10 Gifts Photographers Will Love

A number of usefull photography gadgetscan be found for under $50 USD. These expand creative possibilities on small budget. Camera support is essential to get critical sharpness and work with long exposures. Good tripods cost a good deal of money and are often inconvenient to carry. The alternative is a very light and flexible tripod. None is as well-regarded as Joby's Gorillapod which has been redesigned and improved compared to its original design.

Gorillapod 1K & 3K

Joby makes its Gorillapods in numerous sizes, from those that can hold just a cellphone, to some that can hold a DSLR or large mirrorless. For compact cameras and most mirrorless with APS-C or smaller sensors, the Gorillapod 1K is suitable. This model supports a camera and lens with combined weight of 1kg or 2.2lbs while weight 145g or about 5oz! The Gorillapod 1K - shown above on the left - is available for $20 USD on Amazon. More flexibily with much easier setup is possible with the kit that comes with a Gorillapod 1K and compact ballhead for just $32 USD on Amazon.

A larger and more sturdy version can hold a full-frame DSLR and lens that weigh up to 3kg. The Gorillapod 3K remains lightweight at 195g or roughly 11oz. This one which looks identical to the 1K only scaled up - not shown above - is also available for $35 USD directly from Amazon.

Amazon Canada offers good prices for the Gorillapod 1K alone and Gorillapod 1K plus Ballhead at $37 and $54 CAD, respectively each. These truly compact camera support can be carried much more easily than a traditional tripod for long exposures and taking photos from original angles.

Zeiss Comfort Camera Strap

Give the gift of comfort to a photographer in your life! This ultra-padded camera strap replaces a standard neck-strap with a wide spongy band that makes carrying a camera much more comfortable. It is hard to imagine what different this makes until you try one of these. Additionally, the Zeiss brand name more famous than any fashionable brand for photographers. The Zeiss Comfort Camera Strap is sold by B&H Photo for just $29 USD.

Remote Trigger

One of the most fun things to do is trigger a camera remotely. This can be used for including the photographer in group shot or placing the camera somewhere and using it for candid or street photography. There are so many ways to remotely take photos but Radio-Frequency offers the most distance and does not require a clear line-of-sight path. Remote-Trigger specialist Vello offers their RF Triggers for the vast majority of camera brands. They are available for up to $45 USD at B&H Photo, just follow this link and remember to select the desired camera brand in the Compatible With drop-down. Price varies by a few dollars depending on compatibility.

3-Axis Hot-Shoe Level

A skewed photo is distracting and appears unpolished. Using a 3-axis bubble level allows the camera to capture level images along any axis. This simple add-on is compatible with any camera that has a standard hot-shoe. While software can tilt images later, the process diminishes image-quality and takes time to get exactly right. The Lens Coat 3-Axis Bubble Level is available for $22 USD.

High-Speed Memory-Card Reader

It is surprising how many photo enthusiasts still plug their camera into the computer via USB. With a memory-card reader, transfers happen much faster without using battery power. Save precious time waiting for images and videos to download by buying a memory-card reader. To take full-advantage of high-speed memory-cards, look for one with a USB 3.0+ interface. Two models truly stand out, the Sony Dual XQD/SDXC UHS-II Reader and the Lexar Pro USB.30 Dual UDMA7/SDXC UHS-II Reader. Both these support SDXC UHS-II memory-cards, the most commonly supported high-bandwidth memory type. The Sony also supports XQD cards with have begun to be used among professional Nikon and Panasonic, while the Lexar can read CompactFlash memory that is still used by a handful of high-end Canon DSLRs. B&H Photo currently lists the Sony reader for $50 USD and the Lexar is normally $40 USD.