With a $2,500 budget, there are virtually endless possibilities in terms of gifts for the photographer in your life come this holiday season. It’s not so much, “what can I get?” as it is “Where do I start?”
Spending up to $2,500 on a single gift is a lot of money, so you need to be sure it’s a worthwhile purchase. To help you set your sights on the very best the photography world has to offer, consider our top ten list of the best gifts for photographers under $2,500.
GDU Byrd Premium 1.0 Drone
If you have a photographer in your life that enjoys drone-based photography, there isn’t a better drone than the GDU Byrd Premium 1.0. The drone is constructed using the highest quality military grade materials so it is able to perform well regardless of the environment. It’s also small enough to fit into a daypack for easy transport. What’s more, the Byrd Premium 1.0 has a flight time of up to 29 minutes, a transmission distance of up to 1,000 meters, and supports screen sharing and dual remotes. It can literally fold up for easy carrying, so just imagine all the incredible scenery your loved one will be able to photograph from above!
If that’s not enough to convince you, consider this: the Byrd Premium 1.0 is compatible with a whole host of cameras, including compacts, DSLRs, and infrareds. It even comes with a 4K camera, right out of the box! That means you can give the gift of drone photography and your loved one can start flying almost immediately!
Learn more about the GDU Byrd Premium 1.0 Drone.
Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ5 Equatorial / Alt-Az GoTo Mount
Do you have a serious backyard astronomer or astrophotographer on your list? Here's a gift that's going to make you his or her favorite this year!
This incredible, motorized telescope mount includes a hand controller loaded with a database of over 42,000 objects! Once aligned, the AZ-EQ5 will allow you to locate and track objects automatically, using its computerized GoTo feature.
The AZ-EQ5 is perfect for novices looking to get into astrophotography because of its unique ability to align in either azimuth (AZ) or equatorial (EQ) mode. The easy-to-align azimuth mode is recommended for beginning astronomers, whereas the equatorial mode will track objects more accurately for long-exposure shots, making it ideal for photographers. It features a smooth belt drive, three mounting configurations and 2 V-style saddles for mounting dual optical tube assemblies (OTAs) along with dual shutter controls (sold with Canon EOS cables). It also comes equipped with a collapsible counterweight bar and two 7.5 pound counterweights.
The AZ-EQ5 will support up to 30 pounds of equipment – enough to make the most serious astronomer happy.
Beach & Paddleboard Yoga: Eleuthera, Bahamas
Okay, it's been a long, hard year and it's time to unwind, work out the kinks and re-energize. Maybe five days of yoga on the beach, Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) Yoga on the water, along with essential oil therapy will get the job done. Oh, and what the heck – let's do it in the Bahamas! Start the year off right for your favorite photographer in February with five gorgeous days and four nights enjoying the warm, white sands and crystal clear waters of Eleuthera!
This unique retreat includes all-level yoga classes from two certified instructors, SUP boards, and all the essential oils. Between classes, there's plenty of beach-side fun, fine dining, and privacy to take advantage of. Think there might be a few photo opportunities, too? Like an excursion to Glass Windows Bridge, a 15 foot wide stretch of land where the aqua Caribbean on the left meets the royal blue Atlantic on the right. Did we mention it's the Bahamas? What a great gift for any photography enthusiast! Oh, by the way, there's a price break for double occupancy. Just sayin'.
Learn more about Special Interest Tours’ Beach & Paddleboard Yoga in the Bahamas.
Northern Lights Tour: Alaska
If yoga in the Bahamas isn’t up your favorite photographer’s alley, maybe a fun wintertime escape to Alaska in February and March will do the trick! Just imagine visiting the land up north and taking a genuine dogsled ride through the Alaskan wilderness and enjoying a soak at the Chena Hot Springs as the snow falls around you. And since the winter is the ideal time to view the Northern Lights, the photographer in your life will have the opportunity of a lifetime to snap some images of one of nature’s true wonders!
As if that’s not enough, the Northern Lights Tour has plenty of special events for the environmentally-minded person. Learn why Chena Hot Springs is one of the greenest spots in the world, visit the controversial Alaskan Pipeline, and participate in discussions with world-renowned astronomers about the gorgeous Aurora borealis. Winter’s beauty, relaxing hot springs, stimulating discussions, and the most gorgeous light show in the world...what’s not to like about that?
Learn more about Special Interest Tours’ Northern Lights Tour.
ModiBooth
If you want to give the photographer on your list a gift that keeps on giving, consider giving them a ModiBooth portable photo kiosk this holiday season. These made-in-the-USA kiosks aren’t just easy on the eyes with a simple, yet elegant design, but they are also extremely durable with an all-steel construction that will stand up to even the craziest wedding receptions, birthday parties, and corporate gigs. The metal body is conducive to magnetic wrapping, so personal branding can be added at any time. The kiosk is easy to setup and teardown as well - there are just four parts, including the base, a 2-set pedestal, and the top box, all of which can fit inside a single Husky Case for easy transport. As if all that isn’t reason enough to bestow a ModiBooth to your favorite photographer, consider this - it’s extremely adaptable. Its plate system is adjustable to fit 20 different tablets, three types of cameras, and also gives you the option of a monitor or mirror to be placed on the back. It accommodates four different kinds of lighting inside, and if you want, you can upgrade the ModiBooth to work with an umbrella and strobe mounted outside the top box. Better still, unlike other portable photo booths on the market, ModiBooth is actually affordable!
ikan CHR550-v2 ID508-v2 LED Studio 5-Light Kit
The beauty of the CHR550-v2 ID508-v2 LED Studio 5-Light Kit is that it is fully transportable, so the photographer in your life can use it in the studio or on-the-go! The kit includes five daylight-balanced LED panels, each with it’s own diffuser, as well as chargers and AC power supplies for each light. Each light also comes with a stand and an adapter, as well as ten batteries so there’s plenty of power. It’s got everything needed to get that perfect daylight color no matter the shoot location!
Learn more about the ikan CHR550-v2 ID508-v2 LED Studio 5-Light Kit.
Nikon F6 35mm SLR Autofocus Camera
Film photography is all the rage again, which means a film camera is an ideal camera for the amateur or professional photographer in your life. The Nikon F6 is one of the best film camera’s around and includes many modern-day features that make shooting with film more enjoyable. It has an 11-area AF system for easy autofocusing and a Creative Lighting System for improved flash photography. If your loved one likes to kick it old school, the Nikon F6 should be at the top of your list!
Learn more about the Nikon F6.
Epson SureColor P6000 24" Large-Format Inkjet Printer
Making large prints is so much simpler with a large format printer. No more outsourcing work! Epson’s SureColor P6000 24” printer produces incredible images with super fine detail at a resolution of 2880x1440 dpi. This printer can accommodate cut-sheet and roll media paper so the photographer in your life can create 16x20” prints in about 2 minutes. PrecisionDot Screening means the printer has even more advanced printing quality because of algorithms that calculate dot size and placement. With this bad boy, awesome large-format prints are just minutes away!
Learn more about the Epson SureColor P6000 24” printer.
Hensel Power Max L Lithium Mobile Power Supply
There’s times when photographers don’t have access to a wall outlet, and the Hensel Power Max L Lithium Mobile Power Supply is just what’s needed to juice up photography gear out in the wild. The Power Max L is a pure sine wave inverter providing 120VAC via two outlets. The battery can easily power many different brands of monolights that are rated up to 2,000W/s. Continuous devices with up to a 500W draw can be powered as well. No more concern about having enough lighting at a shoot location...gift the Power Max L to a photographer in your life and let the unplug!
Learn more about the Hensel Power Max L Lithium Mobile Power Supply.
Pelican 1780W HL Long Case with Rigid Polyethylene Tray
Traveling with lots of delicate photography gear shouldn’t be left up to any old case. Photographers that travel a lot will love the Pelican 1780W HL Long Case with Rigid Polyethylene Tray because it offers a watertight, dustproof, and airtight space to store cameras, lenses, and other expensive gear. What’s more, the case is chemical-resistant, corrosion-proof, and unbreakable! Made of ultra-high impact copolymer, the Pelican 1780W HL Long Case isn’t just incredibly strong, it will literally last a lifetime and then some. Double-throw latches make for easy entry, and a folding carry handle and four wheels make for easy moving too.
Learn more about the Pelican 1780W HL Long Case.