15 Unique Gifts for Photographers in 2026 | Holiday Gift Guide and Ideas for Photography Lovers

Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 II L USM Lens

Canon 50 mm f/1.2 Lens

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7. TRAVEL POWER BANK/PORTABLE CHARGER

Umm. These are an absolute necessity. I’m on my phone at all times, sending emails, editing photos, posting on social media. My phone dies quickly. If your photographer friend travels a lot, these can be an actual lifesaver. Particularly for adventurers, or photographers who love to camp in the woods or explore national parks and photograph landscapes, a battery pack like this can keep them safe and accessible at all times.

8. KEH CAMERA, B&H Photo, OR ADORAMA GIFT CARD

If you’re not quite sure what to get the photographer in your life, but they are interested in film photography or buying gently used photography gear, KEH Camera is the best. They have a huge inventory of vintage cameras and gently used modern cameras. Every camera is graded so you know exactly what condition you’ll be getting. Plus, for me, they’ve always been great with returns or helping you out if there’s something wrong with one of your vintage cameras. They know a lot about gear and it’s not unusual for vintage cameras to have a few weird quirks that you have to work through. Adorama is another great site if you’re looking for photography gear. Both of these are great options if you’re looking for gift cards that are photography-specific. That way, they can pick out exactly what they want!

WHERE TO BUY

KEH Camera Gift Card

Adorama Gift Card

9. MACBOOK PRO 2025 M5 LAPTOP

Another necessity for serious photographers. You simply can’t be a professional photographer without a fast computer with LOTS of storage. Well, I mean, you could, but your life might be difficult! I use my computer all day every day. I’m a huge supporter of Macbooks because they tend to last forever. I’ve somehow never had one die on me, but I take extremely good care of them and make sure to never drop them or spill anything on them. When I travel, I make sure to keep it safe in a protective laptop sleeve and I never leave it out in the cold or extreme heat. Currently, I use the M1 Macbook Pro, which I’ve had since 2020, but if you’re looking for the best, I’d recommend the latest 2025 Macbook Pro with the M5 Pro chip or the 2025 Macbook Air 13-inch laptop. Also, there’s nothing better than opening Apple packaging on Christmas morning. It’s so satisfying because their packaging is impeccable!

WHERE TO BUY

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10. EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE

While Smugmug is my favorite online storage, it’s also necessary to have desktop storage. When I’m working on a big project like a YouTube video or editing a wedding, I work from an external hard drive. If you get one that has a lot of space, like a Seagate Expansion 8TB hard drive, you don’t have to bog down the hard drive on your computer, which ultimately slows your computer down. I keep my hard drives extremely organized by year, month, and photo shoot. It’s super therapeutic for my OCD mind too. Every time I fill one up, I just get another one! And I then have my files automatically backed up to Backblaze, which is super affordable cloud storage. It’s a bit different than Smugmug, because Backblaze is automatic and runs in the background. It’s a mirror image of your hard drives and your computer (in case it crashes). Smugmug is more-so for client storage and uploading finalized images. Maybe it’s a bit of overkill on my end, but my biggest fear in life is losing all of my photos!

WHERE TO BUY

Backblaze Backup

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11. FUN NEW 35 MM FILM CAMERA

There is nothing more beautiful than a classic, vintage 35 mm camera. The Canon AE-1 Program , Pentax K1000, and the Nikon FE2 and FE are a few of the more common options that fall in this category. I have the Nikon FE2 and it is, by far, the best 35 mm camera I own. The photos are gorgeous, crisp, and high-quality. I actually went into the camera store thinking I was going to buy the Pentax K1000, but the store associate helped me to realize the Nikon FE2 was better for me because of it’s ability to do multiple exposures easily. I’m so glad I listened to them because I’ve taken some incredible multiple exposures over the years! I absolutely love my Nikon FE2 and it’s one of those cameras that I simply can’t leave home without. You can read my blog post about the Nikon FE2 here or watch my YouTube video here! No camera collection is complete without a classic 35 mm camera. My sister has a Canon AE-1 Program and she loves it as much as I love my Nikon FE2! We even made a YouTube video about the Canon AE-1 when we were in Budapest together. :)

If they are into medium format, the Mamiya 645 AF (you might be able to find one on eBay) and Pentax 645 are incredible options. I actually received the Mamiya 645 for Christmas one year and it was truly one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten! I eventually upgraded to the Contax 645, but I still miss my Mamiya 645 dearly. There was something special about that camera! You can watch my YouTube video about the Mamiya 645 here or read my full blog post about the Contax 645 here!

And don’t forget to pick up a cute camera strap on Etsy while you’re at it!

WHERE TO BUY

Nikon FE2

Shop KEH Camera

Shop Amazon

Shop Etsy

Canon AE-1 Program

Shop KEH Camera

Shop Amazon

Shop Etsy

Mamiya 645 AF

Shop Etsy

Shop Ebay

Contax 645

Shop Ebay

Shop KEH Camera

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12. NEW CAMERA LENS

if they only have a zoom lens, buy them a fixed lens and vice versa! Two of my favorite lenses for my Canon 5D Mark IV are the 24-70 mm f/2.8 II L USM lens (zoom lens) and the 50 mm f/1.2 L lens (fixed lens). Depending on which camera they have, a 35mm, 50mm, or 85 mm lens is always a great option. 35 mm lenses are great for photographers with a photojournalistic style of photography and prefer candid, playful shots. A 50 mm lens is super versatile and great for portraits, travel photography, wedding photography, etc. The images are cinematic and dreamy, with a surreal quality that can really amp up your photography game. Images from a 50 mm lens can really impress your friends and family because the look isn’t as common as a 35mm style. 85 mm lenses are a bit more zoomed in and are ideal for portrait photographers and those who really love to capture the intimacy of the human face. I find 85mm lenses a bit more difficult to use in the real world because you have to back up from your subject quite a bit. It’s not great for landscapes or traveling because you can’t get that wider field of vision. Personally, my #1 go-to lens is the 24-70mm f/2.8 II L because it’s a zoom lens and covers the full range of 35 mm and 50 mm. It’s perfect for traveling because you can get wide shots of architecture but also beautiful portraits. I use the 24-70 as my main lens at weddings, always. I used to have the original version, but upgraded to the 24-70 mm f/2.8 II not too long ago and I love it so much. Zoom lenses are truly the best.

WHERE TO BUY

Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 II L USM Lens

Canon 50 mm f/1.2 Lens

Neewer 19 inch Ring Light on Amazon

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13. EPSON PERFECTION FILM SCANNER

This will save every photographer TONS of money in the long run. I’ve been scanning my own film for about 10 years and it’s actually become one of my favorite things to do on a weekend. I’d rather be at home scanning film than pretty much anything else. It’s so relaxing and exciting at the same time. There’s something special about handling the negatives yourself and finding out how your images turned out. I use archival photo gloves when handling the negatives so that I avoid getting any oils on the film, and I keep all of my negatives organized in binders. I use an Epson Perfection V750 Pro (you can find used versions on eBay) but there are a few newer models of the Epson Pro scanner, like the V850 Pro, that are similar. I scan both 35 mm and 120 film, as well as polaroids and old printed photographs from my childhood. I use it to scan documents and other things too, so it’s multi-purpose. It’s traveled with me across the country twice and it’s still kicking. It’s a hefty investment but I never have to pay for a photo lab to scan my film for me anymore, so I easily save $100 for every box of film I mail in. It’s worth it, trust me!

WHERE TO BUY

Shop the Epson Perfection V850 on Amazon

Shop the Epson Perfection V850 on B&H Photo

Shop the Epson V750 on eBay (used)

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14. STUDIO LIGHTS / RING LIGHT

For someone who is just getting into photography and isn’t sure where to start when it comes to studio lighting, a r ing light is a great one to start with. Sometimes, I’ll do an entire client shoot with just a ring light. It’s the perfect amount of light for polaroids if you’re shooting indoors, or for glamour shots. Ring lights are common for social media influencers to use when they’re doing videos because it really captures makeup details and makes everyone look good. It’s just flattering and is so much better than overhead lighting if you’re just in your room filming videos. The shape of the ring light creates a lovely eye sparkle too. When I’m doing a full-fledged fashion shoot, I usually use two strobe lights and then use a Neewer 19” ring light at my continuous lighting for my film cameras. I’m on my second Neewer ring light and I love it so much. I even fly with it when I’m traveling for work and it comes with a nice carrying case!

WHERE TO BUY

Godox Strobe Light Kit on Amazon

B&H Photo Video Lighting Kits

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15. POLAROID CAMERA OR INSTAX CAMERA

I’m not sure how it happened but my Polaroid collection seemed to explode overnight. I have so many polaroid cameras. Whenever friends or family members find Polaroid cameras, I end up with them. But I’m not complaining! Polaroids cameras are the epitome of retro photography. And there’s something so gratifying about instant photography and watching the photograph develop in front of you. I mainly use a vintage Polaroid 600 camera because they are very simple and easy to use. They are basically just a point and shoot camera. It takes a little bit of time to understand the best kinds of lighting conditions for Polaroids, but I’ve learned to shoot in the shade when possible, not stand too close or too far away from my subject, and immediately put the Polaroid in my back pocket to develop. They are sensitive to cold temperatures and won’t develop correctly if they aren’t warm. And make sure not to touch the photograph while it’s developing or you’ll get fingerprints in the image! You can read more about shooting with Polaroid 600 cameras in my blog post here. And you can purchase Polaroid 600 film on Amazon or on Polaroid.com! If you feel unsure about buying a vintage camera, you should check out one the new cameras Polaroid is producing, like the Polaroid Now+ Generation 3. It has bluetooth capabilities for connecting for your phone for more creative control. It takes the classic 600 film or Polaroid’s newer film, i-Type.

I usually bring a Polaroid 600 and a Fujfilm Instax Square SQ10 to weddings because I like the Polaroid 600 for special, planned out shots and the SQ10 for all of those in between moments because it’s a digital/film hybrid. Instax film is much cheaper so I don’t feel as bad taking more photos. But with the Polaroid brand film, you’re usually in about $1.50-$2.00 per image so I make sure to take my time with those.

Similar to the Holga, Polaroid cameras are somewhat simple but do require a bit of a learning curve to end up with the best photos possible. But regardless, they are super fun to experiment with, look great on a shelf, are exciting to create with, and deserve to continue to be recognized for their magic.

WHERE TO BUY

Polaroid 600 Camera (vintage)

Shop Amazon

Shop eBay

Shop Etsy

Polaroid Now Generation 3 Camera (New)

Shop Amazon

Polaroid 600 Film

Shop Polaroid.com

Shop Amazon

Instax Square Hybrid Camera

Shop Amazon

Shop Adorama

16. GIFT CARD FOR TRAVEL OR HOTELS

As a photographer, I have to constantly find ways to keep myself inspired. I get bored shooting at the same venues and parks over and over again. I try to take a major trip out of the country at least once a year, and a few smaller trips to places I’ve never been in the US whenever I get a chance. We also like to visit the West Coast once a year since we have family and friends out there as well. I’ve somehow become the designated family trip planner because everyone knows I’m the best at finding good deals. Personally, I would love to receive a gift card to Hotels.com, AirBnb or just a Visa gift card!

And just a tip, if traveling for business, make sure to use a business credit card like the Chase Ink Business Card so you get 1.5% cash back! You can find out more here if you’re interested! I’m a bit of a finance freak so I’m always trying to earn points for my spending. :)

Yes. I’m a coupon-clipper kind of girl….

17. ADOBE LIGHTROOM OR PHOTOSHOP SUBSCRIPTION

I don’t know what I’d do without Lightroom. I use it every single day to edit every single photo. Photoshop and Lightroom go hand in hand - Lightroom is great for batch editing and getting it done quickly, while Photoshop is helpful for those photos that need a lot of detailed editing. Lightroom makes it super easy to transfer a file into Photoshop for more intensive editing, and then it will automatically ask if you’d like to save your changes to Lightroom. All of this to say, a Lightroom and/or Photoshop subscription is a great gift for a beginning photographer. Or if they already have Photoshop and Lightroom, it’s always appreciated when someone else covers our yearly subscription! :)

WHERE TO BUY

18. APPLE AIR TAGS

When I first heard about AirTags, I found them kind of creepy. I guess the idea of something tracking me and my stuff at all times freaked me out. But I received a pack of 4 for Christmas one year and they’re a game-changer. My husband and I each have them in our work bags so we know if we’ve ever left them behind somewhere. And while we’re traveling, we can track our suitcases and make sure they don’t get left behind somewhere. I joke with my husband that I want to put AirTags on everything we own. Plus, it’s fun to check my phone and watch our little AirTag emoji’s moving about if Chris is at work or my suitcase is being transferred through the airport. You can also get a keychain for the AirTag so you can attach it to your keys or bag. I’ll be getting one for my husband this year because he’s notorious for losing his keys…..

WHERE TO BUY

AirTags

Keychain