So your significant other is a photographer right? Or your significant other is asking, you the photographer, what you want for Christmas. Photographers are the hardest people on the planet to buy a gift for because, well, because everything a photographer wants costs $10,000.00. And those of you who are not a photographer and don’t have $10,000.00 of spare cash lying around struggle with this each and every year. It’s cool, I know my wife hates me around the holidays too. So what could possibly be on the photographer Christmas gift list that you CAN afford. Besides nothing. Let’s start out with the deal of the century…

Colorado Tripod Company Kickstarter | $10 – $1098

Enter Colorado Tripod Company stage door left. Three new ball heads and two new tripods. The kicker to this kickstarter is that every product they are offering is engineered with the weight conscious in mind. Imagine a ball head and tripod combo made out of titanium and carbon fiber that weighs 3.75 pounds TOTAL and supports a whopping 54 pounds! I cannot wait to get my hands on one these sets this spring. 

Colorado Tripod Company is also offering aluminum/carbon versions that support the same weight and tip the scales at a still meager 4.43 pounds. As a Kickstarter investor you can order an aluminum ball head and aluminum/carbon fiber tripod set for $298. That is a crazy price point. The carbon is manufactured in Japan, the company is, you guessed it, Colorado based. Their tripods are also TSA approved. Now SWARM because this item on our photographer Christmas gift list will not last. Well it won’t after the 30 days of their Kickstarter.

Photographer Christmas Gift – Filters | $100-$300

All photographers, regardless of their style of photography, will need a special filter to help direct light at some point. The three main filters to look at are a circular polarizer, neutral density, and graduated neutral density filter. You can see what they all look like right here from in our store. I prefer Breakthrough Photography’s filters because they are ALL made of high-grade glass and quality engineered.

X-Rite ColorMunki Display | $144

Most photographers don’t realize the importance of calibrating their monitors for color accuracy. A calibrated monitor allows you to process your photos so the rest of the world sees exactly what you see. Calibrated photos look better when in print, displayed online and even when they are projected. The X-Rite ColorMunki Display calibration system is easy to use at a cost effective price.

DJI Osmo Mobile 2 Smartphone Gimbal | $119

Ever shoot photos or videos with your mobile device? Ever use a tripod? Yeah, me either. The DJI Osmo Mobile 2 Smartphone Gimbal counter-balances your movements allowing you to create sharper photos and less chattery videos. 240FPS never looked so good. I’ll take one sent to the address below…

Apple TV 4K | $169 – $189

I cannot think of a better way to watch every Star Wars movie this holiday season than over a new Apple TV 4K. The lates version comes in two storage versions 32GB and 64GB. A recent update also allows you to add Dolby Atmos compatible speakers for a true home theater experience.

PHOTOGRAPHER CHRISTMAS GIFT – Memory Cards | $5 – $999

I prefer SanDisk memory cards. My Leica SL uses SD cards and my Canon 1DX used the CF or Compact Flash size. You basically pay for write/read speed and storage size. The fastest 512GB card will cost you a dollar less than a grand, but fast cards in 64GB and 128GB versions can be a s little as $150. SanDisk also offers 2 card sets for the most popular camera setups at even better price points.

Nikon D5600 Kit | $697

Wait, Jay, Nikon? Yep. I just couldn’t believe the price point for this 24MP camera and 2 lens kit from Nikon. Know someone who wants to get into photography? This kit gives you 18mm – 300mm in zoom focal lengths. I wish this starter kit was available 20 years ago when I bought my first camera. Canon doesn’t beat the specs with their closet kit. So yes, go Nikon if your significant other wants to try photography.

Sony a7 II | $898

If you have read my review of the new Sony a7 III, you already know that I think Sony is taking over the camera market with their latest mirrorless camera releases. I discovered this crazy deal at B&H for Sony’s a7 III predecessor, the Sony a7 II. That is less than $900 for a 24MP full-frame camera that shoots 5FPS! If you are a Sony photographer, this may be the best price for a backup body. If you are interested in switching to mirrorless, this may be the cheapest camera available for the specifications. I am kind of floored with the pricing of this camera on our photographer Christmas gift list.

eyelead Sensor Gel Stick | $55

The eyelead sensor gel stick is the absolute best all-around sensor cleaning device that I have found. I take one everywhere that I go.

Then ~ Now | $250

I couldn’t create a photographer Christmas gift list without including a copy of my first book, Then ~ Now. We are about 2/3 of the way through the limited edition series. This is your chance to own one of only 66 books world-wide.

DJI Mavic Pro 2 | $1500

What happens when the world’s most popular drone company joins forces with Hasselblad? You get the DJI Mavic Pro 2 – a drone that flies at 44MPH and shoots 20MP still photographs in addition to 4K video. Ummm, you had me at Hasselblad. This is the ultimate photographer Christmas gift.

Just Share This

Whether you are the photographer or know a photographer, if you see something you like or want, you can can share this post via email or social media with one click (look down!). We have taken care of the hard part for you. Send it to someone you love and have a wonderful holiday season this year.