It’s time once again for the festive season; A time where we scratch our heads constantly, making sure we don’t leave gift buying to the last minute and end up getting Kinokuniya vouchers for everyone we know. Over the next 2 weeks or so, the Lowyat.NET editorial team will be sharing 5 different gift guides for 5 different types of people. Hopefully by the holidays, we’ll have all the bases covered for you!
So in our first week, we tell you what are the ultimate gifts to buy for that photographer in your life. Now, all photographers would love to have more lenses but we all know that unless you’re swimming in money, that’s not a very practical thing to get for Xmas. Another thing is that unless you’re a photographer too, a kit is quite a personal thing and unless you ask the person outright, you’re going to most likely get something wrong! Here’s a bunch of things that all photographers could use, for any budget!
Check out the list after the jump!
1) I Got You In A Secret Santa – LensPen lens cleaner (RM20-50)
This is something that Photographers didn’t know they could use until they actually have one. This nifty device allows you to remove particles and smudges from your lens and get it in tip top condition. With both a brush and a non-liquid cleaning element, this is probably a better bet than a spectacles lens cloth, especially for photographers like me who don’t use a filter to protect the lens. Alternatively, you could get a cheap UV filter….
2) For The Analogue Photographer – Lomography SmartPhone Scanner (RM180 – 220)
An Epson V700 or the latest Canoscan is definitely not in the “Friends” price range for gifts so why not get the next best thing! Coming from the Lomography movement, this scanner allows you to mount your phone over a mini lightbox of sorts and allows you to digitise your 35mm film directly to your smartphone with the help of a special companion app. Not bad considering that a dedicated film scanner is way more expensive than that! No more substandard scans at your local photo store!
3) The Safe Bet For An Event Photographer – BlackRapid RS-5 (RM228)
The BlackRapid set of straps are a godsend for event photographers and their shoulders/necks. Slinging to the side across the chest, letting your camera hang down, it alleviates stress and keeps you more mobile during events. It may take some getting used to, dropping your camera off to the side, but trust me, after you’ve started using a BlackRapid, it really is a world apart from other straps!
If your photographer friend is doing a lot of shooting, chances are he needs a workflow. For me, the workflow of choice involves Lightroom and Photoshop CC. Adobe have made it this easy to get on board with original software, a far cry from the insanely expensive past that plagued them. Now, going legit comes at a very low entry price and there is no excuse not to!
5) If You Somehow Owe This Person Big Time – The Sony DSC QX-100 (RM1,500)
This is probably one of the coolest things to come out this year and most people I know want this (especially Huei). Having the same internals as their great point and shoot camera the RX100, the QX-100 works well with just about any smartphone and the quality of the pictures is great! If your photographer friend doesn’t have a 1020 or iPhone 5S or something, this is a great gift. Just don’t keep it for yourself… Check out our review here!
6) If You Want To Buy Something From Storekini.com – Polaroid Instant Digital Camera Z2300 (RM899)
The guys over at Storekini have brought in something rather cool for photographers! The Polaroid Z2300 is an instant print camera with the ability to actually review the picture you took before you actually print it! Now the Instax range is all the rage but the Z2300 is superior because it eliminates those wasted instaxes and adds a bunch of filters and frames as well as a pretty decent flash. The paper is ZINK Zero Ink Technology, meaning there is not ink cartridge to change and they are actually stickers as well! The 10MP camera does provide some awesome photos so if you want one, head on over to storekini.com where they also have the bigger brother, the Z340
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