Given how expensive some photography gear can be, you might be thinking that there's not a whole lot you can get a photographer this holiday season without spending a giant sum of money.
That's just not the case, though...
From cool to practical, our best gifts for photographers under $25 will delight anyone whether they are a newbie or a pro.
Lensfinder
Let’s face it - photography gear can be expensive. Really expensive.
That’s a problem year-round, but when you’re holiday shopping and have tons of gifts to buy, it’s even more difficult to justify getting your loved one the $1,000 lens that they really want.
Fortunately, Lensfinder can help in more ways than one.
On the one hand, you can find great deals on pre-owned camera lenses at Lensfinder.
That means that you can get a truly top-notch lens for the photographer in your life but do so without busting your budget. It’s a win-win!
On the other hand, if you have some old lenses that you don’t use anymore, you can list them for sale on Lensfinder. When the lens sells, you can use it for holiday spending money for the photographer in your life.
The best part? You can list your lenses for sale for free.
There’s only a transaction fee (just 3.99%) when the lens sells (with a maximum fee of $500). If your lens doesn’t sell, there’s no charge at all!
And for peace of mind, the Lensfinder platform has advanced fraud filtering for both buyers and sellers as well as mediation services in the event that there’s a problem.
Payments are made and received via PayPal, so you can rest easy knowing that the transaction is safe and secure.
In other words, Lensfinder is the ideal solution for your holiday shopping needs. Either use it to find a loved one a killer lens or use it to sell old gear to pad your pockets for holiday spending!
Epson Legacy Paper Sample Pack
Photographers can be very picky when it comes to the paper they use to print their photos.
That’s why the Legacy Paper Sample Pack from Epson is such a great gift idea this holiday season.
Your favorite photographer will get a sampling of all current Epson Legacy Papers - Legacy Platine, Legacy Baryta, Legacy Fibre, and Legacy Etching.
With three sheets of each paper to try, photographers can decide which is best to fulfill their vision for their photos!
Learn more about the Epson Legacy Paper Sample Pack
Pacific Inkjet Canvas Textured Inkjet Photo Paper
I know that printer paper doesn’t sound like the sexiest of holiday gifts for photographers, but just hear me out on this…
I gave Pacific Inkjet’s Canvas Textured Inkjet Photo Paper a try, and it worked great.
The glossy canvas-like texture looks great and gave tons of dimension to the test photo that I printed, which is shown below.
There were no issues with the paper curling in the printer, no problems with smudges or smears, as you can see.
What I got instead was a great-looking print that has a richness and depth to it with vibrant colors and excellent contrast.
I obviously used it to print a portrait, but it’s also great for nature and wildlife photography, wedding photos, landscapes, and much more.
If the photographer on your shopping list is picky about their photo paper, this 20-pack of paper is a great holiday gift idea!
Learn more about Pacific Inkjet Canvas Textured Inkjet Photo Paper
CanvasHQ 8x12 Canvas Print
A flat 8x12 canvas print is just big enough to have impact on a wall but not so big that you spend your entire holiday shopping budget on one item.
These prints make ideal gifts for photographers (and anyone else on your list) because they're ideal for all kinds of photos. Get a print of a family portrait, the family pet, a landscape, or anything in between.
CanvasHQ offers a number of different 8x12 options with varying frame depths and finishes to get a custom look. The flat option is priced at just $19.95, too, so it's quite a bargain!
No matter what the options you select, you can rest assured that the print you get will have beautiful colors, gorgeous contrast, and be made to last for generations.
Giving art - especially personalized art - is a great gift idea for photographers. See what CanvasHQ can do for you!
Learn more about CanvasHQ 8x12 Prints
Fotodiox Pro 42" 5-in-1 Reflector
A reflector is one of the most useful gifts for photographers that take portraits.
This 5-in-1 reflector pack offers even more versatility with a translucent diffuser to filter light and a black anti-reflector to block light or change the contrast of light on the subject.
Additionally, there's a soft white reflector to reduce shadows, soft silver for brightening the image and increasing contrast, and a soft gold reflector that warms up light in the portrait.
In other words, the photographer on your list can reflect light, diffuse it or even block it!
The reflector pack collapses into itself for easy transport in the accompanying carrying case too.
Learn more about the Fotodiox 5-in-1 Reflector
HiiGuy Camera Strap
If photographers need anything, it’s a good camera strap.
After all, they can’t very well take a lot of photos if all they do is feel the aches and pains in their neck and shoulders from carrying around their camera all day on the flimsy strap that came with their camera...
That’s where the HiiGuy Camera Strap comes in!
This thing is the perfect upgrade for any photographer’s camera, be that a big, expensive DSLR that a professional uses or a little mirrorless camera that your mom bought for holiday photo-taking.
Either way, HiiGuy has the photographer on your list covered with a strap that’s uber comfortable with a big, beefy shoulder pad to help distribute the weight of the camera. The strap is also adjustable, too, so no matter if the photographer on your list likes their camera up high or down low, this strap will serve them well.
You have peace of mind as well because the strap’s mount plate is padded to prevent scratching the camera. What’s more, there’s a three-year warranty guarantee so if something goes awry with the strap, you’re covered.
Best of all, for well under $25, you get a microfiber cloth, an SD/Micro SD Case, a safety tether, and an eBook on the 199 Best Tips for DSLR photography in addition to the strap. That makes this the perfect gift bundle for your favorite photographer!
Learn more about the HiiGuy Camera Strap
Giottos Rocket Air Blaster
Every photographer needs the proper tools to clean their gear.
This holiday season, give the gift of a Giottos Rocket Air Blaster so your favorite photographer can keep their camera's sensor free of dust and debris.
The 7.5-inch-long blaster has a 2.5-inch nozzle that produces a large blast of clean air to get rid of particles on the camera's sensor.
The one-way valve brings in clean air instead of sucking up dust that it's just dislodged, too.
It's easy to carry, durable, and invaluable for keeping photography gear operating at its best!
Learn more about the Giottos Rocket Air Blaster
band.it
This innovative little gadget might not look like much, but trust me, it very well could be one of the most useful tools in a photographer's kit.
It's called band.it, and it not only helps photographers find the focus or zoom ring more quickly to get the shots they need, but it also helps improve grip on the lens.
That means photographers can hold their camera and lens more steadily, resulting in sharper photos.
But that's not all...
Having band.it on the focus or zoom ring also protects it from damage, so for less than $25, you can help prevent the $200 (or more) lens rings from getting damaged.
The soft, elastomer band fits any camera lens - the photographer on your list need only stretch it out, put it in place on the zoom or focus ring on their lens, and they're good to go!
This ingenious gizmo even helps prevent lens creep, which can occur when the lens is pointed up or down at a steep angle.
So, if you want to give the photographer on your list a gift that's practical, functional, and can help them take better photos at the same time, get them band.it.
Anwenk 18% Gray Card
Getting the white balance just right in a photo is imperative to it having its maximum impact. The photographer on your list can do that with an 18% gray card.
This gray card pack has a matte finish that makes it scratch resistant and non-reflective. It's also waterproof, so even in the rain, sleet, and snow, if your favorite photographer is out shooting, they can get the correct white balance in their shots.
Sized at 5x4 inches, these cards are ideally suited for daily use. They're compact, lightweight, sturdy, and can be slipped easily into a camera bag, a pocket, or worn around the ned with the included lanyard.
Learn more about the Anwenk 18% Gray Card
Amazon Gift Card
Totally stumped regarding gift ideas for photographers on your list?
Why not go the easy route and get them an Amazon gift card?
Though a gift card isn't exactly the sexiest gift, when the photographer in your family sees that you dropped $25 into a gift card, they'll love it just the same.
With an Amazon gift card, they can buy whatever they want - a new lens, a second camera body, lighting gear, a laptop - you name it!
As far as flexibility goes, there's nothing better to give a photographer than a gift card with some serious money loaded onto it!
Learn more about Amazon gift cards