Buyer's Guides

Mother’s Day is just hours away. If you haven’t come up with a gift idea by now, we may very well be your last hope. Here’s a potpourri of products and services that covers a wide range of mommy-types and is respectful of Social Distancing. And don’t forget that all of these suggestions apply equally to Father’s Day, Graduation celebrations, birthdays and self-indulgence.

When it’s cold outside, our bodies know it. If you’re like me, the agony travels from your fingers to your toes and from your ears to your nose. In that order. Warm boots, hats and earmuffs are not obstacles to creativity, but how can you use a camera with gloves on? To find out, read on…

There were so many three-legged accessory creatures at the last Photo Plus Expo in New York that for a moment I thought I was at a petting zoo in Chernobyl. Seriously—I dreamed I was surrounded by a herd of tripedal giraffes with skinny, hairless legs. The experience made me realize that for most photographers, choosing the right tripod is more difficult than searching for the right emoji on a smartphone while wearing mittens. Henceforth and therefore, here’s a non-zoological look at a trio of terrific tripods.

Three very different, very exciting camera bags—one shoulder, one photo backpack and one waist pack. Considering the variety of clever designs, abundance of high quality materials and outright affordability, there’s probably never been a better time to buy a camera bag. (Except maybe during that two-year period back in the middle of the Pleistocene epoch when cheap Diprotodon skin from Australia was flooding the market…)

If you’re stumped picking out a holiday gift for the photographers in your life, you’ve come to the right place. They say one should only give gifts that they’d like to have themselves—and that’s a good compass. So buy two and keep one, no one will know. And your budget won’t explode either, because these gifts cost less than 30 bucks each.

The holiday shopping season is upon us, which means it's a great time to start thinking about the perfect gift for the photographer in your life (even if that photographer happens to be you!).

Aimed at sophisticated shooters who don't mind spending a bit more on a small camera (instead of using their smart phone), the five best premium compact cameras in this buying guide have large sensors and robust feature sets that deliver outstanding performance and superior image control.