“Do you have that in pink…?”
What do you give the photographer who has everything…?
Well, photography equipment can be very expensive, but here are a few ideas for all budgets.
Cameras
When it comes to photographic equipment, nobody likes surprises, so please don’t buy a really expensive camera or lens for your loved one without talking it over first!
Having said that, there are a couple of niches that you might be able to fill.
GoPro Hero 9 Black - £359.99
Buying someone a full frame DSLR is probably beyond the price range of most people, but the same can’t be said for a GoPro or similar video camera.
They’re very handy if you want to go mountain biking or white water rafting, and there are endless options at different price points, so you won’t have to break the bank.
Personally, I have the GoPro HERO4 - SILVER EDITION - ADVENTURE, but they’ve come a long way since then, and the latest one is the GoPro Hero 9 Black.
Nikon Coolpix W300 Compact Digital Camera - Black - £429.00
I bought myself a Nikon 1 AW1 camera in order to take pictures while snorkelling in the Galápagos a few years ago, but I wasn’t very impressed. The autofocus was impossible to use, and I hardly kept a single one of the images!
Fortunately, Nikon have done a lot better with the Coolpix W300, and it regularly makes the list of best compact or best underwater cameras.
It’s dust-proof, waterproof to a depth of 30 metres, can withstand temperatures as low as -10ºC and can even be dropped on to a hard floor from a height of 2.4 metres without breaking.
Apart from all that, it has inbuilt GPS, Bluetooth and WiFi, 4K video recording and a 16 MP sensor, so it should work pretty well!
Accessories
Photography is a money pit, so you can always stop your loved one throwing good money after bad by buying a useful accessory.
Neewer Professional Heavy Duty Metal 360 degree Panoramic Gimbal Tripod Head - £77.49
Wimberley is the gold standard when it comes to gimbal tripod heads, the kind that make smooth panning possible and hold heavy cameras with long lenses in a lovely balanced position even when you’re not holding on.
However, they’re also frighteningly expensive, so here’s a much cheaper alternative made by Neewer.
Impulsfoto Camera Full-frame Sensor Cleaning Kit - £19.90
If your loved one is brave enough to take on the challenge, then buying a sensor cleaning kit might be just the thing.
It takes a steady hand and nerves of steel, but it’s very handy to be able to clean the sensor when you’re on a photographic trip.
Yes, you could always wait until you got back home, but that means an awful lot of time cloning out sensor spots in Lightroom or Photoshop…!
WANBY Professional Waterproof Soft Black DSLR Camera Rain Cover - £9.99
Photographers often end up taking pictures in terrible weather, so having a camera cover is very handy when it’s raining or snowing or just very dusty.
This particular one by WANBY even protects your hands when you’re shooting.
Just make sure it’s long enough…!
Spider Pro Camera Holster Single Camera System - £149.00
The Spider Pro belts for holding cameras are exceptionally convenient.
I have the one for two cameras, so I look a bit like a gunslinger when I’m walking around on a shoot, but I love it.
Carrying a camera on a strap round your neck is uncomfortable and liable to leave you in pain after a long day in the field, but the Spider Pro system puts all the weight on your hips, and it’s so easy to wear that you can walk around and even sit down without worrying about damaging your cameras.
Once the cameras are locked in using the special clip, they’re not going anywhere, and I’ve even taken mine on Zodiac cruises…!
Circular polarizer - £199
When I first turned professional, I bought myself a whole range of filters and filter holders, but I hardly used any of them!
The only one you really need as a wildlife photographer is the circular polariser.
This version is fairly expensive, but you get what you pay for…
Tenba Roadie Hybrid Roller 21 US Domestic Carry-On Camera Bag with Wheels - £272.93
I’ve been through about five camera bags, but this is the latest and the best.
Tenba make all kinds of different bags, but I have the Tenba Roadie Hybrid Roller 21, which is a ‘rollaboard’ with wheels and also straps so that you can use it as a rucksack when you’re out on a shoot.
Crucially, it’s the largest case you can take as hand luggage on international flights.
You really don’t want to be putting expensive and fragile camera equipment in the hold, so that’s very important.
Software
Topaz Labs Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI & Gigapixel AI - $199.99 for all three
Most photographers use Lightroom and Photoshop these days, but they may not be aware of the great results possible with the Topaz Labs suite of software programs:
DeNoise AI ($79.99) is designed to remove noise from photographs but sharpens them as well.
Sharpen AI ($79.99) is designed to sharpen photographs (rather than simply increasing contrast, which is what Lightroom’s sharpening slider does) but removes noise, too.
Gigapixel AI ($99.99) scales up images (as well as sharpening them and removing noise) in order to create larger prints.
Video Enhance AI ($299.99) upscales videos in the same way as Gigapixel upscales still photographs.
I’m a Topaz Labs Ambassador, so please click here to buy any of their products. You’ll get 15% off if you use the discount code nickdale15.
If you’d like to order a framed print of one of my wildlife photographs, please visit the Prints page.
If you’d like to book a lesson or order an online photography course, please visit my Lessons and Courses pages.