Gift for the cycling photographer who has everything.
May 21, 2022 8:31 AM Subscribe
Hi friends, I'm looking for gift ideas for my guy. He's an obsessive cyclist (think exploring, not racing) who loves nature & astro photography and light painting. What one gadget or tool (<$100) would surprise and delight him?
He has everything he needs and wants, incl. a DSLR, point-and-shoot (Panasonic Lumix), GoPro, 360-cam, some fancy-cam Samsung, tripods galore... and for the bike, all the luggage, tools, sensors etc you can think of. Also all subscriptions to the standard apps (Strava, Komoot, etc.)
And yet! There must be something he hasn't thought of that will make his foresty explorations or his photography more fun, right? Have you received or given such a gift? Can be useful or slightly frivolous, but it should get some use. Experiences also welcome! (We're in western Europe.)
Thank you all :)
He has everything he needs and wants, incl. a DSLR, point-and-shoot (Panasonic Lumix), GoPro, 360-cam, some fancy-cam Samsung, tripods galore... and for the bike, all the luggage, tools, sensors etc you can think of. Also all subscriptions to the standard apps (Strava, Komoot, etc.)
And yet! There must be something he hasn't thought of that will make his foresty explorations or his photography more fun, right? Have you received or given such a gift? Can be useful or slightly frivolous, but it should get some use. Experiences also welcome! (We're in western Europe.)
Thank you all :)
Best answer: As a cycling photographer who has everything I want and need, I would primarily suggest a gift card to a quality photo printing company or major retailer (but I can't suggest a specific one in Western Europe). My technical demands are so specific that someone that doesn't intimately understand what I do and already have (I shoot a challenging concept similar to but different than astro) is likely to be wasted.
As a photographer, if he doesn't have one already and you want to get him something specific rather than a gift card, you might consider one of the Fuji Instax cameras. They're very different than the world of DSLRs but fun for most people. I'd specifically suggest the Wide format (which is just a little smaller than classic Polaroids) because the standard sizes are so small that my immediate impression is, "why bother?"
If he uses his phone for photography in an at least semi-serious way and doesn't have one already, you could get him a phone flash. This could range from a Bluetooth triggered device to an always-on clip on ring light.
If you want to go wacky, if you know he doesn't have one already, you can get IR filters that can be fun to play with for about $100, but you'd have to make sure that what you got works with his camera and is the right size for the lenses he might play with them on (mostly likely 77mm but check what his 24-75mm lens takes).
As a biker, if he likes music and doesn't have a set already, the bone conducting headphones that let you listen to music while riding without cutting out the world might be worth looking at.
He probably has one already but if you're certain he doesn't, you could also get him a bike-centric multitool.
posted by Candleman at 9:28 AM on May 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
As a photographer, if he doesn't have one already and you want to get him something specific rather than a gift card, you might consider one of the Fuji Instax cameras. They're very different than the world of DSLRs but fun for most people. I'd specifically suggest the Wide format (which is just a little smaller than classic Polaroids) because the standard sizes are so small that my immediate impression is, "why bother?"
If he uses his phone for photography in an at least semi-serious way and doesn't have one already, you could get him a phone flash. This could range from a Bluetooth triggered device to an always-on clip on ring light.
If you want to go wacky, if you know he doesn't have one already, you can get IR filters that can be fun to play with for about $100, but you'd have to make sure that what you got works with his camera and is the right size for the lenses he might play with them on (mostly likely 77mm but check what his 24-75mm lens takes).
As a biker, if he likes music and doesn't have a set already, the bone conducting headphones that let you listen to music while riding without cutting out the world might be worth looking at.
He probably has one already but if you're certain he doesn't, you could also get him a bike-centric multitool.
posted by Candleman at 9:28 AM on May 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
Excellent snacks, possibly packed up with affectionate notes. A classic for reasons!
posted by clew at 9:39 AM on May 21, 2022
posted by clew at 9:39 AM on May 21, 2022
fun and colorful bike socks, bike jersey, and/or bandannas!
posted by dum spiro spero at 10:22 AM on May 21, 2022
posted by dum spiro spero at 10:22 AM on May 21, 2022
Perhaps some really nice bikepacking strap buckles?
https://austeremanufacturing.com/
posted by niicholas at 10:52 AM on May 21, 2022
https://austeremanufacturing.com/
posted by niicholas at 10:52 AM on May 21, 2022
My cousin, another cycling photographer, says, "The camera strap one is such a good answer. I’d also suggest stuff like Topo designs accessory bags. Keeping filters, batteries, etc organized is annoying and these are really high quality. I’ve got a few Topo things and have been really happy with them."
posted by jocelmeow at 12:22 PM on May 21, 2022
posted by jocelmeow at 12:22 PM on May 21, 2022
Response by poster: Thanks all, a bunch of good ideas to pursue! (Tho he definitely doesn't need more socks. OMG, so many socks, haha.)
posted by ClarissaWAM at 12:53 PM on May 21, 2022
posted by ClarissaWAM at 12:53 PM on May 21, 2022
Hi I am also a cycling photographer.
Does he already have a good way to carry the camera on the bike? If not, Outer Shell makes my favorite handlebar bag for exploring-by-bike and also makes foam inserts for them designed to keep a camera safer while biking. They also have some nice camera straps.
Does he already have a headlamp with a red light setting? Those are excellent for being able to see well enough to organize your equipment before stargazing or astrophotography without completely blowing out your ability to see the stars.
+1 to the instant camera idea, they are really so much fun even for serious photographers! I have the wide Fujifilm Instax and love taking it to parties and on outdoor dates. It comes in a few fun designs, including one that mimics Fuji's own classic black-and-silver camera body design
Frivolous but useful: You can get beer carriers (example) and wine carriers, often made of nice leather, that attach to the bike. Fun for picnic rides.
I also always need more water bottles, memory cards (my cameras use mostly SD but the older DSLR uses a Compact Flash), and cleaning accessories.
posted by rhiannonstone at 4:00 PM on May 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
Does he already have a good way to carry the camera on the bike? If not, Outer Shell makes my favorite handlebar bag for exploring-by-bike and also makes foam inserts for them designed to keep a camera safer while biking. They also have some nice camera straps.
Does he already have a headlamp with a red light setting? Those are excellent for being able to see well enough to organize your equipment before stargazing or astrophotography without completely blowing out your ability to see the stars.
+1 to the instant camera idea, they are really so much fun even for serious photographers! I have the wide Fujifilm Instax and love taking it to parties and on outdoor dates. It comes in a few fun designs, including one that mimics Fuji's own classic black-and-silver camera body design
Frivolous but useful: You can get beer carriers (example) and wine carriers, often made of nice leather, that attach to the bike. Fun for picnic rides.
I also always need more water bottles, memory cards (my cameras use mostly SD but the older DSLR uses a Compact Flash), and cleaning accessories.
posted by rhiannonstone at 4:00 PM on May 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Maybe some light painting toys? There are some ideas on this page.
For example, flashlights, glow sticks, light sabers, etc.
Good luck!
posted by DrumsIntheDeep at 11:18 PM on May 21, 2022
For example, flashlights, glow sticks, light sabers, etc.
Good luck!
posted by DrumsIntheDeep at 11:18 PM on May 21, 2022
Response by poster: ooh, thanks for that link, DrumsIntheDeep! A lot of the stuff linked is no longer available, but gives me keywords to search for.
posted by ClarissaWAM at 4:56 AM on May 23, 2022
posted by ClarissaWAM at 4:56 AM on May 23, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Crystalinne at 9:22 AM on May 21, 2022