Hobbyist and professional photography have come a long way from your average point-and-shoot DSLR cameras, with options now more varied than ever, including drones, smartphones, attachments, and beyond. If you’re looking for the best gifts for photographers of all skill levels, you might start by taking a quick peek at the best camera deals — go ahead, we’ll wait. But there’s so much more to think about than just cameras, which is precisely why we’ve put together this holiday gift guide for all of the photography lovers in your life. Right up top, we have a few of our favorite deals, and then a better overview of some excellent gifts for photographers below that. So, go make some coffee or hot cocoa, pull up a chair, and let’s dive in, or rather, let’s zoom in.
Best for pros: Adobe Creative Cloud — $60 per month
If you’re dealing with a photography pro, then chances are they already have their favorite camera, extra gear and accessories, and most items you could gift. So, the next practical option is to gift them software they can use to spruce up their photos after taking the shots, and there’s nothing better than Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite.
Best for young beginners: Fujifilm INSTAX Mini 7+ — $49, was $67
Budding photographers need something tactile, but also, after getting used to digital technologies, something more instant. Cue the INSTAX Mini 7+ with its Polaroid-like design. You snap the shots, they print out. It’s that simple.
Best for aerial photography: Snaptain S5C Pro FHD Drone — $70, was $100
Yes, there are much more expensive drones for aerial photography, and they’re well-suited to professional settings, but not everyone has the money for that. This Snaptain S5C kit is an excellent alternative, and it’s an accessible price, too. It offers a maximum flight time of 10 minutes, and shoots full HD 1080P video, plus has autonomous flight modes to hover, takeoff, circle, and land.
Best for everyone: Polaroid Now Instant Film Camera Gen 2 — $100, was $120
Kicking it old school, this modernized Polaroid Now instant camera is a lot of fun to use, especially during impromptu outings, on adventures, and at social gatherings. It comes in three fun and zany colors, and it works just like the Polaroid cameras of yore.
Best for vloggers: Sony ZV-IF vlog camera — $400, was $500
Built with vloggers and active folks in mind, this Sony ZV-IF camera has a Bokeh switch so you can set up beautiful, defocused backgrounds like a pro, but at the push of a button. It also has sharp autofocus with automatic recognition for faces and eyes and comes with a windscreen and lens cap. It’s not just in the name, it really is one of the best vlogging cameras out there.
More gifts for photographers we love
If you’re looking for some more gifts for photographers that go beyond the lens, like accessories, we have you covered there, too. Here are all of our favorites:
- Kate 5-foot by 7-foot white portrait backdrop —
- Altura Photo pro DSLR cleaning kit —
- Sunpak PlatinumPlus Ultra 6000PG 61-inch tripod —
- Zhiyun Q-3 compact folding Gimbal for phones with LED —
- Canon IVY 2 mini photo printer —
- Sunpak Premium Series 18-inch color light ring kit —
- Nixplay W10P Touch Classic 10.1-inch digital smart photo frame —
- GoPro HERO11 Black Mini action camera —
- Canon EOS Rebel T100 DSLR camera —
- Nikon Z50 Mirrorless Camera with two lenses —
