2022 Holiday Gift Guide for Photographers: Our favorite gifts under $1000

As we gear up for the biggest shopping season of the year, we’re presenting our favorite gifts for photographers this holiday season. Thanks to Capture One, MPB, Mylio Photo, Fundy, Skylum, Excire and Tamron, the sponsors of this year’s Holiday Gift Guide.

Need more gift ideas, and want to see all the latest holiday deals? Check out our Holiday Shopping Guide!

Below are a few of our favorites that are valued under $1000. These are great gifts for the photographer in your life!

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 Lens for Sony E

Recommended by Photofocus | Read review | $899; available via Tamron

This second-generation 28-75mm f/2.8 lens has quickly become one of our favorite lenses this year. Small and compact, the 28-75mm G2 performs admirably. With fast autofocus and wonderful sharpness, this is a great all-purpose lens. If you’re in the market for a great lens for portraits, events or documentaries, definitely check this out.

SanDisk 4TB Extreme Portable SSD V2

Recommended by Lauri Novak | $749; available via B&H

These are the best little external Solid State drives. They are extremely portable, light and fast.

Godox AD400 Pro

Recommended by Julie Powell | $649; available via B&H

Quite possibly the best monolight you can get for under $1000. This powerful 400ws strobe is more than powerful enough to overpower the sun on bright days. A full charge will give you close to 400 full power flashes, the menu system makes it easy to use, Bowens mount modifiers for it are plentiful and affordable, the quality of light is superb and it even has a built-in modelling light. I have been using mine steadily in the studio for a while now and found they are one of the best buys I made.

Lensbaby Optic Swap Founder’s Collection

Recommended by Julie Powell | Read Review | $799.95; available via B&H

Looking for something to really get those creative juices going in 2023? You can’t beat the amazing Lensbaby lenses. This amazing Lensbaby kit comes with the Composer, and two different optics the Sweet and the Edge, in both the 35mm and 50mm options. Check out some of the other kits available through B&H too.

Light Leak 6 — Shutter Camera Clock

Recommended by Lauri Novak | $789; available via Etsy

For the avid camera collector who needs a little light on their collection.

Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD

Recommended by Bryan Esler | Read review: E mount or XF mount | $699; available via Tamron

Tamron has proven with the 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 that it can produce high-quality optics, even for APS-C sensors. This lens provides a versatile look at the world, perfect for anything from travel to capturing kids’ sports. The autofocus is quick and accurate, and the picture quality exceeds expectations!

Summit Gift Cards

Recommended by Sara Kempner | available via Summit Workshops

The Summit Series of Photography Workshops have been providing top-quality education opportunities for photographers for over 30 years. Providing both in-person and online workshop experiences, Summit offers a diverse range of learning opportunities no matter what genre you’re interested in. Their instructing staff is comprised of industry-leading photographers and locations vary from domestic USA to around the globe. From lighting to sports to Kenyan safaris, a gift card to the Summit Series of Photography is sure to please any photographer on your Christmas list, from hobbyist to professional. You can check out their available workshops here.

Looking to sell your old gear, or gift a pre-loved camera or lens? Click here to buy perfectly working secondhand gear for less, or convert your old gear into cash with MPB!