here.
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MyStudio MS32 Professional Tabletop Studio Kit
Product photography demands good light but it also needs a good background. This kit from MyStudio includes background and 5000k color corrected lighting.
See more specs about this item here.