Best Christmas gifts for photographers
Knowing what to get the photographer that has everything can be a tricky business. Throw in the fact that many photographic accessories can cost a small fortune, and trying to pluck a present idea out of thin air can become even tougher.
Luckily however, help is on hand with our Christmas gift guide, which is stocked full of photographic goodies that any photographer would surely love to receive.
So, whether you're feeling flush and want to splash out on treat, or you're at the Scrooge end of the festive scale and are feeling the pinch this year, we've got a gift idea for you.
Let us know if you've spotted any other perfect photographic gifts in the comments box below.
Kenko 1.4x Teleplus Pro 300 DGX
Price: £135
Web: www.kenkoglobal.com
This third-party teleconverter promises to do much the same job as those from the bigger names, but at a much cheaper price. It contains multi-coated elements and maintains autofocus and metering functionality, and has a large lens release button to easily dismount optics.
Images captured with the teleconverter in place show a slight dip in contrast over those shot without, and details aren't quite as defined, although chromatic aberrations are kept to a minimum and the overall standard of images is still more than reasonable.
Read our Kenko 1.4x Teleplus Pro 300 DGX review
Manfrotto Pocket LED light
Price: £30
Web: www.manfrotto.com
With 12 LED lights and a sturdy, lockable hot shoe foot, the Manfrotto Pocket LED light is ideal pocket-friendly lighting aid for compact system cameras. Control is limited but at £40 so is the outlay.
Hama Close Up Lens Set
Price: £63
Web: www.hama.co.uk
A real lightweight alternative to a macro lens, this set of three filters screw directly onto the front of your lens. Each is filter has an increased magnification measured at 1, 2 and 3 dioptre and can be used individually or together. Image quality is good and the weight and price make this a holiday essential.
Colormunki Display
Price: £125
Web: www.colormunki.com
The Colormunki Display calibrates monitors and projectors, and comes complete with a friendly software package which contains step-by-step guides and video tutorials. Ambient light is swiftly measured while display flare may also be taken into account, and the process takes under 10 minutes from start to finish. The results appear accurate, and the various image samples allow quick before and after comparisons post-calibration.
It's not the cheapest or fastest device, but it's ideal for those new to the process.
Lenspen Outdoor Kit
Price: £35
Web: www.jessops.com
Each pen is individually designed to tackle the removal of marks from your viewfinder, lenses and filters. The dry carbon compound works well, lightly lifting dirt, a good well priced outdoor lens cleaner set.
Jessops Shoe Fit Spirit Level
Price: £9.95
Web: www.jessops.com
A small, well-made device, which aids composition by showing how level the camera is. It easily slots into a hotshoe and remains secure once inside, although cheaper devices which do the same thing are widely available. It will also fit in a cracker!
LowePro Photo Sport AW
Price: £100
Web: www.lowepro.com
Targetted at the more adventurous photographer, the LowePro Photo Sport AW is a lightweight, medium sized rucksack designed to hold a professional-size equipment. Its main padded body can contain a pro DSLR body such as the Canon EOS 5D Mk II with a lens attached, while around this compartment there's ample space to store items which may not require much protection, such as a jacket or toiletries.
Cokin ND Grad Kit
Price: £62
Web: www.cokin.co.uk
A good set of ND filters is essential if you looking to capture landscapes when on holiday, the trouble of course is choosing which to take. The ND Grad Kit by Cokin includes three P-Type neutral density filters at 2, 4 and 8 ND, along with a holder.
In addition to the kit you'll need to purchase and adapter ring that screws into the filter thread of your lens. Great set to pack for your travels
Wacom Bamboo Fun S Pen and Touch
Price: £100
Web: www.wacom.com
A junior tablet option from Wacom, the Bamboo Fun is equally happy to be used for image editing as it is for general operation and recreation by way of apps and games. Its design perfectly complements that of a Macbook Pro, while its pen is comfortable and the trackpad responsive to the touch. It only struggles when pinching to zoom in and out of images, but for more general drawing, brushing and cloning tasks it works more than satisfactorily.
Read our Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen and Touch review.
Paterson Fluorescent Studio Light Two Head softbox Kit
Price: £312
Web: www.patersonphotographic.com
The Paterson fluorescent twin kit contains everything you need for a studio constant light setup. The kit arrives in a handy carry case with padded interior to protect the lights and stands, and includes all power cables, bulbs and soft boxes needed.
Lastolite Brolley Grip with Translucent Umbrella
Price: £27
Web: www.lastolite.com
Comprising a translucent umbrella and grip, this kit allows the photographer to shoot through the umbrella with a standard flashgun, creating a soft, diffused light ideally suited for portraiture.
The grip features a hotshoe and sockets for 8mm and 10mm umbrella shafts, and while there's no way of locking an umbrella in position once it's in the socket, once it's in it fits tightly and doesn't move around. The combination is also fairly lightweight, and so ideal for the mobile photographer.
Lastolite Hotshoe Tilthead
Price: £22
Web: www.lastolite.com
This device holds a standard flashgun and allows it to be mounted onto a stand, where it can be directed towards an umbrella (for which a socket is provided), or tilted over a 180 degree angle.
Kood light yellow filter
Price: £12
Web: www.kood-international.com
This yellow grad filter is ideal for landscape photographers shooting in monochrome who want to emphasise clouds against blue skies, and its subtle effect is useful when other filters are inappropriate, but a sturdy case would be welcome.
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