Festive gifts for photographers

Nikon Team •Technology & know-how•01 Dec 2025•8 min read

Our annual round-up of ideas for presents for the photographer or videographer in your life

Nothing excites a camera lover more than a new piece of kit to add to the bag (or even replace the old bag!), so we’ve gathered a range of gift ideas for the festive season that will be sure to please any photographer, whether they take stills, video or both. From stocking fillers to blow-the-budget items, there’s something for everyone.

Our annual round-up of ideas for presents for the photographer or videographer in your life

Nikon Team

What’s in our kitbag?

ZRBorn Cinematic

A full-frame camera

For the photographer who wants to move up from a smaller sensor Nikon DX camera to full frame, the Nikon Z5II is the perfect choice. With its amazing capabilities (many of which are inherited from Nikon’s pro cameras), the ability to get instant new looks with Nikon Imaging Cloud recipes, wireless firmware updates, blisteringly fast autofocus and amazing video specs, it’s a stunning step up at an amazing price.

Nikon ZR – for the movie makers

Huge spec in a small body makes the Nikon ZR collaboration between Nikon and RED the must-buy camera for those seriously into video. This is a fully-fledged cinema-ready camera that includes the R3D NE codec from RED (among many others), RED-curated presets, a bright, 4-inch vari-angle monitor and internal 32-bit floating audio. It’s ready to go either as a compact, all-in-one or as part of a larger system. And it takes great stills too. The twist in the tale? The almost unbelievable price!

Make an artistic statement with the Zfc HERALBONY

For the individualist who wants to make a statement but also wants a top-quality camera, the Nikon/HERALBONY Zfc is top of the list. The already iconic Nikon Zfc, with its retro looks and reputation for great images, is also available in this special limited edition from the artists at Japanese collective HERALBONY. It’s available in either black or silver models of the Nikon Zfc, with four different body wraps, and also includes the NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 SE lens.

The always useful portable reflector

Inexpensive enough to be a stocking filler and yet almost indispensable, a foldaway reflector/diffuser has saved many an image over the years, helping to control light in difficult situations, bouncing it, removing dark shadows and changing tone. Most common are either circular or oval and they often come with different colours of reflectors including white, black, gold and silver for a variety of effects. It’s possibly the cheapest way to improve your photos and videos. Nikon recommends Profoto for top-grade reflectors.

Better sound with an external microphone

Great video footage can be spoiled by bad audio, and for vloggers a microphone is an essential piece of kit to take things to the next level. You can get shotgun mics that attach to the top of the camera (or a cage), Lavalier wireless ones to attach to clothing and much more. The Nikon ME-D10 shotgun is 32-bit float compatible, so perfect for your new Nikon ZR. Sennheiser and RØDE also both make a range of mics that will add that professional sound to your footage.

Grab a bargain starter camera kit

New cameras coming out means that previous versions are often available at a lower price, so this year save money and get a great full-frame starter kit for less. Both the Nikon Z5 with the fantastic NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S lens and the Nikon Z6II with the NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 are great options. They contain lots of the latest Nikon technology and will help you create great images and video for years to come.

Put the camera in a cage

Camera cages allow the photographer or filmmaker to attach all sorts of accessories and additions to the camera, including microphones, monitors, lights and handles, as well as giving added protection. They’re an inexpensive way to hugely increase the versatility of the camera. Nikon recommends SmallRig, which makes cages for all Nikon mirrorless cameras.

Stay steady with a new tripod

A good tripod can be a gamechanger for photography and video, opening up new possibilities and creative options. Long exposure techniques, sweeping landscapes, astrophotography, smooth panning and, of course, vlogging are all within your reach with a tripod. We recommend Gitzo and Manfrotto, who make a wide range of great quality tripods for every occasion.

Smoothly does it with a gimbal for video

A gimbal keeps your camera movement smooth across three axes for professional-looking video footage. Both DJI and Zhiyun make great gimbals, which will take those panning shots to the next level. Need to know how to use a gimbal? Read here.

Control light with filters

Inexpensive but so incredibly useful, filters that attach to the front of the lens offer effects ranging from UV protection, polarising to increase contrast and gradients for moody skies and colours. Filters are also a great way of learning how light works.

A hard drive for storage

Photography (and especially video) eats memory and more storage is always needed. External hard drives are great. Even if you have a lot of cloud storage, portable hard drives offer the safety of a physical backup for those precious images and videos. Go for reputable brands such as Lacie, WD, Samsung (above) and Angelbird.

Add a top handle for video

A top handle that attaches to the camera’s hot shoe is an incredibly inexpensive yet game-changing accessory for videographers, allowing you to singlehandedly move your camera with smooth motions – great for low-angle shots. The SmallRig top handle also comes with five cold shoe mounts for accessories such as microphones, monitors, LED lights and more.

Another memory card? Yes please!

Any photographer or videographer will tell you that you can never have too many memory cards. We recommend Lexar Gold cards, in CFexpress B 4.0 Gold, SD Gold 2000x or 1800x formats. And as a stocking filler, a card case is always welcome to stop those spares getting lost in the bag!

Get closer to wildlife with a pair of binoculars

Nikon’s MONARCH HG binoculars are the perfect addition for the serious birdwatcher and wildlife photographer. Spot animals at a distance with outstanding clarity, a wide field of view and edge to edge sharpness thanks to Nikon optical technology. These are next-level binoculars and are available with a number of different magnifications (they are also currently on offer!).

Get editing with an Adobe subscription

If you know a beginner who wants to take their editing skills to the next level, a subscription to Adobe software is a great gift. There’s a photography subscription that includes Lightroom, Lightroom Classic and Photoshop, which will get anyone editing like a pro quickly.

See the bigger picture with an external monitor

For the serious videographer, an external monitor larger than the camera’s is often attached to the camera to expand the view and, acting as external recorders, can open up more video functionality to your camera in some instances. They can also offer an easy way for on-set checks of footage, preferable to everyone crowding around your camera back. We recommend Atomos and Portkeys monitors.

Go full retro with a leather case for the Nikon Zf

For the photographer whose Nikon Zf just isn’t retro enough, the SmallRig leather case will complete the look. Available in black or brown mock-croc-finish PU leather, it features a built-in grip and a classic red stripe in tribute to Nikon classic designs from the past. When fitted, the case still allows full access to all ports and buttons on the camera, including the battery compartment and card slots, focus controls and tripod mount. It also comes with a shoulder strap.

Get a brand new bag

A good, well-made bag is a vital part of any photographer’s gear, keeping it safe and having everything easily accessible. Brands such as Billingham, Thule, Think Tank and Wandrd all offer fantastic bags in a variety of styles and sizes, from shoulder bags to backpacks. Our advice is to buy a bag slightly bigger than you think you’ll need – you never know when that next lens is going to arrive!

A new way to carry the camera

Spinn Design’s baseplate carrying systems attach your strap to the bottom of the camera rather than the top, meaning that the camera rests against your body with the lens pointing down when it’s not in use. Spinn’s come in a few different versions, including one with an innovative magnetic closure system for quick changes.

Protect your valuables with wraps

Inside your bag, you don’t want delicate bits of gear bumping into each other. Tenba Tools protective wraps are soft ‘envelopes’ that come in various sizes, perfect for laptops, lenses, camera bodies and more. They come in four different colours and all have a clear label window, allowing you to identify items quickly.

New lenses for the DX lover

Give your Nikon DX-wielding friend an upgrade with a choice of two new NIKKOR lenses for our crop-sensor cameras. The NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/2.8 VR is a fantastic all-rounder with an equivalent focal length of 24-75mm in full-frame format. The constant f/2.8 throughout the zoom range gives lots of creative options, while built-in Vibration Reduction means handheld performance is improved, even in low light. And for those who like to get close, the NIKKOR Z DX MC 35mm f/1.7 is a DX equivalent of a fast nifty fifty – with a twist. As well as being a great classic standard prime with a superfast aperture, it also operates as a micro lens for amazing images of flowers, insects and tiny objects.

Keep things tidy with a pouch

All the little things that live in a camera bag can easily get lost, so protect them with a simple accessory pouch, perfect for memory cards, pens, spare soft press shutter release buttons, batteries and more. We recommend both Billingham and Fjallraven.

Upgrade to the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II

The 24-70mm lens is a classic, loved by photographers and videographers alike, for its flexibility and capability. Nikon’s newest iteration, the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II, raises the game with the world’s first internal zoom on a lens of its type, superfast autofocus, almost zero focus breathing and the highest quality S line optics. The internal zoom means it can be used for filming on a gimbal without having to rebalance every time you change focal length, and the extensive weather sealing is even more protective against the elements. It’s the lightest in its class at just 675g and offers significant improvements over its predecessor in every department.

The workhorse power zoom for the videographer

For the solo videographer or one working in a small crew, the NIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ is a video-specific power zoom workhorse, designed for flexibility, exceptional rendering and smooth footage up to 8K. The power zoom function has 11 different speeds, from languid to crash zoom, the controls are customisable across a range of functions, and hi-res zoom allows you to go up to 270mm with no loss of resolution, with depth of field maintained. Add a Nikon ZR and you have a movie studio in one bag.

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