With the Holiday Season upon us, you'll no doubt be in a mild panic deliberating just what on earth to get for your nearest and dearest. Well, I'm a photographer, and this is what's on my wish list! I reckon you can't go too far wrong with something similar for the hard-to-please photographer in your life.

I'm being realistic here. I'm not listing top-of-the-line pro cameras or expensive lenses; those are for me to scrimp and save for! No, these are affordable pressies, and while I've earmarked the specific gifts that I want, I've linked to the wider buying guides they appear in so you can select the perfect option for whoever you're buying for to unwrap on December 25…

Looking at hobbies is a great way to brainstorm gift ideas – and photography is no exception. The problem is that photographers can often be a picky bunch, and if you’re going to buy anything from a lens to filters, you’ll need to know specifics like the lens mount and filter thread size. And that’s not to mention the fact that cameras and lenses are hardly affordable gift ideas.

That’s why I think the SmallRig RF 10 C LED Photography Flashlight makes the perfect affordable gift for photographers, as well as videographers and content creators. The creative lighting tool is temporarily discounted ahead of Black Friday, and it’s one of the most affordable items on my own wish list. The discount puts the light at under $35 in the US, under £37 in the UK, under AU$63 in Australia, and under $51 in Canada.

The SmallRig Photography Flashlight isn’t “just” a flashlight. The light uses patterned discs, which photographers commonly refer to as gobos, to create patterns of light, from a creative thin slice of light to mimicking the pattern of window blinds. That allows creatives to create a variety of different effects, particularly mixed with the light’s ability to also create colored light.

🇺🇲 US SmallRig Flashlight Deal

UK SmallRig Flashlight Deal

Canada SmallRig Flashlight Deal

Australia SmallRig Flashlight Deal

While the light packs in a wide variety of different creative effects, it’s still a fairly compact flashlight, which makes it easy to tuck into a camera bag without adding a lot of weight.

I’m not going to pretend that because I want the SmallRig photography flashlight, every photographer wants one. But the flashlight has a few different features that allow the light to cross into several genres. A key feature is that the flashlight is a constant light source and not a flash. First, makes it easier to use for beginners. I have some flash gobos, but they’re hard to get them lined up just right. A constant light source is easier to use.

But because the light is a flashlight and not a strobe, the flashlight can be used for both photos and video. That means the light makes a great gift for not just photographers, but videographers and content creators as well.

The other reason that the SmallRig Photography Flashlight makes an ideal gift is that you don’t have to know what’s in the recipient's camera bag in order to choose one. You don’t have to worry about compatibility with lens mount, favorite brands, or filter thread sizes.

While this flashlight is a highly flexible tool that doesn’t need to conform to the same brand or mounts, constant lights aren’t as powerful as flashes. If the photographer on your list is always working in bright sunlight or waxes poetically about the advantages of strobe lights, then you should probably keep searching for the perfect gift idea.

But if you have a photographer, videographer or content creator on your wish list and a limited budget, a creative photo-video flashlight makes an excellent gift idea.

You may also like

Take a look at the best Black Friday camera deals for 2025. Or, browse more gift ideas for photographers.

I've spent the past week knee-deep in searches and promo pages to round up the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday camera deals. As a result, there have been far too many Amazon tabs open in my browser for far too long.

Well, Amazon noticed. And it was obviously very confused. You know how Amazon recommends you more stuff, based on the stuff you've been looking at? Well, I've been looking at such a bizarre and non-sequitur range of camera gear that clearly Amazon thinks I will buy any old crap.

DVDs and instruction manuals for decade-old DSLRs. Editing software on a Windows 98 CD-ROM. A lime green American Idol camera.

I thought I'd seen some junk on the depths of Amazon before, but this took the back alley bric-a-brac to all new levels. Here are the "highlights" of the crap that Amazon recommended to me while I was trying to be a good person and find deals to save you money…

American Idol Digital Camera ($7)

If you've ever wanted a lime green digital camera on a keychain with a tiny American Idol logo on it, this is the camera for you. There's no indication of its specs, though it promises to be able to take stills and video, as well as act as a webcam.

The highlight here is ostensibly the included software that enables you to "put yourself onto the American Idol stage"… but you'll need a Windows XP computer to run said software – or to download your images, as there's no memory card on this camera. Which means, there's no other way to get your files off it.

The description suggests that you "throw it in your pocket and go". I suggest that you throw it in the trash and forget this ever happened.

Nikon School DVD: Fast, Fun & Easy Great Digital Pictures ($6.96)

How quaint, Amazon is recommending me a DVD! And I say that as someone who still buys physical media (so maybe I brought this recommendation on myself). However, perhaps the only thing quainter than Amazon recommending a DVD in 2024 is that it's recommending a DVD designed for the Nikon D40 / D40X, which was launched in 2006.

So, what can I expect from this digital versatile disc for a camera that's approaching two decades old? Well, I'll get 35 minutes of knowledge bombs from National Geographic Traveler photographer Bob Krist (in 16x9 widescreen, no less).

"Bob will lead you through a fun day of shooting while explaining the advantages of the various Digital Vari-Program Modes," threatens the description. Who knew that insomnia could be cured in 35 minutes.

ArcSoft Camera Suite 1.3 ($5.98)

At last, I can say goodbye to my Adobe subscription! Gone are the days of paying through the nose for Creative Cloud – for just six bucks, I can get ArcSoft PhotoImpression and ArcSoft VideoImpression on one handy CD-ROM.

There's a catch, though. Remember how you needed Windows XP to run the software for that American Idol camera? Well, that's positively futuristic compared to this – because ArcSoft Camera Suite 1.3 requires Windows 98SE / Me / 2000. Or Macintosh 9 / X if you're one of those strange people who owns an Apple Macintosh computer.

No time to worry about that, though – Amazon warns me in bold letters that there's "Only 1 left in stock – order soon"…

Nikon D700 User's Manual ($22.99)

Who even knew that Amazon sold camera manuals? Is this why the last camera I bought had the manual missing from the box? Come to think of it, who even knew that camera manuals were worth so much… I should dig all of mine out and make a nice chunk of change!

Still, I've never owned a Nikon D700 (a rather fine full-frame professional DSLR camera that came out in 2008), so maybe I should pick up the manual to see what I was missing out on.

The question is, do I pay $23 bucks for this paper manual, or download the PDF from Nikon for free? Hmm. Well, I did say that I still collect physical media…

Kenko Digital Mini Camera 9300 ($20.95)

Far and away the most intriguing thing Amazon tried to get me to buy was this James Bond-looking watch camera – which I would no doubt have gone bananas over as a kid, though I'm not quite as enamored with its 0.3MP resolution and 320 x 240 video today.

In true 007 fashion, it looks like there's a quick release mechanism to deploy the camera from the wrist strap, take a couple of covert shots and then put it back before you're noticed by SPECTRE or Smirnoff or whoever your arch nemesis is.

Unlike the wretched American Idol camera, this one comes with a USB cable – so you may well be able to transfer your files without having to install ancient software that requires a decades-old operating system. The only thing I can't figure out is that it somehow requires three AAA batteries. How big is this thing?

Olympus Silca-5S Silica Gel ($13.56)

You know sometimes when you buy an expensive piece of electronic equipment, it comes with a little cloth or paper packet of silica gel? Most people dump those straight in the trash. Other people apparently pay 13 bucks to buy them from Olympus / OM System.

It looks like this is intended for owners of underwater camera housings or waterproof cameras – and since I was looking at deals on the latter, I guess this is how the Amazon algorithm decided that I need a bag of silica sachets.

In case you're curious, these packets of dessicant are drying agents used to prevent moisture – so they're obviously ideal for kit that's designed to be used in water. However, as someone who always keeps his packets of silica gel, this is 13 bucks that Amazon won't be getting from me.

Minolta Background Priority Card ($12.95)

In fairness, this thing is actually pretty fascinating. Back in 1988, Minolta introduced the Maxxum 7000i – an innovative film SLR that introduced the concept of Creative Expansion Cards, which could be inserted into the camera to power special shooting functions.

Some of these were quite clever, such as the Exposure Bracketing and Intervalometer cards, along with truly creative cards like Fantasy that shifted focus during exposure to combine a misty soft focus effect with zoom-like effect.

This Background Priority card is a little less interesting, enabling the camera to maintain background sharpness if the focal length or distance changes. However, this Expansion Card feature is pretty ingenious for a camera from 1988 – and makes me miss the glory days of Minolta.

There are fewer phrases that can strike fear into the hearts of mortals than “I’m thinking of starting a podcast”.

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this sentence, I promise it’s going to be OK. Why? Because you’re going to be the person who saves their friend or loved one from sounding like their podcast was recorded on a phone in a bathroom.

Earlier this year I got to play with a pair of Hollyland Lark M2 wireless mics. They’re the answer to the question “What if decent quality lapel mics were as easy to use as AirPods?” and they’re perfect for recording in-person. You get two mics in the box, each the size of a pound coin.

As a gift-giving experience, they’re wonderful. The package comes with two mics and the wireless receiver (which simply plugs your phone’s bum) all in a cool charging case, which lights up to tell you how much battery it’s got, and recharges itself – and the bits inside – via USB-C.

But as they start playing with the set during the nether-period between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve, your friend will love it – and you – even more. That’s because the manufacturer has thought of everything.

If your friend is recording video too, they can cover up the Hollyland logo with an emoji sticker, or a solid black one, so the mic just blends into the background.

The mics attach to clothing via magnet, necklace, or standard lapel fastening. I use the magnet regularly, feeding the backing up through my jumper and popping the mic over it. (Think of it like a broach, except with magnets rather than pins). I even recorded a TikTok video in the bath using the necklace… but the less said about that, the better.

There’s all sorts of other fancy stuff like noise cancellation and an app that saves settings back to the mics. But they’re completely plug-and-play, and so fun to use.

You know the phrase about the best camera being the one you have with you? Well, if your friend isn’t ready to make the leap to buying a camera and a set of lenses, you can pick up this simple webcam-style mount for their iPhone(amazon link). It attaches magnetically and clamps softly to a monitor. And if space is an issue, these low-profile lights can sit ontop of the monitor and light up their face… just like it will when they see what an amazing friend they have in you.

Friends don’t let their friends send bad audio out into the world. Give them the gift of high-quality sound at an affordable price, and the only problem you’ll have is figuring out how to top it next year.

Check our guide to the best iPhone microphones and Mark's piece on how people sometimes choose the best mic for looks!

Amazon's Black Friday pricing doesn't only change by the day, but can vary from hour to hour, or seemingly by the minute. It's a nightmare for me – trying to keep track of the best Black Friday camera deals to provide the best buying advice. And it's a nightmare for you too – if you see a cracking deal on Amazon, should you jump in and buy it or wait to see if the price drops further? The trouble is, there's just as much chance that the price will go higher instead…

No doubt there's some AI-powered dynamic pricing robot adjusting the cost behind the scenes depending on supply and demand – but for the consumer (and deals writer!) it's really not very helpful. Sometimes the price shifts by a few dollars or pounds either way, so it' s no big deal, but other times it's in the tens or even hundreds, in which case you'll feel rightly peeved if your bargain proves not to be quite the cracking deal you first thought it was.

But here's how you can beat ’em at their own game. For most products bought during the Black Friday weekend and beyond, Amazon is offering free returns until 31 January, 2025 (IMPORTANT: check this is the case before you click!). So my advice is: if you see a brilliant deal on Amazon, go ahead and buy it. And if you see the price has dropped further later, buy it again (obviously, if it goes up, don't!). And if it subsequently drops even lower, buy it again.

Then, when the Black Friday/Cyber Monday frenzy has died down, simply return any surplus purchases for a full refund. I further advise that you keep the boxes unopened and a careful eye on which product arrived in each shipment, so you don't end up inadvertently returning the one you got for the best price!

Also be aware of the trick Amazon is applying to some deals where you have to click an easy-to-miss tick box to make the advertised saving!

So check our Black Friday guides, and if you like the look of anything, go for it, safe in the knowledge that you can always return it if turns out that the deal wasn't so sweet after all…

If you're shopping the Black Friday camera deals, be careful out there! Amazon has increasingly been using a new device on product listings that could potentially cost you hundreds of dollars.

The new mechanism (which, I'm told, is also being used by a few other retailers) at best makes it easy for you to overlook a discount, and at worst is intentionally designed to trick you into thinking you've got the best deal by obfuscating a further saving.

You might already have bought something via the Amazon website or app without noticing that a discount was being offered.

The company has been adding a very small, very discreet tickbox beneath the price on certain product listings, marked "Coupon" in the US and "Voucher" in the UK. I first noticed this a couple of months ago, and savings that are available only via these tiny checkboxes have ranged from £2 off a USB splitter to $600 off a portable generator.

Here's an example of a listing that I saw during the recent Prime Big Deal Days event:

The voucher checkbox is small and surrounded by colorful text, star ratings and visual elements, and is dwarfed by the giant-font product description – and, crucially, it is positioned away from the purchasing sidebar containing the normal buying options (such as quantity and add to cart).

In this case, a $600 saving could easily be missed by anyone who wasn't sufficiently observant or was simply browsing in a rush. The checkbox is even easier to scroll past on the mobile app, too.

Why not just place the checkbox in the same purchasing sidebar, made obvious in the same way that the other buying options are? More's the point, given that this was in the middle of Amazon's Big Deal Days event, why wasn't this saving automatically applied – you know, on the off chance that someone shopping during a sales event might want to actually save money?

The way the checkbox is obfuscated by page elements during Black Friday feels even more insidious:

Here it feels like the listing is deliberately suggesting to the buyer that they have already got the best offer. "Black Friday Deal" is emblazoned in a red box, with a percentage saving highlighted in big red letters – so at a glance, you would think "Great, I've got my Black Friday saving!"

However, if your eyes creep a little further down, there's the option for a further significant saving – but only if you check the box.

Again, why isn't the discount automatically applied – especially during a huge sales event, when it can be fairly assumed that browsers are consenting to saving as much money as they can? What motive can Amazon have for adding extra steps to the process, other than hoping that the customer will miss the opportunity to save money?

It feels pretty unfair to me. Yes, we should all look very carefully at everything we click on the internet – it is, after all, our own responsibility to read everything on the page. But to me, this seems like caveat emptor in the most miserable, mercenary spirit possible. Sorry you screwed yourself out of getting the best deal. Happy Thanksgiving!

Take a look at the best cameras you can buy this Black Friday, and if you like the look of that RF lens then check out the best Canon Black Friday deals

Did the annual Black Friday rush in November capsize camera shipments in October?

CIPA (the Camera & Imaging Products Association) has released its latest report, providing an overview of digital camera sales and shipments over the past year in comparison with the previous two. Shipments of both interchangeable and lens-integrated cameras were plotted on a graph showing how the market reacted in 2023. 

The health of the digital camera market had been recovering for most of the year, after being decimated during the pandemic. However, CIPA's results show that a major dip in October / November has significantly skewed what would have been an improved and steady year. Could this be an effect of the ever-increasing popularity of Black Friday, and people holding out for better deals? Or were camera manufacturers under so much demand that shipments stalled? 

In April and May 2023, shipments of interchangeable lens cameras were greatly increased over the same period in previous years, before steadying to corresponding levels from June to October. October / November, however, saw a significant decrease. 

This may be a result of Black Friday, a commercial promotion at the end of November aimed at providing the best deals before the holiday season. The dip in shipments could be due to people holding off buying cameras in October and waiting for the perfect Black Friday deal at the end of November. It will be interesting to see the data for December, to see if there was an influx of shipments over the extended Black Friday and Cyber Monday period.

On the other hand, another possibility for the decline is the lack of new releases towards the end of the year. The last major launch was the Fujifilm GFX 100 II in September, and that isn't exactly your everyday consumer camera!

The data shows that fixed (integrated) lens camera shipments appear to have been a lot lower in 2023 than in 2022 and 2021, although they were consistent throughout the year. Fixed-lens models, particularly some of the best compact cameras, have been growing in popularity in recent years, so much so that they have exceeded expectations – and cameras like the Fujifilm X100V are still hard to get. I expect this data to increase over 2024, as fixed lens cameras such as the successors to the X100V and Ricoh GR III are rumored.

Among interchangeable lens cameras, the 86,575 DSLRs shipped were vastly overshadowed by the 415,342 mirrorless cameras. The figures show that DSLR shipments are down a whopping 50%, seeing the fastest growth for mirrorless cameras so far, as the drawn-out death of the DSLR continues.

It is useful to get an insight into how the camera market is behaving, as it provides a gauge of the health of the medium – and to show recovery during a global cost of living crisis is encouraging. With many camera manufacturers rumored to be releasing new models in 2024, I can envision market growth, especially with many of these rumored releases being new flagship models. However, an increase in sales may also mean an increase in shipping times! 

Get the scoop on what's coming next with the latest camera rumors, and see our guides to the best mirrorless cameras and the best DSLRs for what's hot right now.

With Christmas fast approaching it’s getting to that time of year when people start asking what you want – a question I always find impossible to answer. But even when I’m void of ideas there is always something I beg people not to get me; camera or photography-related presents! Without meaning to sound ungrateful, the last thing I want is a mug shaped like a lens or a rubbish air blower.

As a photographer, the items on my wishlist are usually pretty expensive. That means that unless someone is feeling insanely generous it’s unlikely I’m going to get the photography lighting kit of my dreams (two Profoto B10 X Plus studio heads with all the light shaping accessories) or the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM lens I have wanted forever. 

Just to clarify, I would never ask for these items either, I have never been one for excessive spending at Christmas, so to expect it back would be absurd, but in the past I have received DSLR holsters I’ll never use, or packs of scratchy lens clothes that remain in a junk drawer.

That’s not to say there aren’t some really good, affordable presents out there for photographers. I just think the person you’re buying for needs to specify that they want them, or you need to know the recipient so well you could handpick a coffee table book or print they will love. I have previously received an Instax Mini, a 35mm film camera, a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens and a prism but all of these have been on a wishlist so the person buying them knew they’d be put to good use. 

I love Christmas. I love the decorations, the excuse to eat and drink excessively, the coming together of friends and family and of course watching Christmas films on repeat, but what I cannot stand is present giving for giving sake. I have a soft spot for handmade or unique presents – perhaps a photo book, personalized photo calendar or a digital photo frame already loaded with photos. 

But I cannot stress enough how much I do not want to be on the receiving end of photography-themed Christmas tat. Christmas isn’t about how much stuff you get or how much someone spends but if you are going to be giving presents this year, try and make sure they will not go to waste!

If you're still looking for gifts and you do know who you're buying for, then we have an extensive guide to the best books on photography.

People ask me the same question every year during Black Friday season: should I look for the best deal on the latest camera, or the best deal even if it's an old one?

It's a good question. Obviously the best Black Friday camera deals are found on bodies that are a couple of years old – so you'll be saving less money on a new camera and saving more money on an older camera. 

Is it false economy, though, to buy an older camera even if it's cheaper? 

There are two ways to approach this question. If you are looking for a specific camera for a specific reason, then clearly you want the best possible saving on it – regardless of what other bargains are on offer.

An example might be the Canon EOS R5, which you might want because you specifically want to shoot 8K. Which means it doesn't matter how much money Amazon slashes off the Panasonic S5 II or how cheap Walmart sells the Nikon Z5, because neither of them shoot 8K. 

So if you absolutely need a particular camera then, yes, you should stick to finding the best deal on it. (For reference, there's $500 off the R5 in the US and an incredible £1,000 off the R5 in the UK right now). 

However, if you just want a new camera, you can potentially save so much more money by keeping your options open.

Let's take the Sony A7R V as an example. It's new and it's amazing, but do you really need it? It's got a 61MP sensor and clever AF, but the Sony A7R IV has basically the same thing with its 60.2MP sensor and almost-as-clever AF – the only difference is, it came out in 2019 so it's far more affordable. 

We tend to think that "newer" equals "better", but that isn't always the case. My colleague Adam recently lamented this very point, noting that the GoPro Hero 12 is actually a downgrade on the Hero 11. I'd actually recommend buying the older model not just because it's cheaper, but because it's functionally better. 

So there you have it. Newer is always more expensive, but newer doesn't always mean better. And older may be cheaper, but older and cheaper don't always mean inferior. 

We all want the shiny new thing. But don't be swayed by what you want; shop for what you need. Because at the end of the day, the only false economy is saving money on something that isn't right for you.

Take a look at the best Canon Black Friday deals, along with the best Sony Black Friday deals and the best Nikon Black Friday deals to bag a bargain on a specific brand. 

Like many photographers, I've been trawling through Amazon trying to track down the best Prime Day camera deals. Maybe I'll spot a discount on a lens I've been coveting, or a good deal on a terminally overpriced CFexpress card. (Actually, I found an amazing deal on a camera I've always wanted.)

Instead, what I've found is the dumbest photography product I've ever seen during Prime Day: a dog light box. I mean, just look at it. 

I have so many questions. 

1) A product shot of a dog? Who the hell wants a photo of their dog like this? Is it aimed at people whose ecommerce business is selling puppies? 

2) Okay, let's say for a second that somebody does want a sterile photo of a dog in a soulless white void. Maybe for some sort of doggy outfit business. But what the heck is this multi-angle shooting all about? Why does anyone need a top-down photo of a dog? I don't think I've ever even seen a photo taken from that angle, such is its uselessness. 

3) Am I the only one who can't see most dogs sitting put in this thing? Maybe long enough to produce a puddle or a pile, but probably not to take a picture.

4) Why advertise the five colored backgrounds as "not reflective" when there is clearly a reflection on them in the illustrative image? 

Obviously this light box is, in all actuality, supposed to be used for photographing inanimate objects rather than dogs. I get it. But the idea to market it with a dog inside as if to suggest that it's some sort of pet photography starter kit is just really bizarre. Although I guess it worked, because here we are. What can I say – I'm a sucker for a Shiba Inu. 

If you disagree, and think that this is actually the best thing you've seen on Prime Day, you can buy a Takerers 32x32 Photo Studio Light Box with 3x LED panels for $94.99 (down from $119.99). Or you can make your own for virtually nothing, using stuff around your home, like I did in this (very old!) video:

You might be interested in the best light tents for photography, though we still wouldn't use them to take pictures of your dog. For that, you could take a different tack with the best pet cameras.

With the best Amazon Prime Day camera deals just around the corner, there has never been a better time to sign up for a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

Not only will you be able to access the very best Prime Day camera deals, but there are lots of other advantages to being a Prime member, some of which few people know about.

Whether or not you want to support Amazon as a photographer, you can’t deny that Prime does offer good value for money even if you're paying AU$9.99 a month or AU$79 a year. The benefits here are listed more with photography in mind.

I first signed up for Amazon Prime when the world went into lockdown in 2020 to help me get pantry essentials and other products I needed but couldn't get to the store for. I've retained my membership even after Australia opened up as it's saved me several times when I've needed a little something last minute, whether for work or home, and I didn't have the time to run to the shops.

I quickly realised that the small fee I was paying was well worth it even if I shopped on Amazon a couple of times a month as I was making full use of some of the free inclusions.

So, why become a Prime member? Take a look at my reasons below.

1. Free and fast delivery

One of the biggest advantages of signing up to Amazon Prime is the most obvious. You get free, expedited delivery on thousands of items, whether it's filters or photography props, even cameras and lenses. If you need anything for a shoot last minute, it's definitely the quickest place to go. 

Amazon Prime's premium delivery has saved me countless times, and I love that you can select to only view items that have Prime delivery, both Australian and international products. If you order early enough in the day, and depending on where you live, you can even get one-day delivery on some items (specifically select Sydney and Melbourne post codes) – which makes Prime a godsend!

Importantly, Aussie shoppers aren't restricted to what can be purchased locally from Amazon AU or small domestic businesses. We have access to items from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Germany and Amazon Japan as well. And if your purchase(s) total AU$49 or more, your delivery is free from the Amazon Global Store.

2. Discounts on Prime Day

You read that right, if you're an Amazon Prime member you can get great discounts on a whole range of Amazon products during the two-day sale, but you will only be able to see and take advantage of these deals if you have signed up to Prime.

Moreover, Prime members also get to see Amazon's Lightning Deals (those that last for just a few hours on limited stock) 30 minutes ahead of everyone else so you don't miss out.

Better yet, the cameras and lenses that are discounted on Amazon through the year typically have the best price at that time, and we sometimes see record lows during Prime Day and Black Friday.

That's why we recommend taking out an Amazon Prime 30-day trial for free if you haven't tried it already. This means you won't be charged (make sure you cancel before 30 days) but can take full advantage of the massive saving to be had this Amazon Prime Day.

3. Prime Video

As well as free and fast delivery, being an Amazon Prime member also gives you access to Prime Video which includes hundreds of films, series and Amazon originals to keep you entertained. Considering that Netflix starts at AU$6.99 a month for the most basic plan with ads, Prime Video is pretty good value for the money as it's included for free as part of your Prime package.

While there aren't any photography-specific documentaries on the Australian Prime Video library (we missed out on Finding Vivian Maier), there are plenty of huge titles, including Lady Gaga's House of Gucci, fantasy series Wheel of Time and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and a plethora of cult movies too.

Amazon Prime Video can be a brilliant place to find inspiration for photo shoots if you're into documentaries and reality TV, and if you're a videographer, ideas on colour grading styles, camera shots, and film angles.

4. Prime Music

If you don’t want to pay for multiple services such as Spotify and Netflix, an Amazon Prime membership also includes music streaming with Prime Music. It used to be limited to about 2 million songs, but that's now expanded to 100 million, so there'll be plenty of tunes to listen to while you work on edits.

And it's ad free too, as are the podcasts available on Prime Music. You can even shuffle, find any artist you like and play a whole album if you wish – something you don't typically expect from a service that's essentially free. You can listen via the phone app or on a web browser.

What you don't get with Prime Music is HD sound quality and spatial audio. For that, you're going to need Music Unlimited, which costs AU$11.99 a month after a 30-day free trial period. That said, new customers can usually score a longer trial period (typically 3-4 months) in the lead up to Prime Day.

Many professional photographers cite listening to music as one of their inspirations – particularly when it comes to getting in the zone for the editing phase of their work – so why not dig in and find yourself the right playlist to process your photos to?

5. Prime Reading

Every month you can read a different selection of books on your Kindle or smartphone for absolutely nothing with Prime Reading if you've signed up for a Prime membership. While you don’t get quite the same satisfaction as reading an actual book, it's perfect for travelling, when baggage restrictions mean you can't carry the extra weight of books.

There are thousands of titles to choose from, including comics and graphic novels, although be warned that the vast majority would be self-published titles (mostly in the romance category). On the flip side, you could discover hidden gems by exploring these.

Additionally, Prime members can also sign up for Amazon First Reads, which will score you a free ebook each month, with early access to upcoming titles and discounts on select new ones.

6. Prime Gaming

Even photographers love a good video game and if you're one of them, Prime Gaming is where there's plenty to discover. There's exclusive in-game loot to be unlocked each month to help you gain weapons, character skin upgrades, boosts and so much more. There are also free games available to play and they're yours to keep. Your Prime Gaming subscription also gets you access to twitch.tv if you wish to watch gamers live stream their progress, and you get Prime status on Twitch too.

7. Amazon Photos

For a photographer, this is the least enticing perk for Prime members.

All Amazon Australia Prime members get 5GB of photo and video storage with Amazon Photos. Admittedly it's not a lot, but it's something. I found out about it only recently myself, although I was a little miffed to discover that Prime members in the US and UK get unlimited photo storage (although just 5GB for video).

In comparison Google Drive is limited to 15GB, so you could divvy up your files if you don't use an external drive to back them all up. Professionals, however, might need to consider paying for one of the best cloud storage options for photos.

Watch video: DCW Unwrapped (December 25)

Here it is, the conclusion of our Christmas countdown! We've been unwrapping a photographic or imaging-related present every day for the past week or so, in the build up to today… when we can finally say Merry Christmas! 

Of course, you don't have to be a Christmas person to enjoy a great gift for the holidays. So regardless of what kind of meaning this season holds for you, we'd love to invite you to share in the joy of unwrapping and unboxing a fun photo gift with us each day until we reach "toy day".

It may even give you some inspiration for gifts you can give during other seasons and occasions, whether it's a birthday, a graduation or a tradition like Eid. Or of course, you may just be inspired to pick something up for yourself!

Today's present is one that anyone would be delighted to unwrap: the Instax Square Link portable instant printer. 

This completes the existing link lineup, comprising the Instax Mini Link 2 and Instax Link Wide, which use Instax Mini and Wide film respectively. As you might imagine, then, the Instax Square Link uses Instax Square film – enabling you to print out your photos in the classic instant print shape, onto real instant film.

Just connect the Link to your smartphone and you can turn your selfies into instant prints or your holiday shots into sharable snaps. You can even download any image you've taken on your "proper" camera and print it as an Instax photo – perfect to stick on your fridge, slap in a scrapbook or share with friends. 

The clever phone app also supports augmented reality features that enable you to bring your images to life – brilliant for sharing messages and animations with your friends and loved ones!

Watch video: DCW Unwrapped (December 24)

We're in the home straight of the holiday season and, for those who celebrate it, the big day is here tomorrow! So we're celebrating with our very own Christmas countdown, as we unwrap a photographic or imaging-related present every day until December 25!

Of course, you don't have to be a Christmas person to enjoy a great gift for the holidays. So regardless of what kind of meaning this season holds for you, we'd love to invite you to share in the joy of unwrapping and unboxing a fun photo gift with us each day until we reach "toy day".

It may even give you some inspiration for gifts you can give during other seasons and occasions, whether it's a birthday, a graduation or a tradition like Eid. Or of course, you may just be inspired to pick something up for yourself!

Given how much juice our Christmas decorations are currently sucking up, today's present came just in the nick of time! The Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro is a portable power station that packs enough power to keep the tree lights running for a looooong time! 

Ideal for staying powered up in the field if you photograph wildlife or landscapes, shooting on location if you photograph portraits or products, or even to keep your gear fully charged up if you're away on a camping or hiking trip. 

Keep your camera, laptop, phone, tablet, storage devices, power banks and everything else you travel with fully charged with power. And couple the Explorer 2000 Pro with the SolarSaga 200W solar panels (all available in a single kit, the Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Pro) for renewable, clean, green, free energy thanks to the sun! 

It's the silly season here in Australia and that means Boxing Day sales are here to help save you some dosh on a wide variety of items, and that includes some cameras.

While most specialist camera retailers in Australia don't typically have massive Boxing Day sales and deals, some will take the plunge and mark down select bodies and lenses. One retailer that's definitely offering Boxing Day discounts is Amazon – the online retail giant does not shy away from a sale – and this time it's all about Canon cameras.

Amazon Australia has marked down some of our favourites, such as the 32MP Canon EOS 90D, but if you're not keen on a DSLR (understandable), then there's discounts on the EOS R6 full-frame camera as well as the brand-new EOS R7 APS-C format speedster. If you want a cheap full-frame mirrorless, then the original EOS R from 2018 is also discounted.

Whether you need an entry-level camera or something a bit more advanced, Amazon's Boxing Day Canon discounts have you covered. 

Moreover, Canon is still offering cashback via redemption, so if you pick up one of the below cameras, head over to the Summer 2022 promotions page on the camera maker's site and register your purchase by January 18, 2023.

Read more:

Best Canon camera
Canon EOS R6 Mark II review
Canon EOS R5 review
Best Canon lenses

Watch video: DCW Unwrapped (December 23)

We're in the home straight of the holiday season and, for those who celebrate it, we're just two sleeps away from the big day. So we're celebrating with our very own Christmas countdown, as we unwrap a photographic or imaging-related present every day until December 25!

Of course, you don't have to be a Christmas person to enjoy a great gift for the holidays. So regardless of what kind of meaning this season holds for you, we'd love to invite you to share in the joy of unwrapping and unboxing a fun photo gift with us each day until we reach "toy day".

It may even give you some inspiration for gifts you can give during other seasons and occasions, whether it's a birthday, a graduation or a tradition like Eid. Or of course, you may just be inspired to pick something up for yourself!

Today we unwrapped a supremely useful surprise: the UGreen Nexode 140W Charger. This might not seem like the most exciting gift to give, but trust us – there isn't a tech fan out there who won't be grateful to receive this. 

The Nexode 140W, as the name suggests, packs up to 140W of charging power – and it supports PD (Power Delivery) to supply even the thirstiest devices, from laptops to tablets to smartphones et al.

Not only does it pack a 140W USB port and a 100W USB port, it also possesses a an old school USB-A connection – so you can connect and charge your legacy devices as well as your shiny new ones.

Watch video: DCW Unwrapped (December 22)

We're in the home straight of the holiday season and, for those who celebrate it, we're just three sleeps away from the big day. So we're celebrating with our very own Christmas countdown, as we unwrap a photographic or imaging-related present every day until December 25!

Of course, you don't have to be a Christmas person to enjoy a great gift for the holidays. So regardless of what kind of meaning this season holds for you, we'd love to invite you to share in the joy of unwrapping and unboxing a fun photo gift with us each day until we reach "toy day".

It may even give you some inspiration for gifts you can give during other seasons and occasions, whether it's a birthday, a graduation or a tradition like Eid. Or of course, you may just be inspired to pick something up for yourself!

Today's gift is perfectly timed, as it's a reminder to get yourself one for the coming year: a 2023 photo calender from Saal. 

Using the design interface on the Saal website, or the dedicated app for your phone or smart device, you can use ready made templates to drag and drop your images into an existing layout, or "go manual" and get really creative.

With photos being printed onto high-quality fine art paper stock, you're essentially getting 12 art prints that turn your family photos, holiday snaps or portfolio shots into wall-worthy images. 

You can see other great gifts available from Saal – including the single most unusual photo gift we've ever seen! – that we've had the pleasure of opening in our separate DCW Unwrapped video on Saal. 

Watch video: DCW Unwrapped (December 21)

We're in the home straight of the holiday season and, for those who celebrate it, we're just over a week away from the big day. So we're celebrating with our very own Christmas countdown, as we unwrap a photographic or imaging-related present every day until December 25!

Of course, you don't have to be a Christmas person to enjoy a great gift for the holidays. So regardless of what kind of meaning this season holds for you, we'd love to invite you to share in the joy of unwrapping and unboxing a fun photo gift with us each day until we reach "toy day".

It may even give you some inspiration for gifts you can give during other seasons and occasions, whether it's a birthday, a graduation or a tradition like Eid. Or of course, you may just be inspired to pick something up for yourself!

Today's rather enormous present turned out to be none other than the Canon ImagePROGRAF Pro-300 – a printer that delivers professional results at up to A3 and A3+ print sizes. And there's a reason we rate this as one of the best photo printers on the market: its print quality is absolutely stunning. 

Able to produce borderless prints all the way up to A3+ on either glossy or matte paper, it uses 10 individual pigment-based (rather than dye-based) inks from Canon's Lucia Pro line (including dedicated photo black and matte black cartridges, for glossy and matte finishes respectively), boasts wireless connectivity, and clever software for soft- and hard-proofing.

Pair it with some of the best photo paper from Canon, like the Pro Platinum, Pro Luster and Pro Premium Matte, and you have all the ingredients to make the best prints of your work you've ever seen.

Watch video: DCW Unwrapped (December 20)

We're in the home straight of the holiday season and, for those who celebrate it, we're less than a week away from the big day. So we're celebrating with our very own Christmas countdown, as we unwrap a photographic or imaging-related present every day until December 25!

Of course, you don't have to be a Christmas person to enjoy a great gift for the holidays. So regardless of what kind of meaning this season holds for you, we'd love to invite you to share in the joy of unwrapping and unboxing a fun photo gift with us each day until we reach "toy day".

It may even give you some inspiration for gifts you can give during other seasons and occasions, whether it's a birthday, a graduation or a tradition like Eid. Or of course, you may just be inspired to pick something up for yourself!

Our Christmas gift today is something that's both cool and practical – in fact, it's something that we're going to be using every day. It's the Zumy Pro Quality Light, which is a clip-on (or stick-on) selfie light for laptops, desktops, monitors and tablets. So far, so normal.

The trick here is that, where most similar products are flat, harsh, unflattering, bare lights, this one has a built-in softbox – and this produces soft, flattering, diffused light that's less like a torch stuck to your screen and more like having a proper continuous light with a modifier. 

Given how much time we spend on video calls for work and Zoom chats with friends and Facetime meets with family, it's great to always look well-lit and presentable – rather than that one guy on the chat who's always grainy, poorly lit and like you wish he'd just turn his camera off!

Watch video: DCW Unwrapped (December 19)

We're in the home straight of the holiday season and, for those who celebrate it, we're just over a week away from the big day. So we're celebrating with our very own Christmas countdown, as we unwrap a photographic or imaging-related present every day until December 25!

Of course, you don't have to be a Christmas person to enjoy a great gift for the holidays. So regardless of what kind of meaning this season holds for you, we'd love to invite you to share in the joy of unwrapping and unboxing a fun photo gift with us each day until we reach "toy day".

It may even give you some inspiration for gifts you can give during other seasons and occasions, whether it's a birthday, a graduation or a tradition like Eid. Or of course, you may just be inspired to pick something up for yourself!

Today we unwrapped a gift that may be a little on the expensive side, but it is also something that photographers and videographers on the move will be jumping for joy over. 

The Jackery Explorer 1000 Pro is a portable power station that keeps you topped up on the go, wherever you go. Perfect for trips out into the field if you're a wildlife or landscape photographer, working on location if you're a portrait or product photographer, or just to keep your kit powered up if you're on a camping or hiking trip. 

Keep your camera, laptop, phone, tablet, storage devices, power banks and everything else you travel with fully charged with power. And couple the Explorer 1000 Pro with the SolarSaga 100W solar panels (all available in a single kit, the Jackery Solar Generator 1000 Pro) for renewable,  clean, green, free energy thanks to the sun! 

Many consumers are still on the fence about buying previously owned technology, and some think it's embarrassing to purchase gear second-hand, but this couldn't be further from the truth. MPB's 2022 Gifting Used survey has revealed that 23.3 million (44% of) Brits are planning to gift at least one used or second-hand gift this year.

The research by the secondhand camera gear specialists shows that 60% of consumers interviewed would be happy to receive a used gift, with only 21% saying that they would feel embarrassed to gift someone a used item. This percentage is pretty positive and has dropped by half from 2021, when gifters feeling embarrassed by gifting used was 47%. 

• Why I've only ever bought second-hand cameras

The cost of living crisis is heavily affecting the UK, with many struggling to heat their homes or put food on the table, let alone buy the latest gadgets. While purchasing second-hand is certainly helpful and a great solution during this time, it's not the only reason you should consider buying used tech.

The MPB survey reveals that 30% of consumers could not afford to buy presents in  new condition this year (up 13% from 2021) as the cost of living crisis has put extra pressure on their disposable income. Gen Z and millennials were found to be the most affected by the crisis, with 56% of participants agreeing that it has made them more likely to gift used this year.

Not only are you saving yourself money when purchasing second-hand goods, but the environment will thank you for it too. By trading in your old and unwanted tech to places like MPB, you help breathe new life into perfectly good gear that could've otherwise have been thrown away.

The study found that the increase in gifting used tech may be driven by environmental motives, with 49% of the participants responding that they cared about the sustainability of gifts that they receive this year.

Even if your older devices aren't fit or functional enough to be traded in, lots of places now offer recycling or spare parts usage – which is far better for the planet than simply taking your old tech to the dump. 

"Given increasing environmental concerns around overconsumption, alongside the rising pressure on household income, it's unsurprising that many of us are looking for alternatives to simply buying new, and it's brilliant to see that the perceived stigma around gifting and purchasing used items is declining," said Matt Barker, MPB's founder and CEO. 

He continues, "There is an abundance of well-functioning products in re-circulation out there, and many items, such as photo and video equipment, have fantastic manufacture quality and are built to last. Moreover, used models cost a third less than the same model new on average. Buying and selling used is a win for your wallet and the planet alike, and putting more items into the circular economy is a win for the next owner too."

MPB is urging consumers to "join the used movement”, and also to ‘Pause, Consider and Act’ this year during Christmas shopping, to slow down and consider what they already own before simply buying new. It also has a continuing commitment to the One Tree Planted campaign, and will see a further 25,000 trees planted to help fight the effects of deforestation. 

MPB operates in the USA, UK and Europe - check out their site to see their range of secondhand gear.

• You may also be interested in our picks of the best cheap cameras, and the best budget camera phone, as well as the best budget DSLRs and not forgetting the cheapest full frame cameras. 

• Take a look at our guide to buying second-hand tablets and iPads and why MPB says that UK photographers are sitting on £19bn of unused gear

Watch video: DCW Unwrapped (December 17)

We're in the home straight of the holiday season and, for those who celebrate it, we're just over a week away from the big day. So we're celebrating with our very own Christmas countdown, as we unwrap a photographic or imaging-related present every day until December 25!

Of course, you don't have to be a Christmas person to enjoy a great gift for the holidays. So regardless of what kind of meaning this season holds for you, we'd love to invite you to share in the joy of unwrapping and unboxing a fun photo gift with us each day until we reach "toy day".

It may even give you some inspiration for gifts you can give during other seasons and occasions, whether it's a birthday, a graduation or a tradition like Eid. Or of course, you may just be inspired to pick something up for yourself!

The gift we unwrapped today is something that every photographer really, really should have in their kit bag. On the surface, the Hahnel Pro Cube 2 is just a battery charger. But it is just so much more than that! 

Yes, chargers are usually the single most boring piece of the photography puzzle, but the Pro Cube 2 genuinely excites us here at DCW. Not only is it a piece of equipment that I personally rave about, so does my colleague Dan, who listed it among the best pieces of kit he owns. 

First off, you can charge two batteries simultaneously – and the intelligent readout gives you an independent readout of the percentage charge for each one. But while the Pro Cube 2 comes with specific battery slots – for the different models of Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Fujifilm and Panasonic batteries – you can actually swap out the slot tray for different battery types. 

So if you own a Canon and an Olympus camera (like me), you don't need to buy two separate Pro Cubes – you can just buy the tray for your battery type and swap it out when you need it! You can also clip on the included tray for rechargeable AA batteries, and there's a USB-A slot at the back as well.

In short, if you have a camera then you have batteries. Which means you need this!

Watch video: DCW Unwrapped (December 17)

We're in the home straight of the holiday season and, for those who celebrate it, we're just over a week away from the big day. So we're celebrating with our very own Christmas countdown, as we unwrap a photographic or imaging-related present every day until December 25!

Of course, you don't have to be a Christmas person to enjoy a great gift for the holidays. So regardless of what kind of meaning this season holds for you, we'd love to invite you to share in the joy of unwrapping and unboxing a fun photo gift with us each day until we reach "toy day".

It may even give you some inspiration for gifts you can give during other seasons and occasions, whether it's a birthday, a graduation or a tradition like Eid. Or of course, you may just be inspired to pick something up for yourself!

Today's gift is a brilliant Saal Professional Line Photo Book, which is without a doubt one of the best photo books we've ever seen. The whole thing absolutely exudes quality and high end finish, from the stunning and heavy leatherette presentation box to the jaw dropping acrylic front cover. 

Whether you're a photographer who wants to show off your photographs in a beautiful coffee table book, a model or small business who wants a portfolio of their work that will wow clients, or just somebody who loves photography and wants them printed and presented in the absolute finest way possible, this is for you.

And of course, it makes a fantastic gift for the photographer in your life, if you surprise them by collecting their best or favorite images in this fantastic photo book!

You can see other great gifts available from Saal – including the single most unusual photo gift we've ever seen! – that we've had the pleasure of opening in our separate DCW Unwrapped video on Saal. 

Watch video: DCW Unwrapped (December 16)

We're in the home straight of the holiday season and, for those who celebrate it, we're just over a week away from the big day. So we're celebrating with our very own Christmas countdown, as we unwrap a photographic or imaging-related present every day until December 25!

Of course, you don't have to be a Christmas person to enjoy a great gift for the holidays. So regardless of what kind of meaning this season holds for you, we'd love to invite you to share in the joy of unwrapping and unboxing a fun photo gift with us each day until we reach "toy day".

It may even give you some inspiration for gifts you can give during other seasons and occasions, whether it's a birthday, a graduation or a tradition like Eid. Or of course, you may just be inspired to pick something up for yourself!

The present in today's unwrapping video is one of the best instant cameras available – and one of our personal favorite cameras, period, here at DCW – the Polaroid Go. 

"The Polaroid Go is the world's smallest, cutest analog instant camera," we wrote in our review. "But its tiny size doesn't just make it insanely covetable, it also differentiates it from its Instax Mini rivals. 

"Rather than rectangular prints, it puts the signature square Polaroid format in your pocket – along with advanced features like double exposures, a self-timer and even a tiny selfie mirror. 

"The Polaroid Go is a camera that everyone will fall in love with faster than it takes a photo to develop. A fun and funky little camera, the Polaroid Go will be the star of your next party and will deposit an endless amount of memories in your pocket or wallet. And if you've got kids, this could be the ideal camera for little hands to get started with."

The holiday season is just around the corner and those distant sleigh bells are jingling, ring ting tingling ever closer. Whether you're a Scrooge-and-proud, or you're excitedly waiting for the festive period to get into full swing, but don't know what to get the photographer in your life, then these eight quirky gifts could make you the star of the holiday.

If you've got a camera-obsessed friend or relative that you don't know how to buy for, you're in luck – we've collected the best photography lover gifts for Christmas right here. These quirky and unusual Christmas camera gifts are perfect for the loved one who seemingly has everything.

Whether you're in the market for a DIY film camera you can construct yourself, a quirky lens, or even a tiny vlogging setup to get them started on the YouTube channel they always talk to about starting, we've got the best quirky and unusual gifts for you to peruse right here.

If your looking for something a bit safer then why not also check out our best Christmas gifts for photographers

Best unusual festive gifts

For just over £30, as the model name suggests, the appeal here is being able to build your own camera utilizing the plastic kit shell provided. The upgraded version of the Konstruktor even comes with a PC socket for flash photography, though you’ll need the hot shoe adaptor in the optional accessory kit. 

However, we found there were a lot of plastic panels, parts, screws, and springs to put together so this is one that will reward those with a degree of patience as well as constructing dexterity. Unsurprisingly, like the camera body itself, the lens here is plastic and we get another fixed focal length 50mm lens boasting an f/10 aperture. On a positive note, we enjoyed using the waist-level viewfinder and the through-the-lens viewing that comes courtesy of the spring-loaded mirror level. It’s very charming if you don’t mind putting the initial work in.

This is one of the most affordable Lensbaby special effects lenses, and it's great fun to play with. This lens creates a selective focus effect that you can control through squeezing and tilting the lens to move the 'sweet spot' of focus around your potential image. 

It might take a little practice to finetune the effect, but it's easy to pick up. The plastic build might feel a little cheap to some, but this super light lens is virtually unbreakable. The Lensbaby Spark is mostly marketed as a portrait lens, but it can add an extra bit of flavor to any genre of photography.

Having used the Moment Wide 18mm lens for photo taking and YouTube content I would recommend it for anyone seeking a lightweight setup to start their vlogging career – or vloggers looking for a more compact solution over their traditional compact cameras. 

Everything provided within the box gives off a premium feel and certainly makes you want to look after it. The lens is strongly built and provides crisp and sharp images that any vlogger or content creator would be proud to show off.

Another one for those who aren’t fussed about waterproofing – the DJI Pocket 2 fits a similar vlogging niche to GoPro cameras. Indeed, it can be bought as part of an excellent Creator Combo pack, including a Mini Control Stick, a case, tripod mount, wrist strap, wireless microphone, a dead-cat windshield, a wide-angle lens, and a Do-It-All Handle with a mic-input jack.

This, plus the class-leading stabilization and pocketable form factor, makes the Pocket 2 one of the most potent little cameras for vloggers. It struggles a little with noise issues in low light, so that’s something to be mindful of, but otherwise it does a really impressive job in most conditions.

Sometimes one of the best ways to experiment with your photography gear isn't about what's behind your lens, but rather what's in front of it. The Lensbaby Omni Creative Filter System is designed to add a splash of color to your images through this unusual setup. 

All you need to do is screw one of the filter rings onto your lens and then use one of the magnetic Effects Wands to help distort the light as it enters the lens. This is actually pretty similar to the common DIY hack of holding transparent sweet wrappers over the end of your lens to cast a colorful hue. However, this filter system helps make the creative process as easy as possible. 

We didn't think smartphone stabilizers could get any better than the DJI OM 5 but the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 goes to show they can. We're still not convinced by the fiddly folding mechanism but other than that it's an extremely robust, professional selfie stick/gimbal that has a lot of advanced features such as motion timelapse, subject tracking, and an analog zoom/focus wheel for easy control. 

This certainly isn't a budget option but it's by far one of the best selfie sticks you can buy if stabilization is your main game. We tested it using the iPhone 14 Pro Max and despite it being one of the heavier smartphones now available it was able to keep up with some aggressive movements from us and still maintain incredibly smooth footage. It's an excellent selfie stick/gimbal but you will have to pay a hefty chunk more.

The Polaroid Go is a palm-sized camera that kids will fall in love with faster than it takes a photo to develop. Bigger instant cameras balance exposures better, and rival Instax Mini cameras deliver slightly better image quality indoors – but neither are as fun to use as the Go, which still produces pleasing pics.

A consideration is that Instax Mini film works out cheaper than Polaroid Go film, but then you'll also need to replace those AA batteries on the Mini whereas the Go just needs USB to top up the power. And the Go boasts double exposures, which you won't get unless you opt for pricier options like the Instax Mini 90. A fun and funky little camera, the Polaroid Go is ideal for little hands to get started with.

Like many of Lomography's unusual products, this lens is inspired by 1800s inventor and physicist Joseph Petzval. The Lomography Twist lens separates subjects from their background by creating beautifully swirly bokeh. It's important to note that this lens should only be used on full frame cameras, as APS-C sensors will significantly reduce the swirly bokeh effect. 

If your gift budget knows no bounds, check out the best cameras for photography: find the best camera for you, and the best price too!

Photography is a big tent with many different areas, so finding a gift for the photographer in your life – or even yourself – can be challenging.

Fortunately, we’re here to help and recommend keeping it simple. Rather than seek out something too specialised, look instead for top-quality versions of the essential items that every dedicated photographer should have in their kit bag.

And don’t worry about which camera your loved one or yourself uses. The fantastic gifts we’ve sourced below will work for pretty much every brand in the market.

So here are 30 fabulous photography gifts guaranteed to bring a big grin to the face of any photography obsessive on Christmas morning…

1. LowePro GearUp Creator Box XL II

This handy organizer will fit inside another bag or piece of luggage, turning it into a storage solution for a DSLR or mirrorless camera plus up to three lenses or a combination of other accessories including a compact camera drone. GearUp Creator Box XL II’s smart dividers in soft synthetic material will safeguard your kit from scratches while the 360° double-zip system with ‘QuickDoor’ entry offers secure and speedy access to your kit. Other features include a scratch-resistant window for easily viewing the organizer’s contents, a carry handle and a strap with a buckle.

2. instax Link Wide

Print images from the instax Mini Link smartphone app in large format using the instax Link Wide printer. As with the existing Mini Link printer, the Link Wide prints onto Fujifilm’s own film – in this case, the new Instax Wide. Perform your edits in the Mini Link app, then send your photos to the handheld printer; about 100 instax instant prints can be made on a single battery charge. The Mini Link Wide offers two printing modes: Instax Rich for deep, warm colors, and Instax Natural, which emphasizes the tones inherent in an image. For alternatives see best portable printers.

3. Rotolight Neo II

Although the Rotolight Neo 3 is now on sale, its predecessor is still a formidable LED light panel – and some price reductions are available. Rated by the manufacturer for a whopping 2,000 lux maximum brightness at 91.5cm (3 feet), the Neo 2 is powered by six AA batteries that will sustain 90 minutes of full-power continuous illumination, or you can attach a mains input. The unit’s dual-control dials adjust a variety of easy-to-set lighting options, and you can also use the Neo 2 as a flash, with up to 500% more brightness than in continuous mode. For alternatives see best LED light panels

4. Digital Camera magazine subscription

Digital Camera is the world’s favorite digital photography magazine. Aiming to help photographers of all skill levels to improve their images, every issue is packed with the latest news, reviews, tutorials, expert buying advice, tips and inspiring images.

Each month, Digital Camera also comes with a selection of free gifts, including photo technique tips cards, and much more.

5. Tenba Tools Reload Universal Card Wallet

A capsule accessories system, there’s a Tenba Tools solution for preventing vital accessories from disappearing into the corners of your camera bag. The range has just been redesigned: aesthetically overhauled with a new herringbone fabric and available in both blue and black colourways. The Reload Universal Card Wallet is a slim card wallet that will take up to 12 SD, eight CF or an unlimited number of Micro SD cards – and there are plenty more Tenba Tools to choose from, with cable pouches, shoulder straps, capture card wallets and battery pouches also appearing in the Tenba Tools line-up.

6. Manfrotto Advanced Holster M III

Ideal for days out or excursions when one camera and lens can do it all, Manfrotto’s Advanced Holster M III will accommodate a full-frame mirrorless camera with a 24-70mm f/4 lens attached, or a DSLR body with an 18-55mm lens. Two interior pockets are available for storing batteries and media cards, with access in seconds thanks to the high-quality top-loading design. Secure the Advanced Holster M III to your waist using its belt loops, or carry it over your shoulder with the detachable padded strap. Other features include a tripod connector for taking a compact tripod with you, and a fold-out rain cover. See also best camera holsters.

7. DxO Film Pack

DxO Film Pack, the analog film simulator, has been fully updated this year with two headline changes: Time Warp Mode and full Photoshop integration. The former introduces a pair of new sliders, the first being Time Travel, which is said to take users through “all of the eras, film stocks, and cameras spanning 200 years of photographic history”. You can see what this powerful creative tool could do for your photography by downloading a full 30-day trial version from DxO.

8. Benro SupaDupa MSD36C monopod

For any photographer in your life looking like they could do with a monopod upgrade, this product could have their name on it. The MSD36C is the entry-level model in this three-strong range of carbon-fiber monopods from Benro, and it extends to 64.9 inches, folding down to 16.6 inches. Twist locks on the leg sections plus a fast-action flip lock makes the SupaDupa MSD36C super-easy to deploy, while a wrist strap will provide extra protection for your valuable camera kit. The maximum payload is a generous 40kg. For alternatives see our best monopod guide.

9. Lexar Multi-Card 3-in-1 USB 3.1 reader 

Offering transfer speeds of up to 312MB/s for SD, microSD and Compact Flash cards, this versatile reader doesn’t need an additional power source and can read from all card slots simultaneously so is also capable of easy file transfer from one card to another. Backwards-compatible with UHS-I SD cards, the Lexar Multi-Card 2-in-1 USB 3.1 reader can be used with both USB 3.1 and USB 2.0 ports, and its dinky, ergonomic design means that it’s a great solution for busy photographers on the go. For other options see our best memory card reader guide.

10. Joby Beamo Ring Light

Powered by a simple USB cable, this super-portable ring light delivers 10 different brightness levels and three different color temperatures, all at the press of a button. Ideal for shooting stills, filming video and videoconferencing, the Joby Beamo can be used with a variety of Joby supports, including GorillaPod. Compact (30.6 x 30.6cm) and light, at just 330g, the Beamo can be taken anywhere you need to go, or just left set up at home, ready to be used. See other best ring light options.

11. The Pocket Photographer

Looking to spread the word about the wonders of photography? This recently published book guides you through how to produce memorable images with the camera you’re always likely to have on you – the phone in your pocket. Over 144 pages, ‘The Pocket Photographer’s’ engaging visual approach will guide you through how to produce memorable images with whatever brand of camera phone you use. And because the principles in the book are as relevant to cameras as they are to camera phones, this book is also an accessible and unstuffy photography primer. See more books on photography.

12. Gitzo Century leather sling strap

Now here’s a real treat for the premium DSLR or mirrorless camera user in your life… made from genuine Italian leather and featuring premium-grade detailing, the Gitzo Century has a cross-the-body design to ensure comfort and ease of use in the field. It is fitted with the new Gitzo GS5370SDR quick release plate and there’s a secure G-lock buckle closing system. See other camera straps.

13. Tenba BYOB 10 camera insert

While some camera bags come with a removable insert that can be placed in a non-camera bag, many don’t. Tenba’s BYOB (bring your own bag) range has been designed to meet this need, so photographers can carry a camera ‘day bag’ of photography essentials discreetly within another bag or piece of luggage. BYOB 10 measures 27 x 20 x 11cm externally (10.5 x 8 x 4.5 in) so it’s good for a DSLR or mirrorless with 2-4 lenses – and other sizes are available. Made from water-repellant 300D polyester, and available in blue or black, a pair of mesh side pockets will accept a tabletop tripod or water bottle, and a shoulder strap is included.

14. Leica/COOPH Rope Camera Strap  

Designed to fit all brands of camera, these handcrafted straps are super-lightweight and strong, yet also sturdy. They certainly look the part and launched in a wide choice of eye-catching colors – including red, olive, charcoal and camouflage. Photographers don’t all use the same camera, says COOPH, so what better way of expressing their individuality than through their choice of strap colour? The Rope strap attaches to the camera body via keyring-style loops, and an integrated protective leather flap is sewn on to both ends of the strap to ensure that your camera won’t get accidentally scratched while you’re out shooting in the field.

15. 3-Legged Thing Ellie 

L-brackets allow you to change your shooting orientation from horizontal to vertical in a jiffy. Crafted from two pieces of aluminium, the eye-catching Ellie will snugly fit the shape of your camera, thanks to hex keys that can be loosened to slide the base plate along rails. Well-designed, Ellie’s customizability will allow clear access to most camera sockets, and the edges of the slide plate edges are contoured, to enable flip-out screens to be easily accessed. See other camera L-bracket options.

16. Vanguard Veo MT-12 Multi-Mount 

This clever accessory will fit onto any tripod with a 1/4in or 3/8in thread, and allows the user to add up to four accessories. Two can be mounted on the MT-12 using the supplied pair of MA-1 multi-mounts, and also via 3/8in threads on the end of the arm that convert to 1/4in threads. With a maximum load capacity of 10kg, the MT-12 can be used to support two cameras, a light panel and an external monitor.

17. LensPen NLP-1

The basic LensPen design has been around for many years and now comes in various sizes to suit lenses from large DSLR optics down to tiny phone camera hardware. We like the original design, the NLP-1 variant, which is suitable for larger lenses. Its standout feature is its 12mm diameter tip. This has a slightly concave surface to follow the curvature of your lens’s front element, and is coated in carbon to enable it to remove grease and fingerprints without resorting to a liquid cleaner. Amazingly, the system works. Lenses with lots of fingerprints will require around 10 seconds of wiping with the carbon tip to achieve a perfect finish, but more typically marked optics come up gleaming in moments. See other lens-cleaning accessories.

18. SanDisk 32GB Extreme Pro 300MB/s UHS-II SDXC

Memory cards aren’t the most exciting of camera accessories, but if you want to get the best out of your device, they are essential. With a transfer speed of 200MB/s this Sandisk Extreme Pro is our all-round pick for a good-value option for general photography. Put this SD card into your camera, and make card buffering a thing of the past. For more options and card formats see our best memory card guide.

19. Hahnel ProCube II

Never be left without power again. Hahnel’s ProCube II is able to quickly and simultaneously charge a pair of batteries (individual models are dedicated to Canon, Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic and Sony batteries) or four rechargeable AAs in only 90 minutes, with their current power level clearly indicated on its LCD display. ProCube II also has an output for a USB-charged device like a smartphone or compact camera, and comes complete with adaptors for UK, European and US plugs, making it an all-in-one charging solution. With a 12V car lead included, you can even recharge your equipment en route to locations, something that could save the day if you forget that vital charging session the night before a big shoot. See other best camera battery charger options.

20. WD Elements SE 2TB SSD

For backups when you’re working in the field, you need a compact, reliable and efficient storage solution. Look no further than the WD Elements SE portable hard drive. Available in a 2TB capacity, it will suit many different kinds of photographer, from low-volume landscape shooters to a burst mode fanatic out capturing action, wildlife or location portraits. With a form factor that will easily fit in a camera bag (L x W: 11 x 8cm or 4.3 x 3.2in) and read speeds of up to 400MB/s when using the supplied USB 3.0 cable, the WD Elements SE will make the perfect Christmas gift. See alternative best portable SSD options.

21. Lee Filters Big Stopper

If there’s one landscape photography look that’s been on-trend in the last few years, it’s those streaky skies and ethereal misty water shots produced by ten-stop ND filters. Placed in front of the lens, these filters restrict the light that reaches the sensor, forcing the use of much longer exposure times than would normally be required. One of the most popular filters of this type is the Lee Filters Big Stopper, a pro-standard glass filter available in a range of sizes for use with the company’s various filter systems. Lee Filters even provides a free mobile app to calculate the exposure times required when using a Big Stopper and other filters provided by the brand.

22. Peak Design Cuff Camera Wrist Strap

An elegant and unobtrusive way to protect your camera from drops, the Cuff is a stylish wrist strap available in a range of different colour options. Cords rated to hold up to 90kg are fitted through a camera’s strap eyelets, before then being clipped securely into the Cuff’s unique Anchor Lock housing. The magnetic wrist loop of the strap is then threaded over the hand, where it can then either be fixed in the open position, or comfortably cinched down for added security. For those with compact cameras, it’s an ideal way to protect and carry your setup without adding bulk.

23. Lastolite 30cm reflector

Reflectors are one of the most useful pieces of kit a portrait or still life photographer can carry - and the diminutive size of this reflector means you can store it safely away in your pocket. While it may be small, the respectively silver and gold surfaces of this product make its light-reflecting power mighty. See other photo reflector options.

24. Manfrotto Pixi Evo mini tripod

Manfrotto’s Pixi mini tripods have been around for several years now, but this Evo version steps things up – literally – thanks to its extendable two-section legs. These can lock into six different extension points using an ergonomic push-button release on each leg. At full stretch there’s some flex when you mount a heavier DSLR, but Manfrotto’s 2.5kg load rating is reasonable. Keep the legs retracted to their shortest setting and the Evo feels much more stout, though this reduces the shooting height from 19cm to 15.5cm. Alternatively, if you want to sink lower, the legs have a secondary angle setting selected using a simple but effective switch on the side of the ball head. This lets the head down to around 10cm off the deck. The ball head itself is of a usefully large size for a mini tripod and it clamps securely. It can also tilt through 90-degrees into portrait orientation, and a convenient wheel locks the ¼”-20 thread to your camera, so you don’t need to rotate the whole tripod.

25. Spudz microfibre cleaning cloth

A microfibre cloth that tucks away inside a neoprene sleeve, Spudz cloths are tried and tested and come in an array of different colours. As the 10 x 10in cloth never detaches from the sleeve, this product is a true all-in-one solution for keeping your lenses and LCD screens free of dust or streaks. Simply attach the Spudz to your camera with the clip on the sleeve and you'll never have to reach very far for a cloth to clean your glass or screen. And as different and fun sleeve finishes are available, you'll easily be able to match one to the personality of the photographer in your life.

Is Cyber Monday as good as Black Friday? More and more people ask that question every year, especially as both American sales events take root across the globe. 

Once upon a time, the two events served very different purposes. You'd find the best Black Friday camera deals, for example, at bricks and mortar stores like Walmart and Best Buy (usually accompanied by news broadcast-bating footage of shoppers stampeding each other while battling to grab physical products). 

By contrast, the best Cyber Monday camera deals would be found exclusively at online e-tailers (accompanied by crashing websites rather than crushing crowds) such as Amazon and Etsy.

You see, Black Friday marks the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season, since it takes place the day after Thanksgiving. And, in order to enable online stores to compete (oh, how times change), Cyber Monday was established in 2005 to promote internet shopping.

However, from single-day sales events, we now have sales bonanzas that seem to envelop the entire week either side of the two days. 

Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?

Apple Black Friday deals
Black Friday camera deals
Instax Black Friday deals
Canon Black Friday deals
Nikon Black Friday deals
Sony Black Friday deals
Olympus Black Friday deals
GoPro Black Friday deals

Back in the day, you'd have to physically go to Walmart on Friday to get Black Friday prices because they were in-store only. And if you went there in person on Monday, you wouldn't be able to get Cyber Monday prices because they were web-only.

Now, it's largely all just a free for all. Black Friday pricing is the same in a physical store as it is online, and many stores offer Cyber Monday deals even if they don't have a website! 

All of which begs the question… which is better? Are Cyber Monday deals the same as Black Friday? It's not quite that straightforward a question to answer. 

By and large, the best bargains and most headline-grabbing offers take place on Black Friday – such as Verizon's mindboggling deal where you can buy an iPhone 14 Pro and get a free iPad, Apple Watch and Beats headphones. 

The thing is, though, Black Friday offers increasingly run all the way through Cyber Monday, as the two events become less separate selling occasions and more punctuation points on the same extended sales parade. 

Many retailers do hold back specific deals for Cyber Monday that aren't available on Black Friday. Sometimes these are as good as or better than the Friday deals, sometimes they're not. Sometimes stores slash prices a bit more to clear inventory that didn't move over the weekend. Sometimes you've waited too long and you miss the best prices.

So, there's no hard and fast answer. Our best advice is, if you see a good price on something you're interested in, jump on the offers right away! Trust us, you don't want something to sell out because you're waiting for the price to drop even more!

Adobe Cyber Monday deals
Cyber Monday telescope deals
Cyber Monday drone deals

The best photo gifts are the perfect present for the loved one who has everything.

Whether you're looking for a unique birthday present or a thoughtful gift to commemorate a special occasion, the best photo gifts are a great way to show the recipient just how much you care. While the best canvas prints or the best photo printing online are the best way to display your favorite memories, photo gifts are often printed on more practical items that will be used every day. Whether you decide to go for one of the best photo books, a photo jigsaw puzzle or a funny photo mug, there's nothing better to show how much you care than putting the time and effort into creating something truly unique. 

One of the very best photo gifts is a beautifully put-together photo book that showcases all of the recipient's favorite memories. This is a particularly special present when celebrating a wedding, an anniversary or the arrival of a new child into the world. However, there are also plenty of other products that make up our best photo gifts list. 

To ensure the best results from your photo gift, make sure you use an image that isn't too dark or small. Dark photos might not translate very well in print – and smaller file sizes could cause your best photo gift to appear pixellated or blurry. However, most photo gift websites will warn you if the image you're using isn't suitable.

The best photo gifts

Mixbook is one of the most popular photo book retailers – and with good reason. A photobook allows you to compile shots from an event such as a party or holiday – and create a personalized album that makes a perfect gift.

A Mixbook photo book offers good quality printing for an affordable price. There are a wide range of design and layout options for users to choose from, which means you can customize your photo gift as much as you want. 

The Mixbook software is incredibly easy to use - you don't have to download anything, as it's all done in your internet browser. There are nearly 400 fully customizable templates, backgrounds and stickers to choose from, which enables you to create a perfectly polished photo book that will impress anyone who sees it. 

Cewe's school and office photo gifts are a great way of injecting some personality into boring stationary supplies and these pencils are perfect for anyone who loves to draw. You can choose from a big variety of designs and print your own images onto the front of the tin which contains 24 Goldfaber Aqua watercolour pencils. Whether you're giving them to someone going back to school or someone who may want pencils to take on their travels, this is a thoughtful gift that will hopefully spark some creativity. 

A canvas print is one of the best photo gifts you can get. Choosing a sentimental image (whether it's an engagement photo, a newborn snap or even a landscape shot of a meaningful location) to be the star of the show on a canvas print is a fantastic present – and CanvasPop is one of the best canvas print services available.

The clue being very much in the title, CanvasPop specializes in canvas prints, and are one of the best services in terms of ease of use, print quality, speed and cost. You can upload directly from image folders or Instagram and Facebook, with low resolution warnings in place for unsuitable imagery. CanvasPop may initially seem quite expensive, but the company offers regular deals of up to 50 per cent off, making for a significantly good cost-to-quality ratio. 

If you're looking for a photo gift that doesn't take itself too seriously, why not consider a photo puzzle? This is a great potential present that will ensure happy faced all round when opened. Costing $29.99, this Snapfish photo puzzle is made up of 252 pieces and comes in a gift box with a clear top so that the recipient can see exactly what they've got as soon as they open it. If you are looking for something more taxing, then there is a 500-piece option too for $39.99.

To help with putting the puzzle together, there's a reference print included as well. Snapfish often run discounts on their products, so make sure to check out the site via the link below to see what kind of deal the website might currently be offering.

There are plenty of the best photo gifts around, but a photo candle is definitely a new and interesting one from Shutterfly! Complete with pictures of the family children, this would make the perfect gift for a mom or grandma. This 15oz candle comes in either an unscented version, a 'Lavender Flower' scent or a 'Driftwood Indigo' scent. The RRP is $44.99, but the site has regular discounts.

There are also plenty of stylish designs to choose from - but we love this Gallery of Three option that allows you to use three photographs to create that ever special photo gift. Alternatively, if you're an InDesign whiz, you can also design your own version and upload it onto the site. 

Designed to feature exceptional print quality, the Mixbook poster prints are created with silver halide printing on durable, archive quality photo paper. Customers can choose from a glossy finish for a subtle sheen, or a matte finish for a modern effect. If you're not a fan of sticking posters directly onto walls, you can even choose whether you'd like your poster print to be framed or mounted. Alternatively, if you'd like to sort out the presentation of the print yourself, it can also be delivered rolled.

Featuring four sizes at affordable prices, the Mixbook poster prints make fantastic photo gifts for those wanting to share a special memory. 

If you're a budding chef and or a cocktail connoisseur, give the gift of carefully selected recipes with a personalized Mixbook Cookbook. What better way to show someone you love them than create a unique recipe book of all the foods they love.

Available in Portrait, Square or Landscape orientation, this cookbook from Mixbook is a great way to put a smile on your friend or family member's face. Plus, Mixbook offers plenty of stylish designs that will ensure that both you and your recipient are happy with your gift. 

Mixbook ships internationally but delivery isn't that cheap, even within the US. The budget option for an 8x10 times poster print with no frame is $9.99 while the or $33.99 for the premium. Shipment to the UK is £16.99 and Australia is AU$26.99 so there might be better options closer to home.

However the design process is made easy by a good selection of easy to use templates that you can drag and drop photos and text into to create the perfect recipe book. You can add your own messages, be that in-jokes or anecdotes to give it that extra sentimental touch. 

Whether you want to celebrate some upcoming nuptials, a birth announcement, a birthday or a graduation, why settle for a generic card bought in the supermarket? Instead, a personalized photo card is the perfect way to show someone how much you care. Luckily, Mixbook has a wide array of stylish photo card designs to explore – plus, you can customize your card with the in-built web editor, featuring flexible layouts, photo editing tools, graphics and over 200 fonts.

If you're a graphic design whiz, you can even create your own design from scratch with the Blank Card option. Alternatively, you might prefer to choose from one of the hundreds of stylish designs instead.

If you're looking for a new way to display your loved one's favorite photos, why not consider gifting them an acrylic photo block? This 6x6 inch block is free-standing, so the recipient of the gift will be able to place it anywhere from their office desk, to their kitchen windowsill, to their hallway side table. 

Bright, vivid photos are particularly well-suited to this photo gift, as the printing process will give the colors an extra pop. Meanwhile, the 3/4 inch thick plexiglass means that the acrylic photo block should be polished and durable – perfect for those who have young children running around and don't want to risk their photo gift being damaged!

Read more

• Best photo books
• Best photo printing online: top services from around the web
• Best greeting card software
• Best canvas print services
• Best photo albums
• The best digital photo frames

Coming up with (good) Father's Day gift ideas is always a tricky task. After all, there's only so many old DVD boxsets you can give before your presents start to feel a bit predictable. So what are you going to do this year's Father's Day on Sunday June 15?

Luckily, if your dad happens to be a photographer, he will likely be afflicted with the condition known as GAS: gear acquisition syndrome. This means that he will love anything to do with cameras – so we've come up with the best photography gifts to make your life a bit easier.

Whether you're shopping for a digital dad, an analog dad, a DSLR dad or a phone snapper dad, we're confident that a couple of these ideas will be just the thing!

Given Manfrotto's sterling reputation in the tripod market, it makes sense that the firm's mini support would also be impressive – and the Manfrotto PIXI is just that. It's a fairly standard mini tripod in a lot of ways, small enough to slip into a jacket pocket or small bag, and capable of holding up to 1kg of kit. It also adds into the mix a handy ball head with 360° of rotation and a simple push-button secure and release mechanism. Be aware that it doesn't tilt up more than 35°, making astrophotography impracticable.

In our review, we were impressed most of all by the build quality of the Manfrotto PIXI – its aluminium legs are smoothly curved in a way that just feels premium. What's more, when they close, they form a single rounded column that transforms the PIXI into a pretty serviceable camera grip, which is extra useful for video.

Read more: Manfrotto PIXI mini tripod review

If you're looking to flash a little more cash and you think your pop would enjoy an camera that he doesn't have to build himself, this is the coolest one you can buy right now. A limited edition version of the Polaroid OneStep 2 i-Type instant camera, this has a retro colorway and branding to match the hit Stranger Things Netflix series – making this an extra timely present if your dad is a fan of the supernatural show. 

Don't forget to pick up some film, as well – if you want prints that are as cool as the camera, grab a pack of Color i-Type Film Stranger Things Edition (8 shots per pack) with unique designs and logos inspired by the show. 

For just under $40, your dad can build his own camera with this upgraded version of the Konstruktor. It even comes with a PC socket for flash photography, though you’ll need the hot shoe adaptor in the optional accessory kit (another £17). However, we found there were a lot of plastic panels, parts, screws and springs to put together so this is one that will reward those with a degree of patience as well as constructing dexterity. 

Unsurprisingly, like the camera body itself, the lens here is plastic and has a focal length of 50mm and an aperture of f/10. We enjoyed using the waist level viewfinder and the through-the-lens viewing that comes courtesy of the spring loaded mirror level. Very Heath Robinson it may be, but it’s not without charm if your dad doesn't mind putting the initial work in.

Around the same size and shape as a computer mouse, Sandisk’s Extreme Pro CFexpress card reader is a nicely designed piece of kit. The spring-loaded memory card slot has a pleasing action too, with a gentle push of the memory card ejecting it from the reader.

In our testing, this reader hit a mighty impressive 718MB/s sustained read speed when transferring one large 4K video file. Image read/write rates of 534/410MB/s are just as incredible, easily eclipsing even the fastest UHS-II SD cards.

The only slight disappointment is that CFexpress cards are capable of even higher transfer speeds - up to 1700MB/s. The bottleneck here is likely the reader's USB 3.1 Gen 2 connection, which though very fast, can't keep up with the blistering performance available from CFexpress cards. But if you can live with that, this Sandisk CFexpress reader is a superb choice.

This is the baby of the OpticFilm range, yet it still boasts a respectable 7,200dpi maximum scanning resolution. It’s also a real optical film scanner and not just a digital camera sensor in a scanner body. This does however mean the 8100 is no speed demon. Each 35mm film frame takes nearly 4 minutes to scan at max res, but 3,600dpi is more than adequate for most film stocks and you’ll have a scanned frame in 1 minute 20 seconds. 

Though the front panel has a QuickScan button that automatically scans and saves a frame to you computer desktop, it’s best to load up the bundled SilverFast software that provides comprehensive scanning options and pre-scan image enhancement. Even without messing with the settings, and scanning at 3,600dpi, the 8100 is in a league of its own for scan quality, extracting bags of detail from our 35mm negs and transparencies. It also lets you scan the entire film frame with no overzealous cropping. The 8100 can struggle to reveal every detail in the shadow areas of high-contrast 35mm slide positives, but this is our only nitpick.

The FDR-AX43 may be compact but it doesn’t skimp on features. Fronted by a Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T lens, the FDR-AX43's niceties include a 20x optical zoom, 4K shooting (with super-down-sampling for 1080p displays), a low noise Exmor R CMOS sensor, and dual-video recording in XAVC S or AVCHD, plus easy to share MP4. For those who want convincing surround sound when playing back their footage into a home cinema or soundbar, there’s also a multichannel 5.1 microphone. Expect limitations in low light, but if you’re looking for an easy-to-manage but capable 4K shooter, then this model is a fantastic choice, and that balance between functionality, portability and price is why it takes our #1 spot.

Amazon’s Ring series of cameras – offered in black or white to fit any room – are simple to install, and not only can you see a live view via a phone app but if you have an Echo Show (Alexa with a screen) you just need to ask. The system is backed up by an integrated cloud service, of which you get a 30-day free trial, called Ring Protect, and offers phone alerts when it spots motion in an area of the camera’s view you define from the 140˚ field of view. A really nice touch is that the camera is offered as a basic model at a price to beat its competitor from Nest, but if you want extras – like battery backup or weather protection – you can choose different models with similar styling (though, oddly, ever-so-slightly narrower fields of view). There’s even a Solar HD option for the outdoor version, and a special app, Neighbors by Ring, to build a neighborhood watch group.

Read more: Ring Indoor Cam review •  Best Ring cameras

There's nothing better than sitting down and going through old photos together, but with so many of us still stuck in lockdown, this might not be possible for you and your dad at the moment. However, you can still celebrate memories together with a photo book. Whether you're reproducing old childhood photos, collating shots from a recent trip together, or simply putting his favorite images of his grandkids in one place, a photo book is a great way to keep your dad feeling connected. Printing a photo book might initially seem like a daunting task, but it's actually easier than you might think – check out our photo book creation guide here.

• Read more: Best photo books

There are some fantastic photography books out there (and more than a fair share of stinkers, too), but unless it happens to be written by your dad's favorite photographer it can be hard to pick one that you know he'll like. Fortunately, one of the best books around is the fantastic How to Photograph Absolutely Everything by Tom Ang – simply put, if you enjoy using a camera, you'll enjoy reading this book. 

A highly respected photographer and educator (or "sharer" as he prefers to put it), Ang has an effortless way of explaining things and his book really does show you how to photograph virtually everything. A great one for the bookshelf, and something dad will be sure to read cover to cover.

If your dad is anything like ours, his phone will be stuffed with pictures of kids, grandkids and perhaps the latest tomatoes sprouting at his allotment. Save him from his next moment of panic when his storage runs out with this handy little device. 

Designed for next-generation devices with the new USB Type-C port, you can now quickly and easily free up space on your smartphone with the SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive USB-C. It can transfer files between devices at USB 3.1 high speeds of up to 150MB/s. The SanDisk Memory Zone app for Android is then available to help your dad manage his device's memory and content.

The GoPro Max is a pitch-perfect blend of sophistication and useability. It's a deep camera, but also a highly accessible one, and that high-end GoPro waterproofing gives it an extra leg-up over a lot of the other cameras on this list. This is ultimately what clinches it as our #1 choice, though its stills/video quality is also good enough to pretty much manage this by itself. It'll do pretty well as a general vlogging camera thanks to the high-quality on-board microphones, and the app is really well put together, making it simple to control camera functions with your phone. This is one of the pricier cameras we've included, but it really is the best of the best in 360-degree imaging right now.

Read more: GoPro Max review

Something of a bargain, this pair of Celestron BaK-4 prism binoculars boasts 8x magnification and multi coated optics to keep your view as clear as possible. This isn't the only size available – you can get these Outland X binoculars in other magnifications and sizes too. They're suitable for outdoor use by birders and wildlife watchers, thanks not only to said magnification but also a sturdy polycarbonate build and waterproofing. 

The decent-sized 42mm objective lenses on offer here gather a lot of light, making these binoculars suitable for use in dim conditions as well as regular daylight. A large smooth-feel focus wheel aids operation and a long 18mm eye relief delivers viewing comfort. Capable of being tripod mounted if desired, a strap, lens cloth and carry case comes as standard, plus a limited lifetime warranty.

Need more inspiration? 

The 50 best photography and camera accessories
Best portable hard drives for photographers
44 best photography books for beginners and pros

It is easy to spend a lot on photographers during the holiday season. Everyone can make room in their gadget bag for the shiniest new camera, or the most sought-after lens. But what if you are doing your shopping on a strict budget, or looking for some great last-minute Christmas stocking filler ideas?

With days for Christmas shopping fast running out and the last online order dates coming up even faster – this selection of low-cost ideas may help you out.

We have rounded up a miscellany of fantastic ideas to entertain, educate or amuse the photo enthusiast in your life, and most of these stocking stuffers for photographers cost less than 15 bucks (or around a British tenner).

1. Hotshoe spirit level

This is the old-school way of ensuring that your horizons are straight and your buildings don't seem to lean like the Tower of Pisa. Slot it into the hot shoe of your DSLR or mirrorless camera, and let the bubble guide you to get your verticals upright and your horizontals dead straight.

2. Camera-shaped tin of fudge

This is a 2-in-1 present. It offers a retro-styled camera look and is packed with enjoyable 100g of vanilla fudge inside.

3. Mixbook's personalized photobooks

Give the gift of personalization this year to your photographer friends and family with a personal photobook of their work, it will not only be a great gift, but can also work as a great coffee book once the festivities are over.

4. Manfrotto PIXI Mini Tripod

Don't expect this to carry a heavy full frame DSLR however, this dinky tripod could be just the thing you need to accurately position a camera phone or compact camera. This Manfrotto PIXI Mini Tripod comes with a single-action adjustable ball head with a thread and weighs just 190g.

5. Photography magazine subscriptions

6. Sandisk Extreme 64GB SDXC memory card

Photographers can never have enough memory cards, so this is a present that they will definitely thank you for. The SD format is the most popular on today's cameras, so this is the safest option if are not quite sure what camera they use. This High Capacity SDXC card is from leading manufacturer Sandisk and offers a very useful capacity of 64GB and offers quick transfer speeds of 150MB/s. 

7. Hama LensPen

A two-in-one cleaning implement that looks like a pen. A retractable lens brush at one end is suitable for getting off dust of the front of your zooms and primes. And at the other end there is a velvet surface, underneath a protective cap, which is capable of removing grease and fingerprints.

8. AmazonBasics wireless remote control

A wireless remote is a great present for a new DSLR user - it is not just good for selfies, but for use with long exposures where you need to minimise any camera movement. This Amazon own-brand remote is great value and works with a wide range of Canon and Nikon DSLRs. 

Compatible Nikon models are: D3000, D3200, D3300, P6000, P7000, D40, D40x, D50, D5000, D5100, D5200, D5300, D60, D70, D7000, D70s, D750, D80, and D90. Compatible Canon models are: T4i, T3i, T2i, T1i, XT, XTi, 5D Mark II, 7D, 650D, 600D, 550D, 500D, 400D, and 350D.

9. ProOptic Lens Wrap

Lens wraps are great and cheap way of protecting lenses, cameras and other delicate accessories. This Adorama version is a 19-inch square of neoprene, which you can wrap around your kit and keeps tucked away and secure with the built-in Velcro strips.

10. $10 gift voucher

If you really don't know what to buy the photographer in your life, then this is definitely the solution for extreme last-minute shopping or if you are worried you will buy the wrong thing. Most retailers offer gift voucher options,  just choose an electronic voucher or a physical card.

• Check out the best online gifts to buy a photographer

11. AmazonBasics lens pouches

These cylindrical neoprene pouches are designed to give weather protection and shockproofing to your lenses whilst in transport. This is a set of four pouches, in four different sizes – and at $11.26 / £10.88 is a small price to pay for a bit of optical protection.

12. K&F Concept Blue Multi-Coated 43mm UV Filter

Filters are always a good option to give as a gift to a photographer, they come in various sizes to suit all lens types - so make sure you get the right diameter fitting.

13. Spare batteries

Now AA batteries might see a weird gift however, for photographers, AAs are still essential items for powering flashguns, which you may well need to have powered up ready to capture the festive celebrations.

14. A roll of Kodak black & white film

a lot of photographers are recently rediscovering 35mm film and this present may just encourage a photo enthusiast to dig out their old SLR or point and shoot to see if they can still take decent pictures without all the advantages of modern digital cameras. There are still plenty of films stocks to choose however, black and white is  a great place to rekindle a passion for analog photography, and this Kodak Tri-X is as about as classic as they come.

15. Lastolite 30cm reflector

Reflectors are one of the most useful pieces of kit a portrait or still life photographer can carry - and the diminutive size of this reflector means you can store it safely away in your pocket. While it may be small, the respectively silver and gold surfaces of this product make its light-reflecting power mighty. 

16. LCD Viewfinder 3x Loupe

Convert your LCD screen into a viewfinder! if your camera doesn't have a dedicated viewfinder, or you just prefer not to use it, the LCD Viewfinder 3x Loupe attached to a 3-inch LCD screen and magnifies it so you can use it as a makeshift viewfinder. It's especially useful when a camera is mounted on a tripod, and is a great choice for cheaper cameras that may not have a dedicated viewfinder. Other sizes are also available if you have a camera with an LCD larger than 3 inches.

17. Mixbook Custom Photo Calendars

One of the most unexpected and touching gifts you can get the photographer in your life is a collection of their best work produced as a calendar that they'll look at every day. Mixbook offer lots of different designs to suit your images, and your budget.

18. Magnum Photos: Field Notebook

• Magnum Photos: Street Photography Notecards

Magnum Photos is widely considered the industry’s gold standard. The legendary agency, whose co-founders include Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa, is arguably the most prestigious in the world. For the vast majority of photographers, though, no amount of from-the-hip street images or 4 am golden hour shoots are going to be enough to receive a membership invitation.

You can still send a taste of the high life to photographer friends, with this set of 16 Magnum notecards and envelopes, each featuring an image by a Magnum photographer.

More gift ideas:

Christmas gifts for photographers
Best photo gifts - give a personalized present
The photography books I want to get for Christmas
50 best camera accessories
The best GoPro accessories

It's no secret that photography can be an expensive hobby. Us photographers have wishlists of the gear that we constantly dream about as we're always on the hunt for the next bit of camera kit that will help us improve our photography game. 

Christmas is a great time to gift the photography lovers in your life a new gadget or gizmo that will expand their creative possibilities and help them take better photos, whether that's a new lens, camera bag, tripod, memory card or even a humble cleaning cloth.

There's a huge amount of choice when it comes to photography gifts that it's easy to be a bit overwhelmed, so in this guide we aim to make it easy to buy perfect presents for Canon photographers. So if you want to treat your better half, family member or friend to a new piece of photo kit and know they shoot on a Canon camera our top 30 picks below are for you!

1. Canon EOS M50

This budget-friendly mirrorless Canon EOS is small and mighty with a 24.1MP APS-C sensor for brilliant image quality, Dual Pixel CMOS AF for rapid autofocusing and a DIGIC 8 processor for speedy image processing. Too add to its impressive spec sheet is 4K video and 5-axis in-body image stabilisation as well as WiFi and Bluetooth!

2. PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine subscription offer!

Check out our incredible Christmas subscription deal for PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine just for you – save up to 33% when you subscribe today!

Subscribe, save money, and get your favorite Canon magazine delivered to your door every month! Don't miss out on this amazing deal available in the UK and overseas!

In every issue of the No.1 Canon photography magazine, we feature the best Canon pro photographers and the best EOS experts. Every issue is packed with new Canon techniques, tutorials and tests to help you take better photos, to inspire you, and to help you make more informed purchases!

3. 3 Legged Thing Ellie L-bracket

The Ellie is a brilliant L-Bracket that the PhotoPlus team has enjoyed on multiple photoshoots. It makes it a breeze to shoot in both the portrait and landscape orientations when working on a tripod and comes with tools for adjustment to help get a snug fit to your specific camera. It also comes in slightly different size variations and copper and grey colours.

4. Lensbaby Spark 2.0 Sweet 50 lens

Get amazing and unique shallow depth-of-field effects with this 2nd generation of Lensbaby's popular Spark lens. The new model comes with a bellows style design so you can push and pull the focus into place for incredible results. It also comes with a Sweet 50 lens and built-in aperture ring. Available for Canon cameras EF and RF mounts.

5. Canon PowerShot G7 X II

If you're after a pocketable but formidable camera then look no further than the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II which packs professional camera features into a compact camera that fits in a pocket.

Boasting a 1.0-tуре ѕеnѕоr, brіght f/1.8-2.8 lеnѕ аnd ѕuреrіоr DІGІС 7 рrосеѕѕіng еngіnе, thіѕ росkеt-ѕіzеd, lаrgе-ѕеnѕоr соmрасt оffеrѕ DЅLR-lіkе сrеаtіvіtу whеn сарturіng bоth ѕtіllѕ аnd Full НD vіdео.

6. Canon RF 35mm F1.8 IS Macro STM lens

If you own one of Canon's mirrorless full-frame bodies, such as the EOS R, EOS RP or EOS R6, then this may be the perfect lens for you. This 35mm optic is specifically made of Canon's full-frame mirrorless RF mount and is incredibly versatile with a wide-angle 35mm focal length, super wide f/1.8 maximum aperture for shallow depth-of-field effects and creamy bokeh as well as 0.5x macro functionality so you can super close to subjects too! 

7. Manfrotto XPRO Ball Head 200PL

Quickly compose your scene with this fantastic ball head from Manfrotto, featuring the traditional 200PL quick-release plate. This reliable and sturdy ball head weighs just 500g but can support up to 10Kg of camera equipment!

8. Polaroid Hi-Print 2x3 Pocket Photo Printer

Create ‘real’ 2x3" photo prints wirelessly direct from your smartphone for instant memories and a retro aesthetic - it's the perfect stocking filler!

9. SRB Photographic Elite Bundle Kit

This brilliant SRB Filter Kit comes complete with a circular polarizer, 10-stop neutral density filter, filter holder and protective carry pouch.

10. Lowepro Flipside BP300 AW III backpack

The latest generation of Lowepro’s legendary Flipside camera backpacks takes on a new layout and improved usability and durability. It also has an addition of a secure primary rear-access panel with an easy-grab rear handle. It boasts thеrmоfоrmеd frоnt rеіnfоrсеmеntѕ whісh оffеr hіgh аbrаѕіоn rеѕіѕtаnсе, аnd а РU соаtіng оn thе ехtеrіоr соаtіng whісh рrоvіdеѕ ехtrа рrоtесtіоn frоm thе еlеmеntѕ. Looking for a reliable camera backpack that can withstand whatever you throw at it? Look no further than the Lowepro Flipside BP 300 AW III.

11. Canon PIXMA TS6350/6320 printer

The perfect choice for printing of both documents and high-quality photos.

12. Canon EOS 2000D / Rebel T7 DSLR

If you're looking to see a big step up in quality from your phone, compact or even bridge camera then a DSLR would be a great choice for you. Canon's EOS 2000D / Rebel T7 is their most budget-friendly model, costing around £329 with a kit lens. Though an entry-level model, the EOS 2000D is packs some impressive features include a 24.1Mp APS-C sensor 19x larger than that of an average smartphone so you'll see a huge step up in image quality. It also has a robust build quality, optical viewfinder for easy composition, is capable of recording Full HD video clips and features WiFi and NFC connectivity so you can pair it to your smartphone. It also boasts Canon's EF-S lens mount allowing you to fit any of Canon's vast array of EF and EF-S lenses.

13. Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens

The 18-55mm kit lenses that come with the latest Canon cameras have fantastic autofocus and impressive sharpness, however they don't give you a very wide angle at the 18mm end (28.8mm full-frame equivalent). That's a where a wide angle lens comes in!

Canon's 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM lens gives you a much wider perspective to play with and is an affordable optic that compliments Canon's budget-friendly APS-C cameras, such as the EOS 2000D and 250D.

Having used this lens extensively, we found it to be super sharp and very fast to autofocus too thanks to its STM motor. It also features IS (Image Stabilisation) to help curb camera-shake when taking stills and recording video handheld. 

14. Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens

Every photographer should own a 50mm prime lens. Not only because they're fantastic tools for getting creative with photography, often boasting super fast apertures like f/1.8 which makes it much easier to blur backgrounds for super shallow depth-of-field effects and beautiful bokeh. But because they are some of the most affordable lenses that you can buy for your Canon EOS DSLR or mirrorless camera. This Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM costs just £129 brand-new so could be the perfect stocking filler this Christmas and offers brilliant value for money.

15. LensPen DSLR Cleaning Kit

The basic LensPen design has been around for many years and now comes in various sizes to suit lenses from large DSLR optics down to tiny phone camera hardware. We like the NLP-1 variant, the original design, which is suitable for larger lenses. Its standout feature is its 12mm diameter tip. This has a slightly concave surface to follow the curvature of your lens’s front element, and is coated in carbon to enable it to remove grease and fingerprints without resorting to a liquid cleaner. Amazingly, the system works. Lenses with lots of fingerprints will require around 10 seconds of wiping with the carbon tip to achieve a perfect finish, but more typically marked optics come up gleaming in moments. 

16. Canon Speedlite EL-100 Flashgun

An external Speedlite flashgun is useful for a huge range of photographic genres helping you illuminate dark scenes, fill in shadows or light your subjects creatively with off-camera flash. The EL-100 Speedlite is Canon's most budget-friendly flashgun that can be mounted to the hotshoe on your Canon EOS DSLR or mirrorless to provide more powerful lighting than the built-in pop-up, or can be used off-camera to get more creative with your lighting too. Although a very budget-friendly model, the EL-100 packs in impressive features like a stroboscopic mode, 2nd curtain sync, a manual zoom head that can be rotated and tilted to bounce of a wall or ceiling and has a powerful guide number of 26 too.

17. Canon BR-E1 Wireless Remote 

The BR-E1 allows you to trigger Bluetooth-compatible Canon EOS cameras from 5m away, opening up creative possibilities for you and your Canon camera. Shooting with a wireless remote is handy for shooting selfies and group photos, as well as wildlife where you need to keep distance from your camera. This brilliant Bluetooth remote controller is compatible with many Canon cameras including the entire EOS R range.

18. BlackRapid Breathe Binocular Strap

While it’s billed as a strap for binoculars, this neck strap will attach to a camera equally easily. Its unique feature is a breathable, stretchy and very flexible neck pad. It also folds small and can be detached quickly. Its price might be a little high for some, but you do get an impressive amount of engineering for your money here. Plus, black never goes out of fashion. 

19. SanDisk 32GB Extreme Pro 300MB/s UHS-II SDXC

Memory cards aren’t the most exciting of camera accessories, but if you want to get the best out of your device, they are essential. Not only does this 32GB SanDisk card provide enough capacity for over 4,000 22MP JPEGs (enough room for keeping you shooting all day without changing cards), but with shot speeds of up to 260MB/s, and transfer speeds up to 300MB/s, it’s easily fast enough to cope with 4K video recording and fast continuous stills shooting too. Put this SD card into a compatible Canon, and make card buffering a thing of the past. 

20. Hahnel ProCube II

Never be left without power again. Hahnel’s ProCube II is able to quickly and simultaneously charge a pair of LP-E6 Li-ion batteries, commonly used in Canon's EOS DLSR and mirrorless cameras, or the LP-E8 batteries used in more entry-level models. Alternatively you can even recharge four AA batteries for flashguns which is incredibly handy. It also shows the current charge level on its LCD display.

The ProCube II also has an output for a USB-charged device like a smartphone or compact camera, and comes complete with adaptors for UK, European and US plugs, making it an all-in-one charging solution.

With a 12V car lead included, you can even recharge your equipment en route to locations, something that could save the day if you forget that vital charging session the night before a big shoot. 

21. Hähnel Extreme HLX-E6N spare battery

Photographer's can never have too many spare batteries so they make an ideal stocking filler. We highly rate the Extreme batteries from Hahnel which not only have a bit more capacity than the stock ones from Canon, they're brightly coloured making them easy to find in your kit bag and have been injected with silicone making them super tough and more resistant to being drained quickly in cold weather.

Be sure to double-check you get the right battery though! These HLX-E6N batteries are very commonly used with Canon's DSLR and mirrorless cameras such as the EOS 6D Mark II and EOS R.

22. Western Digital WD Elements SE 2TB SSD

For backups when you’re working in the field, you need a compact, reliable and efficient storage solution. Look no further than the WD Elements SE portable hard drive. Available in a 2TB capacity, it will suit many different kinds of photographer, from a low-volume landscape shooters to a burst mode fanatic out capturing action, wildlife or location portraits. With a form factor that will easily fit in a camera bag (L x W: 11 x 8cm or 4.3 x 3.2in) and read speeds of up to 400MB/s when using the supplied USB 3.0 cable, the WD Elements SE will make the perfect Christmas gift. 

23. Lowepro Photo Active TLZ-45 AW Toploader bag

Toploader bags are perfect for carrying around your Canon EOS camera with a lens attached all-day. This Lowepro Toploader Photo Active TLZ 45 AW offers brilliant protection, keeping your camera safe when you're out on a shoot and it's top-loading design makes it easy and fast to pull out your Canon EOS and get shooting so you never miss a moment. It can easily hold a Canon EOS 700D 18-135mm f/3-5.6 lens attached or similar, so it's great for a one camera and lens setup. It's also a great way to store and protect your camera when it's not being used at home too.

24. Canon EF-S 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS STM Lens

Telephoto lenses bring far away subjects into close view, allowing you to get frame-filling shots of distant birds, people, architecture and much more. A telephoto optic is one that has a focal length above 50mm, which is roughly what the human eye can see, so a higher focal length will be more zoomed in. These lenses are usually quite expensive but at £309 Canon's EF 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM doesn't break the bank. 

In testing we found this lens to be super fast and responsive when using Canon's AI Servo mode to track moving subjects like birds. It's also impressively sharp for a such an affordable lens. As an EF-S mount optic it's only compatible with Canon EOS DSLRs that have an APS-C sensor, such as the 2000D, 250D, 700D and Rebel T5i.

25. Manfrotto Ezybox Speed-Lite 2

More of a flashgun accessory than one for your camera, the Ezybox Speed-Lite 2 has the power to dramatically improve the lighting in your images. A compact softbox that can be attached directly onto your flashgun on or off camera, it softens the previously harsh direct light of the flash for a much more flattering illumination. 

Compatible with a variety of flashguns, the Ezybox Speed-Lite 2 attaches firmly with a silicone strap and a tensioning dial straight to its head. With an inner and outer diffuser, which can be combined or used independently of each other, the intensity of its effect can be customised. 

26. Lee Filters Big Stopper

If there’s one landscape photography look that’s been on-trend in the last few years, it’s those streaky skies and ethereal misty water shots produced by ten-stop ND filters. Placed in front of the lens, these filters restrict the light that reaches the sensor, forcing the use of much longer exposure times than would normally be required.

One of the popular filters of this type is the Lee Filters Big Stopper, a pro-standard glass filter available in a range of sizes for use with the company’s various filter systems. Lee Filters even provides a free mobile app to calculate the exposure times required when using a Big Stopper and other filters the brand provides. 

27. Canon EOS RP full-frame mirrorless camera

If you're really looking to impress the photography lover in your life you could do far worse than gift them a Canon EOS RP. This is Canon's most affordable mirrorless camera body to feature a full-frame imaging sensor so it delivers outstanding image quality.

The EOS RP features a full-frame chip with 26.2Mp, can shoot ridiculously detailed 14-bit Raw files and can shoot an ISO value of up to 40,000. It also boasts no less than 4779 individual autofocus points, a speedy DIGIC 8 image processor, articulating touch screen and is compatible with Canon's latest and continually growing range of RF lenses.

28. Peak Design Cuff Camera Wrist Strap

An elegant and unobtrusive way to protect your camera from drops, the Cuff is a stylish wrist strap available in a range of different colour options. Cords rated to hold up to 90kg are fitted through a camera’s strap eyelets, before then being clipped securely into the Cuff’s unique Anchor Lock housing.

The magnetic wrist loop of the camera strap is then threaded over the hand, where it can then either be fixed in the open position, or comfortably cinched down for added security. For those with compact cameras, it’s an ideal way to protect and carry your setup without adding bulk. 

29. Manfrotto Pixi Evo mini tripod

Manfrotto’s Pixi mini tripods have been with us for several years, but this EVO version steps things up – literally – thanks to its extendable two-section legs. These can lock into six different extension points using an ergonomic push-button release on each leg. At full stretch there’s some flex when you mount a heavier DSLR, but Manfrotto’s 2.5kg load rating is reasonable. Keep the legs retracted to their shortest setting and the Evo feels much more stout, though this reduces the shooting height from 19cm to 15.5cm.

Alternatively, if you want to sink lower, the legs have a secondary angle setting selected using a simple but effective switch on the side of the ball head. This lets the head down to around 10cm off the deck. The ball head itself is of a usefully large size for a mini tripod and it clamps securely.

30. Spudz microfibre cleaning cloth

A microfibre cloth that tucks away inside a neoprene sleeve, Spudz cloths have been around for years and come in an array of different colours. As the 10 x 10in cloth never detaches from the sleeve, this product is a true all-in-one solution for keeping your lenses and LCD screens free of dust or streaks.

Simply attach the Spudz to your camera with the clip on the sleeve and you'll never have to reach very far for a cloth to clean your glass or screen. And as 15 different and fun sleeve finishes are available, you'll easily be able to match one to the personality of the photographer in your life. 

Read more

The best DSLR camerain 2021
The best mirrorless camera in 2021
The best online photography courses available right now

Christmas is a great time to gift the photography lovers in your life a new gadget or gizmo that will expand their creative possibilities and help them take better photos. But it's no secret that photography can be an expensive hobby, so we've sought out a selection of gifts for Nikon photographers that won't break the bank, including a camera bag, tripod, memory card, cleaning cloth – and even a fast-prime lens at a bargain price!

So if you want to treat your better half, family member, friend – or yourself – to a new piece of Nikon-fit photo kit, our top 12 picks are for you!

1. LensPen NLP-1

Price: £11.99/$9.95/AU$13

The basic LensPen design has been around for many years and now comes in various sizes to suit lenses from large DSLR optics down to tiny phone camera hardware. We like the original design, the NLP-1 variant, which is suitable for larger lenses. Its standout feature is its 12mm diameter tip. This has a slightly concave surface to follow the curvature of your lens’s front element, and is coated in carbon to enable it to remove grease and fingerprints without resorting to a liquid cleaner. Amazingly, the system works. Lenses with lots of fingerprints will require around 10 seconds of wiping with the carbon tip to achieve a perfect finish, but more typically marked optics come up gleaming in moments. 

2. BlackRapid Breathe Binocular Strap

Price: £28/$27/AU$65

While it’s billed as a strap for binoculars, this neck strap will attach to a camera equally easily. Its unique feature is a breathable, stretchy and very flexible neck pad. It also folds small and can be detached quickly. Its price might be a little high for some, but you do get an impressive amount of engineering for your money here. Plus, black never goes out of fashion. 

3. SanDisk 32GB Extreme Pro 300MB/s UHS-II SDXC

Price: £54.99/$44.99 /AU$129

Memory cards aren’t the most exciting of camera accessories, but if you want to get the best out of your device, they are essential. Not only does this 32GB SanDisk card provide enough capacity for over 4,000 22MP JPEGs (enough room for keeping you shooting all day without changing cards), but with shot speeds of up to 260MB/s, and transfer speeds up to 300MB/s, it’s easily fast enough to cope with 4K video recording and fast continuous stills shooting too. Put this SD card into your camera, and make card buffering a thing of the past. 

4. N-Photo magazine subscription

Price: 33% off subs offer!

N-Photo is the only magazine dedicated to Nikon photographers – and with 1/3rd off the newsstand price, a year's subscription to a monthly fix of all things Nikon really is the gift that keeps on giving all year round!

5. Hahnel ProCube II

Price: £69.99/$79.90/AU$114

Never be left without power again. Hahnel’s ProCube II is able to quickly and simultaneously charge a pair of batteries (individual models are dedicated to Canon, Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic and Sony batteries) or four rechargeable AAs in only 90 minutes, with their current power level clearly indicated on its LCD display. ProCube II also has an output for a USB-charged device like a smartphone or compact camera, and comes complete with adaptors for UK, European and US plugs, making it an all-in-one charging solution. With a 12V car lead included, you can even recharge your equipment en route to locations, something that could save the day if you forget that vital charging session the night before a big shoot. 

6. WD Elements SE 2TB SSD

Price: £89.99/$93/AU$345

For backups when you’re working in the field, you need a compact, reliable and efficient storage solution. Look no further than the WD Elements SE portable hard drive. Available in a 2TB capacity, it will suit many different kinds of photographer, from low-volume landscape shooters to a burst mode fanatic out capturing action, wildlife or location portraits. With a form factor that will easily fit in a camera bag (L x W: 11 x 8cm or 4.3 x 3.2in) and read speeds of up to 400MB/s when using the supplied USB 3.0 cable, the WD Elements SE will make the perfect Christmas gift. 

7. Manfrotto Ezybox Speed-Lite 2

Price: £59/$93/AU$195

The Ezybox Speed-Lite 2 has the power to dramatically improve the lighting in your images. A compact softbox that can be attached directly onto your flashgun on or off camera, it softens the previously harsh direct light of the flash for a much more flattering illumination. Compatible with a variety of flashguns, the Ezybox Speed-Lite 2 attaches firmly with a silicone strap and a tensioning dial straight to its head. With an inner and outer diffuser, which can be combined or used independently of each other, the intensity of its effect can be customized. 

8. Lee Filters Big Stopper

Price: £99.99/$151/AU$249

If there’s one landscape photography look that’s been on-trend in the last few years, it’s those streaky skies and ethereal misty water shots produced by ten-stop ND filters. Placed in front of the lens, these filters restrict the light that reaches the sensor, forcing the use of much longer exposure times than would normally be required. One of the most popular filters of this type is the Lee Filters Big Stopper, a pro-standard glass filter available in a range of sizes for use with the company’s various filter systems. Lee Filters even provides a free mobile app to calculate the exposure times required when using a Big Stopper and other filters provided by the brand. 

TTartisan 50mm f/1.2

Price: $98/£70/AU$126

A lens for under a ton is virtually unheard of, let alone a fast prime with an f/1.2 aperture, yet the TTartisan 50mm f/1.2 lens is available in Nikon Z-mount for just  $98 (approximately £70 / AU$126). The lens is constructed of seven elements in five groups, uses a 10-blade aperture diaphragm and has a minimum focusing distance of 50cm (20in). It measures 60mm (2.36in) long and 62mm (2.44in) in diameter, weighs 336g (11.85oz) and has a front filter thread of 52mm. It would be asking too much of a sub-$100 prime lens to feature autofocus, but Nikon Z-series cameras have the ability to use focus peaking, making manual focusing much more intuitive. The lens is available direct from TTartisan's online shop although the company has yet to confirm a price for UK customers.

10. Peak Design Cuff Camera Wrist Strap

Price: £26.95/$29.95/AU$45

An elegant and unobtrusive way to protect your camera from drops, the Cuff is a stylish wrist strap available in a range of different colour options. Cords rated to hold up to 90kg are fitted through a camera’s strap eyelets, before then being clipped securely into the Cuff’s unique Anchor Lock housing. The magnetic wrist loop of the strap is then threaded over the hand, where it can then either be fixed in the open position, or comfortably cinched down for added security. For those with compact cameras, it’s an ideal way to protect and carry your setup without adding bulk. 

11. Manfrotto Pixi Evo mini tripod

Price: £55.95/$53.98/AU$115

Manfrotto’s Pixi mini tripods have been around for several years now, but this Evo version steps things up – literally – thanks to its extendable two-section legs. These can lock into six different extension points using an ergonomic push-button release on each leg. At full stretch there’s some flex when you mount a heavier DSLR, but Manfrotto’s 2.5kg load rating is reasonable. Keep the legs retracted to their shortest setting and the Evo feels much more stout, though this reduces the shooting height from 19cm to 15.5cm. Alternatively, if you want to sink lower, the legs have a secondary angle setting selected using a simple but effective switch on the side of the ball head. This lets the head down to around 10cm off the deck. The ball head itself is of a usefully large size for a mini tripod and it clamps securely. It can also tilt through 90-degrees into portrait orientation, and a convenient wheel locks the ¼”-20 thread to your camera, so you don’t need to rotate the whole tripod.

12. Spudz microfibre cleaning cloth

Price: £6.99/$8.99

A microfibre cloth that tucks away inside a neoprene sleeve, Spudz cloths are tried and tested and come in an array of different colours. As the 10 x 10in cloth never detaches from the sleeve, this product is a true all-in-one solution for keeping your lenses and LCD screens free of dust or streaks. Simply attach the Spudz to your camera with the clip on the sleeve and you'll never have to reach very far for a cloth to clean your glass or screen. And as different and fun sleeve finishes are available, you'll easily be able to match one to the personality of the photographer in your life. 

Read more

The best DSLR camera in 2021

The best mirrorless camera in 2021

The best online photography courses available right now

Subscribe to our daily newsletter 

Maybe you're a Canon shooter looking for the most adorable holiday gift for your kids, relatives or other little ones. Or perhaps you're on the lookout for a present for the photographer in your life. Either way, this is probably the cutest photography gift we've ever seen: an official Canon teddy bear with a teeny tiny DSLR!

Available exclusively from the Canon store, this Collectible Canon Bear with Camera: costs $59.99 and comes with a miniature Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera complete with a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM II trinity lens (which can actually be removed from the camera body) and proper Canon camera strap.

Adorably, it also comes wearing a Canon-branded photo vest, Canon-red t-shirt and baseball cap, and has the Canon logo embroidered on the paw of its right leg. 

If you're not fussed about the pint-sized DSLR and lens (although, to us, that's the real charm of this little bear) you can also get the teddy on its own, without the camera, for $29.99.

The bear measures 6.3 x 4.7 x 8 inches, and Canon advises that it is for children aged 14 and up (no doubt due to the small parts and potential choking hazard). 

Unfortunately, the brilliant little bear is only available in the US and exclusively from the Canon USA online store. So if you're outside the United States you're currently out of luck… though we've already emailed Canon to ask if this is coming to other territories so we can get one ourselves! 

Read more: 

Best Canon cameras
Best Canon lenses
Best DSLRs
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV review
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM II

It's the season of giving – and receiving, if you need an excuse to spoil yourself with a treat! But of course, with photography being such an expensive hobby, it can be challenging to find a worthwhile gift that doesn't break the bank. 

Don't worry, though – we've put together a great gift guide to suit a variety of budgets. There's something here for everyone, from bags and software to cameras and lenses.  

And to make your budget stretch even further, think about picking up some kit second-hand. Buying used kit from retailers like MPB, the world’s largest resale platform for digital photography and film-making kit, isn't just better for your wallet – it's kinder to the planet as well.

Christmas Gifts: Under £100

Giving a great gift doesn't have to wipe out your Christmas bonus! Check out these smart bargain buys with real photographic flair.

Christmas Gifts: Under £150

If you've got a little more cash to splash, these quality gifts see style meet substance – but still won't break the bank.

Christmas Gifts: Under £200

If you're looking to spend a little bit more, check out this seriously good gear that’s not just for Christmas. 

Christmas Gifts: Over £200

If your wallet can accommodate it, pick out something special from this list to show how much you care.

Read more: 

Best cameras for photography
Best DSLRs
Best mirrorless cameras
Best camera bags
Best tripods
Best photo editing software
Best portable printers
Best flashguns

We’ve all missed out on so much in the last year – so this year, let’s make summer a season you’ll never forget, with memories you can keep for a lifetime. Think of that first BBQ on the beach with friends, the first visit to the local park with loved ones, the light of the candles on a delicious birthday cake; the first dance at a wedding or your first embrace with a loved one – all captured and presented in a beautiful CEWE PHOTOBOOK. 

Whether you’re a full-time professional or a passionate hobbyist snapping images on your phone, we’ve all become addicted to capturing a quick snapshot of special moments in time, turning them into everlasting memories to relive whenever you want. Whether you want to create a fun keepsake for yourself or design an unforgettable gift for a loved one, CEWE has an option for everyone to show how much you care. 

With fun, fast, stylish and easy-to-use templates in the CEWE Creator Software, you can start creating your memories today and see your images come to life immediately. With 24/7 full customer support and a 100% satisfaction guarantee, now is the time to preserve your summer of 'firsts' forever in a CEWE PHOTOBOOK.

Record precious moments in a CEWE PHOTOBOOK

Make your own CEWE PHOTOBOOK

Shooting photographs is just the first step in your project: now it’s time to tell a story, by designing your own narrative in a CEWE PHOTOBOOK.

Record family memories

Whether it’s the first or last time something happened, make sure you have it immortalised with the power of print, for all the family to look back on in years to come.

Thoughtful gifts for all

You don’t have to stop creating memories when summer ends. Why not create a yearbook filled with all your favourite memories from across the year? Whatever you choose to fill your CEWE PHOTOBOOK with, you can create an everlasting keepsake that makes the perfect thoughtful gift for your loved ones. 

Show images off in style

Discover a wide range of templates, layouts and designs in the CEWE Creator Software, helping you to create a professional product with ease.

Offering premium quality and style, CEWE is a UK manufacturer with products created by its own team of experts in a dedicated photo printing lab in the UK. Meanwhile, CEWE is sustainability-certified, with all products verifiably printed in a carbon-neutral process together with its environmental partners. Even more excitingly, CEWE has won the TIPA Award for Best Photo Print Service Worldwide for the last four consecutive years. 

Discover CEWE's award-winning service today at cewe.co.uk.

When you think of the benefits you get from an Amazon Prime subscription: exclusive discounts, priority shipping and Prime Video streaming immediately come to mind. But did you know that signing up to Prime also gives you unlimited full-resolution cloud photo storage in the form of Amazon Photos?

Now we’re seeing cloud photo storage providers like Google restricting the resolution of stored images, while the likes of Flickr cap its free storage at 1 terabyte, truly unlimited online photo storage is becoming increasingly special.

Like the best cloud storage services, using Amazon Photos means you can upload your images to the cloud so they're safely backed up. This then means you can delete images from your phone or tablet to free up storage space on your devices, while still being able to access them quickly and easily through the Amazon website, or via a dedicated Amazon Photos app for iOS or Android.

Let's take a look at what else Amazon Photos gives you, and whether it alone could be worth the monthly cost of signing up for a Prime membership...

What files can I upload?

In short, pretty much any image file format, whether compressed or raw. We tested this with raw files from recent Canon, Nikon and Panasonic cameras and encountered no problems. Even an unusual 51MP, 101MB .3FR Hasselblad raw file uploaded and previewed on Amazon Photos without issue. It’s worth noting that animated picture files like iOS Bursts, Google Motion photos and 3D photos are not supported.

You can also uploaded video files to Amazon Photos, but given this is Amazon Photos, video storage isn’t really the prime (ahem, pun alert) focus here. As such, storage capacity for video files is limited to 5GB and will soon fill up if you shoot 1080p video or higher. You can chose to increase this for an extra monthly premium on top of your Prime membership cost. Currently, 100GB will set you back $19.99/year (£1.49/month), 1TB $59.99/year (£7.99/month), and 2TB $119.98/year (£15.99/month).

Can I share my photos easily?

Amazon Photos isn't just a private online vault in which to back up your photos. If you want, you can also share stored photos to friends, family via a direct web link to one or multiple images, or you can share direct to your Facebook news feed.

Not only that, there's also the Family Vault. This acts as a communal folder for you and up to 5 members of your family to access and add photos to, so each participant can share images by simpl copying them from their private Photos storage into the Family Vault. All you have to do to invite family members to join your Vault is send an invitation via email or SMS.

Extra features

Not only can Amazon Photos store your images and display them in folders of your choice, you can also use it for basic image editing. Now, don't get too excited - Photoshop this is not. The editing options available range from your typical brightness, contrast, saturation and exposure compensation sliders, through to cropping, aspect ratio and image rotation adjustment. You can also apply multiple image enhancement filters, both color and monochrome, as well as add text to an image, and that's about it. It's no substitute for even free image editing software, but if you just need to make a quick tweak to an image, these editing options can be handy to have.

If you want to upload other files types like documents or music, there's also Amazon Cloud Drive. This is separate to Amazon Photos and works as a general cloud storage folder for any file type - think Amazon Drive as just an external hard drive, but on the internet. It storage capacity is tied to the video folder of Amazon Photos, so you get 5GB of storage included with your Prime membership, but to get additional Amazon Drive capacity, you'll need to pay extra for either the 100GB, 1TB or 2TB storage boost options.

What happens if I cancel my Prime membership?

Amazon isn’t completely forthcoming about what would happen to your photos if you unsubscribe from Prime. It simply states that:

“If you cancel your Prime membership, you will no longer receive unlimited photo storage. Your total storage amount will be reduced to 5 GB, which is the amount of storage available to non-Prime Amazon customers…If your stored photo and video content exceeds 5GB, you can purchase additional storage”.

However, for users that have purchased additional Photos storage to store extra videos, Amazon has a bit more detail on what would happen should you cancel an addition storage plan (separate from your core Prime subscription):

“if your stored content is greater than the free storage quota on your account, you will not be able to upload additional files. You will, however, be able to view, download, and delete content. You should delete the over-quota content within 180 days or sign up for a different storage plan. After 180 days, content will be deleted starting with the most recent uploads first, until your account is no longer over-quota.”

Now, this policy may not apply in the same way to an expired Prime subscription, but it at least suggests that stored photos might not be immediately deleted should you unintentionally or intentionally cancel Prime, and you could at least get a grace period to log in and download your shots to a local hard drive before Amazon pulls the plug. Even so, this is still speculation and you should assume that if you cancel prime, there's still a chance Amazon could quickly delete images stored on Amazon Photos.

Verdict

If you're after a simple and convenient way to keep your images backed up, or just free up some space on your phone or tablet, Amazon Photos makes a strong case for itself. By offering completely unlimited storage capacity for original quality, full-resolution compressed and raw images, it immediately outguns many rival cloud image storage solutions. If you've already got a Prime membership, it's a complete no-brainer - use Amazon Photos!

If you don't already have Prime, the cost of a Prime membership just to get Amazon Photos isn't bad value, but you should also consider the best cloud storage providers. Our top pick is currently iDrive, which at the time of writing offers 5TB of storage for $52.12 for your first year, equating to $4.34/month. That not only undercuts an Amazon Prime subscription by a significant margin, but it also allows you to store any file type in your 5TB storage allowance, not just images. Remember, Amazon will only let you have a maximum of 2TB of any-file storage in Amazon Drive, and even that will cost you an extra monthly premium on top of your Prime subscription, making it very poor value next to a service like iDrive.

To sum up: if you just want to store a ton of images at original quality, Amazon Photos is great, providing you already have a Prime membership, or will use other Prime services like Prime Video to help justify the cost. But if you want to store videos or other files, signing up to a conventional cloud storage provider will offer better value.

More buying guides

• The best cloud storage providers
• The best desktop external hard drives
• The best portable hard drives
• Best internal SSDs
• Best flash drives
• The best cloud storage for photos 
• The best monitors for photo editing
• The best budget laptops for photographers
• The best memory card readers

Coming up with Father's Day gift ideas is always a tricky task. After all, there's only so many old DVD boxsets and bottles of booze you can give before your presents start to feel a bit predictable. So what are you going to do this year's Father's Day on Sunday 20 June?

Luckily, if your dad happens to be a photographer, he will likely be afflicted with the condition known as GAS: gear acquisition syndrome. This means that he will love anything to do with cameras – so we've come up with the best photography gifts to make your life a bit easier.

Whether you're shopping for a digital dad, an analog dad, a DSLR dad or a phone snapper dad, we're confident that at least a couple of these 10 gift ideas will be right up his alley!

For just under $40, your dad can build his own camera with this upgraded version of the Konstruktor. It even comes with a PC socket for flash photography, though you’ll need the hot shoe adaptor in the optional accessory kit (another £17). However, we found there were a lot of plastic panels, parts, screws and springs to put together so this is one that will reward those with a degree of patience as well as constructing dexterity. 

Unsurprisingly, like the camera body itself, the lens here is plastic and has a focal length of 50mm and an aperture of f/10. We enjoyed using the waist level viewfinder and the through-the-lens viewing that comes courtesy of the spring loaded mirror level. Very Heath Robinson it may be, but it’s not without charm if your dad doesn't mind putting the initial work in.

If you're looking to flash a little more cash and you think your pop would enjoy an camera that he doesn't have to build himself, this is the coolest one you can buy right now. A limited edition version of the Polaroid OneStep 2 i-Type instant camera, this has a retro colorway and branding to match the hit Stranger Things Netflix series – making this an extra timely present if your dad is a fan of the supernatural show. 

Don't forget to pick up some film, as well – if you want prints that are as cool as the camera, grab a pack of Color i-Type Film Stranger Things Edition (8 shots per pack) with unique designs and logos inspired by the show. 

Magnum Photos is widely considered the industry’s gold standard. The legendary agency, whose co-founders include Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa, is arguably the most prestigious in the world. For the vast majority of photographers, though, no amount of from-the-hip street images or 4am golden hour shoots are going to be enough to receive a membership invitation.

You can still give your dad a taste of the high life, though, with this embossed Magnum field notebook. It's perfect to stick in the sleeve of a camera bag and jot down shoot plans, settings and setups – along with all the important stuff that dads need to scribble down in a hurry when they're on the phone. 

There are few things more infuriating than getting home after a long day of shooting, loading all the photos onto the computer and then finding out that the color temperature of the shots is all over the place. If you've ever walked past your dad's office while he's editing and heard some salty language being muttered, there's a good chance this is the reason.

Help him out by picking up the new ColorChecker Passport, which doesn't just help ensure that your colors are properly calibrated – it has handy (and accurate) grey and white cards as well. Trust us; long after dad's favorite bottle of whisky is empty, he'll still be thanking you for this gift.

If your dad is anything like ours, when he uses his smartphone to take a photo, there's a pregnant pause when he tries to figure out how to hold it, forgetfully puts it up to his eye, then takes a pic and scoffs that "It's not like a real camera, is it?" While it won't magically turn his phone into an SLR, the Umiko 3D Camera case will at least make it look and feel a bit more like something he's used to.

This iPhone case even comes with a lanyard that mimics a camera strap, should your dad be the sort that loses his handset all the time. Probably won't stop him trying to keep turning the ring on the artificial lens, though. 

There's nothing better than sitting down and going through old photos together, but with so many of us still stuck in lockdown, this might not be possible for you and your dad at the moment. However, you can still celebrate memories together with a photo book. Whether you're reproducing old childhood photos, collating shots from a recent trip together, or simply putting his favorite images of his grandkids in one place, a photo book is a great way to keep your dad feeling connected. Printing a photo book might initially seem like a daunting task, but it's actually easier than you might think – check out our photo book creation guide here.

• Read more: Best photo books

This is one of the most affordable Lensbaby special effects lenses, and it's great fun to play with. This lens creates a selective focus effect that you can control through squeezing and tilting the lens to move the 'sweet spot' of focus around your potential image. It might take a little practice to finetune the effect, but it's easy to pick up. The plastic build might feel a little cheap to some, but this super light lens is virtually unbreakable. The Lensbaby Spark is mostly marketed as a portrait lens, but it can add an extra bit of flavor to any genre of photography.

There are some fantastic photography books out there (and more than a fair share of stinkers, too), but unless it happens to be written by your dad's favorite photographer it can be hard to pick one that you know he'll like. Fortunately, one of the best books around is the fantastic How to Photograph Absolutely Everything by Tom Ang – simply put, if you enjoy using a camera, you'll enjoy reading this book. 

A highly respected photographer and educator (or "sharer" as he prefers to put it), Ang has an effortless way of explaining things and his book really does show you how to photograph virtually everything. A great one for the bookshelf, and something dad will be sure to read cover to cover.

Sometimes one of the best ways to experiment with your photography gear isn't about what's behind your lens, but rather what's in front of it. The Lensbaby Omni Creative Filter System is designed to add a splash of color to your images through this unusual set-up. All you need to do is screw one of the filter rings onto your lens and then use one of the magnetic Effects Wands to help distort the light as it enters the lens. This is actually pretty similar to the common DIY hack of holding transparent sweet wrappers over the end of your lens to cast a colorful hue. However, this filter system helps make the creative process as easy as possible. 

A reflector is something that just about every photographer should have in their bag. However, because they can be so bulky even when folded down, the choice is often to either take a bigger camera bag or leave the reflector behind. That's no longer an issue, though, with the Lastolite HaloCompact – a reflector that doesn't just fold down, but completely collapses to take up about as much space as a hot dog. 

The HaloCompact comes out of its bag as a series of connected rods that spring together, on top of which you can clip either a reflector or a diffusion cover (see video above). Et voila! You now have a fully structured reflector that only takes up a fraction of the space, meaning you can finally put one in a small kit bag. 

If your dad is anything like ours, his phone will be stuffed with pictures of kids, grandkids and perhaps the latest tomatoes sprouting at his allotment. Save him from his next moment of panic when his storage runs out with this handy little device. 

Designed for next-generation devices with the new USB Type-C port, you can now quickly and easily free up space on your smartphone with the SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive USB-C. It can transfer files between devices at USB 3.1 high speeds of up to 150MB/s. The SanDisk Memory Zone app for Android is then available to help your dad manage his device's memory and content.

Need more inspiration? 

The 50 best photography and camera accessories in 2019
The best portable hard drives for photographers in 2019
The best camera backpacks in 2019: carry camera gear, laptops and more
The best photography books for beginners and pros in 2019

We're still waiting on Amazon Prime Day 2021, but the international online retailer isn't holding back on its discounting spree.

Amazon Australia has kicked off a massive Mid-Year Sale that will go from May 28 and will run for 10 days. Over that time, there's going to be discounts on select camera gear, and we'll be right here to help sort out the best bargains. Amazon will be dropping different deals over the duration of the sale and we'll keep this page updated to help you find the some juicy piece of kit for less.

Unlike Prime Day, you don't need to be a Prime member to ship during Amazon's Mid-Year Sale. It's for anyone with an Amazon account. However, some items, if they're less than AU$39, will incur a shipping fee. If you're keen to avoid that, you can sign up for a Prime membership now for just AU$6.99 p/m and you'll even get a free 30-day trial period.

Amazon Mid-year Sale 2021: best camera deals

Looking for a great Valentine's Day gift for your photographer partner? Choose from romantic photo books, tasteful camera jewelry and more in this romantic gift guide. 

January has drawn to a close and the season of lurrrve is upon us. But while Valentine's Day should simply be a day devoted to the love you share with your partner, it can often be complicated by choosing which gift you should buy to show your partner they're still the apple of your eye. Sure, you can pick up a bog-standard box of chocolates, or the last sad dregs from the supermarket flower stand. Or maybe you could take inspiration from your kid's primary school art class and hand-make them a card. 

Alternatively, if your partner is a keen snapper, why not make this their best Valentine's Day yet. Choose from our fantastic Valentine's Day gifts for photographers guide for guaranteed happiness.

• Read more: Best camera accessories, gadgets and gifts for photographers

Best Valentine's Day gifts for photographers

When it comes to the best photo book services in the UK, CEWE leads the way. Not only are the products affordable, the high-quality finish and range of options are second to none. A beautiful book starts with the right paper and CEWE has six luxury options to choose from, each of which has been selected for its quality and print suitability. 

CEWE has it's own award-winning design software, for which you'll find a page dedicated to tutorials on how to create and make the most of your photo book design. There's also the ability, for an added cost, to get gold or silver highlights for any hardcover CEWE photo book. 

Whether you've been with your loved one six months or six years, a beautifully printed photobook is the perfect way to look back over the memories you've shared together. With a range of designs to choose from, a quick turnaround time and easy-to-use software, it's not too late to create one in time for the 14th!

Canon's 2.7-inch square photo printer is perfect for printing out your smartphone snaps to give to your loved one this Valentine's Day. Nothing beats a thoughtful, sentimental present and as they say, a picture speaks a thousand words. 

When stored correctly, Canon claims that prints can last for over 100 years which means that long after you and your loved one depart from this world your love could live on- cute! It takes just 43 seconds to print an image, the QX10 is small enough to fit in your handbag making it perfect for future weekends away, festivals or maybe even a future wedding?! Print quality is fantastic thanks to its dye-sub technology and it comes in a range of colors including pink, white and green and black.  

Read our full Canon Selphy Square QX10 review

If you're after an instant camera that can print square photos the Instax Square SQ1 is one of our favorites. It's powered by two CR2 batteries and is rumored to last a massive 300 shots - that's 30 packs of films! For those who love Polaroids but don't want to fork out for the cost of Polaroid film, the Instax Square offers a slightly cheaper alternative as packs of film are $18.90/£16.99 for 20 shots compared to $33.72/$30 for 16 shots which are worth thinking about in the long run. 

We're sad to see much-loved features found on the Instax Square SQ6 such as a self-timer and tripod mount missing but it's still a brilliant little camera capable of producing high-quality prints that make lasting memories. Choose from a range of colors including this Valentine's worthy Blush Gold. 

If you're after a photo gift that's a little bit quirky this Valentine's Day look no further than the Lensbaby Creative Bokeh Optic kit. Instead of shooting regular round bokeh you can add a touch of creativity to your photos with hearts, swirls or even bird-shaped bokeh! You will need the Lensbaby 50mm f/2.5 lens in order to use this kit but at £135 it's not too expensive to buy and will certainly add a little something different to your photos. 

This lamp emakes the perfect addition to a camera lovers living room, office or studio! It's laser cut using acrylic and is mains powered so you never need to worry about replacing batteries. It would look great on a shelf where you store your camera gear or as a quirky source of light on your desk. It delivers a warm, soft light and comes with a meter long  power cord. 

If you're truly stuck and you don't know what to get your photography-loving partner, an Amazon gift card might just be the right answer. "But that's a cop-out!" I hear you cry. "Not so," we would answer. An Amazon gift card can be spent on essentially anything that your loved one desires. If they've been saving up for a new camera, Amazon tends to have the best price on the majority of models anyway, so their gift card will help chip a little more off. 

Alternatively, if they'd rather buy something a little less expensive, such as one of the best books on photography (or even just a regular book), then they'll be able to indulge guilt-free. Some Amazon gift cards even come in a nifty little box, making wrapping that much easier. 

• Best cameras for beginners

No matter whether it's a wedding, gig or birthday dinner, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 is a camera that can be used by pretty much anyone. It's small enough to fit in a handbag or large coat pocket, this latest version has auto exposure, a built-in flash and comes with a set of 3 color-correcting filters. The Instax Mini range is arguably what made instant cameras cool again and we are here for them. 

• Best instant cameras

Instax film comes in different sizes... but the most popular instant cameras use Instax Mini film – as used in the Instax Mini 9, Mini 90, Mini 70, Leica Sofort and so on. There are fun film options that give fun borders to the instant prints, but the plain white-bordered color film is the safest gift option.

• Cheap Instax film deals

Read more

Best photo printer : top regular and wide format photo printers
Best photo albums
Best portable printer for photos for smartphones, laptops and more

When it comes to the best photo book services in the UK, CEWE leads the way. Not only are the products affordable, the high-quality finish and range of options are second to none. A beautiful book starts with the right paper and CEWE has six luxury options to choose from, each of which has been selected for its quality and print suitability. 

CEWE has it's own award-winning design software, for which you'll find a page dedicated to tutorials on how to create and make the most of your photo book design. There's also the ability, for an added cost, to get gold or silver highlights for any hardcover CEWE photo book. 

We’re not really a fan of having to download an app to be able to order from a photo finishing platform. However, despite being required to do this in order to be able to design our photo book, we did find the software quick and easy to download. It was also simple to navigate for our photo book creation process as well.

Using the photo book creator tool, you can add and edit text easily, choosing from a wide range of fonts and sizes to personalize your book. The CEWE Photoworld book assistant (CEWE’s tool for automatically arranging your images) is also one of the cleverer ones we’ve tested, allowing you to customize what number of photos are spread across what number of pages.

One of the first things we noticed when we took the CEWE photo book out of the fairly minimal packaging was how crisp the image on the front cover was. When compared with front covers on the other photo books we’ve reviewed, CEWE Photoworld’s offering had much more detail. In addition, while the color accuracy wasn’t quite perfect, it was much better than the majority of the other books. 

Inside the book we found that the paper stock was really good quality and the images were printed sharply and fairly accurately. It’s worth noting that the sharpness of the printing does mean that noise is much more likely to show up than in other books. We also found that the prints in general ran a little darker than the other photo books we reviewed. 

"An Amazon gift card? But isn't that a giant cop-out?" You might say, as you frantically scour the web for the perfect present for the photographer in your life. Au contraire, friend! Speaking as a self-admitted incredibly picky receiver of gifts, a gift card is actually the holy grail of presents. Traditional gifts can be well-intentioned, but if you're not intimately familiar with the receiver's camera bag, then you could end up duplicating what they already have. 

On the other hand, cold hard cash can seem pretty tempting at first, but it's far too easy for it to disappear on essentials such as rent, food or bills. Getting a gift card for the photographer in your life means that they know they've got a spare bit of cash waiting for exactly the right moment – and they know that the money can't be frittered away on something else in the meantime. 

An Amazon gift card is one of the best gifts for photographers, as Amazon offers a wide selection of camera gear from the best tripods, to the best camera bags.

• Boxing Day camera deals

Amazon gift cards for photographers

Read more

Best mirrorless camera
Best Nikon camera
Best Sony camera
Best Canon camera

Over a quarter of consumers plan to give at least one used gift this Christmas, as the dual concerns of a tough financial year and environmental awareness have resulted in a more positive attitude towards sustainable gift giving. 

The so-called Attenborough Effect – named for Sir David Attenborough, the legendary naturalist and host of documentaries such as Blue Planet II – has seen consumers adopt a more ecologically friendly mindset. 

This has been born out by research conducted by retailer MPB, which specializes in used photography and videography equipment. The investigation found that 26% of British consumers intend to give a used gift this holiday season; of those, 37% are doing so to cut costs, while 31% are motivated by environmental concerns.

It's representative of a growing consciousness about sustainable shopping, with 54% of respondents stating that they are increasingly concerned about the environment. Indeed, 45% will make an effort to purchase products with packaging that can be recycled, with 40% intending to use recyclable gift wrap and send recyclable cards.

While the intention and consideration are certainly there to give more sustainable gifts, there is still a hesitation about giving someone a used present; 35% responded that they would like to give a second-hand gift, but would worry that the recipient would be upset or offended by the gesture. 

However, 45% of those involved in the research said that they would be happy to receive a used gift (provided it is in good condition), with 30% saying that they would actually prefer to receive a second-hand gift. 

"The data shows the stark reality of the pressures gift givers face at Christmas time, yet many people hesitate to gift used, which is more sustainable and often offers better value," says Matt Barker, CEO of MPB. "That said, it’s heartening to see that so many people are open to receiving something special that comes with its own unique history and backstory.  

"At MPB, we have always championed buying used – but we expect to see an even bigger boom in used retail over the next 12 months as the trend for buying sustainably continues to grow. The world needs more circular businesses, who advocate the mentality that buying used is better than buying new – and begin to offer products that, quite literally, don’t cost the earth."

If you're interested in gifting (or even buying yourself!) a used camera, lens, flashgun or other piece of photographic of videographic equipment, visit MPB to browse virtually every digital camera system under the sun. 

Read more: 

Best mirrorless camera
Best DSLR
Best camera under $500 / Best camera under £500
Best cheap cameras

We're only halfway through the Black Friday / Cyber Monday weekend and I've already spent $3,896.12.

And, with the Cyber Monday camera deals still throwing up more and more ridiculous savings, that's a figure that could easily continue to rack up before Tuesday rolls around and I finally put my credit card away. 

It's a bit of a joke among the DCW team that I'm addicted to buying camera gear. And it's hard to argue; I did, after all, spend $300 in October importing a Pokémon-themed version of the Canon Ivy Rec from Japan – a camera that only costs $49, if you just buy one in the States that isn't yellow and doesn't have a Pikachu on it. 

So, admittedly, I have a bit of an issue. However, in years past I haven't approached Black Friday and Cyber Monday with a shopping list in mind; if there were any ridiculously good deals, then cool, I'd buy something. (Last year I ended up buying a dishwasher, but nothing for my camera bag.) 

This year, though, was a little different. There were a couple of things that I knew I wanted, and that my Spidey Sense told me were going to be on offer, so I bided my time. I waited with ninja-like patience to see if the deals rolled in – and, sure enough, they did. So what did I get? 

Well, amazingly, I spent almost four thousand dollars on just three things. That's what being a Canon EOS R5 owner gets you… 

Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM

This is, hands down, the best portrait lens I've ever used. You could make the argument that a great 135mm might have it outclassed (though if it does, don't tell me as I can't afford anything else right now), but it's certainly the best 85mm lens out there.

I actually intended to buy this lens last year, before Canon teased me with the R5 and I knew I'd be shelling out for that first. It was a toss-up between this and the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS, the Defocus Smoothing version of the lens that renders unfathomably smooth bokeh. 

Thankfully, while this lens is an eye-watering £2,799 in the UK, I took advantage of the double cashback in the Canon Cyber Monday deals to save £400. Fun fact: I'm also REALLY tempted to buy the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, since that's got a crazy cashback offer as well… 

Moment CineBloom diffusion filters

If you're anything like me, you love digital cameras and modern lenses for how crisp, clean, sharp and precise they are. However, you also long for the days when cameras and lenses had real character. 

I love nothing more than whacking an old Helios or Super Takumar lens on the front of my camera because modern lenses just don't have that softness to the skin, that smoothness to edges, that haze and bloom surrounding bright areas of light. These are, technically, imperfections and shortcomings, of course – part of the reason that 85mm f/1.2L lens is so expensive is precisely because it is so clinical. 

Still, I miss that character, that soul, that cinematic richness of my old film lenses. Which is why I picked up a pair of these brilliant Moment CineBloom diffusion filters – both in 20% strength (because I ain't buying these things to be subtle), one 62mm to fit a couple of lenses for my Olympus cameras, and one 82mm to fit my new RF 85mm. Each filter is discounted by $10 right now, so you can grab a few guilt-free.

Will I be buying anything else over the next couple of days? Well, I've already got an Xbox Series X, but if there's a PS5 in stock in the Sony Cyber Monday deals, hmm…

Read more: 

Cyber Monday camera deals in the UK
Best Canon RF lenses
Canon EOS R5 review

Whether you’re doing paid shoots for clients or creating images purely as a fun side hobby, there’s no getting around the fact that new cameras are expensive. 

That said, getting your hands on a fresh model is also an exciting and inspiring milestone, which can spark off an interest in other genres, lighten up your kitbag, or bring extra shooting features. The spend doesn’t always have to be chunky, either, especially if you look at used gear. 

Often you can access a more advanced setup if you buy second-hand, making it a better decision for your wallet, as well as the environment and your photography. To put this theory to the test, we turned to MPB, the world’s largest resale platform for digital photography and film-making kit. 

2020 has been tough, and saving money is at the forefront of our minds, so instead of featuring the newest cameras with mega price tags, here’s our pick of awesomely affordable used cameras from MPB that are top of the Christmas list. 

Find out more at www.mpb.com

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

MPB price: from £1,219

This is still the go-to camera of choice for so many pro photographers, and for good reason – the 5D Mark IV DSLR is an outstanding stills photography option as well as a 4K-capable video machine. With a 30.4MP full-frame CMOS sensor, expandable ISO range of 50-102,400 and an absolute workhorse build, it’s the perfect choice if you’ve always wanted to upgrade to a full-frame pro-grade DSLR.

Nikon D810

MPB price: from £779

A near-perfect all-rounder, the D810’s full-frame 36.3MP sensor will enable you to print to a large scale. It’s still an excellent camera that’s well-suited to landscape, still-life and macro photographers, yet is also capable of delivering superb sport, action and wildlife photos. With a comfortable camera grip and epic weather-sealing, this is the model for you if you want a high-performing and versatile model but are less worried about its size.

Sony Alpha A7R II

MPB price: from £999

One for tech-lovers and video shooters, this camera features the world’s first back-illuminated full-frame 42.4-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor. This means it can deliver high resolution, high sensitivity (expandable up to ISO 102,400) and high speed AF. It has five-axis image stabilisation and 4K video to boot, and the Sony lens range is constantly growing.

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

MPB price: from £474

This Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera offers a 20.4MP Live MOS sensor. It’s popular with adventure and wildlife pros because of its small form factor, and the truly blistering 60fps maximum continuous shooting rate. If video is your thing, there’s in-camera 4K time-lapse sequences, as well as five-axis image stabilisation to minimise camera shake when shooting handheld. This is a great camera to perhaps add to (rather than replace) your full-frame setup, perfect for capturing pro stills and video footage on the go.

MPB's camera recommendation: Fujifilm X100F

MPB price: from £674

Lovers of classic camera design won’t be disappointed by the X100F. It sports traditional dials and controls that inspire you to engage more with settings. Plus, with a built-in Fujinon 23mm f/2 lens that gives a general wide-angle 35mm equivalent focal length, it’s ready to start shooting with straight away. With a 24.3MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS III sensor, image quality generally is superb, and the hybrid viewfinder is terrific.

MPB offers offers a next day delivery service & six-month warranty on all used equipment. Find out more at www.mpb.com

With the holiday season approaching, Nikon USA is showering photographers with seasonal goodwill and offering its popular Nikon School Online classes free of charge until 2020 draws to a close. 

A wide range of classes are available, including an all-new one for creating memorable holiday photos and videos to help users step up their creativity just in time for the most festive time of the year. Usually costing up to $50 a piece, the entertaining and engaging classes are taught by world-class Nikon Ambassadors and photographers.

 “Nikon School Online classes are a great way to help anyone brush up on their photography skills and inspire them to capture and share their amazing photos and video with their friends and families this holiday season,” said Jay Vannatter, Executive Vice President, Nikon Inc. “Whether celebrating the holidays at home among loved ones or joining together virtually, the power of imaging helps keep us connected, creative and inspired.”

Better holiday photos

Nikon’s newest class, Better Holiday Photos with Nikon Ambassadors, features an all-star cast of Nikon’s top creators, sharing their unique tips and creative techniques for getting in the holiday spirit and capturing one-of-a-kind photos and videos to share with family and friends. 

You can learn how to create Christmas cards that stand out, master basic lighting for the best portraits, capture stunning food photography, perfectly pose as a couple or family, and see how simple it is to add festive and creative flair to your photos.

From emerging creators who just got their first camera to seasoned enthusiasts, Nikon School Online classes offer a variety of educational lessons for anyone to enhance their photography and videography skills, as well as anyone ready to pick up a new hobby at home.

The easy-to-follow classes are taught by world-renowned creatives and cover an array of topics to best capture different genres. Whether looking to learn to photograph stunning portraits, vast landscapes, your furry friends or make the leap into video capture, there is a Nikon school class ready to inspire and entertain creators on each topic.

Read more
Best Nikon Black Friday deals
Best Canon Black Friday deals
Best Sony Black Friday deals

What a joyful adventure life can be! We all have triggers to our favourite memories – from the smell of our favourite Christmas foods, which remind us of beautiful moments with the family, to seeing friends after time apart. At this time of year, we start to think more about the people we care for, and how we can make them happy.

Give the perfect gift by spending time to gather and present photos that transport us back to precious moments. Share the gift of joy with your loved ones this Christmas and watch as the memories unfold in the palm of their hand.

We are all getting better and better at taking stunning photographs – but how many of them remain on our phones, cameras or computers, just waiting to be seen through the power of print? CEWE offers a variety of stunning ways to give the gift of your photographic memories in print. 

The fully customisable CEWE PHOTOBOOK enables you to display them all year round. With CEWE Creator Software by your side every step of the way it couldn’t be easier to share your memories with a loved one. 

We may not be in a position to make new memories in the way we wish, but we can always reminisce on our past adventures with those who mean the most. Preserve your photos through the power of print, and create something truly personal this Christmas sure to last a lifetime.

Explore the photo world of CEWE

CEWE Photo Calendar

Create your unique design using fully customisable templates, and even select your own start month with a personalised photo calendar you’ll love to look at all year long.

CEWE PHOTOBOOK

A CEWE PHOTOBOOK is more than just a photo album. It’s a personalised book of memories designed by you, then beautifully realised by CEWE.

CEWE Highlights 

Give your gift a premium feel with a gloss, gold, rose gold or silver embossing on the text. Customise further with added clipart from the award-winning CEWE Creator Software.

CEWE Presentation Box          

Showcase treasured memories in a sleek, elegant CEWE Presentation Box. Not only does it keep your book protected, it’s the perfect way to make your gift extra-special. 

Start creating personalised gifts from your home today! www.cewe-photoworld.com/digitalcamera

With more and more places insist that you wear a face mask when you are out and about, we all now have to decide which is the best face mask to wear? Plain white - or something more designer made out of colorful material? We have increasingly been drawn to customized photo face masks - that allow you to cover your face with a picture of your face! 

The results can look amazing... It makes you look a bit more human, and you can choose the expression that you use for these custom printed designs. So you can be pulling a face - or always wearing a huge smile!

We first saw these custom made photo face masks appearing in India - made by corner print shops that had a suitable dye sublimation printer capable of printing your photograph onto fabric. But now a number of people offering this service online via the hand-crafting website Etsy.

Typically you buy the design that you like, and upload the high resolution image of your face to the store via the Etsy message facility. Your mask is then mailed out to you often within a day or two. 

Of course, Etsy can not make any medical claims about the efficacy of these masks. But many come with a built-in pouch that allows you to add a filter into the design for extra protection.

An interesting additional benefit of these masks, we are told, is that they can actually be used to unlock phones that use facial recognition! You have to save your face-masked face as a new user in the smartphone's security options - but it will mean being able to get into your handset without the need to resorting to old-fashioned PIN codes.

Below are some of the best face masks like this that we have found so far…

Other designer face masks

Where to buy face masks in the US:

• Etsy.com – artistic face masks for as a little at $4
• Vistaprint – Adults and kids RNS face masks from $13
• Disney – Cloth masks featuring best-loved characters for $19.99
• Stringking – CDC-recommended, USA-made cloth masks for just $6.99
• Caraa Cares – bundle deals, including five face masks for just $25
• Los Angeles Apparel - three adjustable face masks for only $30
• Sock Cares – fun and funky face masks for only $12

Where to buy face masks in the UK:

• Etsy.co.uk – artistan face masks from just £3.99
• ASOS – stylish designs at very low prices 
• My Memory - protective supplies at sensible prices
• Easylife – Standard CE approved surgical face masks, 30 for £29.99
• Buff – stylish face coverings at low prices
• Ebay.co.uk – washable face masks at a bargain price
• HYPE –  three face masks for £24.99 with profits to the NHS
• Silkies – two protective masks for $16.99

Guides to home working products:

The best webcams
The best infrared thermometers
The best pulse oximeter
The best all-in-one printer for home working
The best monitor for photo editing
The best photo-editing laptop
The best video-editing laptop
The best video doorbell cameras
Best graphics tablets for photo editing
Best tablets for photographers
Best broadband deals in the UK
Best VPN services
Best website builders for photographers
The best laptop stands
The best desks for home working
The best microphone for vlogging

Star Wars Day isn't just about sharing memes on social media; it's the perfect excuse to relive the Star Wars saga right from the beginning! And since we're all locked down like Lando on Cloud City, there's no better time to sign up to Disney+ and binge watch all your favorites – including brand new content for The Mandalorian!

What is "your" Star Wars – fresh-faced Luke Skywalker in A New Hope? Pod-racing Anakin in The Phantom Menace? Sand-surfing Rey in The Force Awakens? Maybe you jumped on board with animation like The Clone Wars or Lego Star Wars, or perhaps Baby Yoda rekindled your Lucas love? 

It's all available on Disney+, along with a whole host of other sequels, sidequels and behind-the-scenes specials for you to celebrate your favorite space opera. And with a subscription costing just $6.99 per month, or $69.99 for the entire year, your Republic credits will be well spent! 

Click below to sign up and dive into the saga right away, and following is the full list of Star Wars content currently available on Disney+:

Live-Action Series
The Mandalorian

Movies
Star Wars: A New Hope
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Documentaries
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy
Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian

Animated Series
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Seasons One to Five)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars — The Lost Missions
Star Wars Rebels (All Seasons)
Star Wars Resistance Season One
Lego Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles — Clash of the Skywalkers
Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales
Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures (All Seasons)
Lego Star Wars: All-Stars

Coming Soon
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Announced For Disney+
Cassian Andor live-action series (starring Diego Luna)
Obi-Wan Kenobi series (starring Ewan McGregor)

Read more: 

Grab a Star Wars instax camera and film!
Make your own Lightsaber in Photoshop to celebrate Star Wars Day!
Create a jump to lightspeed effect in Photoshop on Star Wars Day 2020

Discover the best Mother's Day gifts for photographers in our buying guide.

Mother's Day is just around the corner on Sunday 10 May in the USA, Canada, Australia and many other countries, and if you're looking for the perfect gift, then you're in the right place. If your mom, step-mom or grandma is a keen snapper, then they'll love these ideal photography gifts that we've rounded up here.

Whether you're planning on going all out and gifting your mum a new camera (lucky her!), or you think a beautifully put-together photo book would be more appropriate (and a little lighter on your wallet), we've got some fantastic options for you to peruse.

• Read more: Best gifts for photographers

However, make sure you don't forget the card! One of the best ways to send your mom a truly heartfelt and sentimental Mother's Day card is to find a memorable shot and turn into a personalized greetings card (find where in our guide to the best photo cards).

There's nothing better than sitting down and going through old photos together, but with so many of us still stuck in lockdown, this might not be possible for you and your mom at the moment. However, you can still celebrate memories together with a photo book. Whether you're reproducing old childhood photos, collating shots from a recent trip together, or simply putting her favorite images of her grandkids in one place, a photo book is a great way to keep your mom feeling connected. Printing a photo book might initially seem like a daunting task, but it's actually easier than you might think – check out our photo book creation guide here.

• Read more: Best photo books

It can be tough to consistently follow the traditional advice of keeping a camera on you at all times, but this Pandora camera charm will make it a lot easier! This small charm is the perfect subtle gift for a mom who loves photography. 

You can pick up this beautiful little charm on Amazon US and Amazon UK. If you think this is the perfect gift, but your mom doesn't already have a necklace or bracelet, we particularly like this charm bracelet that's also available on Amazon US and Amazon UK.

For just under $40, as the model name suggests, the appeal here is being able to build your own camera utilizing the plastic kit shell provided. The upgraded version of the Konstruktor even comes with a PC socket for flash photography, though you’ll need the hot shoe adaptor in the optional accessory kit.  

We enjoyed using the waist level viewfinder and the through-the-lens viewing that comes courtesy of the spring loaded mirror level. Very Heath Robinson it may be, but it’s not without charm if you don’t mind putting the initial work in.

Is your mom looking for a new way to switch up her photography? Sometimes one of the best ways to experiment with your photography gear isn't about what's behind your lens, but rather what's in front of it. The Lensbaby Omni Creative Filter System is designed to add a splash of color to your images through this unusual set-up. 

All you need to do is screw one of the filter rings onto your lens and then use one of the magnetic Effects Wands to help distort the light as it enters the lens. This is actually pretty similar to the common DIY hack of holding transparent sweet wrappers over the end of your lens to cast a colorful hue. However, this filter system helps make the creative process as easy as possible. 

While it won't magically turn it into an SLR, the Umiko 3D Camera case will at least give your mom a stylish new upgrade to her phone. This iPhone case even comes with a lanyard that mimics a camera strap, should your mom be the sort that tends to regularly misplace her phone. 

If your mom is just getting into digital photography, this step-by-step manual will help her truly master her camera. It does a great job of explaining how the camera works, what the different settings do, and the techniques you need to master, from exposure to shutter speed to aperture. One of our favorite parts of the book are the handy checklists to help prevent the reader getting lost. There are also useful comparison shots that show you how different camera settings will produce different results.

It's worth noting the last full update to this book was in 2016, so while a few things may have changed when it comes to technology, the general photography practices detailed in this edition still remain.  

• See also the best coffee-table books on photography

No matter what the occasion, an instant camera is the perfect vehicle to capture fun prints that you'll treasure forever. Plus, it's a camera that can be used by anyone, no matter their photographic ability. An instax is a fantastic instant camera that can also double up as a colorful piece of decoration as well.

One of our favorites is the Fujifilm instax Mini 9, which comes in a wide range of snazzy colors. Check out the best prices for your region above. If you've already got an instax, why not pick up some fun confetti-styled instax film instead?

If your mom is anything like ours, her phone will be stuffed with pictures of kids, grandkids and perhaps some nice flowers she saw yesterday. Save her from her next moment of panic when her storage runs out with this handy little device. 

Designed for next-generation devices with the new USB Type-C port, you can now quickly and easily free up space on your smartphone with the SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive USB-C. It can transfer files between devices at USB 3.1 high speeds of up to 150MB/s. The SanDisk Memory Zone app for Android is then available to help your mum manage her device's memory and content.

Read more

50 best camera accessories, gadgets and gifts for photographers in 2020
Best digital instant cameras: hybrid cameras and instant printers
Best portable printer for photos in 2020: for smartphones, laptops and more

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are now a distant memory, but now it is time to take advantage of the New Year January sales. You might think that you would be too late to find a bargain, but although some offers have ended, we have found some fantastic deals that are still available.. and we have even since the price on some bits of great photo gear drop since the January sales started. Below you can find dozens of the best camera deals that we have found…

And we have not just looked at cameras - we have found masses of great sales discounts on memory cards, drones, hard drives, camera phones, lenses and more. Here is our pick of the best January sale camera deals and New Year discounts that we have found so far…

Best New Year camera sales

• Adorama – top New York photo store holiday sale
• Amazon.com – great deals on cameras (and everything else!)
• Amazon.co.uk – massive sale on now
• Argos – save on cameras, tech and more
• B&H Photo Video – The mega photo store sale is in full swing
• Carphone Warehouse – discounts on top-name phones
• Currys – cheap laptops, cameras and more
• ExpressVPN – save on a VPN subscription
• John Lewis – homewares, electronics and more
• Mobiles.co.uk – discounts on handsets
• Newegg – discounts on laptops, computers and cameras
• Park Cameras - big  discounts and camera cashbacks
• Walmart - great photo deals, and lots lots more!
• Wex Photo Video - UK photo megastore

Cameras

US camera deals

• Jump to UK camera deals

UK camera deals

Camcorders

Lenses

US lens deals

• Jump to UK lens deals

UK lens deals

Software

Memory

US memory deals

• Jump to UK memory deals

UK memory deals

Laptops

Phones

US phone deals

• Jump to UK phone deals

UK phone deals

Other

Photo magazines

The best photography magazine subscription deals:

Read more:

• The best stocking stuffers for photographers
• 47 Christmas gifts for photographers
• 50 best photography and camera accessories
• The best cheap cameras and deals in 2020
• The best camera: which one should you buy?
• The best photography magazine subscription deals

Skylum has two great offers which kick off today, and which will be running all over the Christmas period. The first is the chance to get $10 off its latest image-editing software Luminar 4 which only recently went on sale - bringing the cost down to just $79 / £79 until January 15. 

Alternatively you can go large, and opt for the Skylum Luminar mega deal - that gives you over $400 of software and services for just $129 / £129 - and includes a subscription to SmugMug Pro portfolio website service, and a pro account with the ViewBug online photographic community. 

Luminar 4 Christmas mega bundle

This $129 Christmas bundle will give you…

1) Luminar 4 editing software
2) 6 month subscription to SmugMug Pro plan - a professional website for photographers worth $250
3) A year's membership to ViewBug Pro, worth $139
4) PDF Expert -  app - $80 value
5) Rocky Nook - free book of a choice - $44.99 value
6) 20 free prints from Parabo Press (worth $10)
7) Envira Gallery - free plan + 30% off of other plans - $29 value (+up to $90 discount)

See full details at the Skylum store

About Luminar 4

Luminar 4 is the latest version of Skylum’s all-in-one photo organising, editing and effects software. It comes in both Mac and Windows version and brings brand new AI image enhancement tools, including portrait enhancement and the remarkable AI Sky Replacement tool.

You can see what we think in our in-depth Luminar 4 review, and Luminar is included in our list of the best photo editing software you can buy right now.

More deals
The best holiday camera deals in 2019: great Christmas deals on photo kit

We've seen a lot of amazing holiday camera deals pop up over the last couple of weeks, but this one definitely raised a few eyebrows at the DCW HQ. The Canon 5D Mark IV is now available for just $1,999 - but that's not all. Not only do you get the camera itself, you also receive a 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro SD card AND a battery grip!

With a 30.3MP full frame CMOS sensor and a DIGIC 6+ image processor, the Canon 5D Mark IV is a favorite among professionals - and it's not hard to see why. A 61-point High Density Reticular AF helps further the Canon 5D Mark IV's speed by tracking and locking onto subjects quickly and accurately for tack sharp photos. 

• Read more: Best cheap Canon camera deals

The Canon 5D Mark IV's speed and image quality make it a perfect candidate for almost any professional photographer, from weddings to wildlife to fashion. However, this massive price drop means that you no longer have to pay high-end prices for this pro product. 

Read more

The best Canon holiday deals right now
Mirrorless camera holiday deals in 2019
Best deals on cameras, lenses and more this holiday season