Tips & Tricks

Top 10 Gifts for Photographers Under $1,000 - 2017 Edition

Top 10 Gifts for Photographers Under $1,000 - 2017 Edition

Photography Talk

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Before we all know it, the Christmas trees will be up and we'll be opening gifts with our friends and families.

That means now is the time to start thinking about what you'll be getting your loved ones this holiday season.

If you've got a photographer on your list (or if you're looking for yourself), consider these amazing photography gifts you can buy with a budget of $1,000.

Holdfast Roamographer

If you're looking for the ultimate photography gift, it's hard to find anything more impressive than the Holdfast Roamographer Camera Bag.

Hands down, this is one of the best camera bags I've ever gotten my hands on, and it's not just because it's made impeccably well and looks like a million bucks, either.

It also offers tons of space and organizes gear in a way that will make your favorite photographer's job a lot easier.

The bag has padded cubbies for each piece of kit you have, ensuring that your cameras, lenses, flashes, and other accessories are snug as a bug.

The padded camera insert is also removable, so when photography isn't on the day's agenda, it can be used as an awesome weekend bag for clothes and other essentials.

This thing has a shearling lined shoulder strap for comfortable carrying, or the Roamographer can be carried with the Holdfast MoneyMaker dual strap camera system as well.

Carry a tripod lashed to the outside with the safe and secure carrying straps, slide up to a 15-inch laptop into the interior compartment, add in a camera and accessories, and the photographer on your list will be ready to tackle a day full of taking awesome photos!

Learn more about the Holdfast Roamographer Camera Bag.

Pre-Owned Fuji X100T from MPB

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Photography lovers on your holiday list will surely enjoy the gift of a small, lightweight, and capable camera like the Fuji X100T.

The X100T has an APS-C 16.3-megapixel CMOS II sensor that offers incredible image clarity and resolution. Without a low-pass optical filter, the camera produces images that are ultimately sharp.

Though it looks old school, the X100T most assuredly is not. It’s got an advanced viewfinder that sports both electronic and optical viewing and a fixed 35mm-equivalent f/2 lens, making it ideal for taking photos of everyday situations from portraits to landscapes to travel photography. It’s got 1080p video recording, too, so your loved one can create stunning videos to go with their photos.

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Add to that an ISO sensitivity that ranges to 51200, continuous shooting at 6fps, and an electronic shutter mechanism that allows for shutter speeds of up to 1/32,000 seconds, and you’ve got a power-packed, yet compact camera that’s ideal for photographers of all skill levels.

This bad boy even comes in two versions - black and silver - and if you buy pre-owned, you can save quite a bit of money on your holiday shopping. What’s not to like about that?!

Learn more about the Fuji X100T Black or the Fuji X100T Silver.

Artbeat Studios 40x60 HD Acrylic Print

When you have a loved one that loves photography, one of the first things you should consider as a holiday gift is a gorgeous print. But don’t just give them any print…

Printing on substrates like acrylic gives images a luminous appearance that stops people dead in their tracks. And with the right type of materials, you can get an acrylic print that really makes your loved one’s images stand out and become the focal point of their home.

Artbeat Studios offers a 40x60 high definition acrylic print that will knock your socks off. Not only are their acrylic prints printed on archival Epson Metallic Photo Paper that’s face mounted onto the acrylic surface, but they’re also printed using Epson archival inks and come with a ⅛” black or white sintra backing. That means the photos are vibrant and eye-catching, highly durable, and constructed using materials that enhance the photo to make them look even better on the wall.

At well under $1,000, it’s a great gift idea for that special someone this holiday season!

Learn more about the Artbeat Studios 40x60 HD Acrylic Print.

Syrp Genie Mini Pan Tilt Kit

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The Syrp Genie Mini is a great product in and of itself because it allows you to achieve smooth panning motion control for time-lapse, video or panorama with a gadget that you can carry in your pocket.

But having two Genie Minis at work together is even better because you can add in smooth tilting motion, too!

For that special someone on your holiday list, why not give the gift of panning and tilting with the Syrp Genie Mini Pan Tilt Kit? Help them take their time-lapse and real-time videos to another level with dual-axis motion.

Just pair two Genies together via Bluetooth, mount them to the Pan Tilt Bracket, and control both right from your smartphone with the Syrp Genie App.

Creating gorgeous two-axis motion controlled videos has never been simpler!

Learn more about the Syrp Genie Pan Tilt Kit.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

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Full frame sensor cameras aren’t the cheapest things out there, but you can find excellent deals on pre-owned camera bodies if you look in the right places.

For example, you can snag a well-care-for used Canon EOS 5D Mark II - a full frame camera with a 21.1-megapixel sensor - for less than $1,000!

The 5D Mark II has great low-light shooting capabilities that allow you to keep shooting in less-than-ideal lighting without pushing the ISO too high. But if a high ISO is needed, the 5D Mark II can accommodate up to ISO 25600.

And though there are newer versions of the 5D, the Mark II certainly still has more than enough features for today’s photographer. It’s got a 3-inch Clear View LCD with 920,000 dots for sharp, resolute viewing, 3.9fps continuous shooting, and 1080p video capabilities.

In other words, this is a more than capable full frame, professional-grade camera that you can pick up for a bargain price this holiday season!

Learn more about the Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

Canon 24-70mm f/4L IS USM Lens

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Give the gift of versatility this holiday season by equipping the photographer on your list with a better lens.

If you have a Canon shooter to buy a gift for, consider the 24-70mm f/4L IS USM lens.

At 24mm, they can take pleasing wide-angle shots at 24mm, gorgeous street photos at 50mm, and beautiful portraits at 70mm.

Since this is an L-series lens, it's got upgraded optics, image stabilization, and weather-sealing as well.

In other words, it's a sharp, high-performance, and durable lens that will give your favorite photographer more opportunities to get the shot.

Learn more about the Canon 24-70mm f/4L IS USM Lens.

Microsoft Surface Laptop

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Starting at under $1,000, the Microsoft Surface Laptop is a perfect holiday gift for the photographer on your list.

Not only does it look incredible, but it's ultra light and super slim so it's a highly portable laptop that can easily transition from the studio to the field.

It's got an all-day battery that provides up to 14.5 hours of working time, too, so even the busiest of days away from the office can still be productive.

The Surface Laptop is fitted with powerful Intel Core processors for handling intense tasks like editing images.

The large, beautiful display is touch-enabled, too, which is a major bonus for photographers that want a faster way to work.

With Windows 10 S to streamline the work experience, this rig is primed and ready to tackle the toughest of tasks!

Learn more about the Microsoft Surface Laptop.

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 ART DG HSM Lens

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For the Nikon shooters on your list, an upgraded lens that has a reputation for producing clear, sharp images with minimal distortion and vignetting would make a great holiday gift.

Sigma has really stepped up their game in recent years, and their ART line of lenses have quickly become among the most coveted lenses available.

This 35mm f/1.4 ART DG HSM lens for Nikon crop sensor and full frame cameras has a huge maximum aperture that will allow for low-light shooting with less noise.

It's got a ring-type ultrasonic-type AF motor and full-time manual focusing that gives photographers the control they need to get the shots they want.

And since it's an HSM lens, it's fast, quiet, and accurate.

Add in a floating focusing system that helps generate superior optical performance, and you have a recipe for one heck of a lens!

Learn more about the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 ART DG HSM Lens.

Artbeat Studios 40x60 HD Metal Print

If the large acrylic print I outlined earlier doesn't seem like the right fit for the photographer on your holiday list, then an HD metal print surely will be.

Not only does Artbeat Studios give you the choice between a white surface that creates bright, vivid details and a silver surface that turns whites into silver for high-contrast black and white images, but they also give you the option of a glossy or matte finish.

What's more, you can further customize the look of your gift by choosing to have the print created with a flush mount to give the print added body or a recessed mount to give it the appearance of floating on the wall.

Additionally, because the image is heat-infused into a special aluminum sheet, the print is scratch-resistant, water-resistant, and UV-resistant as well.

Judging from the image above, I think you'll agree it's an awesome gift idea for the photography enthusiast in your life.

Even better, it's WAY under $1,000, so you'll have plenty of cash left over to get even more gifts!

Learn more about the Artbeat Studios 40x60 HD Metal Print.

Syrp Slingshot

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For the aspiring (or established) videographers on your holiday list, give the gift of motion control in the form of the Syrp Slingshot.

This unique device allows videographers to create time-lapse videos over long distances - up to 300 feet, in fact.

That means they can create gorgeous, long-track time-lapses that make audiences ooh and aah.

But don't think it's extremely complicated to use - all the necessary fastening equipment is included. Just find two fixed anchor points, tighten the Slingshot's rope at both ends, and it's ready to roll!

And when it's time to pack up, Slingshot is just as simple. Everything can be stored in its own backpack for easy transport. 

Learn more about the Syrp Slingshot.