Black Friday has come and gone, Cyber Monday is in the rearview, Green Monday is a recent memory.

 The deals will continue, however, as there is a shortened shopping season.

So, let’s start with some ideas for your photo video gift giving, or your end of year purchases for you self. Self Santa, as it were.

First up is a product from Peak Design that should be in every photographers check list:

The Tech Pouch has been been one of the best designed travel accessory bags I’ve used in the past year. OK, ever!

With multiple pockets, pouches, and great overall design, this bit of kit will keep all of your cables, cards, readers, adaptors, etc, all in one place, and organized. I even add a little Lexon Bluetooth speaker to get my Spotify playlist going as I prep. and affordable at about $60. USD

Next up is another product from Peak Design, and that is the Everyday Sling 10L.

With a bit of structure, this bag holds just the right amount of gear fro a great walkaround for the street photographer. A couple of design notes that I think are particularly useful, are the zipper opening TO the body, instead of AWAY from the body (more secure), and the battery pouches in the lid. Those even have a discreet color code so you can divide full and used batteries at a glance. I have even put an iPad with keyboard in this. Pencil goes in zipped pouch. Plus straps on the bottom let you carry a travel tripod, or, as i mainly use it for, a compact umbrella! Only $120 at Amazon!

Here is a full link of camera bags that honestly haven’t changed much from last year. You can never have too many camera bags! But you knew that.

For some fun right out of the box:

DJI Osmo Mobile 3, for some smooth smartphone footage. Now that it folds, there is no reason not to have it with you at all times. Others have a bit of an issue with the length. Nice solve, DJI!

Super easy to use, and now you will have those tracking shots you always hoped for.  Perfect for vlogging, This unit will also quickly go from horizontal to vertical for fast social posting. And classic DJI simplicity of operation. Only $120! Check it out-

For the more serious filmmaker, I’d suggest Filmic Pro app as a great addition. DJI has excellent software, but this app is a step above for mobile filmmakers.

Back to DJI, the Action Cam, which is now getting heavily discounted to compete with GoPro is a solid action cam, with a built in FRONT Monitor!!  So, that’s what I look like!

Add on a cage from PGYTECH, an audio adaptor for an external mic, the Rode video micro mic (and you will use this mic on your other cameras, trust me), and you have a portable communication unit in you hand. Uses all GoPro standard mount connectors, so easy to find a variety of mounting options.

Just used this for some 4K slo-mo (8x) on holiday, in the ocean, and the footage was pretty sweet. About $300

This is not a commercial for DJI, but they just make solid products. The Pocket Osmo is an interesting entry, as it’s a one piece, # Axis gimbal camera system, that is tiny. It’s fun, easy to use, and can be operated remotely with an added Bluetooth base. I know , once i had this, I added filters, holders, extension poles, etc,. See how it feels for you and how you use it to know what accessories you may want. Also, about $300 for the basic unit.

For all of the gatherings you will be attending, nothing beats instant photos that can be handed out. Best cameras out there come from Fuji, and the are the Instax series. Covered here before, here is that link again.

One of the biggest surprises for me this year was the HoldFast Moneymaker strap system.

An issue I always had with BlackRapid camera straps was the movement and hang of the cameras when going for a 2 camera shoot, (which is most events). Even when I had a single, I found there to be too much slide on my body.

At PhotoPlus Expo this year, I tried on the HoldFast MoneyMaker strap, and fell in love. The best fit, great design, quality leather build, and it looked good. Highly recommend, just make sure you look at the site and check for the correct size. One size does NOT fit all. And that’s a good thing.

And when you are on the road, in the mountains, are going light, you now have 2 choices to back up your media cards on the trails, without needing a computer.

A name you know and love, LaCie, introduced the Boss recently, and I’ve taken it for a test run. A full review is coming, but this SSD portable back-up system saved me a few times on my past trip. The ability to not need a computer to copy and back-up my media cards, view and edit them with my smartphone if need be. Even copy off to another drive, or flash drive. Sounds simple, but it needs to work and be foolproof.

This comes with all cables needed, even if you use a iPhone, or Android device.

1 TB unit is about $450. on Amazon

Another player in the field is Gnarbox. Now on V2, this does the same actions, and has a more futuristic body covering. At almost twice the price, this is another option for your on the road backup. About $900 at Amazon

https://youtu.be/3TYMpD4R7WY

For you, or your giftee, this is another tool in the bag that may not bring experience right out of the box, but in use will prove it’s value.

Stay tuned, more holiday gift guide coming!

Yes, a lot of links to Amazon. I do get a tiny bit of you shop through these links. Same price to you. And usually the best price.

Tags: #dji, #DJIACTIONCAM, #DJIOSMO, #FujiInstax, #gimbal, #holidaygiftguide, #peakdesign, Fujifilm, Gnarbox, Holdfast Moneymaker, Lacie, Peak Design, SmartPhone