Q: I'm in a very happy, but fairly new relationship with a gent who calls photography his favorite hobby. Strike that. Not a hobby, more like an obsession, but in a very good way I want to support. I don't really know all that much about what a "shutterbug" would want for their birthday, but his is coming around the corner and I'd appreciate any ideas. Any recommendations for this girl to give a photography-related gift around $100 or less?
Sent by Jessica
Editor - Jessica, here are ten gifts that may appeal to your boyfriend's love for the photographic arts. Some of the options are tech and hardware related, while others are just fun photography-themed gifts. In any case, your thoughtful choice is sure to impress your lucky man!
The SD Photo Album is a humorous take on the old fashioned photo album, with this one holding up to 60 4x6” photos. Pair is up with the wi-fi memory card below as a themed gift package.
The Canon 70-200mm Lens Coffee Mug Cup is modeled after the Canon 70-200mm L Series White Lens. Point and sip!
The Incase Carrying Case is a very smart looking weather resistant nylon padded case which stores a DSLR with an additional lens. The smart understated, but modern, appearance will appeal to the photographer with a sense of fashion.
Keep Calm and Snap On Prints is an obvious nod to the British Ministry of Information's "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters. The 13 x 19" matte archival stock prints are just $15/each, so they'd also work in multiples.
The Classic Camera Tie Tack would make an amusing complementary piece to this Video Tie Camera Kit. At least they couldn't say you didn't hint at what was up.
The Eye-Fi Connect X2 is a storage peripherals that helps photographers ditch the connection cable or card readers; transfer photos/videos from camera to computer via home Wi-Fi network thanks to built-in 802.11n speed. It will even organize your photos into date-based photos or send them directly to a designated site.
Rolleiflex Camera T-shirt will appeal to the photography buff with an interest in the "good ole days". They also happen to look great as a graphic, sure to make people pose and smile upon your appearance wearing one.
Ghost Camera Sculptures are handmade ceramic pieces fashioned after the Polaroid SX-70. The 5" long x 4" wide x 3.5" tall would make a great display piece or paperweight.
The Airstash, is a device we reported about earlier this year, which allows photographers to wirelessly share any of their files via a browser interface. In an age when everyone seems to have a Android or iPhone, sharing amongst friends simultaneously sans cables would likely make you the life of the party.
re:vision Camera Lens Bracelets are unisex fashioned accessories made from reused lens rings. Available in a variety of sizes and colours, with matching sterling silver film camera winder brooch.

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[First image via mybookmarking.blogspot.com]











Comments (9)
Ooh! Ooh! Here's what I would want!
Large, fast memory card (like Sandisk Ultra II or Extreme III).
Spare brand-name camera battery - I've found the knock-off ones don't last as long.
Gift cert to a photobook or photo on canvas web store... he could get something great with $100!
More techy:
If you know he doesn't have these: a circular polarizing filter or graduated neutral density filter (get a size fairly close to the front diameter of his largest lens - lenses have the size printed in mm on the side). CP will reduce reflections in glass / water and darken skies. GND will darken skies without darkening foreground.
This lens:
Canon - http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camera-Lens/dp/B00007E7JU
Nikon - http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-50mm-Nikkor-Digital-Cameras/dp/B00005LEN4/
Best $100 I ever spent on a lens. You can shoot in super low light, get quite close to your subjects, and great shallow depth of field.
i actually just started dating a photography major around the time of his b-day.. which is fine since i like him.. a lot.. i jump the gun like that. in any case - i gave him this book.. its only $14.99 so i figured you could toss it in as a sort of stocking stuffer situation - http://www.amazon.com/Polaroid-Book-Collections-Photography-Anniversary/dp/3836501899/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278359366&sr=1-1 - thought he'd appreciate it since it is a part of photography that's pretty much extinct now. hope this helped!
I am new to the world of DSLR. But I just had a lesson on my external flash unit which opened up a whole new world of
Gary Fong products. He has flash diffusers for in camera flash units and external flash units.
Also maybe a reflector disc is a possibility. There are some great collapsable and thus easy toting ones on the market.
a lot of these are just borderline cheesy to me.
The coffee mug is alright, but hopefully he is a canon fan.
the camera case looks nice but from the looks of the photo it holds the body and the lens separate... not a fan
stay away from keep calm anything.
My suggestions:
- Crumpler photo bag (if he doesn't already have a bag he loves) http://thelargebear.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-new-camera-bag.html
- A holga or diana and some rolls of 120 film so he can experiment with some medium format and cheap plastic cameras
- vintage cameras from ebay, i have a small growing collection, love them.
- depending on what brand he uses and what he has, if it is canon i would suggest the canon 50mm prime f/1.8 lens. Very fast lens, lightweight, and you can get it for under $100, GREAT lens
- Pro membership to Flickr (24.95 a year)
-gorilla pod, always a fun little tripod that can be used in crazy places
-remote shutter release. got mine from adorama, really helps out for night photos, group shots, anything.
- does he love posters too? you can get some nice posters on etsy, or i am a big fan of the vintage camera prints from The Post Family, I have one in my office right next to me. http://thelargebear.blogspot.com/2009/10/camera-poster-3.html
- Does he have a favorite photographer? Maybe a print and get it framed.
That's all i can think of for now.
Maybe a premium membership to an online photo portfolio site, like DeviantArt, Flickr, Carbonmade, etc.
Tickets to a sightseeing tour or something along those lines where he can get some great photos.
Does anyone have any feedback to the reliability and accuracy of the eye-fi cards?
... I mean with Geo tagging.
If you live in a cold climate, a very thoughtful gift is a pair of photography gloves. Grippy sides for safe camera holding and open finger tips for all those buttons. Believe me, when he out taking night shots in december he will be very grateful.
The beers in the case! A couple of my friends frequently take advantage of their XL camera bag in this way :) Brilliant if you ask me.