Ah the week of Thanksgiving. Turkey, gravy, family and the harsh realization you are horrifically underprepared for the holiday season. That's ok fellow photogs, we at Fstoppers have your back! Over the next few weeks we will be releasing updates to our Holiday Gear Guide, first starting with the lower-cost items and working our way up to the premium stuff. This week, let's look at the best ideas under $100. Not only are we compiling a list of the best stuff for photographers, we break it down by price so you don't break the bank.
Also, up until the end of the holiday season, Fstoppers will be posting the raging-burning-explosivly-awesome deals that we find online that you just can't afford to miss. If there is anything we all love, it's saving money on the stuff we really want.
You can get to the complete list of products under $100 by clicking here, but below are a few of the standout ideas that we think you should consider for that special photographer in your life.
Lexar Workflow Solution This is the time saver every wedding, music or event photographer has been waiting for. It gets all cards onto a computer at once, rather than having to load them one by one. It's a great investment for those looking to help someone save time and make their day-to-day just that little bit easier. It's a gift that will keep on giving. [B&H]
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Lowepro Transit AW When Lowepro made the Transit AW, they made a nearly perfect bag. This is the backpack that restored Jaron's faith in Lowepro's pedigree, and one that comes highly recommended not only from him but a host of other Fstoppers readers. It's a pro bag at an amateur price, and not a soul should disagree with that. [B&H]
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Photek SoftLighter Yeah, they're a little retro, but in Patrick's words "some of the best photographers still use these." I think he's referring to himself. Whatever the case may be, they do a really great job keeping the light where you want it, minimizing light spill. Quick, easy, and they give you great results. Any photographer would happily accept one of these as a gift. [B&H Video]
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Sennheiser Ear Buds A good pair of ear buds will be loved for a long time, and there are a great many photographers who swear by the Sennheiser CX-300-II in-ear stereo speakers. Booming bass, snug fit, and a low price. Can't ask for much more than that. [B&H]
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Wacom Intuos Tablet Great for a first-time tablet user or as the to-go travel tablet, the Wacom Intuos small Creative Touch Tablet will help any photographer with their retouching game. Top names in their field, retoucher Pratik Naik and architectural photographer Mike Kelley both swear by Wacom tablets, and any photographer would love to have one. [B&H | Amazon]
The Lexar hub is a bit misleading considering the hub is $80 and doesn't come with any of the actual card readers. They run $20-25 each. So to fill the hub with 4 card readers would cost around $170.
i dont see the need for this in my application. i just do my uploading while i have other things to do. start a card, do some cleaning, start another card, do something editing on another shoot, start another card, do something else. after uploading all the cards i still need to wait for lightroom to import and build previews so uploading all the cards at one time doesn't really lead me to editing faster since i have to wait on lightroom either way and i usually let lightroom do its thing while im sleeping or watching TV.
That's a shame, because that's what I was going to get you for Christmas. Darn it!
guess its back to the drawing board for you! i could use a decent video light... *hint*hint*
For us wedding photographers who get home at 1am and need to dump cards that night and so they are backed up before we go to sleep this is perfect. So maybe it is not for you, but it is for plenty others.
what program would you use to simultaneously drop photos? or do you drag-drop in the OS?
PhotoMechanic
thank you! I'll try lightroom next, PM is a bit pricey at the moment ;)
im a wedding photographer too. but i back up everything up to the reception while people at the reception eat ( its how and when i make my same day slideshow). so already have most the day backed up. but i do see what you mean now that you bring it up!
interesting concept, but, i do wonder how it would compare to multiple Lexar's Dual Slot USB 3 Professional card readers hooked up to a computer with multiple USB 3 ports or to a decent USB 3 hub.
Good question. I do like the larger USB plug in the back however, more durable than the Kingston reader that broke on me. Too pricey though... :/
I'm not sure I'd want to download several cards at once anyway...what programs can do that safely and efficiently in one interface? I use ViewNX2 for my downloads.
Totally agree, it's just a glorified USB 3 hub with slightly discounted readers to match, doesn't really belong on a "gifts under 100" list unless you're ok with a gift that puts the reciever on the hook to drop another 100 bucks to make it work.
I agree, even with one reader it's $103.87 before tax, and if this is a buyer's guide for non-photographers I'm SURE someone would buy that reader thinking it's full of awesome for less than $100. Sure it's nice to discount it for the photographer, but it is misleading and would be an incomplete gift if they imagined it being able to function as-is.
Not the best gift guide they have published. Nothing on here I need.
Sorry you feel that way. We are publishing more over the next few weeks with increased price points.
What items interest you that should have been included?
Was expecting a bit more out of this holiday gifts guide than 5 items....
There are more than 5 items. As it says in the post, this is just a preview. The full gear guide is located past the link: http://fstoppers.com/holiday-gear-guide-gifts-under-100
Thanks! :)
That was not clear at all. I'm glad I read the comments. Almost missed out. Maybe you should put them all in the first post next time.
I mean, I said it four times... and the banner links to the page. I'm not entirely sure how much clearer I could have made it.
The way to make it clearer would have to been to put all the items on the same page.
For me, I just saw 'holiday gift guide under $100' and didn't read your text at the top. I just wanted to get to the good stuff :) But then I only saw the 5 items. I didn't expect the banner graphic to link anywhere else...since I thought I was already on the guide. Just my personal feedback. I want everyone to see all the items.
As stated in the article, this is part one of four, and we need a single place to maintain the entire list once it's all in there.
I would recommend a "click here for more" or a "click here" in the banner, I didn't realize it was clickable and I didn't read the article because I was in a hurry. I go to comments to read what others have said though and then was lead to the rest of the items.
What's more, you have to click the banner, and then click another link to go to a third page for the items, why not just put them all here? it's a small list...
Complain, complain, complain. Sheesh people, if you don't like then why say anything at all? You waste more time trying to achieve something that you'll never get just like, wait a minute, thats what I'm doing now, lol!!!!!!
Hmmmm ? Not seeing how Sennheiser Ear Buds are a photographers item. And that there are great many photographers who swear by them ? The rest can definitely be useful. Cheers Jaron.
I use them on every Fstoppers video shoot....those or the Bose Quiet Comfort II Headphones.
Yongnuo YN560-III
great deal on the eye fi card. any offer for the X2 Pro 16gb class 10 version?
Does the Intuos tablet shown above work with Lightroom 5? I'm looking at a cheaper alternative than the Intuos 4/5/Pro line.
That cheesy lens mug has been on several people's Christmas "under $100" lists for the past two or three years. Not very original. You must be getting a great kickback. How about listing something innovative from Kickstarter like the fusion plate (arca swiss plate with built in strap hook that folds flat) or the MagMod (a magnetic holder for flash modifiers and gels that is fast, stackable and doesn't use Velcro). Your list is lame. Sorry, but it is.
Just be aware that the Wacom Intuos tablet is actually the Bamboo tablet that's been rebranded with the higher valued name of Intuos (Like Toyota Tercel being renamed a Lexus Tercel- it's still a Toyota Tercel)- Just a marketing ploy from Wacom. It is still a Bamboo with only 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity.The "Intuos Pro" has 2048 and the pen is much higher quality. Top retouchers use this version, but none will ever touch a Bamboo. Not to say it's a bad product- i've owned one, but it pales in comparison to the Pro line (I currently own two Intuos 4 with the OLED displays).