🎁 10 Actually Useful Gifts for a Photographer Under $25 🛍
Actually useful gifts less than $25 – but worth way more than they cost – for the hobbyist or the nerdiest of the photonerds
I can’t believe it – Christmas is creeping up on us right around the corner again!
Whether you’re gift-shopping for that special photographer in your life or for yourself (ahem, yes my Amazon List is quite monstrous), here’s 10 actually useful gifts less than $25 – but worth way more than they cost – that the hobbyist or the nerdiest of the photonerds will thank you for.
Nikon Microfiber Cleaning Cloth
This is one of those things you can’t go wrong with, price-wise, usability-wise, and and appreciate-ability-wise. Some of us photographers get lazy or are just in a pinch, but wiping your lens with your shirt is actually not that great of an idea. Sure it’s convenient when puffing up like a bullfrog and blowing the crud off your lens doesn’t work, but its a great way to damage the lens coating and rub more dirt and particles onto it.
This large, microfiber, anti-static cloth easily fits into a small connected pouch about the size of a pizza roll! Get this so your photog stops scratching their precious lens with whatever shirt they’re wearing while taking Christmas Day photos.
Price: $8.79 on Adorama
Woven Camera Strap
If your photographer is still carrying around that boring Canon or Nikon strap, not only will this help them worry about their camera getting banged up but also personalize their camera! This stylish strap is universal for DSLR, SLR, and mirrorless cameras and the only issue you’ll run into is picking out the right pattern for your photog from 9 beautifully designed patterns.
Price: $10.99 on Amazon
Panoramic 360°/ 60-Minute Time Lapse Tripod Head for Cameras
This is more than just a glorified egg timer but is as dead simple to use. If your photographer is also into recording time-lapse videos, here’s a great panoramic 360° gadget for them to increase production value from a regular time-lapse clip into something cinematic.
It’s made for use with any smartphone, GoPro, or camera (up to 4.4lbs) and rotates a full circle in a 60-minute period. Plus, it’s powerless so it saves your photographer from needing to carry around an extra battery.
Price: $11.99 on Amazon
Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom Shortcuts Keyboard Skin
Save your photographer a hassle from remembering where all the Photoshop shortcuts are while they’re busy playing editor, accountant, content creator, social media manager, operations manager, and customer service. Whenever they sit down to their computer, which is literally almost all day, everyday, they’ll think of you and appreciate saving 5 minutes of racking their busy mind for where that shortcut was.
This keyboard skin is made from the best quality silicone with an organic cashmere feel and its unique thinness perfectly adheres to the contour of your keyboard for a frustration-free editing session.
Price: $15.00 on Amazon
5-in-1 Light Reflectors
This is one of of those gifts that seems like it costs way more than it actually does, and that’s partially because what it does is worth way more than it costs. It’s four reflectors plus a 1-stop diffuser to soften any harsh sunlight or flash. You get a white, silver, black, gold reflector, and that diffuser, and it all collapses in a twist into a small pouch that’s easy to toss into a camera bag.
Some photographers swear by Natural Light Photography, but whether your photographer prefers natural or artificial light, this is a must-have for anyone to up their photo game.
Price: $13.99 on Amazon
Battery Holder Case
No more digging around your bag trying to find a fresh battery! Solve your photographers panic-scramble to fumble around in their bag when their camera battery dies. This case holds four batteries of the most commonly used size for most mirrorless or DSLR cameras these days, and it keeps things neat and organized.
But it’s more than just for camera batteries – stick the AA batteries for the flash, the tripod mount, or other thing-a-ma-jigs in this simple and awesome case. Plus, you get 2 cases for the normal price of one. This is a must-have gift for any photographer.
Price: $10.58 on Amazon
Fleece Fingerless Gloves
If your photographer is out there braving the chilly winds for the perfect picture, they and their freezing fingers will thank you each year when the temperature drops. Recently, I was out on a location shoot in 33°F weather when an elderly man came up to us and asked for our contact information… but I could barely move my red, numb hands to write down my phone number!
These gloves convert from full-finger warm gloves to 3-cut fingers and a magnet that will never let the finger pieces from dangling around and get in the way of the shutter button. They’re wind-resistant, anti-pilling, have silicone palm grips, plus an extra pocket for hand warmers. A reviewer even said they used these when ice fishing in Alaska, so it’s guaranteed that your photog will appreciate you beyond word for this gift.
Price: $24.98 on Amazon
SanDisk 128GB Extreme SD
How much memory space a photographer goes through may not be all that surprising, but you might not realize how often SD cards are lost or break in an alarming assortment of ways. Reassure your photographer that they’ll always have a backup and save them the potential embarrassment of telling a client “Sorry, that was the only SD card I have” by getting them this gift.
The Extreme SD card shoots speeds up to 70MB/s, transfer speeds up to 150MB/s and is perfect for shooting 4K UHD video and burst mode photography to capture that once-in-a-lifetime shot. It’s built for harsh conditions – temperature-proof, waterproof, shock-proof, and x-ray-proof – so this card can go wherever your photographer goes!
Price: $22.99 on Amazon
Wooden Vintage Pencil Holder
This is the perfect pretty little office gift to help your photographer spice up their workstation. It comes in individual pieces, so you can glue it together or let your friend enjoy putting it together as a small project. The creative camera shape and retro wooden material is attractive to many eyes and also makes it a durable organizer for pens and little gadgets! Plus, the divider section is removable. This little camera do-dad will make any photographer smile.
Price: $14.99 on Amazon
Portable RGB LED Light Panel
You’ll actually *light* up your photographer’s day with this little ultra-versatile gift. Lighting is key to photography but with an extra kick from this mini-sized gadget, now they can control the mood anytime, anywhere. It works great as an accent, fill light, or white-balance in both day and night photography.
The adjustable 7500 Kelvin and RGB brightness is the obvious point of this light, but it’ll also attach directly on the camera hot shoe or any magnetic surface, is able to be stacked/combined, and is USB-C rechargeable. All your photographer friend has to do is chuck it into their camera bag, and now they’ll thank you whenever flash is not an option.
Price: $23.95 on Amazon