The 5 Best Gifts for Photographers

Style: High Capacity Power Bank | Best For: All Photographers

The Anker PowerCore 20100mAh power bank is undeniably the most all-around useful product we came across in our review. When you're in a crunch and really need a recharge on your batteries, the 20100 mAh capacity of this slender and transportable power bank is a lifesaver. Every photographer dreads being out shooting and seeing that low battery warning flashing at them. If the Anker PowerCore is included in your camera bag, you can head out on any shoot knowing that you're covered.

Aside from the weight, we couldn't find a lot to complain about with the Anker PowerCore — especially considering the very sensible price point. The extra bulk makes this charger sturdy and durable, and it can charge an iPhone seven times, as well as any device that utilizes a USB port charger. Our testers shoot with a Sony mirrorless camera, which is notorious for consuming battery life, and they don't leave the house without this battery bank in tow. The Anker PowerCore is hands down our first choice for a gift for a photographer.

Style: Travel Coffee Mug | Best For: All Photographers

The Caniam Camera Lens Mug puts the fun in functional. This affordable gift for photographers has a great unique idea behind it — making a perfect replica of a Canon lens into a food-safe, stainless steel travel coffee mug. It's likely to put a smile on the face of any photographer that opens it; its playful and individual design is also a practical daily tool that is sure to be a conversation starter.

This mug only seems to hold between 8-10 ounces of liquid, despite an advertised volume of 13.44 ounces. This is somewhat disappointing, as is the fact that it isn't dishwasher safe. Regardless, these small inconveniences don't take away from the fact that it is an awesome novelty gift for any photographer at a value price.

Style: Camera Bag | Best For: Intermediate to Professional Photographers

The Peak Design Everyday Sling 3L is an adjustable camera bag with a handy internal divider and small pockets for accessories. It is designed to carry a camera and one to two lenses; our testers could easily fit a large mirrorless camera with one lens already attached, along with two small prime lenses, into the nicely padded interior. With a capacity of 3 liters, this sling makes a great everyday carrying case. You can also purchase their larger 6-lite model, which makes for a more serious bag. Its sling is designed to be carried as a cross-shoulder bag but can also be adjusted to be worn around the hips. Two external carry straps allow handy accessories like a tripod to be attached to the outside. Peak Design is a highly-regarded brand known for making high-quality camera accessories, and this attractive sling is sure to make the photographer in your life very happy.

The Everyday Sling 3L is expensive. Still, this valuable item is practical, attractive, and is sure to be loved by intermediate and pro photographers alike.

Style: Smartphone Camera Lens | Best For: Phone Photographers

The Xenvo Pro Lens Kit clip-on wide-angle and macro lens for your smartphone is a versatile and high-quality product, making a great gift for the person in your life who wants to up their Instagram game. With two lenses in one, a wide-angle and macro, you simply attach a clip, fix it in front of your smartphone's camera lens, and instantly shoot more dynamic high-quality photos. The wide-angle lens captures 45% more with every photo, making it great for landscapes, travel photography, interior photography, and selfies where you want to capture the great view behind you too. The macro lens performs remarkably well, capturing close-up images with excellent sharpness and detail with impressive bokeh (blurred background) to boot. Because the lenses screw together, you'll never forget one at home, and the convenient lanyard and carrying case keep all the accessories in a convenient package. With a clip-on LED light for better photos without harsh flash and a microfiber cloth for keeping your lenses clean, this gift is an incredible value for the price.

Unfortunately, the lens attachment is rather sizable. Although the clip fits securely, especially over our tester's thin rubber case, it is not something you want to keep on your phone. That said, the Xenvo Pro includes a lanyard, making it easy enough to take the lens clip on and off when it's time to shoot. It is also difficult to focus with the macro lens, and it requires some trial and error to get what you want in focus by moving the camera closer and further away from the subject. The primary disadvantage of this lens accessory is it's not compatible with smartphones that have more than two camera lenses, such as the latest iPhone models. Maybe the manufacturer will update this in the future, but make sure you know what kind of phone your gift receiver has before choosing this option.

Style: Mini Tripod | Best For: Amateur to Intermediate Photographers and Videographers

The Manfrotto PIXI Mini is a sleek and stylish Italian-designed tripod, small enough to tuck away in your bag without adding much extra weight. It is a useful tool for photographers and videographers alike. With simple legs that fold out and have rubberized bottoms, this compact tripod keeps your camera stable on any flat surface, allowing you to get great still shots or video footage. The legs also fold up to create an ergonomic grip for smoother video shooting, a feature our gear testers appreciated.

The main drawback to this mini tripod is it can only handle a max payload of 2.2 pounds, making it a more suitable gift for photographers who shoot on a compact camera. Our larger, full-frame Sony A7rii with a large 16-35mm lens weighed down the little tripod too much, threatening to tip forward. Yet, our compact Sony A6000 with its kit lens was the perfect fit. This tripod also lacks height adjustment. Still, the small size and light weight make it the ideal sleek accessory to throw into your camera bag to have on hand when you need it.

Style: Lens Cleaner | Best For: Intermediate to Professional Photographers

At some point or another, anyone growing more serious about photography is going to need something like a LensPen NLP-1. Essentially a glass cleaning device, this handy little pen comes with a carbon-infused cleaning tip to effectively absorb oil and smudges. On the other side, it features a retractable brush for cleaning off dust and other light debris. It is paramount to keep your camera lenses squeaky clean to ensure the best image quality possible, and the LensPen is the tool for the job.

Our testers couldn't find any real drawbacks to this practical, inexpensive gift, but it may not be the most exciting option to receive. Therefore, we suggest pairing it with another accessory to make the photographer in your life very happy.

Style: Book | Best For: Beginner to Intermediate Photographers

If you're looking for a gift to inspire creativity, look no further than "Use This if You Want to Take Great Photographs: A Photo Journal". Every artist gets a creative block now and then, and this book uses unique prompts as well as inspiration from great photographers to get the juices flowing again. It encourages you to print out your photos and paste them directly to the pages so you can create a personal photo book to look back on. The author breaks down famous photographs by great artists and helps the reader understand how composition, lighting, color, or lack thereof, can tell a story.

This is a great gift for photographers who are at a beginner or intermediate level and are looking to learn more about what makes a great photograph and who could use a little inspiration to help them take great photos of their own. It wouldn't be our top choice for a gift for a more seasoned photographer who likely already knows their own photographic style and what inspires them. But if you know someone who has recently picked up a camera and needs some direction, this is an excellent gift choice to help them get inspired.

Style: Camera Cover | Best For: Beginner to Intermediate Photographers

The Matador Camera Base Layer is an innovative, lightweight cover that is basically a puffy jacket for your camera. With this straightforward design, you simply pull the synthetic down cover over your camera and roll and clip the buckle shut. There's space for camera straps so that you can carry your camera around your neck. There is even a waterproof rainfly attachment that helps protect your camera from the elements.

This base layer is not designed to be a camera case, so it has no extra pockets for batteries or other accessories. It can only fit a camera with one lens and has no straps itself. Our reviewers were disappointed that the opening for the straps is so large that the sides of our camera are actually exposed and unprotected. It is also awkward and difficult to put this case on unless your camera is hanging from around your neck. Its simplicity is beneficial for hobbyists who know they don't need any extra gear for the day but would like the assurance of a little added protection that is stylish and functional. This base layer is also on the pricey side but is a thoughtful gift for the design-conscious hobby photographer.

Style: Disposable Camera | Best For: All Photographers

The Ilford XP2 disposable camera is a fun gift for any photographer. In a world of glossy, colorful digital photos, the black and white film camera is an ode to photography's historical past and is sure to be enjoyed by any photographer. Having a single-use camera that only shoots black and white encourages you to think out of the box of rapid-fire digital photography and get creative. This is a great gift for events or parties and ensures you have fun, tangible photo memories when you get them developed.

As a single-use camera, its practicality and versatility are low, but this gift makes up for it with its uniqueness. There is no way to adjust settings for better exposure, and this camera seems to work better in the bright light of the outdoors and produces flatter, less punchy images if shot in low light. Besides these factors, this inexpensive gift is fun and quirky and will inspire the creativity of anyone who uses it.

Why Trust GearLab

We spent over a week with these gifts, using them with our own camera gear, testing them with everything from small point-and-shoot cameras to large, mirrorless ones, and making sure that they each were worthy birthday and holiday gifts with a range of prices to fit every budget.

Lead reviewer Miya Tsudome is a professional photographer who has been taking photos for over a decade. They say that the best gift you can give is one you'd like to receive yourself, and Miya made sure that this review covered gifts that actual photographers like herself would love to receive. From hobbyists to serious professionals, the gifts in this review are sure to reflect the deep passion for photography across a spectrum of skills, ensuring you'll find something great for the photographer in your life.

Analysis and Test Results

Because there are so many types of photographers these days, from film to phone to digital, there are hundreds of gifts to choose from. Each gift is rated according to a series of metrics designed to help you choose the best option for your needs. Practicality, fun, versatility, and value are all considerations in each review. Below you will find in-depth descriptions of each metric, and which products come out on top in each category. We hope that this will help you narrow down the best gift for your photographer.

Practicality

It's nice to give a gift that you know someone will use, and one thing we know is that most photographers love practical gifts that will advance their craft. We assessed each gift's practicality by determining how invaluable each product could become in the hands of a photographer and judging how useful they each were in everyday life.

The Anker PowerCore power bank tops the list in practicality. With 20100 mAh of power capacity, it can recharge any mirrorless or DSLR camera in those desperate moments when you forgot to charge your batteries beforehand. Photographers tend to rely on many electronic devices, and this power bank can recharge most small devices like your phone (up to 7 times), iPad, or anything else that has a USB to micro USB connection. When asked which gift our testers would most like to receive, this one came out on top for its sheer usefulness.

Among our other top-rated useful gifts are the LensPen NLP-1 and the Peak Design Everyday Sling 3L. Every serious photographer needs an effective cleaning device to keep lenses in mint condition. The LensPen is a great stocking stuffer or small gift that photographers will love. The Everyday Sling 3L can be used just as advertised — for everyday use when you only need a lens or two in a stylish and convenient design with interior pockets for accessories and the ability to wear it as a sling or around your hips.

The Caniam Camera Lens Mug is practical in its own way, being a fun and functional travel mug for warm beverages, but it is not a gift that will technically help a photographer with their craft. The Ilford XP2 disposable camera and the "Use This if You Want to Take Great Photographs" book are gifts that go in the “creative inspiration” category rather than the practical one. Lastly, our reviewers were disappointed in the Matador Camera Base Layer, hoping that it would be a great, lightweight, practical camera cover but found it more difficult to use than expected and did not appreciate that it exposed the sides of our expensive camera to potential nicks and dings.

Fun

Though it's nice to receive a practical gift, it's also nice to receive something unexpected and unique. This is a relative metric, but we thought we'd include it in our analysis because sometimes a gift just needs to be fun.

The Caniam Camera Lens Mug takes the cake in this category and is certain to bring a smile to any photographer's face. It is an extremely convincing replica of a real Canon camera lens, complete with moving focus switches on the side. Everyone needs a new travel coffee mug from time to time, and this gift will be a conversation piece everywhere it goes.

Also high on the fun list is the Ilford XP2 black and white disposable camera. This retro find will inspire creativity and create keepsakes. The crafty "Use This if You Want to Take Great Photographs" book is also a unique gift, with its interesting prompts to boost creativity.

What is fun is sometimes not the most practical, and this metric category is basically the opposite of our “Practicality” metric. The Anker PowerCore is a highly useful battery recharging block, but won't have your gift receiver laughing with surprised delight. The LensPen NLP-1 is low down on the fun list, as it would be hard to describe a lens cleaning pen as anything more than practical.

Versatility

We measured each gift's versatility by assessing how many uses they provided and whether or not they were a good gift for any photographer — no matter what type of equipment they already have.

The Anker PowerCore again tops the charts being not only a very practical gift but also a very versatile one. Because it can charge multiple devices and has such a large power capacity, this invaluable tool will meet any photographer's needs. The LensPen NLP-1 is another practical yet versatile tool, because it will clean the lens on any camera, film or digital or otherwise (as long as it's glass).

While the quirky gifts of the Ilford XP2 disposable camera and the "Use This if You Want to Take Great Photographs" book might not strike you as versatile at first, because they are creative inspiration tools, they can be given to any photographer and help inspire a little out-of-the-box thinking. Our reviewers were very impressed by the quality of the Xenvo Pro Lens. They found this gift to be very versatile as it can fit over most smartphones with up to two camera lenses with an easy clip. Since many smartphones are coming out with more and more built-in camera lenses themselves, we could hope to see an update with this product to reflect this change.

Though we would hope that the Manfrotto PIXI Mini tripod would be more versatile since it is a mini tripod, it cannot bear the weight of larger, professional cameras very well and is more so suited for smaller point-and-shoots. That being said, it is a versatile tool for photographers and videographers alike, with its ergonomic handle for smooth video footage and small travel size that will fit easily into most everyday bags. The Matador Camera Base Layer and Caniam Camera Lens Mug were a little lower on our versatility list. The camera case has no dedicated strap, no pockets for accessories, and holds only one camera with one lens at a time. The camera lens mug is simply a fun travel mug (although we guess you could use it as a pencil holder if you wanted to).

What's the Best Value?

It's nice to know that when you buy a gift for someone, you are getting something with a high value for the money spent. In this analysis, we break down which gifts have a high value-to-price ratio.

The Xenvo smartphone camera lens kit is a complete package including a wide-angle lens, a macro lens, a mini clip-on LED light, a lanyard, and microfiber cloth, all in a convenient carrying case. Our testers were impressed by the quality of the lenses that both create beautiful, sharp imagery with no vignetting or distortion from the wide-angle, and creamy bokeh and great detail from the macro. The clip-on LED light has three brightness settings that allow you to light up your subject without the jarring flash of your smartphone's built-in camera. This complete package is an incredible bang for your buck, and if you know someone who uses their phone camera a lot, this gift will be sure to get anyone excited.

The Anker PowerCore again proves it's the best in the bunch because of its sheer usefulness and versatility making it such a good value gift. The LensPen NLP-1 is another one that can't be beaten because it is such a practical tool that can be bought for such an affordable price and will be appreciated by any serious photographer.

The Matador Camera Base Layer falls short yet again, and this time is too expensive for what it delivers. For a very basic, synthetic down layer that pulls over a camera and does not have its own carrying strap, we would expect a lower price point. And while it does have a stowed rain cover, which can be very useful, this layer does not make up for the fact that this base layer is just subpar overall.

Conclusion

While gifts for photographers come in all shapes and sizes, we hope you are able to find one in our diverse round-up of some of the top gifts on the market. From camera bags to lens cleaners, there are many things to choose from out there. The photographer in your life is bound to be pleased with their thoughtful gift.