10 affordable Christmas gifts for photographers

2. Nikon School gift card

Give the gift of knowledge with a digital voucher for courses available through Nikon School. Nikon School offers workshops, one-to-one online tuition, experience days and even photography adventures abroad. Vouchers can be bought in a variety of values and can be redeemed against any course available at the school, from learning the basics to mastering post-production, either online or on location.

Shop now here.

3. Manfrotto tripods

Even with the advanced Vibration Reduction system in Nikon Z cameras and also on some NIKKOR lenses, a tripod is still a must-have for anyone getting serious about photography or filmmaking. Whether it’s used for long exposure, long panning shots, low light, self-portraits, vlogging or when using longer and heavier lenses, a tripod adds creative options and means rock-steady images and footage. Manfrotto offers top quality tripods at a range of prices and sizes.

Check them out here.

4. A SmallRig camera cage

Once you try one, you’ll never go back. A cage, on to which you can attach accessories such as microphones, extra handles, video monitors and more, can be a relatively inexpensive item that can instantly give a camera a host of new options, especially for those who create video (it can be just as useful for stills). SmallRig makes a range of excellent cages for Nikon Z cameras.

Read more: Get a cage to free your camera  

5. Memory cards and memory card holder

Memory cards are an essential in any camera kit, whether MicroSD, SD or CFexpress size (depending on what Nikon camera they are for), and another card will always be appreciated as a gift. Unfortunately, memory cards are also small and easily lost when they’re not safely tucked away inside the camera, and that can be a disaster. A case that holds multiple cards is a great gift for anyone with a camera, keeping those memory cards safe. Some cases also have spaces for spare batteries.

6. A new bag

All that new gear needs something to carry it in, keeping it safe and secure. Camera bags have come a long way in recent years and there are numerous styles and sizes to choose from, including over-the-shoulder messenger style, backpacks and wheeled ones for long trips. Great brands include Billingham, Manfrotto, Thule and Wandrd, all of which will keep your valuable kit safe when you’re out and about. Recently, Nikon partnered with Gaston Luga to create the GL X Nikon backpack.

6. Light accessories

From a simple collapsible reflector that can be picked up for very little (every photographer will thank you for this – even if they already own one) to LED panels or softboxes, controlling light is key to getting better results, whether for stills or video. Lights can range from small ones that sit on desks for vlogging to large rigs. If you want to know more about how to make light work for you, go here.

7. Microphone

Take a friend’s video to the next level with a new microphone. There are loads of choices, from wireless remotes to attach to interview subjects or top mounted ones perfect for vlogging. Both Sennheiser and Rode make excellent ranges of microphones for camera work that will give top, pro-quality sound.

An editing subscription

High on the list for photographers of every ability is a subscription that includes Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop or free to download Nikon’s NX Studio, enabling them to categorise, edit and manipulate images to get everything just right.