Buying for someone with an interest in being a photographer or a movie maker? The two areas connect more than ever, so here are some options, whether they make their art for fun or for real.
For fun
Whether they’re looking to make the jump to being a pro or just getting the most out of their phone or pint-sized camera, you should find a few gifts worth their time.
Fujifilm Instax Mini Link
Price: $169
Everyone has a phone, and many of us are snapping photos on the thing madly. Why not turn those photos into something else?
Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Link is a pint-sized printer getting you tiny images from your phone or tablet, and also running a party mode to make a collage from up to five phones that can be connected.
Adobe Elements
Price: $350
You can always use iMovie to make a video, or you can even rely on an app on your phone, but there’s a more interesting way to guide someone you know into filmmaking, or even photography.
Adobe’s Elements range offers a beginner-focused edition of both Photoshop and Premiere, providing image editing in Photoshop and video editing in Premiere, and essentially bringing pro-skills to an easier interface. Think of it as a way to teach photo and video editing for both Windows and Mac.
GoPro Hero8 Black
Price: $599
Compact, durable, and made for adventures, GoPro’s cameras can bring out the filmmaker for fun, or whether they want to jump into something a little more professional.
This year, GoPro’s additions make the hero camera of the Hero range more interesting, supporting modules to expand its capabilities, such as an LED lighting system and an LCD screen. It’s still as small and durable as ever, and can capture 4K, too.
Sony a6600
Price: $2399
If that person you’re buying for doesn’t need to go to extreme lengths to capture, but would prefer a little more control, you might want to consider the a6600.
A small-ish mirrorless camera, it features 4K video capture too, but an ISO range that takes it into low-light friendly territory, supporting as high as ISO102400. There’s also a 5-axis in-camera stabilisation system to let you keep the camera still, and an LCD screen that not only flips out to be flat, but can be aimed back at yourself for a solid selfie system.
For pros
Photography and videography are fun, but for some people, they’re serious business. If you know someone like that, consider these options as a gift idea.
Peak Design 15 inch Everyday Messenger
Price: $475
You might not think about it, but a bag is something photographers who spend all their time with their gear are probably thinking about in the back of their mind. It’s with them all the time, after all, so if you can bring a bit of joy to their back or shoulders, why not?
The Peak Design 15 inch Messenger is built for a maximum of 15 inch laptops and supports enough room for a camera and a couple of lenses, with possibly some room to spare.
An example of a well designed bag, you’ll find weather-resistantexteriors and padded interiors, while professional photographers are sure to appreciate the clip attachment points, which if you get the Peak Design lens kits for mean you can mount the lens directly to the side of the bag.
DJI Ronin-S Gimbal
Price: $799
Making a movie requires a good hand for cameras, and camera operators typically rely on a way to steady the motion.
The DJI Ronin can make that happen for a digital SLR or mirrorless camera with a special rig that can be held in the hand. Think of it as a monopod for making sure movie-making remains still and secure.
Apple iPad Pro 12.9
Price: $1299
It might seem a little crazy to suggest an iPad for a photographic pro, but given what it can do, we’re not so sure.
Even though it’s due for an upgrade early in the new year, the iPad Pro 11 is one of the more capable portable powerhouses, with a fast chip, brilliant screen, and that lovely USB Type C port at the bottom, which lets you import photos from other USB Type C cameras quickly and easily.
Speaking of USB Type C cameras…
Canon EOS R
Price: $2499
Give credit where it’s due: when the long-established camera makers decided to make the jump from digital SLR to mirrorless, they made some cameras to be reckoned with.
Canon’s EOS R is a good example of this, rocking a reliance on big glass made to be high-quality, a comfortable to hold and use body, and some cute features like a sensor lock-up window that protects that sensor when you inevitably decide to change lenses.
Think of it as a Canon pro-grade DSLR made to be a little more modern, but still packing in the tech, and if you grab one of the converters, you can even use some other Canon glass.
Panasonic Lumix S1H
Price: $5999
We doubt you’ll spend a fortune on a new camera, but if you did want to, you might be wise to check out Panasonic’s S1H, a camera that can not only capture 24 megapixel image, but also 6K video.
Call that a first, because while 4K filmmaking is more or less par for the course in professional cameras, 6K is new, and a step towards the next level, 8K.
