Gift Guide – photography
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and these photography gifts are worth a thousand thankyous
Sony DSC-HX9V
£280, sony.co.uk
When it comes to point-and-shooters, Sony’s clever cam is a Stuff favourite. With 16x zoom, impressive image stabilisation, GPS, camcorder-baiting 1080p video at 50fps, as well as manual controls, you’ll be hard pushed to find a better compact. Chuck in a few tricks like 2D and 3D sweep panoramas, and lenticular-style 3D capture and not only are you looking at a compact package that doesn’t compromise usability in the name of style, but one that delivers when it comes to image quality.
The Shot Glass Lens Set
£12, photojojo.com
These won’t help you shoot better photos, in fact they’ll most likely make you take worse ones. Whether it’s a shot of espresso or tequila, you can’t go wrong. These ceramic camera lens-inspired glasses have plenty of detail, from the tiny raised numbers and focus ring ridges, right down to the auto/manual focus switch. They won’t fit on your camera, so if you find yourself trying (after a shot or three) don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Gorillapod
£17, Joby.com
Portable and extremely bendy, Joby’s twisting tripod will coil itself around most things. You’ll never tire of finding new places for your camera to hang out with its new bendable friend and we doubt you’ll find a more useful gadget for your camera.
Mobislyder
£100, Mobislyder.com
The Mobislyder is ideal for anyone with unsteady hands or who’s ever tried shooting a quick handheld movie on their smartphone or camera expecting a masterpiece, but wound up with what looked like earthquake footage. This portable dolly specially designed for small devices is exactly what you need. Pop it down on any surface and by sliding your phone along its track, you’ll get those sweeping cinematic shots you were looking for.
Fisheye, Telephoto and Wide/Macro Phone Lenses
£25, Photojojo.com
Smartphones have been evolving at an alarmingly fast rate over the years and have been slowly encroaching on the turf of proper shooters. But if you’ve got no money for the real deal, a set of magnetic mounted pro-style lenses to make your fancy photos even schmancier is just the ticket. They’ll affix onto any smartphone’s camera, transforming your standard photos into wide, up-close, super zoomed or wonderfully warped wonders.
SanDisk 8GB Extreme HD Video SDHC Card – Twin Pack
£34, Warehouse Express
Yes we know getting an SD card for Christmas is akin to getting a pair of socks or a garish jumper from Grandma, but boy are they necessary. For a bargain price you’re getting piece of mind that you’re recording onto a piece of tech that delivers Class 10 video performance with up to 30MB/sec read/write speeds, ensuring your high-def footage is in safe hands.
Canon EOS 600D (body only)
£535, Canon.co.uk
If you’re after a fantastic SLR camera at an entry level price, the EOS 600D is it. That’s down to a tag-team operation consisting of an 18MP sensor, 9-point autofocus and 1080p video recording. Not only does it shoot jaw-dropping photos with bags of detail and brilliant colour accuracy, but its flip-out 3in screen makes achieving those shots just that little bit easier. Meanwhile its nifty menu system is intuitive and the camera itself is clever enough to make the best of every shooting situation – even if you have no idea what you’re doing. Great for amateurs and experienced snappers alike.
Bamboo retro camera iPhone 4/4S Case
£50, Signicase.com
Eco-friendly and wonderfully retro at the same time, this biodegradable bamboo camera case will add a quirky retro aesthetic to your favourite gadget, while ensuring you do your bit for the planet. 100 percent handcrafted, the intricate laser carving could even convince your fingers they’re holding a real camera.
Dan Grabham
Editor-in-Chief 
