Top 10 Gifts for Photographers Under $50 - 2019 Edition
- They reduce glare off of water and other non-metallic surfaces like wet rocks or plants
- They minimize atmospheric haze so far-off features of the landscape appear more clear and crisp
- They boost the contrast of the sky with a deeper blue atmosphere and whiter clouds
photo by evgenyatamanenko via iStock
Sure, it’s only August, but before you know it, it’ll be December 24th, and you’ll have zero gifts for your favorite photographer.
Why not get a head start this year and scope out a few items that photographers will love?
This list runs the gamut of photography gadgets and accessories, all of which are under the $50 threshold.
See what you can find to impress the photographer on your holiday shopping list!
Gifts for Photographers Under $50: CanvasHQ Print
If you’re like me, sometimes finding the perfect gift for certain loved ones is a long, drawn-out process that causes tons of stress, and often you still don’t get something that totally blows them away.
I think a lot of photographers fall into this category. We have specific likes, and many of us already have most of what we want or need gear-wise, and what we don’t have is usually too expensive to put on a Christmas wish-list anyway.
But for all those hard-to-shop-for photographers on your 2019 holiday shopping list, I have the perfect solution - a canvas print.
Think about it…
A canvas print is a gift that keeps on giving.
Not only can you immortalize one of your favorite images from your favorite photographer, but you also give them a means to showcase their work in a format that’s drop-dead gorgeous.
I have tons of canvases in my home, the vast majority of which are from CanvasHQ.
Now, I know what you’re thinking - canvas is old school.
Sure, maybe it is, but I’m telling you that these canvas prints from CanvasHQ are mind-bogglingly beautiful. In fact, they go head-to-head with any metal or acrylic print I have in my home.
The attention to detail is just amazing, and the materials they use are top-of-the-line. We’re talking archival-grade canvas, commercial-grade inks that are water and UV resistant, and kiln-dried pine frames to keep everything straight and true.
I love the personality that the canvas texture gives my images. That’s true whether it’s a portrait of my son or a landscape photo.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the customer service you get with CanvasHQ.
These guys are committed to getting it right, so if something doesn’t go as planned, you won’t be hung out to dry.
If you have questions, they’ll answer them. If you have a problem, they’ll fix it. If you need assistance with uploading your photo or even picking the best finishes for your canvas, they’ve got your back.
In the video above, I explain why I highly recommend a CanvasHQ canvas print as the ideal gift for the photographer on your holiday shopping list.
Start shopping for your favorite photographer today on CanvasHQ!
Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Holdfast Camera Leash Leather Wrist Strap
Not every photographer wants or needs a neck strap or camera harness, so why not give them the gift of a tough, useful, and gorgeous leather wrist strap?
The Camera Leash by Holdfast is impeccably made and comes in a variety of materials, including bridle leather, water buffalo leather, American bison leather, and python skin. There are also several colors available to suit your favorite photographer’s specific tastes.
This strap is multi-functional, too.
Use it to carry your keys and attach them to a belt loop. Secure a water bottle to your backpack. Use two of them together to carry a third camera on the Holdfast MoneyMaker harness. There’s few products under $50 with that much functionality!
Plus, these things look absolutely incredible with fine details that scream, “I’m handcrafted!”
It’s a photography gift that your favorite photographer is sure to love.
Learn more about the Holdfast Camera Leash
Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Excire Search
Give a gift this year that will make your favorite photographer’s life much, much easier by giving them Excire Search.
This software for Lightroom Classic CC has an AI-powered search engine that supercharges one’s ability to search Lightroom catalogs for photos.
In fact, it allows photographers to search for images by keyword (i.e., “dog,” or one of the other 124 keywords available) or by example, (i.e., by selecting a sample reference image of a boat from Excire’s library so it will find boat photos in the Lightroom catalog).
Additionally, Excire recognizes faces, so photographers can search for images of one, two, or multiple faces, for women or men, children or adults, and so forth.
In other words, Excire Search is the ultimate way to organize and search Lightroom catalogs. That means less time searching for the desired photos and more time actually editing them or taking new photos. What photographer wouldn’t like that?!
Learn more about Excire Search
Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Kenko Nyumon Slim Circular Polarizing Filter
If the photographer on your list primarily takes landscape photos, an ideal gift for them is a high-quality circular polarizing filter.
The great thing about polarizing filters is that they can impact a photograph in many ways:
But not all polarizing filters are made alike…
Kenko Nyumon filters are the #1 selling polarizer in Japan because they are crafted of precision optical glass. That means you get optimum performance and control without busting your budget.
Additionally, this filter has a slim mounting ring to prevent vignetting and it has a multi-layer coating that repels dust, water, and fingerprints. What’s not to like about that?!
Learn more about the Kenko Nyumon Circular Polarizing Filter
Gifts for Photographers Under $50: HandlePod 3-Axis Action Cam Mount
Does the photographer on your shopping list like to go out and adventure with their GoPro or other action cam?
I have the ideal gift idea for them - the HandlePod 3-Axis Action Cam Mount.
This ingenious gadget is a comfortable grip for shooting handheld video as well as a handy tabletop stand (or a stand for any horizontal surface for that matter).
Furthermore, it has an integrated elastic cord so you can lash it to stationary objects (i.e., a lamp post) for super steady hands-free recording.
The mount has 360-degree movement so you can capture smooth video and easily position it for the ideal still image as well.
When used as a tabletop stand or lashed to a vertical surface, its four rubber feet keep it in place for anti-slip performance.
Perhaps best of all, it weighs just 4 ounces and fits in your pocket, so your favorite photographer can always have a stabilizing mount with them for their GoPro activities.
Learn more about the HandlePod 3-Axis Action Cam Mount
Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Kenko Puro UV MC Protector Filter
One of the biggest threats to a photographer’s lens is scratches. Add to that dust, smudges, and environmental contaminants, and you have a bevy of things that can negatively impact the front glass element of a lens.
That’s where the Kenko Puro UV MC Protector comes in…
Offered in sizes that range from 37 to 82mm, this UV Protection filter is made of precision optical glass.
That means that not only does it shield the lens glass from damage, but it does so without negatively impacting the lens’s performance or sharpness.
Better still, the Asahi optical glass has a 16-layer multi-coating that repels dust, water, and smudges while increasing light transmission into the lens.
These filters are easy to clean and have a slim mounting ring so they won’t cause vignetting on wide-angle lenses either!
Learn more about the Kenko Puro UV MC Protector Filter
Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Aputure AmaranAL-M9 Pocket-Sized Light
As the name suggests, this little light is perfectly pocket-sized so the photographer on your list can always have clean, daylight-balanced light for photos and videos.
It has nine high-efficiency SMD bulbs that are capable of 900 lux of light, which is more than enough to act as a close-up fill light. It has 9-step adjustable brightness to tailor the intensity of the light to the specific shot too.
From portraits to macro to video work, this little light offers excellent versatility with a TLCI rating of 95+.
And with an ultra-thin design and a weight of just 4.9 ounces, this light can go anywhere!
Learn more about the Aputure Amaran AL-M9 Pocket-Sized Light
Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Kizoa Online Movie and Video Maker
Since videography is becoming more and more popular with photographers, why not enable your favorite photographer to create high production value movies?
They can do that with Kizoa, an online movie and video maker that makes creating beautiful videos a simple task.
In fact, Kizoa has a vast library of ready-to-use templates so the process of creating a movie is made quick and easy.
What’s more, it offers a library of music, special effects, transitions, texts, and more. It literally takes just minutes to create a video that looks like it took weeks to put together!
Once you’re done with the video, you can quickly and easily share it on Facebook or YouTube, send it to friends and family via email, burn it to a DVD, or download it as a video file in multiple formats including MP4, AVI, MOV, MPEG2, and even GIF.
Gifts for Photographers Under $50: HDRsoft Photomatix Essentials
Ask any photographer, and they’ll probably tell you that the toughest part of photography to master is exposure.
All too often, you get photos that have highlights that are too bright or shadows that are much too dark.
But by using the power of HDR photography - high dynamic range - photographers can combine multiple exposures into a single shot, thereby getting a well-exposed image throughout.
Photomatix Essentials by HDRsoft makes that process super easy with dozens of HDR settings and presets for getting the perfect HDR photo.
HDRsoft has even incorporated multiple HDR styles to give photographers further control over how their HDR images look. Truly, creating eye-catching photos has never been easier!
Learn more about HDRsoft Photomatix Essentials
Gifts for Photographers Under $50: Ikan Stratus 15mm Static Lens Support
If the photographer on your list has a bunch of accessories for their camera, an Ikan Stratus Cage is all but a must.
And to make the Stratus cage even more functional, you can give the gift of a 15mm static lens support this holiday season.
The support attaches to the non-rotating part of a lens and helps support its weight.
With 7/8-inches of vertical leeway, this gadget can support a lens in a number of positions.
It's easy to use, too - one of the 15mm rod mounts is open and angled, so it can be slid onto the rods from above or from the front.
And at $34.99, it's a bargain gift as well!
Learn more about the Ikan Stratus 15mm Static Lens Support
