Memo to photographers: Share this buying guide with your generous friends. Maybe they’ll get the hint. Memo to gift-givers: Read on to help decide what to get for the photographers in your life.
With the holiday season upon us, our thoughts turn to holiday shopping and what to get for that digital photographer on your list. If you are on a tight budget, accessories make great gift ideas for your photographer friends. These gadgets and tools can really boost their images from good to great and help take their shooting skills to new heights.
So to ease some of your holiday shopping stress, we've found roughly 100 inexpensive imaging gadgets and accessories to fill your photographer's stocking this year—all with a price tag under $100. (Prices are as of November 9, 2011; click on the links for current pricing and to order.)
Bags, Backpacks, Straps and Stuff
LowePro Fastpack 100 $57-90
The Lowepro Fastpack 100 is a lighweight backpack with a triple compartment design that provides a comfortable carrying solution that holds a digital SLR camera, extra lenses or flash units, a notebook computer, and contains generous storage for accessories and personal gear. A 180-degree access panel in the Fastpack makes loading and retrieving camera equipment quick and easy, while adjustable dividers enable its compartment to be fully customized to fit different combinations of gear. With its security flap snapped closed over the camera compartment, Fastpack offers an additional layer of protection while maintaining fast-access through the side entry compartment—even while the pack is being worn. The top compartment provides ample capacity for personal accessories.
Lowepro Photorunner 100
$45
Lowepro offers a host of new carry-alls under the century mark. The versatile PhotoRunner 100 combines the agility of a belt pack with the utility of a shoulder bag. The bag’s side-opening lid allows users to work right out of the roomy main compartment, and the adjustable padded dividers offer multiple ways to load gear. When loaded vertically, a DSLR with attached standard zoom lens and an additional lens or accessory can be accommodated. When loaded horizontally, a DSLR with an attached zoom lens fits nicely. Available in Mica and Black.
Jill.e Weather Resistant Sailcloth Messenger Style Electronics Bag
$80
Jill-e is known for taking a functional product—camera bags—and infusing them with a style that makes their owners' camera-geekiness less apparent. But make no mistake: These fashion-forward bags are full-featured, rugged, weather-resistant camera bags, with slots for a netbook and room for a digital camera, lens and accessories. Also available in Red and White.
Lowepro Photo Adventura
$25
Lowepro has also introduced the Adventura, a shoulder bag that’s designed for shooters looking for a protective, lightweight, streamlined bag for a compact camera or DSLR with attached lens and some added accessories. Available in three sizes to accommodate varying camera bodies and accessory needs, the Adventura features a rain-flap lid with a quick access buckle to ensure speedy access while keeping dust and rain from the compartment. Adventura 170 (Black) $28; Adventura 140 (Black) $23 and Adventura 120 (Black, shown) $20.
Adorama Slinger
$59
Adorama’s Slinger is an economical, multi-purpose, photo/video bag that can be used as either a sling bag or backpack. This ergonomic bag offers plenty of room for a single DSLR with a lens attached, and it can be worn as a backpack for comfort as well as a single-strap shoulder bag for easy access to gear. The main compartment measures 10x10x4 inches. For extra room, a Pro Slinger model is available with an extra 2 1/2 inches of width (6 1/2 inches) in order to accommodate larger DSLRs, even with a battery grip attached. A slew of add-ons are also available to attach to the Slinger, including the Slinger Small Digital Camera Pouch, which is ideal for toting compact digicams. Adorama Slinger $59 (available in Gray, Black, Navy, Maroon; Pro Slinger $69 (available in Black and Gray); and Slinger Small Digital Camera Pouch $9.
Kata Comprehensive Sling Torso Pack
$65
Kata’s versatile Comprehensive Sling Torso Pack DT-211 and DT-213 are both designed to be snugly secured to the waist, allowing photographers to quickly swing the bag around for easy access to gear. For marathon length shoots, a second balancing strap converts the bag to a triangle-style backpack. Both models feature TST RIB structural protection, and there’s even enough room for a DSLR with a medium-sized lens attached in the DT-211, and a DSLR with battery grip and up to a 70-200mm lens in the DT-213. DT-211 $55; DT-213 $65.
Crumpler The Convenient Disgrace Camera Neck Strap
$45
Heavily padded with material that is designed to whisk away sweat, Crumpler's oddly-named Convenient Discrace Camera Neck Strap is filled with extras. For example, quick release clasps (with double safety locks) let you quickly change the camera without removing the strap from your neck. A neoprene anti-slip liner keeps the strap from sliding around, and a system of upper and lower tri-glide buckles let you quickly and easily adjust the strap's length. A lot of thought went into this strap's design.
Spider Holster Black Widow
$49.99
The SpiderHolster Black Widow is a hands-free camera carrying device that doesn't rely on the usual neck strap or any variation thereof. Instead, it allows you to carry your camera—from point-and-shoot to fully-loaded DSLR—on your belt. The SpiderHolster Black Widow has two parts: the belt holster, and the camera pin. Attach the holster by pulling your belt through the two back loops and tighten your belt. Then attach the camera pin (with the supplied washer first) by screwing it into your camera's tripod socket. Use a wrench to carefully tighten it. Then slide the round end of the camera pin, with the camera attached, into the holster and you're ready to go. Read our full review.
Adorama Digital Media Storage Wallet
$8.95
Memory cards and batteries are easily misplaced (we know, we've lost plenty!), so anything that will give them a place to stay is invaluable. The Adorama Digital Media Storage Wallet is specifically designed for CompactFlash cards. The soft nylon wallet holds up to four cards, and is an ideal el cheapo gift that's especially well suited for photographers who travel. This 4 1/4 x 3 1/4-inch pouch holds up to 4 memory cards and 2 AA batteries, and can be attached to a Slinger camera bag, carried on its own, or placed inside a camera bag.
Tripods, Monopods, Brackets and other Supports
Adorama Beanbag
$8,95
Why would you carry around a bag of beans (plastic pellets, actually) when you’re shooting? Because it can make your pictures sharper. Sometimes a puzzling lack of crispness in handheld photos is not due to incorrect focus or a crummy lens—it’s caused by shaky hands. That’s why photographers use tripods, to which the Adorama Beanbag is a more portable alternative. Plop it down on a window sill or a tree branch and simply nestle your camera into it when you shoot. It even lets you safely set slow shutter speeds when you’re photographing low-light subjects or creating special effects. What it does: Steadies your camera for sharper pictures, especially at slow shutter speeds
Slik Sprint Mini
$77
The Sprint Mini II GM from Slik is ideal for the photo traveler who wants camera support larger than a table-top tripod, but smaller than a full-sized one. The Sprint Mini II GM is a compact tripod with 4 leg sections that collapse down to less than 14 inches and weighs just 1.75 lbs. While it is small when fully collapsed, it reaches a maximum height of 43.3 inches. It sports a sharp gun metal finish, and has padded leg wraps for more comfortable carrying. The new tripod also incorporates a new Slik SBH-100DQ all-metal compact ball head with quick release system for faster, easier camera mounting.
Slik Sprint Pro II
$90
Need a larger tripod that's still travel friendly? The Slik Sprint Pro II collapses down to a carry-on-friendly 19 inches, but can fully extend to 63 inches. It comes with a convenient quick-release ball head and it includes padded leg wraps for comfortable handling in cold weather. It has a reverseable center column so you can get close to the ground for macro shots as well.The tripod weighs under two pounds and can handle a 4.5-pound payload.
Gary Fong FlipCage
$14.95-19.95
It's a tripod! It's a roll-bar-reinforced drop-protective cage! It's a micro photography support! It's a video steadying handheld device! The Gary Fong FlipCage, designed to accommodate compact digital cameras, is indeed all of the above. Attach your camera to the Flip Cage, then flip the roll-bars in one direction and it becomes a tabletop tripod. Flip them to cover the camera and they will protect your camera from most falls. In another position, the roll-bars hold the camera so it can shoot small objects up close. That's a lot for under $20. It's available for pocket-sized cameras as well as for slightly larger enthusiast models such as the Canon G12. You can read the full review here. http://www.adorama.com/alc/article/Product-Review-Gary-Fong-Filp-Cage
Joby Gorillapod Mini Tripod
$20
We love anything that will keep your camera steady and reduce the likelihood of camera shake. But most tripods are bulky affairs, while the small ones are limited to tabletops. The funky-looking Gorillapod secures your compact camera to just about anything it can get its three legs around, and has become an instant best-seller. Want to attach your camera to a pole or tree branch? No problem!
Flashpoint Tripod Notebook Platform
$29.95
When you’re shooting in the great outdoors and it’s time to offload your memory cards or check out your shots onscreen, don’t sit on the cold, cold ground with a laptop in your lap. Just set up your tripod and screw in this dandy device so you’ll have a flat, stable surface for your computer. The black metal platform measures 10x14 inches and fits on standard ¼-20 or 3/8-thread tripod screws. A ballhead or three-way head will let you angle it to your liking. Just take along a Velcro strap to keep your laptop from sliding into a slot canyon. What it does: Provides a stable, tripod-mounted platform for laptop use in the field
Benro MA-98EX Aluminum Monopod
$70
Aspiring sports shooters can't live without a monopod: It provides stability and the ability to move quickly with the action, faster than when you use a tripod. The Benro has quick-locking legs that let you snap the tripod into the desired height, and a foam hand grip for comfort. You'll also need a ball head so you can rotate your camera. This one's SLPB8H quite good for an enthusiast-level DSLR and tele zoom lens.
Flashpoint Camera Bike Bracket
$36.95
Why settle for a helmet cam when bikers can actually view what they’re shooting on their digital camera’s LCD screen? This sturdy metal bracket, which attaches to standard 31.8-millimeter and 25.4-millimeter bicycle handlebars, lets you safely mount your camera right where you can see it. Your camera can be attached directly to the platform’s tripod screw, or you can mount a small ball head on the platform for control of camera angle. Whether you’re shooting stills or DSLR video as you pedal along, remember to turn on image stabilization! What it does: Lets you mount your camera securely on your bike’s handlebars, for pictures and video on wheels.
Benro A48F Aluminum Monopod
$70
Aspiring sports shooters can't live without a monopod: It provides stability and the ability to move quickly with the action, faster than when you use a tripod. The Benro has quick-locking legs that let you snap the tripod into the desired height, and a foam hand grip for comfort. You'll also need a ball head so you can rotate your camera. It is quite good for an enthusiast-level DSLR and tele zoom lens.
Flashpoint Tripod Butler
$10.95
Tripod-using photographers have pockets full of paraphernalia when they’re shooting—lens cap, filters, cable release, maybe a meter and some gaffer’s tape. And they usually can’t remember which pocket they put something in. The Flashpoint Tripod Butler ends pocket perplexity by keeping all your stuff safe and visible in the three compartments of its nylon sling. It attaches quickly to your tripod’s legs with Velcro straps, supporting up to nine pounds. That makes it ideal for changing lenses on the fly, and spares you having to put valuable merchandise on the ground when you’re working. What it does: Holds accessories safely and in plain sight between your tripod’s legs when you’re shooting
Adorama Hands-Free Shoulder Support Bracket
$39.95
Built-in image stabilization systems take the jitter out of stills and video, but can’t keep your framing smooth and consistent. Adorama's shoulder support turns you into a human tripod, so that all your hands have to do is operate your DSLR or camcorder. Resting on your shoulder and torso while strapped around your back, it incorporates a large platform that can be unlocked to swing horizontally; a supplied riser/quick release can be screwed into the platform for extra extension and height. What it does: Provides hands-free support of your camcorder or DSLR for more comfortable, steadier shooting
Flashpoint 21-inch Extender Monopod
$12.95
Most snapshooters like to put themselves in their pictures. Even at arm’s length, though, your camera may not fit your friends in with you. Flashpoint's telescoping aluminum extender stretches your reach, putting enough distance between you and the camera to include everyone, and even some of the background. It has four leg sections that give you an extra 21 inches, yet it retracts to a mere 8.5 inches and weighs about as much as a couple of candy bars. Your camera screws into a tiny ballhead that can be angled and locked to aim your shot. Also a great tool for shooting above a crowd—or around corners! What it does: Gives you extra camera-to-subject distance for self-portraits; lets you shoot from above a surrounding crowd
Tamrac Zipshot tripod
$49.95
If you’ve ever found yourself wishing for a tripod—whether to shoot sharply at a slow shutter speed, frame a subject precisely, or do multiple exposures for HDRi—but hate the burden of carrying one around, the Zipshot is for you. This ingenious creation from camera bag specialist Tamrac weighs just 11 ounces and folds down to just 15 inches long, specs it owes to construction borrowed from the world of camping. Undo the elastic straps that keep the Zipshot collapsed and it immediately pops open into a 44-inch high aluminum tripod, its four-section shock-corded legs aligning themselves like tent poles, with no need for locks. The Zipshot’s ballhead can comfortably support camera and lens rigs up to three pounds. What it does: Affords the stabilizing benefits of a traditional tripod in an ultralight, ultracompact design that sets up almost instantly
Sources of Light
Flashpoint Cool Light 4
$74.95
Old-fashioned incandescent light has advantages over flash, but its down side is that the brighter it is, the hotter it gets. The Flashpoint daylight-balanced, flicker-free fluorescent source gives photographers powerful studio light without the heat. Four separately controlled 45-watt fluorescent lamps produce the combined equivalent of a whopping 900 watts of tungsten. (The unit also consumes much less electricity than hot light, and reduces the risk of fire.) The Cool Light 4 is ideal for both portraiture and tabletop photography, giving photographers all the brightness they need for creative control of f-stop and shutter speed. What it does: Delivers 900 watts of light (tungsten equivalent) without heat buildup, allowing more freedom with exposure settings
Adorama 58 LED Bulb
$17
Here’s the perfect solution for shooting small subjects without the heat, harshness, or color cast of a tungsten light source. Adorama’s 58 LED Bulb screws into a standard household socket, but its illumination is provided by dozens of small, cool-burning LEDs (light-emitting diodes). Since the LEDs are spread over a wide area, the light is soft, and its color is much closer to daylight than that of the usual tungsten bulb, which can produce a brownish cast in your image. Operating on just four watts of power, it produces light equal to an 85-watt bulb. What it does: Provides soft, heat-free light for small-scale studio photography without tungsten’s usual brownish cast
Flashpoint Shoe Mountable LED 70 Video Light
Approx. $55
This ingenious, economical, lightweight on-camera video light comes with a silver four-leaf barndoor, built-in 2500 mAh rechargeable battery with a two-hour working time, a 110/220 volt AC adapter/USB charger, a diffuser, and a gold panel for warming the light output. Its output is daylight balanced 5500 Kelvin and it’s ideal for both indoor and outdoor shooting. Four LED indicators show battery charge status.
Reflectors and other Light Modifiers
Adorama Macro Flecta Reflector
$19.95
No, it’s not a sunhat. Adorama’s Macro Flecta actually adds light to a subject by bouncing it directly forward from your camera. This simple trick brightens the dark shadows created by strong, directional light—shadows that can ruin tight portraits or delicate close-ups. And unlike regular photographic reflectors, you don’t have to hold the Macro Flecta in position. You just slip the 12-inch-diameter white fabric circle onto your lens, where an elastic band and Velcro strips hold it in place. When you’re done, the Macro Flecta collapses to one-third its full diameter for easy transport. What it does: Brightens shadows and smooths contrast for more pleasing portraits and close-ups
Adorama De-Shadow Box
$29.99
Selling stuff on e-Bay? It’s important to show good photos of an item when you list it for auction so prospective buyers know it’s in good condition. Bad pictures can cost you a sale—which is why you need our De-Shadow Box. It’s a collapsible, miniature photo studio that pops up like a tiny tent. The sides are translucent, so they diffuse the light from the supplied halogen lamps before it reaches the item you’ve placed inside, producing a more attractive result. The De-Shadow Box is also a great way to document small-scale artwork or to do macro photos in the comfort of home. What it does: Creates effortless soft light, for perfect shots of small items for online auctions, artists’ documentation, and macro photography
Flashpoint FPR5142
$33
Photographers can modify light quickly and easily with the Flashpoint 42-inch 5-in-1 Collapsible Disc Reflector kit from Adorama. These foldable reflectors are said to be perfect for reducing contrast, warming skin tones, eliminating shadows or just softening light. They can be hand held or attached to a light stand with an extendable reflector holder. It comes with translucent, white, black, silver and soft gold reflectors for reducing contrast, eliminating harsh shadows or simply softening the light. The reflectors are very easy to break down and transport.
Lastolite Ezybalance Collapsible Grey & White 12" Exposure Aid Card
$25
Time to replace your grey card--this round 12-inch target folds down to a third of its full size and is easy to stuff in a gadget bag or even your pocket. In addition to offering 18% grey--ideal for fine-tuning exposure--the other side of the Ezybalance is white. Use this with your camera's custom white balance setting to set the best color balance for a specific shooting situation and reduce time Photoshopping later.
Professor Kobre’s Lightscoop
$30
Normally, the little pop-up flash atop a typical amateur or enthusiast-level DSLR projects a bit of direct, harsh light, and when used with the wrong subject or lens, could create red-eye. Professor Kobre’s Lightscoop redirects the light and diffuses it, creating a more natural lighting effect. It’s available in a kit that includes a warming insert for more flattering faces. Just slip it in your hot shoe, pop up your flash, and go. (Oh, and boost the flash output to make up for lost light due to the bounce.)
Expoimagig Rogue FlashBender
$35
Flash modifiers have come a long way since the days of the bounce card. The Rogue FashBender is an infinitely positionable flash bounce that is made of flexible material and a backing that holds any shape in place, it lets you shape it any way you want to mold the light from your hot-shoe flash to fit your needs. You can even roll it up and use it as a snoot. The white reflective surface is optically neutrall so there's no need for custom white balance settings.
Expoimaging Rogue Universal Gels
$29.95
Designed to fit on almost every shoe-mounted flash on the market, Rogue Universal Gels are a great way to add a dash of color to your portable flash setups. Each kit gives you 20 different-colored gels which you can combine for a very wide variety of color combinations and effects. Each gel is marked with the Lee Filter equivalent, as well as the amount of light loss you can expect, in f/stops or fractions of stops. To attach to your flash, simply pull an included gel band around the flash head, then slip the ends of the gel between band and flash. Easy, and a ton of creative fun.
LumiQuest Soft Screen
$12
LumiQuest has been making light modifiers for around 20 years--you see them at press conference on those big portable shoe-mount flashes. But now they've made one to fit over your digital SLR's pop-up flash. Use this to soften the harsh lighting that direct on-camera flash produces. It'll also reduce the chance of getting red-eye.
ShutterBuddy Baby Snapshot Sidekick
$13
Anyone who has recently had a baby knows the latest thing in developmentally-appropriate toys for infants and babies is cards and pillows and the like with bright black-and-white patterns. These attract and hold a tot's attention as their eyes and brain learn to work together. ShutterBuddy looks like some strange kind of reflector with a checkerboard pattern, and uses the science of infant vision development and pattern recognition to capture and hold a baby's attention while you take his or her photo. It fits almost any camera, and folds up for storage and travel. Great for new parents and child photographers.
Flipbac 3-inch Angle Viewfinder and LCD Screen Protector
$15
The Flipbac attaches to the back of your DSLR or compact digital camera and a hinged mirror flips out to reflect the image. Thanks to its dual hinge you can flip it up, down or to either side, allowing you to view around corners, over heads, or do hip shots. It’s great as long as your camera has a 3-inch LCD monitor.
Lenses, optical accessories and more
Pro Optic Auto Extension Tubes
$78
Few kinds of picture-taking excite photographers more than close-ups. But dedicated macro lenses are very expensive, and screw-in supplementary lenses usually don’t produce high-quality results. Extension tubes are the way to go—and Pro Optic Auto Extension Tubes cost a fraction of the price of their name-brand equivalents. Their three interconnecting tubes slip between camera and lens, alone or stacked in combination to achieve the exact degree of magnification you want, yet with full autoexposure control. What it does: Allows high-quality, high-magnification close-up photography at an affordable price, and with full exposure control. Available for Canon, Sony/Minolta, and Nikon DSLRs.
Pro Optic Lens Adapters
$14.95 to $59.95
Photographers who feel trapped by their SLRs’ or DSLRs’ dedicated lens systems should check out our Pro Optic lens adapters. They let you use all sorts of name-brand interchangeable lenses on other manufacturers’ camera bodies! If you own one of the new Micro Four Thirds cameras from Olympus or Panasonic, for example, we have adapters that will let you put just about any SLR/DSLR lens (even Leica M lenses) on these tiny, mirrorless bodies. Or you can put old Canon FD manual-focus lenses on Canon EOS autofocus bodies. What it does: Lets you use a variety of existing brand-name lenses on other manufacturers’ camera models
Lensbaby’s Soft Focus Optic
$90
Lensbaby’s Soft Focus Optic system is an add-on accessory that would make a great gift for the photographer who already has a Lensbaby Composer, Muse or Control Freak featuring the new Optic Swap System. The Lensbaby Soft Focus Optic works with Lensbaby’s Creative Effects SLR camera lenses, the Composer, Muse and Control Freak. Images created with the 50mm focal length Soft Focus Optic have a soft, diffused appearance. The Soft Focus Optic’s multi-coated optical glass doublet creates a much flatter field of focus than previous Lensbaby optics, making this optic well-suited for a variety of soft focus applications. The Lensbaby Optic is being sold in a special bundle that includes three optics options: plastic, pinhole/zone plate, and single glass. Each optic creates a dreamy, ethereal look and will take users to new artistic horizons.
Pro Optic 0.25x Super Fish-eye Auxiliary Lens
$35-80, depending on lens mount
Turn your 50mm lens (or mid-range zoom lens) on your SLR into a quasi-fisheye lens that can take in 180 degrees of coverage. This simple, inexpensive accessory attaches to the filter thread of your lens and converts what you see into a whole new world. Available in 49mm to 67mm filter sizes.
Lomography Fisheye 2 35mm Camera
$60
It's time to get really funky! Lomo, a company that never shies away from plastic film cameras, has done it again with the Fisheye 2. It's sole purpose in life is to capture rounded, super-distorted 170-degree super-wide-angle photos on 35mm film. It's a bare-bones camera with a fixed exposure setting, a flash shoe for external flash, multiple-exposure switch, and an accessory viewfinder so what you see is...kinda...what you get. Built for fun!
Digital Frames
Sony DPF-D810 8-inch Digital Frame
$85
Beautifully display your favorite pictures at home or the office with the easy-to-use DPF-D810 LED backlight digital photo frame. Upload up to 150 2-megapixel images to 128GB of internal memory via the USB or multi card slot. Show off your photos as single images or as a slideshow using a variety of transition effects on the vivid 8" SVGA LCD. You can also view a clock or calendar along with your pictures. Plus, auto image rotation automatically rotates your photos into portrait or landscape format.
Pictronix Illuminated Flat Screen Photo Frame
$37
Sure, you could watch your digital images on a large-screen plasma TV or a handheld digital "wallet," but we like this inexpensive, elegant brown faux leather framed 4x6-inch viewer. The same size as the most commonly-requested photographic print, the Pictronic is the least expensive digital photo frame we've seen.
Memory Cards, Readers, and other Digital Storage Solutions
Eye-Fi Mobile X-2 8GB Wireless Memory Card
$71
Instant uploads from your camera wherever you are - that's the power of the Eye-Fi Mobile X2 wireless memory card. Automatically upload or back up photos and videos to your iPhone android or tablet, whether you're at the beach or on travel. Never run out of space with Endless Memory Mode. Built-in 802.11n transfer speed keeps files moving fast; You can also wirelessly send your JPEG photos and videos to popular websites which includes Flickr, Facebook, Picasa, MobileMe, and YouTube, making this a great add-on if you are planning to buy or have already bought a camera with social network/image-sharing features.
Western Digital 500GB My Passport Portable Hard Drive for Mac
$100
As useful as it is eye-catching, the WD My Passport is one of the smallest portable hards drive around, letting you save and back up your valuable files and data. With a 500GB capacity, up to 80 Mb/sec transfer rate, a design that deliberately matches that of a typical Apple MacBook Pro, and full compatibility with Time Machine, it's plug-and-play ready to use with any Mac.
SanDisk 16GB Extreme Pro CF90
$60
Designed for DSLR photographers who shoot big files and need to transfer them fast, is card boasts 90MB/s file transfer speed, and is UDMA-6 rated. Sealed against humidity, it is designed to work in rugged conditions.
Lexar Professional UDMA Dual-Slot USB 3.0 Reader
$39
The highest speed offering in the Lexar® Professional reader line, the Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader is an excellent solution for professional photographers and videographers looking to maximize their workflow with blazingfast transfer speeds. With a USB interface speed of 500MB/s, which reads up to 4.5 times faster than USB 2.0. Watch Mark Wallace's demo of this reader on AdoramaTV.
Lexar Retrax 8GB Flash Drive
$18
Lexar also offers a comprehensive line of high-performance USB flash drives designed with a wide variety of features, capacities, and capabilities. Their JumpDrive Retrax is a high-capacity USB flash drive that provides a convenient solution for storing, transferring, and sharing multimedia. Created to suit the users’ busy lifestyle, JumpDrive Retrax makes a fashionable accessory, and comes with a small attachment hole to string the drive and attach to a backpack, or hook to a purse or briefcase. The drives are available in a range of large capacities and colors, making it easy to choose the right one for all that you want to store–data, photo, music, video, and more. Lexar JumpDrive Retrax is available in 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB capacities ranging in price from $11.95-99.95.
Software & Color Calibration Solutions
Adobe Photoshop Elements 10
$90
OK, we understand. Full Photoshop costs a king's ransom. But Photoshop Elements is one of the best buys in photography. It offers about 80% of the features full Photoshop has—including content-aware healing brush and changing aspect ratios without ruining the compositon— but at a tenth the cost. By the time you need the other 20%, you'll be able to justify the expense. New additions include Guided Edits, Scrapbooking tools, and object-oriented image organization. Any photographer with a digital camera and a computer who can't afford Full Photoshop should have Elements 10.
Nik Dfine 2.0
$70
Got noise? Photoshop plug-in Nik Dfine 2.0 gives users unprecedented control over exactly how much and where to apply noise reduction to their shots. This makes it ultra-easy for users to eliminate noise in their images while maintaining detail and sharpness, thus improving the quality of every digital photo they take. Featuring Nik Software's patented U Point technology, Dfine 2.0 noise reduction can be applied globally or selectively using various controls. The company recently announced that it is now available for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.3 and higher. The update is available as a free download to current Dfine 2.0 owners.
onOne FocalPoint 2
$100
Available for both Photoshop CS and Photoshop Elements, onOne's FocalPoint 2 ($100 transforms your computer into a lens kit, after the fact. FocalPoint lets you mimic photographic effects like selective focus and tilt-shift that are normally achieved by using different lenses on a d-SLR. A "FocusBug" drag-and-drop tool lets you blur portions of the photo while you drag the Bug's legs out to define the edges and amount of blur. You can preview the Bug's changes in real time and even adjust it in 3D. You can use multiple FocusBugs in a photo, blurring and highlighting multiple points in an image. If bugs make you squeamish, use the brush tool to "paint" focus or blur on specific portions of a photo. If you need to make quick adjustments, there is a library of presets to simulate a variety of looks.
Datacolor Spyder 3 Express
$67
If someone on your list has trouble calibrating their monitor, look no further than Datacolor’s Spyder 3 Express software. Spyder 3 Express is a monitor-calibration system that offers a very intuitive user interface. It’s compatible with both Mac and Windows, and you can use it to calibrate every computer monitor in your home network. Spyder3Express is said to ensure accurate, reliable and consistent colors every time so photographs, including tonal ranges in black-and-white photos, will always look their best and brightest. The color-correction tool automatically adjusts the color of a monitor in a mere matter of minutes.
Datacolor Spyder Cube
$50
For years, photographers have relied on traditional flat gray cards to establish proper white balance in a wide range of shooting environments. But now Datacolor’s SpyderCube changes all that. You can quickly customize white balance and capture much more precise color when shooting in RAW using SpyderCube. This calibration device is spectrally neutral, so it responds accurately to all lighting conditions and allows photographers to correct highlight and shadow details in RAW images. Users can customize accurate white balance across an entire set of images shot in the same lighting conditions.
More Good Stuff!
Datacolor SpyderLensCal
$60
Is your lens focusing accurately? Are you sure? Even the best lenses can slip slightly out of focus, just enough to mess up that important shot of a lifetime. The SpyderLensCal lets you quickly and easily establish if your lens's focus is accurate and help you to recalibrate it. It lets you quickly and easily self-service your lenses and save you hundreds of dollars because you don't have to send your gear in to be fixed by providing accurate repeatable calibration of your lenses and recent DSLR bodies.
Ansmann Energy 8 Battery Charger
$77
In these days of multiple battery-operated devices, this multiple battery recharger is a necessity. It will charge up to 6 AA and AAA cells, or 4 C or D cells, or any combination of C, D, AA and AAA cells as well as two 9-volt batteries. It can provide a full charge for NiMH and NiCd cells in 3 hours, and can automatically detect and switch to the proper current.
Alpine Innovations Spudz 18% Microfiber Cloth
$6
This convenient microfiber cloth tucks into a self-contained tough sack, and can attach to a camera strap or belt loop. But it is also made of 18% gray material, so photographers can use it to quickly establish a custom white balance. No more need for awkward gray cards! Handy and wallet-friendly. The cloth goes well with Alpine Innovations' Anti-Fog Liquid CPAF for use when cleaning lenses.
Adorama Finger Shooting Gloves
$21.95
Fingerless gloves give you manual dexterity when you’re shooting in the cold, but they don’t keep your fingertips warm. Flashpoint Finger Shooting Gloves expose only your trigger finger and thumb, the two digits you need to operate a camera, with the remaining three fingers covered and warm. But even the open fingers have tips that are “flapped” to keep those key appendages toasty when you’re not actually operating the camera. When you’re ready to adjust the camera and shoot, you just pull back the flaps. Our unique gloves have wrist straps so you won’t lose them, and are made of water-resistant polyester with a grip surface on the palm side. What they do: Keep your fingers warm until you’re ready to shoot, with flapped tips for thumb and forefinger
microGAFFER tape
$20
Studio and location photographers would have to shut up shop if it weren’t for gaffer’s tape. It does things no piece of photographic hardware can do, whether clamp, clip, or thumbscrew. But the downside is that it comes in big, heavy rolls that are a nuisance to carry around. Enter microGAFFER—high-quality, professional cloth gaffer’s tape made pocketable. Each roll is just an inch wide (vs. two inches for a standard roll) and measures less than 2.5 inches in diameter (vs. 6.5 inches). Those dimensions make a roll of microGAFFER small enough to slip into your pocket. It comes in four-packs of white , gray, and black , plus a fluorescent multicolor four-pack (shown). What it does: Provides trusty, tried-and-true gaffer’s tape in a form you can actually stick in your pocket
Flashpoint Professional Camera Grips
$35-65
It’s tough to pay top dollar for brand-name accessories when you’ve just bought an expensive DSLR. Fortunately, that needn’t stop you from buying a dedicated camera grip—one that gives you both longer battery life and a more comfortable hold for vertical shooting. Flashpoint Professional Camera Grips are custom-built in versions for nearly all popular DSLRs, yet cost a fraction of their name-brand equivalents. Each of them provides full functionality with its intended model, including a separate, more comfortably placed shutter button for vertical shooting. These AA-powered grips match their specific model cosmetically as well. What it does: Provides longer-lasting power and more comfortable vertical shooting at a fraction of name-brand price
Kaiser Strap-On Cable Release Adapter
$35
Serious photographers love to shoot with compact cameras, which free them from the weight and bulk of DSLRs. But setting them to slow shutter speeds for low-light shooting or creative effects can be a problem because pressing the shutter button with your finger usually causes blur. Most compacts don’t have a traditional threaded socket in the middle of their shutter button, so if you want to use an inexpensive mechanical cable release you’ll need the Kaiser Strap-On Cable Release Adapter. This simple but ingenious device is a strap that wraps around your compact camera, secured with Velcro so that its threaded socket is positioned above your camera’s shutter button. And unlike a self-timer, it lets you trip the shutter immediately! What it does: Lets you use an inexpensive mechanical cable release on a compact camera, for blur-free long exposures
Leatherman Wave Multi-Tool
$80
Forget those “Swiss” gadgets, the stainless steel Leatherman Wave Multi-tool is packed with 17 different components: 420HC Clip Point Knife, 420HC Sheepsfoot Serrated Knifem Needlenose Pliers, Regular Pliers, Wire Cutters, Hard-wire Cutters, Wire Stripper, Large Screwdriver, Large Bit Driver, mall Bit Driver, Scissors, Wood/Metal File, Diamond-coated File, Saw, Bottle Opener, Can Opener, 8 in / 19 cm Ruler. Be prepared!
Hoodman Professional 3-inch LCD Screen Loupe
$79.95
Hoodloupe 3.0 Professional can be worn around your neck just like a normal loupe, and you can also use it to review your shots by placing it over your LCD monitor to get a magnified view. Each Hoodloupe is encased in rubber for comfort and protection from bumps that will occur throughout your shoot. A comfortable lanyard and compact protective storage case included. It fits up to 3.0 inch LCD screens.
Nikon Thermos in shape of 70-200mm lens
$40
Can't afford the lens but want to look like you do? This thermos holds 8 ounces of high-resolution liquid, which you can drink with a flair for the photographic. Inside is a steel thermos mug while the outside looks much like a Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G zoom lens. Watch 'em do a double-take as you take a swig.
Canon Coffee Mug in shape of 24-105mm lens
$19
Let's give Canon equal time, in the shape of its popular 24-105mm f/4 lens. The AF and Stabilizer on-off buttons move but won't keep your coffee steady or in focus. All-plastic body but worth it for the looks you get as you pour coffee into your “lens.”
Adorama Photographer' Cap
$7
Show the love for your favorite photography-and-more retailer. Navy blue cap has the Adorama logo embroidered across the front. Bring it with you on photo shoots to keep the sun out of your eyes, or just because you want to look cool. In fact, bring a bunch and have everyone on your crew wear one as part of their uniform. You know you want one.
Adorama Blower with Suction Base
$9
Designed to meet the needs of digital photographer, this blower gently blows dust and particles off sensors and can be an ideal complement to your sensor cleaning kit. A suction base lets you stow it vertically for space-saving storage.
Shoe to Tripod Screw Adapter
$10
Sometimes you need an extra standard tripod screw to mount tripod-mounted accessories atop your camera or multi-flash holder. An example? Let's say you're shooting stills but also want to shoot video from the same angle. Place this in your DSLR's hot shoe and mount a video camera via the screw mount, and you're ready to go.
Adorama Flex Bracket
$20
This flexible arm attaches to your camera's hot shoe and holds a shoe-mount accessory such as an LED light panel or flash away from your camera body. 5/8 connectors let you attach the Flex Bracket to a tripod.
Hoodman Cinema Strap
$16.50
Hoodman’s Cinema Strap is a simple rubber mounting system that secures Hoodman’s Hood-Loupe 3.0 over the LCD screen of your DSLR for extended hands-free shooting.
J-CUBE Camera Shoe-mounted Video Accessory Mounting System
$79.95
The J-CUBE J-Rod Video Accessory Mounting System is designed to work on the shoe mount of your camera to give you 3 mounting points. The J-CUBE allows a microphone and a radio receiver to be mounted on your camera and leave a shoe open for a light, flash, audio recorder, hard disc, or extra receiver. It will fit in any video or still camera flash shoe.
Cameras
Digital Blue Lego Camera
$65
A fully-functioning 3MP digital camera, this imaginative image-capture device looks like a lego toy. And in fact, its external shell is made up completely of Legos, and you can add additional legos to it. So is it a camera, or a toy? Well, it's both, and if you're a playful sort, it will do double duty. You could even create a Lego tripod to give it tabletop support. Features are minimal: built-in flash, a 1.5-inch LCD, 128MB of internal memory (holds up to 80 photos at a time, downloadable via USB) and a fixed-focus lens. OK, we'll admit it's not at the top of our list for sheer photographic ability, but it's one heck of a conversation piece.
Creative Labs Vado Digital Camcorder
$99
One of the least expensive handheld digital camcorders to deliver HD Video, this model can record 720p HD video footage that will look great on your wide-screen TV with its 16:9 aspect ratio. It has 4GB of built-in memory and can record up to 2 hours of footage, connects to computers via USB, and has a fixed wide-angle lens to capture the action, making it a nice complement to your existing still camera.
Go here for more budget-priced compact cameras, most of which cost $100 or less!
Book 'em!
AdoramaPIX Photo Books
$17-130
AdoramaPix PhotoBooks have garnered praise from professional photographers for their excellent color reproduction and overall quality. Available in sizes from 6x4 to 12x12 inches and in 14, 26, 38, 50 and 76 page lengths, these hardcover books are supported by a robust online, cross-platform design tool that recently won praise from Popular Photography magazine for its ease of use and flexible layout options that give you total control over image size and placement both inside the book and on the covers.
2012 Animal League Calendar
$19.95
Photographed by radio personality Howard Stern, proceeds of the sales of this calendar goes to the North Shore Animal League to help them reach a goal of placing a million rescue animals for adoption. It features photos of his wife, Beth Stern, with animal friends Carson,Cooper, Lucy, Griffin, Fiona, Nemo, Liza, Suzi, Twister, Miley, Magdelena, and Hope and her puppies in gorgeous and striking photographs. A wonderful gift for animal lovers, Stern fans, and anyone who appreciates great pet photography. Production of the calendar is sponsored by Adorama.
Tamara Lackey's Capturing Life Through (Better) Photography Gift Box Set
$69.95
This 90-minute DVD, 100-page book and quick reference guide combine nearly a decade of AdoramaTV's Tamara Lackey's behind-the-camera knowledge and experience with her fresh and playful approach to capturing the emotion and authenticity of real moments. Tamara takes technical concepts like lighting, composition, styling and framing and puts them into simple to understand terms, breaking down each category into entertaining, everyday real-life situations. The Capturing Life Through (Better) Photography Gift Set includes all three products delivered in a beautiful ready-to-give gift box.
The Art Of Children's Portrait Photography by Tamara Lackey
$21.84
Contemporary children's portrait photographers strive to create images that are focused on emotion, relationships, and story telling images that go far beyond simple likeness of the subject. In this book, you'll learn the ins and outs of accomplishing this goal. You'll learn how to evaluate your subject's personality and sculpt your approach to the session with this knowledge. You will also get lighting and posing tips that will help you set the stage for capturing natural, spontaneous moments. Tips for targeting your desired demographic, developing an efficient workflow, conducting effective and enticing proofing sessions, delivering your products and more round out this great book. (100 % of proceeds of this book benefit children's charaties). Great advice from AdoramaTV's Tamara Lackey.
PhotoBert Cheat Sheets
Approx. $10
Yeah, we know. You don't want to read the #$*% manual. But sometimes, you need to crib some quick tips because you're stuck on a mystery function or something you can't quite figure out on your own about your camera. That's where PhotoBert CheatSheets come in very handy. They are chock-full of get-to-the point advice to get the most out of your specific camera, and they fold up and can be tucked away in a corner of your camera bag so they're there when you need them without making you look like a total noob.
Understanding Photography Field Guide by Bryan Peterson
$25
Everything you need to know in one take-anywhere field guide! This all-in-one guide from renowned photographer, instructor, author and AdoramaTV host Bryan Peterson will help you take better photos anytime, anywhere with any camera. Want to finally understand exposure? Interested in learning to "see" and composing your images more creatively? Ready to master the magic of light? It's all here, the techniques every amateur photographer needs to take better nature,landscape, people, and close-up photos. You'll even get creative techniques, like making "rain" and capturing "ghosts," and practical advice on gear, equipment, and postprocessing software. Filled with Bryan's inspirational photographs, this is the one essential guide for every camera bag.
Understanding Flash Photography by Bryan Peterson
$25.99
This is an easy-to-understand guide to flash and other artificial light sources. AdoramaTV's Bryan Peterson starts by breaking down how flash works, then dispels the widely-held myth that automatic "TTL" flash exposure is easier, showing readers how to quickly master manual flash exposure to control the quality, shape, and direction of light and create the images they want, every time. Bryan then goes beyond traditional flash, celebrating the creative possibilities of artificial light sources such as spotlights, floodlights, flashlights, candlelight, sparklers, even matches. He also includes a thorough exploration ofcombining artificial lighting with available light, providing easy exposure formulas to ensure that readers are soon mixing their own exposure cocktails with sure-fire success.
Beyond Portraiture: Creative People Photography by Bryan Peterson
$16.95
Great portraits go beyond a mere record of a face. They reveal one of the millions of intimate human moments that make up a life. In Beyond Portraiture, renowned photographer and AdoramaTV personality Bryan Peterson shows how to spot those "ah-ha!" moments and capture them forever. A teary child...old people laughing together...a smiling girl with big, big hair. Everyone remember pictures like these, usually taken by a mother, a father, a friend holding a camera, forever preserving small yet revealing vignettes of our personal histories. But we always relied on pure luck and chance to catch those moments. Peterson's approach explains what makes a photo memorable, how to spot the universal themes that everyone can identify with, and how to use lighting, setting, and exposure to reveal the wonder and the joy of everyday moments.
Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson
$20
If you're someone who finds the concept of exposure overwhelming and confusing, the Understanding Exposure is the book you've been waiting for. Professional photographer and Adorama Partner Bryan Peterson demystifies this complex subject, making it easy to grasp. He explains how to successfully combine aperture, shutter speed, and film - the elements that compose what Peterson refers to as "the photographic triangle." He defines each element of the triangle and shows how it relates to the other two through the use of more than 100 side-by-side comparison pictures.
Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set
$44
Scott Kelby, the man who changed the "digital darkroom" forever with his groundbreaking, #1 bestselling, award-winning book The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers, shows which button to push, which setting to use, when to use them and hundreds of the most closely guarded photographic "tricks of the trade" to get budding photographers shooting dramatically better-looking, sharper, more colorful, more professional-looking photos with their digital camera every time they press the shutter button.
Practical HDRI by Jack Howard
$35
Practical HDRI, 2nd Edition - HDRI, by Adorama's own Jack Howard, gives you the opportunity to record images in a unique and expanded range not possible in conventional digital photography. This thorough and compelling edition covers everything from initial capture of an image through post-production. With clear and concise instruction, you'll learn the wonders and techniques of HDRI (High Dynamic Range Imaging) using the latest versions of Adobe Photomatrix FDRTools, Dynamic Photo HDR and HDR PhotoStudio.
The Life Guide to Digital Photography by Joe McNally
$30
LIFE, the most recognized name in photography joins forces with Joe McNally, themost recognized name in how-to digital photography. Here is everything you need to know in order to take digital pictures just like the pros. From what equipment you'll need through instruction on focusing, lighting, composition, fixing your images, printing and sharing, Adorama Partner Joe McNally and the Editors of LIFE, the world's preeminent photography brand, have what you need and share their expert advice in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step fashion.
Photography for Dummies by Russell Hart
$14
Say "cheese"! Taking great pictures is a snap when you follow the tips, tricks, and techniques packed inside Photography For Dummies, which takes you all the way from choosing the right film to using your computer to turn your photos into greeting cards or Web-ready online images. Whether you're taking photos for fun or profit, you'll find expert advice on all the angles -- from taking family pictures to action, sports, and travel shots -- alongside hundreds of color and black-and-white examples that show you how to make your good pictures great, and your great pictures even better.
The Adorama Gift Certificate
Still not sure about what you should get? No worries. Adorama Gift Certificates will always be appreciated. They come in amounts from $25 up to $500.
