50 Gifts Under $50 For Photographers in 2021

Holidays are upon us and, after a year that has been brutal for most, people need to be celebrated and inspired! Gifts for photographers in your life are easy to find and can be very afforable. Often, small tools can make a real difference and renew interest in photography.

Neocamera just published its selection of Best Digital Cameras for 2021 for those who are ready to upgrade but the price of new cameras is fairly high, so there are plenty of smaller gifts for photographers that cost under $50 USD. Here we present 50 such gifts for photographers. Prices may be slightly different locally but all these gifts are available from Adorama which ships to almost anywhere in the world. Amazon has plenty of those as well.

The majority of gifts shown here are universal and compatible with any digital camera. A few items, as noted below, are available in different versions or sizes to match a specific camera or lens. Check that specifications match the intended camera or lens for compatibility before ordering.

There are plenty more gadgets for photographers and some of them are even quite useful! One huge time and battery saver is a dedicated memory-card reader. These lightweight devices greatly speed downloading speed and they avoid having the camera tied-up during transfers.

Choosing a memory-card reader is very straight-forward now that cameras converged on a couple of card-types. By far, the most common type of memory-card is SDXC, with the UHS-II variant being significantly faster than its predecessor. Check your camera specifications to known if it uses SDXC cards. Otherwise, it is most likely to use XQD or CFExpress Type B, which have the same form-factor. A handful of Sony mirrorless have slots that accept both SDXC and CFExpress Type A cards. The other side of a card reader is either USB-A or USB-C. Choose the more modern and versatile USB-C if your computer has USB-C ports:

• The Kingston Workflow SD Reader features dual SDXC UHS-II memory-card slots and connects via USB-C. This modern reader provides fast transfer speeds in a lightweight form-factor. The impressively compact Anker 2-in-1 USB-C Reader handles SDXC UHS-I and MicroSDXC cards for those who also have devices using the smaller card-format.
• An incredibly light Kingstop Mobilite Plus USB 3.2 SDXC Reader weighs just 9 grams! This unit is ideal for computers with USB-A ports. A more versatile option that supports both SDXC and MicroSDXC memory-types is the Anker 2-in-1 USB 3.0 Reader. Its SDXC support is restricted to UHS-I which is fine for those who do not own more expensive UHS-II variants. This is a true bargain for just $17 USD.
• Newer CFExpress memory cards are less widely support and so their readers are more expensive. Still, for under $50 USD, the SanDisk Extreme PRO Card-Reader supports both CFExpress Type B and XQD memory-cards. It connects via USB-C. Those requiring a CFExpress Type A reader have to pay a little more. The ProGrade CFExpress Type A and SDXC UHS-II Dual-Slot Reader is quite versatile though for $80 USD.

Slightly tilted images are infuriating and image processing to correct for tilt can noticeably affect sharpness. To avoid this, a 3-axis bubble-level can be mounted onto a camera hot-shoe. All DSLRs and most mirrorless have one, but check to be sure before ordering. While these are simple devices, too cheap ones have low accuracy. The highest-rated model currently is the Chomlives 3-Axis Spirit Bubble-Level.

Remote flash triggers are incredibly popular to work with off-camera lighting. Many, such as the highly reputable Godox CT-16 can trigger flashes up to 30m (100') away. It mounts onto a standard hot-shoe and even a camera Sync-Port, for these equipped with one. There are 16 RF channels to choose from, allowing multi-flash setups and minimizing interference.

There are all sorts of gear to consider for different types of photographers or for the family to join-in on the fun:

• Kids and teenagers will enjoy the Kodak Printomatic Digital Instant Print Camera. This unique hybrid camera is fully automatic and only offers an optical tunnel viewfinder for framing. It makes prints on ZINC 3" x 2" stickers that come right out of the camera. It also saves images captured by its 5 MP sensor into a MicroSD memory-card. The starter bundle comes with 10 ZINC stickers. These prints are durable, water-resistant, tear resistant and smudge free!
• Photo Paper also makes a nice gift as it encourages printing that changes the aspect of images. Most printers can handle standard 8.5" x 11" which has a very close aspect-ratio to 3:2 that is the most common for modern cameras. Larger 13" x 19" paper makes impressive art to display around the home. Try Epson Ultra Premium Glossy Photo Paper that comes in packs of 50 for 8.5" x 11" or 20 for 13" x 19". A completely different look is possible using Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper that is made from 100% cotton archive-quality rag.
• Outdoor enthusiasts will love receiving a Solar USB Power-Bank! Modern cameras, espacially mirrorless models, have relatively short battery-life yet many modern cameras can be charged via USB now. This allows them to be powered by a USB Power-Bank but that also needs to be charged. Enter Solar models that pack up to 26800mAh. A fast-charging one folds out into 4X the surface area compared to a simpler yet lighter model. Both cost the same and offer the same amount of power.
• Those who like to photograph indoors can have fun with an affordable light tent that makes it easy to capture objects and artwork with even lighting. The Neewer 32" Light Tent comes with 4 backgrounds and folds away into a compact disk in an instant. The smaller Photo Studio Light Box is self-illuminated and comes with 6 backgrounds. Its stiffer construction is better for smooth backgrounds.
• Revive legacy glass using a lens adapter. In this price-range, only mechanical adapters are available which is suitable for lens that have manual aperture and focus rings. Be careful to chose one that pairs the desired lenses and camera mounts. Nikon F to Sony E mount and Canon EF to Sony E mount are among the most popular options.

Happy Holidays

Thank you for visiting Neocamera and enjoy the holidays! Hopefully, we made your holiday shopping easier. If you found any of our articles helpful, you can support us without spending an extra penny by buying from our affiliates using links on this site. Amazon stocks a good number of photography gadgets and all non-book gifts are available from Adorama.