Inexpensive Holiday Gifts for Photographers

Whether your gift recipient is a professional or amateur photographer, there are many inexpensive holiday gifts you could buy for him. Make sure that you know what cameras and camera accessories he has and what he needs before you start looking for these holiday gifts.

Cameras

There are many digital point and shoot cameras that you can get cheaply. Typically, these are the cameras without a detachable lens, which have lots of automatic features that make them easy to use. These cameras are best for the amateur photographer who doesn't want to spend a lot of time on manual camera adjustments. There are also many fun cheap cameras with features such as a view screen, a touch screen, automatic self-timers, an automatic flash, a video camera mode and multiple pre-set shooting modes. Be sure to read camera reviews on a website such as CNET or Consumer Reports before purchasing a cheap camera as a holiday gift.

Camera Accessories

If your recipient is a professional photographer or photography enthusiast, chances are he has a manual single lens reflex (SLR) camera. While these cameras tend to be too expensive to give as holiday gifts in most instances, there are lots of cheap accessories that you can buy for them. For example, your photographer friend or family member may need a waterproof camera case, a camera bag, a tripod, a flash diffuser, extra digital memory cards, battery chargers or camera lenses. If the photographer has a film camera, he may also enjoy receiving packages of film or a gift card for photo developing or printing service. When buying these holiday gifts, it's important to know the make and model of his camera, so that you can buy the right accessories. Photo printers, picture frames and digital picture frames also make great cheap gifts for both the amateur and the professional photographer.

Photo Gifts

Other great holiday gifts for the photographer include photo frame Christmas ornaments, photo albums, photo key chains, photo printing paper and photo frame lockets or watches. You can even take a picture he's taken and make it into a cheap personalized poster, T-shirt, photo mug, mouse pad, canvas, refrigerator magnet, calendar, stationery, Christmas card or book. To have these photo gifts made, simply scan or download the photo to your computer, then upload it to a website such as SnapFish.com or ShutterFly.com that makes customized photo gifts for the holidays.

For more gift ideas, read Christmas Craft: How to Make a Christmas Photo Ornament and Personalized Christmas Presents that Last.