What Big Photography Gift Should Your Buy (Or Want) for the Holidays?

As the season of goodwill, giving, and receiving rapidly approaches, what do you buy an established photographer if you want to spend more? Here are some big presents for those photographers nearest to us, or ideas your loved ones might consider for you.

Recently, I wrote an article about gifts for photographers under $100. When you spend more than that, the equipment usually becomes more specialized and depends on the genre the photographer shoots and what brands they already use. Therefore, it is harder to choose what they would like without giving away the surprise by asking.

However, although photographers might have to give a heavy hint of what present they want, it is sometimes possible to surprise them.

Why Buy A Small Camera

If they have a hulking big full-frame 35mm behemoth of a system, then getting something smaller that they can slip into a pocket can bring a lot of joy. For example, the OM System OM-5 is tiny yet powerful. It’s only about 3.3" (85 mm) tall, 4.9" (125 mm) wide, and under 2" (50 mm) deep. Coupled with the diminutive 12-45mm f/4 PRO lens, or the 17mm f/1.4 PRO prime lens, it’s a fabulous walk-around combination that is light to carry.

Similarly, the Fujifilm X100VI rangefinder is another cracking little camera, although it has a fixed lens. If you have a bigger budget, then the Leica MP 0.72 Rangefinder Camera partnered with the Thypoch Simera 28mm f/1.4 might appeal.

There are other smaller interchangeable-lens compact cameras on the market. However, some lack viewfinders. The rear screen can be difficult to see in bright daylight, and most experienced photographers are used to using a viewfinder. For that reason, I always recommend cameras with viewfinders.

Buying Lenses for Their Current System

Most established photographers have bought into a system from solely one brand and may want to build upon that with more lenses that fit their cameras. The lenses they choose are a very personal choice for the photographer. For example, my wife knows that I use OM System gear but would have no idea about what I want. So, although she could choose a lens that fits my camera, she wouldn’t know that lens appealed to me. (Darling, if you read this, it’s the OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.2 PRO.) I doubt many other photographers’ spouses and partners who aren’t themselves photographers would have a clue about what their loved ones want.

One example for me was the OM SYSTEM M. Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC 1.25 IS PRO Lens. I had another telephoto lens but wanted something much better to expand into shooting wildlife more seriously. It was not something my family would know, so I bought it for myself.

Choosing Between Different Tripods and Monopods

Tripods vary enormously depending on the photographer's needs, and using the right model makes a huge difference. But you indeed get what you pay for.

Years ago, I doubted the necessity of buying a good quality model until I tried one. My current model is a Benro Tortoise, perfect for most of my seascape photography. It has stood up to years of hard work and exposure to harsh elements, and it's still as good as new. One feature I like about it is the failsafe mechanism on the ball head that requires a double action to free the quick-release plate from the head, making it nearly impossible to drop the camera from the tripod. That’s something I did with an unfamiliar tripod and broke a $1,000 lens.

However, if I am traveling, I am more inclined to take a smaller lighter travel tripod. In this case, I take the Neewer Litetrip TP62. It’s light, stable, and fits inside my travel bags. I also like it because it shrinks small enough to sit on my table and mount my OM-1 on it. I do that when using that camera for video streaming if running workshops online.

As a rule, carbon fiber tripods offer much better stability and weight advantages than aluminum models. Photographic tripods are generally lighter than video versions. They also make it easier to switch between landscape and portrait orientation. Ball heads are popular with photographers, while pan-and-tilt heads are more suited to videographers who need smooth action when panning. Nevertheless, I use a ball head for video because it also has panning abilities both above and below the ball.

Other brands to look for besides Benro are Gitzo, Really Right Stuff, Neewer, Manfrotto, Fotopro, Robus, Field Optics Research, Slik, Leofoto, Vortex, Vanguard, 3 Legged Thing, and Peak Design.

I always look at recent reviews of models that have been around a while to see if they stand up to the test of time.

Monopods are also items useful for wildlife and sports photographers. Again, I recommend the Benro SupaDupa. These have been around for several years without breaking or falling apart. Here’s my recent review of that.

Many of those brands mentioned above also make monopods.

Getting It In The Bag: The Best Photography Backpacks

Camera bags can also be expensive items and a great gift for photographers. They vary in functionality depending upon their intended use, and this article explains some of the differences between them. My preference is for Peak Design bags, and I find the Everyday Backpack great for day-to-day use. There are other good brands out there, including Wandrd, Lowpro, Nomatic, Linhof, Oberwerth, Portabrace, and more.

Outdoor Clothing for Photography

This is a topic often overlooked. While studio, wedding, and portrait photographers can wear whatever is appropriate for the shoot, those who shoot outdoors may find proper clothing essential. In extreme conditions, it can even be a matter of life and death—or worse still, missing the shot.

For landscape or wildlife photographers, and depending on their location, technical outdoor clothing may become essential. As one great example, Vertx, uses 37.5 Technology fabrics that are sustainable and, amazingly, made from volcanic sand. The Vertx Integrity Shell Tactical Rain Jacket is a tough, breathable outer layer. It is available in green, black, and navy. It has taped seams and plenty of waterproof pockets.

Get Them a Course

If the recipient of your gift is a novice or intermediate photographer, you might want to consider buying them a course from a reputable professional photographer. A Google search will find people in your area. There are also online courses available. A rising number of the courses I deliver now are held on Microsoft Teams, and the same is true for others I speak to who also run courses.

Many of the writers here at Fstoppers run in-person courses and workshops. Some of us also do online one-to-one video workshops:

• Kate G.: Post-processing classes online for landscape, wildlife, and night sky
• Mike Breitung: Photo editing 
• Jeffrey Tadlock: Landscape photography 
• Illya Ovchar: Lighting, beauty photography, and more at illya@illyaovchar.com

I do them too, and most of my online workshops are for beginners getting to come to grips with their cameras, although I do advanced courses and OM System familiarization training too.

Fstoppers also has some fabulous specialist video courses that are worth exploring.

A Big Camera and a Big Commitment

Another thing to consider that is opposite of the compact system cameras I suggested at the start of this article is a large format camera. Intrepid makes a good range of cameras, but for swankiness, the Linhof Kardan RE View Camera is fabulous while the Linhof 4x5 Master Technika "Classic" Rangefinder Metal Field Camera will make you the envy of your camera club. However, large-format film photography brings a whole new series of expenses and a lot of inconvenience for the photographer's family when they turn their bathroom into a darkroom.

What photography gear would you want your loved ones to buy you? Or, if you are looking for something to buy your photographer partner, ask in the comments, and I am sure there will be some useful suggestions from our readers.