20 Gift Ideas for a Photographer

20 gift ideas for a photographer prepared by a photographer. No cheesy and practical. See what every photographer will appreciate.

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Choosing a gift for a photographer that will suit their tastes is a real challenge. Everyone has different needs and preferences and even buying equipment for a few thousand zlotys may not be a good idea. Same as buying crappy gadgets that are only cool for 5 minutes. Or they can break down like a flash drive in the shape of a camera, which was made somewhere in China and you don’t know what’s really in it.

Black flash drive in the shape of a camera
See on Ceneo.

If we know exactly what the recipient wants to get. Then equipment shopping can be a bull’s-eye and a dream come true for a photographer. Unfortunately, it’s quite an expensive hobby, so I’ll give you some universal suggestions that can also be a nice gift.

Because it’s the memory that counts

For people who really take a lot of photos, good memory cards or hard drives will be a great gift – because memory counts. With memory cards, it’s a good idea to make sure what the photographer is using. You can do this by simply asking what memory cards are in your camera and what it recommends. Maybe you’ll also find out more if it’s a good gift for this photographer.

Usually, these are SD and microSD cards. However, it is worth making sure, because there are also XQD, CompactFlash, or CFExpress memory cards in different versions.

MicroSD cards are mostly used in action cameras and drones, due to their size and almost always only one card is used, so it is better to choose one small good card rather than a large one of an unknown brand.

Full-size SD/SDHC/SDXC cards are the most common format for digital cameras , and it’s better to use such cards instead of microSD cards through an adapter. Using microSD cards in the camera through an adapter usually brings more problems than benefits. Usually, adapters are quicker, and if the card is damaged, it is more difficult to recover data from it, because you have to get inside the microSD, which is much tighter packed.

Which capacity memory card should I choose?

Due to the size of the sensors and files they generate, as well as the fact that more and more people are also involved in filming, I recommend 64GB cards, which can always come in handy when there is a lot of work. I even considered giving such a gift for a photographer on the occasion of the wedding of friends from the industry, so that they would no longer borrow cards from me.

When choosing cards of 64GB or larger, we can be sure that they are SDXC cards that support the exFAT file format. Which not only supports large disk capacities and recording large files over 4GB, which is especially important when working with video files. On cards up to 32GB, we can also find the SDHC standard, which works in FAT32 and divides files over 4GB into fragments. So you won’t be able to upload a pirated 4k BlueRay movie in super quality to such a card. 😉

Memory Card Speed

SD cards are mainly found on those in the UHS-I, UHS-II and UHS-III standards where the latter has higher read/write speeds but requires a proper camera and memory card readers. However, if we buy a card that is too fast, nothing will happen, because it will simply work in the UHS-I standard.

UHS-II is also divided into 3 categories – V30, V60 and V90. For photos and simple recordings, the V30 version is usually sufficient. To put it simply, this is the lowest recording speed, which is mainly useful for filmmakers. Or photographers who take very frequent and long series, because even though today’s cameras have a buffer for several dozen photos, the speed of writing cards allows it to be emptied faster. The maximum speed is:

  • UHS-I—Up to 104MB/s
  • UHS-II – Up to 312 MB/s
  • UHS-III—Up to 624MB/s

Personally, in the Sony A7III I mainly use large Samsung Evo Plus 64GB and 256GB SDXC cards on which I save photos in parallel, and one of the slots only supports UHS-I, so they won’t work faster than the slower one.

1. MicroSD cards

The most popular and proven memory cards are produced by SanDisk, Lexar and Samsung, which will come with different read/write speeds and capacities.

Then there are cards like Angelbird, which run on the UHS-II standard, which offers fast data transfer, and the cards themselves look very durable. The manufacturer gives a 3-year warranty on the cards and offers data recovery on their own, which will certainly appeal to professionals for whom the material from the order is worth much more than the cards themselves.

Looking at their price and how many bloggers/youtubers have recommended them, I wonder if they are really worth that much. These are probably one of the most expensive cards on the market, where in the same category you can get equally fast and armored SONY TOUGH SD cards, which are recommended for really extreme applications.

ANGELBIRD AV PRO MICROSD MEMORY CARD 128GB V60

ANGELBIRD AV PRO MICROSD MEMORY CARD 128GB V60

Mercedes among microSD cards and probably the smallest capacity of microSD cards from tek. It allows you to write a minimum of 60MB/s, which should be enough even for 4K and 8k recording.

The most important parameters:

  • Interface: SDXC™, SD 6.1, UHS-II
  • Operating temperature: – 25°C | 85°C
  • Storage Temperature – 40°C | 85°C
  • Sequential Read Speed: 280MB/s
  • Sequential Read Speed: 160MB/s
  • Consistent read speed: 260 MB/s
  • Sustained Write Speed: 140MB/s

Samsung EVO Plus 2021 microSDXC 128GB

Samsung EVO Plus 2021 microSDXC 128GB (MB-MC128KA/EU)

I’ve been using large SD memory cards from Samsung for over a year now and I can honestly recommend them. I even have the impression that they are even better made than my old SanDisks Extreme Pro, which can fall apart over time. By the way, they can offer good parameters for a reasonable price. I recommend the Evo Plus 128GB card, even though there are also smaller sizes. The 128GB version already has a higher write class for the A2 application (better than the A1), in case someone wants to use it in a phone or similar device. It also has a V30 speed class, so it meets the minimum speed for 4K format.

The most important parameters:

  • Interface: SDXC™, UHS-I
  • Video “V” Class: V30
  • Operating temperature: – 25°C | 85°C
  • Storage Temperature – 40°C | 85°C
  • Read Speed: 130MB/s
  • Write Speed: 100MB/s

SanDisk microSDXC 128GB Extreme PRO V30 Class 10

The SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC 128GB memory card is the perfect gift for a photographer.
The card has a red and black design and is labeled with the specifications: V30, A2, U3 and Class 10, which means high performance suitable for 4K video recording and fast loading applications.

SanDisk is a classic memory card, and the Extreme Pro version is the highest series among these cards, offering very high read/write speeds. The card presented here is a UHS-I card, which will meet the requirements of most photographers and videographers.

The most important parameters:

  • Interface: SDXC™, UHS-I
  • Video “V” Class: V30
  • Operating temperature: – 25°C | 85°C
  • Storage Temperature – 40°C | 85°C
  • Read Speed: 170 MB/s
  • Write Speed: 90MB/s

2. SD Cards I Recommend as a Gift

If you are looking for SD cards for cameras, the rules are practically the same as for microSD cards. However, I would like to point out that if you are looking for an SD card for your camera, do not choose a microSD with an adapter. Usually, this creates more problems than benefits because of the successive points of contact, which are easier to damage.

SANDISK SDXC 64GB Extreme PRO Class 10 UHS-I U3

SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB UHS-I Memory Card

It is a memory card similar to the aforementioned microSD version, this time in full size for digital cameras, but with a little less capacity. Of course, it all depends on your needs, but I usually prefer to have a few smaller cards that I can hide in an airtight case during the shoot, rather than having everything on one large card. I’ve used similar 32GB cards before, but after changing cameras that generate larger files, 64GB is optimal.

The most important parameters:

  • Interface: SDXC™, UHS-I
  • Video “V” Class: V30
  • Operating temperature: – 25°C | 85°C
  • Storage Temperature – 40°C | 85°C
  • Read Speed: 170 MB/s
  • Write Speed: 90MB/s

Samsung EVO Plus 2021 SDXC 256GB UHS-I

Samsung SDXC 266 Evo Plus UHS-I Memory Card
Samsung EVO Plus 2021 SDXC 256GB UHS-I

The very name of the EVO Plus For Creators card that it is a card for creators, so it should be a great gift idea for a photographer. It’s big, it’s fast, and in my opinion, it’s better made than SanDisk Extreme Pro cards, which, although they are for professional creators, can delaminate. Generally, this is a general drawback of SD cards, which are cheaper than CompactFlash memories, etc., but it is worth changing them every few years. For this reason, I use the same 256GB cards in the Body for parallel recording and I rip from 64GB cards for the photo, and I try to take the large one out of the body as rarely as possible.

The most important parameters:

  • Interface: SDXC™, UHS-I
  • Video “V” Class: V30
  • Operating temperature: – 25°C | 85°C
  • Storage Temperature – 40°C | 85°C
  • Read Speed: 130MB/s
  • Write Speed: 100MB/s

Angelbird SDXC AV Pro V60 MK2 UHS-II

V60-rated SDXC memory card with 128GB capacity and 280MB/s read speed.
Ideal as a gift for the photographer, the card also displays "II U3" and "AV PRO SD" text below the capacity.
Angelbird SDXC AV Pro V60 MK2 UHS-II

I’m not going to recommend V90 cards for 1000 PLN, because it’s quite a blast. If you want to give someone a really strong UHS-II card in the V60 class, you can get such an Angelbird card for about PLN 330. For most cameras, it leaves a lot of room for 4K video, for which the U3/V30 is usually enough. For photos, you can use a card like a rifle, and at the same time it quickly rips the material to a disk to process it later.

The most important parameters:

  • constant read speed: 260 MB/s
  • Constant write speed: 140MB/s
  • sequential read speed: 280 MB/s
  • sequential write speed: 160MB/s
  • minimum write speed: 60 MB/s
  • Type SDXC / UHS-II / V60 / U3 / Class 10
  • supports Full HD, 3D and 4K video recording
  • Stable Stream
  • operating temperature: -25 to 85°C
  • storage temperature: -40 to 85°C
  • The card is resistant to shock, dust, water, extreme temperatures, X-rays and magnets
  • Built-in write-protect switch
  • compatible with cameras and camcorders from Canon, Sony, Leica, Nikon, Fujifilm, Blackmagic Design, Hasselblad, Pentax, Panasonic, Olympus, Lumix and more

3. Memory card case

Memory Card Case
Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

If we are talking about memory cards, then over time a good memory card case will come in handy. I’ve been using one with a seal for a while now and it has space for microSD cards and large SD cards. The way it is closed and the rubber seals all around gives the impression of a structure that should withstand even a bath in water, but I prefer not to check. By the way, it will be used to store spare memory cards at home, or in a second bag or backpack.

4. HDDs for backup

The most economical and convenient backup solution is USB HDDs. For a 1TB disk we will pay about 200 PLN. They’re not the fastest, but they’re cheap and big, so they work well as a backup place for old photos, which you want to have easy access to in case of an emergency.

Orange Hard Drive Patches 1TB
One of the most characteristic hard drives, associated with professional use – for me an HDD in an orange rubber cap. A nice gift idea because it’s such a fashionable drive, but personally I would buy an SSD today that can withstand more drops than an HDD in a rubber band. Check it out at Ceneo.

Such disks are connected with a USB cable, which is included in the set. The cheaper ones come in plastic housings, while the more expensive ones have a more designer or metal finish, and even seals against dust or moisture. Usually, these are visual differences, sometimes we will get some programs or services, or a longer warranty on the hardware (not on the data). So in the end, it’s better to buy two cheap branded drives than to count on the fact that one in a nice case will last longer. The same principle applies to backing up to NAS servers, where 2.4 or more drives are often used to create a safe system in the event of a drive failure.

HDDs worth your attention

The first two disks are the most ordinary disks that you can rip something on and put in a drawer. Silcon Power, from what I’ve seen, is a bit faster for an HDD, and the port is sealed at the same time. Such a gimmick, but always something. I bought it once at a good price and I’m not complaining. I use it as a backup for some of my QNAP files.

  • WD Elements Portable HDD 1TB – see on Ceneo
  • Seagate Expansion Portable 1TB – see on Ceneo
  • Silicon Power Armor A85 1TB – see on Ceneo

5. Portable SSDs for Pros

External drive for the photographer

Portable SSDs are 5-10 times faster than USB HDDs. There are also SSDs such as the Samsung Portable SSD X5, which achieve dizzying speeds of 2300 MB/s write and 2800 MB/s read. (A SATA SSD in a laptop reaches about 500 MB/s), Such drives, when connected to a MacBook, or some premium laptop with a fast PCIe SSD, can achieve similar speeds as a disk in a computer. So you can work on them with peace of mind.

Portable SSDs will be a good choice for people who want to use them constantly and care about speed at the same time. Often, you can safely keep the photos you are going to edit on them. I myself use a Samsung T5 512GB SSD when I need to rip more photos during an away party. It’s also useful for quickly losing material if you’re working with someone, because a few hundred or thousands of RAW images are copied in a few minutes, instead of a few dozen, if not longer.

10. Portable SSDs Worth Your Attention

Samsung T7 1TB
Samsung T7 Portable SSD
Samsung T7 1TB – see on Ceneo

The Samsung T7 is the next iteration of portable SSDs for USB 3.1. I’m still using the T5 version (which had a read and write speed of about 500 MB/s. The T7 version is up to 2x faster and has a read speed of up to 1050 MB/s and a write speed of up to 1000 MB/s.

SanDisk Portable SSD 1TB USB 3.2
SankDisk Portable SSD
SanDisk Portable SSD 1TB USB 3.2 – see on Ceneo

The SanDisk Portable SSD 1TB USB 3.2 has practically the same parameters as the Samsung T7, but differs in design, which was awarded before the Red Dot Design Award 2021. SanDisk may look more solid, but it only has the IP55 vs IP65 standard in Samsung. On the other hand, it has a practical handle for attaching to a carabiner or to a Peak Design treble hook tied to it.

Samsung Portable SSD X5
Samsung Portable SSD X5 Fastest Portable Drive
Samsung Portable SSD X5 – see on Ceneo

The Samsung Portable SSD X5 is a real speed demon, thanks to its Thunderbolt 3 connector (the computer must have it to develop the maximum transfer) and NVMe drives, it achieves speeds of 2,800 MB/s read and 2,300 MB/s write.

11. Photographer’s Pendrive

Probably the first thing that comes to your mind is a flash drive in the shape of a camera or film. However, I’m not convinced of such inventions, because many of these types of inventions are Chinese memories. There’s a lot of it on Allegro. I would be afraid to use them, let alone move any important files, because of the risk of losing them.

I’d rather bet on a good SandDisk or Samsung flash drive, which certainly have better memory and transfer parameters. Today, USB 3.0,3.1 is the standard… etc. So it’s worth thinking about something comfortable, e.g. A flash drive with a USB-C port, which can also be connected to an Android phone, small laptop or MacBook.

  • SanDisk 128GB Ultra Dual Drive Go USB Type-C – see on Ceneo
  • SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive USB-C 128GB – see on Ceneo
  • SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB 420/380 MB/s USB 3.1 Flash Drive – see on Ceneo
  • Samsung Bar Plus 2020 128GB Champaign Silver – see on Ceneo

12. Lens-shaped cup

Gift for a photographer mug in the shape of a lens

For it, it is a category of products on the verge of practicality and kitsch. I wouldn’t buy one myself, but I could have one. It’s not something I’d like to get from Santa for Christmas. Fortunately, it’s not a big expense and many photographers will definitely like it. It can only be a crunch if someone is a psycho-fan of Nikon, and gets a mug modeled after a Canon lens.

13. Lens-shaped thermos flask

Next to the package there is a thermos that resembles a telephoto camera lens.
The thermos has a black and gold design with detailed markings imitating a real lens.
The packaging shows an image of the thermos and is labeled "LENS thermos".
Perfect as a gift for a photographer!

If your photographer likes to drink coffee on the go, you can also think about a thermos in the shape of a lens, which you can pour over your favorite drink that will maintain its temperature for a long time. You can also make more coffee at home and drink it all day long.

14. Socks for the photographer

Socks as a gift for a photographer

If you know that someone likes colorful socks with patterns, then good skates from ManyMornings or another good brand, it’s also a cool and practical idea. You only need to know the size of the recipient’s foot. For 2-3 nozzles you will get nice socks with photo patterns, or something for coffee fans if they can’t work without it.

You can find cool socks on https://manymornings.com – I use them and recommend them.

15. Canon Selphy Photo Printer

Canon Selphy Photo Printer

It’s nice to have printouts of your photos, whether as a souvenir or to show clients like a portfolio, or an addition to a session that you can prepare in your own home. The printer itself costs about 500 PLN, but you also have to remember about special cartridge cartridges and paper, which costs about 130 PLN per 100 sheets. Photos are printed only in 10×15 format, but you can also make a collage of several smaller photos, e.g. for proof. At our house, Agnieszka took a few small photos on each sheet of paper, which she placed on our magnetic wall with photos from her trips.

16. Portable Printer

There are also portable printers that print photos on special paper, which in itself already has everything to develop a photo. Photos can be taken with a phone, filters, inscriptions or decorations can be added and only then printed.

There are printers available for Zink paper, which prints photos without frames, which can be glued thanks to a layer of glue on the other side, for example. The print takes place in the process of heating the pigment in the paper, which is why the technology is called ZINK for Zero Ink. You do not need to replace any cartridges in the Device. All you have to do is replace the cartridges.

Another technology for portable printers is Instax, which prints Polaroid-style photos on papers with a distinctive white (most commonly) border.

With the printers in the set, there may be a sample cartridge, but it is also worth buying paper to spare.

ZINK Printers

A nice solution because of the many options for personalization before printing. In this way, you can make gift stickers with photos that also have inscriptions on them.

Polaroid HI-PRINT POCKET

Polaroid HI-PRINT POCKET Portable Printer
Polaroid HI-PRINT POCKET

HP Sprocket

HP Sprocket Mobile Printer
HP Sprocket

Kodak Step Printer

Gift for a photographer - Kodak Step Printer
Kodak Step Printer

Fuji Fujifilm Instax Printers

Fuji Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2

Fuji Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2 Portable Printer
Fuji Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2 Portable Printer

Fuji Fujifilm Instax Wide

Fuji Fujifilm Instax Wide Portable Printer
Fuji Fujifilm Instax Wide Portable Printer

17. Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Camera

Instax Mini Camera
FUJIFILM Instax Mini 11

If you like the atmosphere of Polaroid photos, you can also think about the Fuji Instax camera, which prints the photo you take right away. You don’t have the option to choose one of the 10 and process them in Photoshop. You take a picture and in a few seconds it’s ready. This makes each photo unique and unrepeatable. The mini version is the most popular, and at the same time it has reasonably priced cartridges – about 80 PLN for 20 photos, or 4 PLN per photo.

Instax Mini Refills
Of course, don’t forget about the refills. One such pack equals two cartridges of 10 photos each. With white frames as standard, but you can also look for other colors.

18. Fujifilm Instax wide camera

Fujifilm Instax Wide Camera

If you want a photo in a larger format, nothing stands in the way, because there is also an Instax in the wide version, which, unfortunately, will also have more expensive cartridges, so it is worth considering such a purchase, because the price of the camera is nothing compared to someone who takes a lot of photos.

19. Good photo albums

Magnum Streetwise Photo Album 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpkNQoQ1nk0t=118s

An interesting gift are also photo albums of well-known photographers, or collections of e.g. agencies, e.g. Magnum. Here, you can aim for the subject matter that the photographer is interested in, or go a little crazy and give him some inspiration from another field. Unfortunately, good albums, due to their artistic value, size, paper and color print, are not the cheapest and can cost several hundred zlotys or even more.

When looking for photo albums, watch out for sales. Even though there are cheap albums, it’s not necessarily good. You have to really browse in search of gems, because the most interesting ones are usually difficult to find and expensive. There are also inexpensive photography guides, but I would rather direct them towards beginner photographers. I once bought a few books by David DuChemin, which you can get for a few dozen zlotys a hundred. Although now I look like a good course, or training.

20. Dream Gear

A gift for a photographer
Photo by The Retro Store on Unsplash

I don’t know what to put here, because you should know what your photographer dreams of. As far as I’m concerned, it could be a Sony A9II or a Canon R5.

Here, as above, you have to determine the preferences of the recipient, so I can’t tell you much. One will want a wide lens for indoors, someone else a zoom for moon shots, and someone else a lens for macro photography. I try not to think about it myself, because I’d spend everything I have to buy everything I have in my head. It’s better to make the most of what you have.

My Dream Gift

Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AW II

I used to need a camera backpack because the amount of equipment in the camera bag made my back sit down. Browsing through various models while shopping in Fotoforma, I caught my eye with the Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AW II backpack, which she then asked the guys from the store about. I finally got it for my birthday and it still works great today, my back doesn’t hurt so much, I can pack my laptop and run around with everything on my back. You can find out more about the equipment he uses to photograph events in this post.



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Fotograf eventowy - Marcin Krokowski