Five Great Photography Gifts for Under $50
The Christmas season is upon us and if you have a photographer in your family, you might be thinking of getting something related to their passion. But we all know that photography gear can be expensive.
However, here are five photography accessories that I own and am happy with. And they each cost under $50.
Links to Amazon for all the items are provided. Full disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate so if you order from any of these links, I get a small payment from Amazon. There is no additional cost to you to purchase from the link, but the payment from Amazon does help support this site.
SMALLRIG Quick Release Plate for AirTag
The SMALLRIG Quick Release Plate for AirTag is a small aluminum box which attaches to the bottom of your camera body using the standard tripod mount hole. The box is specifically designed to hold an Apple AirTag, which can help you locate your camera if it’s lost or stolen.
The plate also includes three standard 1/4x20 threaded holes for mounting accessory plates, although they may not be needed. The SMALLRIG Quick Release Plate has built-in grooves to attach directly to an Arca-Swiss ball head.
I have this on my camera and it’s far more secure and unobtrusive than having an AirTag attached with a leather holder or some other type of device. And so far, I haven’t found the accessory impeding any of my camera’s functions or usability.
The SMALLRIG Quick Release Plate for AirTag is $24.99 from Amazon.
SMALLRIG Folding Tool Set
Another handy item from SMALLRIG is this folding tool set. It contains seven of the most common hex key wrenches and screwdrivers needed for camera adjustments and minor repairs. It all folds into a neat package about the size of a small pocket knife.
Additionally, the tool has holes along the sides, threaded for the most common camera screws. This allows you to have spare screws handily attached to the tool.
I have two of these tools, one in each of my camera bags, so I know it will always be close by.
The SMALLRIG Folding Tool Set is $20.99 from Amazon.
Godox ML-CD15 Diffusion Dome Flash Diffuser
If you’ve done much flash photography, you know that on-camera flash can produce very harsh light and shadows. That’s why we generally use off-camera flash in the studio.
But what if you’re in a situation where you can’t reasonably use off-camera flash? Then we need a way to diffuse the harsh light coming from our on-camera speed light. Many speed lights come with a small diffuser cap and/or a pop-up translucent card to somewhat mitigate the harshness of the light.
I first saw a version of this diffuser used by a wedding photographer a few years ago, and I was impressed with the results. I bought one almost immediately and, even though I'm not a wedding photographer, I often use it for ‘run-and-gun’ indoor photography such as family gatherings.
The diffuser comes with three adapter rings to allow you to connect to rectangular or circular speed lights, as well as with a Bowens-type ring in case you want to use it on a small studio light.
One benefit I like is that the dome can be collapsed into itself. This helps with storage, but more importantly, it can give you some variations in the light it produces.
Of course, the speed light shown does not come with the kit, but the Godox ML-CD15 Diffusion Dome w/3 adapters, Flash Light Diffuser is $24.90 from Amazon.
Lightdow 12 x 12 Inch 18% Gray Reference Reflector
One of the challenges when taking photos of friends or family during the holiday season (or any other time of the year) is that the scene may various types of lighting. Particularly for an indoor location, the scene may be lit by a combination of warm orange-yellow light from tungsten bulbs to fluorescents, which run the gamut from cool blue to warm yellow to a bright neutral daylight color.
It can be difficult to determine which camera white balance profile will give you the truest depiction of the vibrant colors of a holiday scene.
But this accessory can help. By taking a single photo of the Lightdow Gray Reference Reflector, you have a color reference which can be used to accurately set the white balance value for that room or other scene.
The reflector is a standard 18% gray and has a small target to help your camera focus on the card. Then in post processing, you can use the gray of the reflector to accurately set the white balance for other photos taken under the same or similar lighting conditions.
While a reflector such as this, or a similar printed paper card, is normally used in a studio environment, I find the easy portability of the Lightdow Gray Reference Reflector to be an easy accessory to safe me a lot of work in getting those family photos to be the most accurate depiction of our gathering as possible.
The semi-rigid reflector easily folds into quarters and comes with a handy carrying bag with fits in your pocket. I have two of these, one for my studio and one I always have in my camera bag for those special occasions.
And best of all, this handy Lightdow 12 x 12 Inch 18% Gray Reference Reflector is only $14.99 from Amazon.
Pixel Timer Shutter Release TW283 Wireless Remote Control
Finally, this is a simple accessory that allows the photographer to be in the scene with a minimum of fuss. Certainly, you can set your camera on a tripod or table and set the internal timer to take a photo after a certain interval.
But what if someone isn’t quite ready when that interval runs out? Or after the shot, you see that someone’s eyes were closed or there is some other issue with the photo. A few cameras allow multiple shots to be taken after the camera timer elapses, but that still doesn’t give time to allow everyone to take a breath and then get ready for another shot.
That’s where a remote shutter release comes in handy. You can set up the shot, get everything focused and properly framed, but then don’t need to rush to get into the photo before the timer expires.
With a remote shutter release, you set up the shot and then take the time necessary to get into position and have everyone get comfortable before you press the shutter. This release also allows for half-press focusing to be sure your scene is in focus before the photo is taken.
And it’s easy to take multiple photos, with a moment for everyone to relax, because there’s to rush to get ready. When all seems well, you trigger the camera remotely.
Several manufacturers make remote shutter releases similar to this one, but after trying several models over the years, I've settled on this model from Pixel as my favorite.
With availability for 30 radio channels, there’s no concern about conflicts with nearby similar devices. And in addition to individual shots, the Pixel also supports delay timing and interval shots, allowing timed exposure of things like star patterns and other interval shots.
The Pixel works with a wide variety of camera brands and models. One cord which connects the receiver to the camera’s remote trigger port is included with the trigger/receiver combination. But take care to get the right cable for your camera.
You can also order additional cables individually if you have a variety of camera bodies.
The Pixel Timer Shutter Release TW283 Wireless Remote Control with one cable is $39.99 from Amazon.
Your Turn
That’s my list, but what about your favorite camera accessories on a budget? List them in the comments with a description and link to where others can find them.
And please let us know in the comments if you purchased any of these items, or already own them, and how they work for you.
Subscribe if you would like to receive an email notification when new blog content or significant website changes are posted.