30 best gifts for the photographer in your life — our favorite accessories for cameras, drones and instant cameras

Everyone needs an easy-to-use, no-frills camera for capturing life's candid moments. The Kodak Charmera is a cute little camera that you can take practically anywhere with you. It clips onto bags and keys, and is a great conversation starter. Though image and video quality aren’t particularly fantastic, the photos have a lo-fi aesthetic and there are 11 frames and filters to play with.

If your loved one is an avid wildlife or sports photographer, chances are they have a speedy camera that needs an equally speedy memory card. The Lexar CFExpress Type-B 128GB is my top pick as it boasts 1750 MB/s read and 1300 MB/s write speeds, and there's no downtime between shots. CFExpress cards are essential for videographers, too, so I'd highly recommend grabbing one for them.

Before you ask, no, you cannot have "too many SD cards" in your life — trust me, I have at least four and wish I had more! The Lexar Professional Silver SD Card 256GB is excellent, offering 225 MB/s read and 160 MB/s write speeds, which should more than suffice for most cameras and photographers. And 256GB is a lot of space!

A camera strap is a great gift for any photographer. The K&F CONCEPT 39-inch Camera Neck Strap made of high-quality nylon and is wear-resistant and durable. It's compatible with most camera shoulder strap loops thanks to its double-ended metal connecting O-ring, and it looks really good and premium, too.

Some photographers prefer a wrist strap over a neck strap as these straps keep the camera in or near hand at all times, and the K&F CONCEPT Camera Wrist Strap is a solid choice. It has a non-chafing design, and the anti-release quick release buckle stays locked while you shoot. It also enables you to quickly switch between handheld, tripod and chest mount setups.

The DJI Mic Mini is the ideal first microphone upgrade for new content creators who want to boost the quality of their audio, and a fine choice for more experienced creators who need a tiny microphone. This mic system is modular so can be scaled to your needs. It packs two levels of noise cancellation, and its omnidirectional mic works great for general content creation.

Every photographer needs a backpack that can safely store their gear and make it easy to transport. This K&F CONCEPT Camera Backpack is lightweight, durable, and multi-functional. It's got plenty of pockets for storing cameras, lenses, flashes, drones, and even a 14-inch laptop. It comes with a protective rain cover, too.

The importance of a versatile and lightweight tripod can't be overstated. The K&F CONCEPT 64-inch Travel Tripod features a 360° ball head that can be rotated to any angle you want, as well as quick flip leg lock so you can use just one hand to adjust it. It's small and compact, so can be stored easily in a backpack.

If someone you love shoots lots of video, is a content creator or simply needs to add some colored tints to their photography, this NEEWER RGB LED Video Light Stick is perfect. Here at Tom's Guide, we often use two of these to give computing and gaming photos an RGB-laden "gamer-y" look. They’re battery powered and have both a 3/8-inch thread and a magnetic back so you can mount them in lots of places.

If your friend or family member is a mobile photographer, the DJI Osmo Mobile 8 makes for an excellent gift. This pocket gimbal boasts a sturdy build with great handling, easy setup and accurate AI tracking. It gives phone videos a professional look, and the excellent DJI Mimo app lets you unleash the Osmo Mobile 8’s true potential. It comes with a tiny fill light too for shooting in dimly lit environments.

Neutral Density filters are basically sunglasses for cameras, allowing photographers to use long shutter speeds or wide apertures in brighter conditions without overexposing an image. ND filters come in various levels of light reduction. This one from K&F CONCEPT is available in lots of thread sizes for different lenses, so make sure to find out the thread of your photographer buddy’s favorite lens.

Every photographer needs a camera and lens cleaning kit, and this one from Altura Photo is a great choice. It includes an alcohol and ammonia-free lens cleaner spray, cleaning brush, lens pen, air blower, three MagicFiber microfiber cloths, and 50 lens tissue paper wipes. It works with all cameras (and can be used with drones, too).

Here's a silly, whimsical gift for the photographer in your life who already has everything: a lens-shaped coffee mug! I've always wanted one, to be honest, and might have to share this gift guide to drop a hint to my partner...

Want to be the most popular family member on Christmas day? The DJI Neo 2 is a fantastic gift for those who either love drones or want to get into aerial photography. Featuring 4K/60fps video, omnidirectional obstacle avoidance, bigger internal storage, Gesture Control, and more, it's a formidable drone and a must-have for all pilots.

Because drones are small, they use microSD cards to store footage on, and trust me, you don't want to be caught out in the field without one. The SanDisk Ultra microSD Card 256GB is a great gift for pilots, offering read speeds up to 150 MB/s. It's compatible with most modern drones.

A drone landing pad is very useful if you're taking off from a rocky or sandy surface. The FPVtosky Nighttime Reflective Drone Landing Pad is waterproof and easy to clean, and it's portable and easy to carry. It's reflective which makes it easier to land your drone when visibility is low.

The Anker Prime 27,650mAh 3-Port 250W is extremely portable and lightweight, and it can quickly charge large devices, such as MacBooks and drones, with its 250W power delivery. It also features three ports to charge multiple devices simultaneously.

The Fujifilm Instax mini 13 takes lovely photos with retro colors, and its controls are so straightforward that anyone, regardless of age or experience, can use it. It comes in fun colors, and it’s great value for money. It's the perfect gift for those who enjoy physical prints. I awarded it 4.5-stars in my Instax mini 13 review.

If your loved one doesn't need an instant camera but likes physical prints, the Fujifilm Instax mini Link 3 Printer makes for a thoughtful gift. It uses Bluetooth to connect with and directly print from your smartphone, and you can use its companion app to create collages, too.

There's no such thing as "too much film," and if you ask any instant photographer, they'll say that film's getting too expensive — so why not gift your loved one this lovely Fujifilm Instax mini Pastel Galaxy film pack? The film has a wonderful starry border, so it's great for space fans.

Okay, you've got your loved one a film pack and an instant camera, now get them an Instax mini Photo Album with 112 pockets so they have somewhere to store them. I love flipping through my family's photo albums whenever I visit them, so this is a great choice for fans of physical prints.

Imagine going to a bar with your friends and pulling out a Mini Photo Album to show everyone. Now that's cool. This one from Fintie features 52 pockets and comes in lovely colors, suitable for every mood or type of photographer.

If you or your loved one want to display your instant prints around your house, now you can. The Orga'Neat Picture Holder is spacious enough to hold a 2x3-inch mini print, and it has a see-through case so everyone can admire the time you went skydiving in the Maldives.

While the aforementioned accessories make great gifts for Fujifilm Instax shooters, this Polaroid Large Photo Album is for, well, Polaroid snappers. It can store up to 160 photos and is made of cardboard so it looks classy. It's designed for Polaroid i-Type, 600 and SX-70 film, so make sure you find out what camera it is your loved one owns before you buy it.

The Polaroid Now and Now+ Filter Set is perfect for those who own either of those cameras. There are five creative filters in the box, including starburst, red vignette, orange, blue and yellow, and these can help photographers get creative with their shots.

If you've got a teen in your life, and they love LED lamps and instant cameras, you can combine their adoration for both with this 50 LED 5m Photo Clips String Lights set. It's battery powered and comes with a remote that lets you swap between different lighting modes.

Who says your furry friend can't join in on the holiday fun? This Dog Harness GoPro Mount is ideal for those with dogs (or cats, even) and a GoPro action camera. Your pet can wear it and then record the world from their POV. Trust me, it'll make for very cute videos.

The TELESIN Waterproof Case is an anti-fog underwater housing cage for the DJI Osmo Action line-up. It can protect your camera as you record underwater activity deep to 60 meters or 196 feet without worrying about leaks. It's also sturdy enough to protect your camera lens and screen against high impact drops, dents and scratches.

SanDisk's 256GB Extreme microSDXC UHS-I microSD card boasts not just massive storage space, but also fast read (190mbps) and write speeds (130mbps). Offload speeds also top at 190mbps so you can quickly transfer content between devices, making it the ideal microSD card for 4K and 5K UHD capture.

If you know someone that owns a 360° camera, like the Insta360 X6, then an invisible selfie stick is a fantastic gift, allowing them to capture footage from an overhead point of view with no selfie stick — it’s as if the camera is floating above them and looks very surreal, but very cool.