10 Great Stocking Fillers for Photographers

Gift ideas for Photographers

Here is a list of my favourite gifts that would make perfect stocking fillers or even main presents for the photographer in your life. As a keen photographer myself I can confirm that they would all be useful and well received. The important thing, though, is to make sure that you buy the correct item for the camera your photographer friend uses (where appropriate). This might take a bit of detective work, but it will be worth it.

Photographer with fingerless gloves

Camera Bean Bag

This can support a camera to minimise camera shake and is more portable than a tripod.  It can be used on cars, rocks, walls, posts etc. You can buy camera bean bags filled or unfilled (where you can use your own filling such as rice, pulses or polystyrene balls). These cost around £15 - £20.
A good selection can be found at Wex.

 

 
Small Tripod

A handy extra for keen photographers is a small tripod, one that is easy to pop into a camera bag when on your travels.  A mini tripod is ideal for a compact camera, and Manfrotto or Joby would be good brands to take a look at. You can also get mini tripods that have bendable, gripping legs so they can be wrapped around an object. Expect to spend between £20 and £40.
Jessops have a decent range here.

               

Shutter Release Cable

If your camera isn’t equipped with wifi then a shutter release cable is great to have, especially when using a tripod or bean bag. It allows the photographer to activate the shutter without touching the camera, so minimising camera shake.  These can be found for about £5.  Make sure it fits the camera make / model.
See below for a Canon fit cable:

              

Memory Cards

These are always welcome for digital camera users. Just make sure it is the correct format for the camera (eg SD Card / Compact Flash). SanDisk is a good make – you can pick up a 16GB SanDisk Ultra 80MB/Sec SDHC card for about £13.

            

Memory Card Readers
If your computer doesn't include a memory card reader then one of these can be a useful present.  Picstop is a good place to look for memory cards and card readers. These are not expensive so would be a perfect stocking filler.

Memory Card Holder

For the photographer with lots of memory cards on the go, or one who prefers to store their photos on the memory card rather than their computer hard drive.  These small cases can hold a number of memory cards in a safe way. Look for capacity and water repellent coating.  Here expect to spend about £10.

            

Filters

Protective UV filters help to improve image clarity, by absorbing UV light, and also protect the lens. Good makes are Hoya, Tiffen and B+W, they can cost as little as £10, with pro models between £20 - £60 on average. Make sure you buy the correct thread size – check the camera lens for this size in mm.

Polarising filters help eliminate reflections and glare, reducing haze in landscapes. Again Hoya, B+W and Tiffen are good and range in price primarily between £20 to £200.

Neutral density filters come in a variety of types such as solid, variable, graduated (hard or soft transition), circular or square. Lee Filters provide excellent square filters that need an adapter to fit on the lens and holder for the filter. Landscape photographers would love the graduated ND filters. These will cut the exposure and allow photographers to use a longer shutter speed to capture a more evenly exposed image. Lee sell a Foundation Kit which includes a 100mm filter holder and storage pouch for about £60, you would then need an adapter ring for your lens (of the appropriate size eg 67mm), these cost in the region of £30.  The final requirement would be the filter itself, they vary in the amount of light they stop and cost from £70+.

There are also lots of other filters that are more specialised (and fun), such as soft focus, colour correction, colour effects and special optical effects such as star effects,  seen on Amazon for £37.

Spirit Level

Do you take wonky images, or does your photographer pal always have sloping horizons in their landscapes?  This can be corrected by photo processing software but it is better if it didn’t happen when the image was made.  A handy device is a spirit level cube that slots in to the flash hotshoe mount on the camera.  These cost about £15.
Here is an example from Park Cameras

            

Camera Bag

There is a huge range of camera bags on the market.  First decide whether a backpack style or a shoulder bag / pouch is preferred. Backpacks are great for weight distribution but poor for quick access to the camera.  Shoulder bags are easier access but not as good for weight bearing.  Things to check are the size (and type) of camera and what lenses / accessories would need to travel with it.  Good makes are Lowenpro, Peak Design and Crumpler. Prices depend on size but are roughly below £20 for compact cameras and around £70 for a DSLR camera with extra lenses.  Look for strong, comfortable straps, durable zips, rain flaps or covers.

Fingerless gloves
Ideal for winter photography, any fingerless gloves would work, but there are some that are specifically for photographers such as these found on Amazon:

            



I hope this list has inspired you.  Good luck with your gift buying.