As we gear up for the biggest shopping season of the year, we’re presenting our favorite gifts for photographers this holiday season. Thanks to Manfrotto, Gitzo, Skylum and Fine Art America, the sponsors of this year’s Holiday Gift Guide.
Need more gift ideas, and want to see all the latest holiday deals? Check out our Holiday Shopping Guide!
Below are a few of our favorites that are valued under $500. These are great gifts for the photographer in your life!
Manfrotto Kit Befree 3-Way Live Advanced
Recommended by the Photofocus Team | $275.89; available via Manfrotto
The Befree 3-Way Live Advanced is an innovative tripod for travel photography and video, specifically developed with hobbyists and amateur shooters in mind. It combines both precision and versatility with innovative and unique features to help photographers and video artists create premium quality video or stills capture.
The kit consists of the brand-new Manfrotto’s Befree 3-way Live Head kitted out with the successful Befree Advanced aluminium tripod. It fulfils the need of a dual-purpose photo/video camera kit, following the current camera trend and usage, which see new cameras combining high-quality photo performances with a full-frame sensor and 4K video recording and the complementarity of these two worlds in daily use.
Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini HDMI Live Stream Switcher
Recommended by Rich Harrington | $295; available via B&H
This little box is and absolute must. You can take any camera you have lying around with an HDMI output and turn it into a ready to use webcam. Your live streams look incredibly professional and it couldn’t be easier. There are multiple versions available depending on the features you need, but these couldn’t be easier to use.
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens
Recommended by Jemma Pollari | $419.99; available via B&H
For Canon shooters this is a beautiful entry-level prime lens, and the results are divine: I love mine for portraits indoors and out. With the wide f/1.8 aperture, this lens gives creamy bokeh and allows shooting in low light conditions. The EF mount makes it suitable for full-frame and crop sensor Canon DLSRs.
Godox V1 Flash
Recommended by Brett Day | Read review | $259; available via B&H
This round headed flash from Godox is one of the best on the market today. The unique reoundhead is compatible with many different magnetic accessories from gels to diffusers. The flash is easy to use thanks to a large LCD, the battery is good for over 400 full power flashes per charge, and it can be used remotely when you pair it with an X2 trigger. No photographer should be without one. It’s available for Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax and Sony systems.
Insta360 ONE X2
Recommended by Rich Harrington | $429.99; available via B&H
The most innovative action camera you ever tried. This camera can shoot 360°, 180°, bullet time, tiny planet, underwater and time-lapse. The phone app makes creating amazing shots a piece of cake and you can get some truly amazing pics with this little marvel.
Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Sweet 80 Optic
Recommended by Julie Powell | Read review | $379.95; available via B&H
I recently purchased this system for my Sony and I am loving using it. Extend your creativity with the Lensbaby optics for beautiful images. Create magic, with or without the intense blur. I also purchased the Macro Filter Kit to create even more fun.
Lensbaby Velvet 56
Recommended by Julie Powell | Read review | $449.95; available via B&H
I recently bought myself a Lensbaby Velvet 56 and instantly fell in love with the creative aspect of shooting with this totally manual lens. It’s beautiful for flowers especially, but also portraits and more. The soft velvety blur and bokeh from this lens gives this lens its name.
Lume Cube 2.0 Professional 22-piece LED Lighting Kit
Recommended by Sara Kempner | Read review | $299.99; available via B&H
Lume Cubes are daylight-balanced portable LED lights that fit in your pocket, making them the perfect accessory for any type of photographer on your list. Waterproof, dimmable, rechargeable and controllable via smartphone, these little lights pack a solid punch. Included with this kit are two Lume Cubes and a wide range of accessories including gels, grids, snoots, barn doors and more.
Manfrotto FlexLoader Backpack
Recommended by Brett Day | Read review | $329.99; available via B&H
A bag for those who have a lot of equipment. The Manfrotto Flexloader is one of the best camera bags we have ever used. It can hold two cameras and multiple lenses. It’s extremely comfortable to wear for long periods, and it has the best fit and finnish of any bag we’ve used in a long time.
Manfrotto MVG220 Gimbal
Recommended by Brett Day | Read review | $287.99; available via B&H
Do you have a videographer in your life? If so, you might want to take a look at the Manfrotto MVG220 Gimbal. This 3-axis gimbal will help the creator in your life make super steady video footage easily. The MVG220 is well built, easy to use, and it works with any camera.
Platypod Platyball
Recommended by Rich Harrington | Starting at $285; join the waitlist at Platypod.com
While it may be a little strange to look at, this tripod bullhead is totally unique. It’s a snap to set and level your camera one handed with this ergonomic design. Plus with its inverted head, panning the camera stays perfectly level. A must for landscape panoramic works. The higher-end Elite model even has an electronic level inside for perfection.
SanDisk 2TB Extreme PRO Portable SSD V2
Recommended by Rich Harrington | $499; available via B&H
This portable wonder lets you quickly back up files and amazing speed. It’s fast enough the backup a whole laptop in just a couple of minutes. Plus you can easily store a week’s worth of photos on it when traveling. If blazing fast storage that’s totally portable is what’s needed, this is the best option hands down.
