11 Gifts a Film Photographer will Actually Use in 2023 (with photos)

19 min read

Every single year, the one item that never leaves my (and every other film photographer’s) Christmas/birthday wish list is more film. But most non-photographers have a hard time knowing what to pick for a film photographer because it’s all so complicated.

This article is actually intended to help my mom out, but I know she’s not the only mom, or partner out there having a hard time finding the right gifts for the film photographers in their lives. 

So here is the LearnFilm.Photography guide to the top 11 gifts that I would be ecstatic to receive on birthdays or during the holidays. For simplicity, I’ve organized this list of gifts into three distinct price points to make your Christmas, birthday, or holiday shopping easier!

Film photography gifts under $25

1. Find the perfect camera strap to match their style

Camera straps are one of the most overlooked items in photography. Most people stick with the camera strap that came with the camera even if they’re thin or uncomfortable.

But having a good strap can make a huge difference in the way they take photographs — especially if they’re the type that like to hang it around their neck or shoulder, where the weight on a thin strap can become uncomfortable.

Camera straps come in a variety of different shapes and styles, and usually cost less than $25. But there are a large variety of options, including boutique styles that may cost more.

There are more expensive options out there designed for working professional photographers, like the Peak Design or Black Rapid straps. But the more expensive options are tailored to a specific need, like carrying multiple cameras, securing the camera in a specific way, or for speed.

Usually, a photographer will shell out the money themselves if they knew they had this specific need.

Take a look at all of these options that’ll fit your photographer’s personality.

a film travel case in use at the airport.
This film travel case made it quick and easy to get through airport security.

2. Film travel cases that make life easier

These cases make traveling with film a breeze. They hold a number of rolls in a single accessible case that also makes it easy to bring them through airports and security checkpoints.

Film can be damaged by high-powered x-ray machines, so most photographers will need to ask for their film to be hand-checked

But the last thing any inpatient TSA agent wants to do is individually look at and swab a bunch of rolls in a plastic ziplock bag. But even the busiest airports will have a much easier time hand checking film if it’s in one of these hard cases, where they can easily swab all the rolls at once. The film should be unwrapped, otherwise, the TSA agents will likely have to unwrap the film there — which they won’t be very happy about.

After traveling through a bunch of airports with film, this case has been one of the most useful purchases I’ve made because it’s made the process so easy. 

Here’s a vintage-looking film case by Kodak on Amazon that can hold either 10 rolls of 35mm or 8 rolls of medium format roll film. It’s also made of tin, which will keep the film safe from moisture when unwrapped.

3. The Photography Book, published by Phaidon

A pocket-sized book filled to the brim with over 500 photos by famous film photographers from around the world, complete with biographies and history of the most famous images ever created.

This book, while a little old, is perfect for introducing photographers to new works that they may have never seen before. This is one of my favorite books to lend out to my friends getting into film photography, because it shows some of the most creative and inspirational photos ever taken. I’ve learned so much just by looking through this one book.

Find the paperback version on Amazon here.

Gift ideas for film photographers between $25-$75

Top 10 Film stocks of all time for photographers
There is still a huge amount of choice in the film marketplace today. Kodak Portra 400 and Tri-X are the most popular film stocks by far, and will be useful to every film photographer.

4. Film photographers will ALWAYS have use for Kodak Tri-X or Portra 400

Even though I ask every year, my mom still has yet to buy me film. Luckily, there are some film stocks that every photographer will find useful. No matter what, these are the go-to film stocks that work in a variety of situations and create the best-looking images.

The safest film stocks to give a film photographer are Kodak Tri-X, or Kodak Portra 400. These are the film stocks I go through the fastest because they are reliable and functional in almost every situation.

But the vast majority of film photographers will also love to have more Kodak Gold, which is a cheaper film stock that produces a lovely natural warm glow. Get some Kodak Gold on Amazon here, or on Adorama.

Just a note, if you’re buying color film early to get a head start on your Christmas shopping, film will last the longest if it’s stored in the fridge or freezer

Here is my list of the best film stocks that every film photographer will love! And Mom, if you’re reading this: I could always use more Kodak Portra 400 (the best price is on Adorama).

5. Fun and experimental film stocks they will have a blast shooting

Film photography is all about having fun and being less serious than digital photographers. So there are many photographers that will love experimenting with different film stocks.

If the photographer in your life is all about creating kitschy and fun photos, then there are no better film stocks to get them than the films created by Lomography, like Lomo Purple and Lomo Turquoise. These two films are false color films, meaning they alter the color of landscapes.

For instance, Lomo Purple transforms all the greens to into a lush purple while maintaining the color of skin tones. Lomp Turquoise, on the other hand, will turn the skies orange, while everything else becomes it’s own shade of blue.

6. Day Sleeper by Dorothea Lange and Sam Contis: an inspiring photo book by one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century

Cover of the book Day Sleeper
Day Sleeper by Dorothea Lange and Sam Contis.

Day Sleeper by Dorothea Lange and Sam Contis is one of the most interesting photo books out to date. This book is a retrospective of Dorothea Lange’s work, who is best known for her image of “The Migrant Mother.” 

Sam Contis brilliantly strung together a book of Lange’s photos, cataloging people living along the west coast, and particularly around San Francisco. One of the many motifs present throughout the work are images of people sleeping during the daylight hours. But it also takes a hard look at the working class struggles of the day.

Day Sleeper is a brilliant, limited-run, work that showcases many never-before-seen images from one of the most famous American photographers. Find it on Amazon here

Or, take a look at this article containing my five favorite photobooks that I’ve found this year.

The ilford Sprite 35-II is the camera for summer 2021
The Ilford Sprite 35-II camera thrives in the summer sun.

7. Ilford Sprite 35-II — the most fun film camera for capturing memories

The Ilford Sprite 35-II is one of my favorite cameras I’ve ever used. It’s essentially a disposable camera that is made to be reused, and it’s by far the most fun camera to use in my entire collection.

This camera requires ISO 200 or 400 35mm film and only has a single shutter speed and aperture. It has a AAA battery-powered flash for capturing perfectly exposed images indoors or at night.

So all the photographer has to do is point the camera and click the shutter button like they used to with disposable cameras. 

And that’s what makes the Ilford Sprite 35-II such a fun companion. Even though I have a number of cameras that are way better, I’m always going to bring this one around with me because of how easily it captures memories.

Plus, my partner loves the photos I take of her with this camera more than any other because its images have that famous film glow everyone is rushing back to this medium for.

See my full review of the Ilford Sprite 35-II camera here, or find one for the film photographer in your life on Amazon here

8. The Film Developing Cookbook

The Film Developers’ Cookbook by Bill Troop and Steve Anchell is one of the most informative and up-to-date books on film photography. The latest edition was published in 2018, meaning it has information on most of the latest changes in film photography. 

The book is full of hard-to-find film developer recipes, and tips on how to get the best results when developing film. 

This has been the most impactful book on my film photography and has inspired a number of the posts on this blog. Even the most devout film photographers will be able to learn a lot from this book.

$100+ gift ideas for film photographers

Hanging film on a wire to dry.
Developing film at home can save hundreds of dollars, making film photography much more accessible

9. Paterson and Ilford B&W Home Film Developing Kit

If you have a photographer in your life who is really getting into film, but hasn’t yet jumped into developing at home, this is the perfect gift for them. This kit has everything they will need to get started, including a pre-measured single-use set of black and white film-developing chemicals.

Paterson and Ilford are the standard, high-quality manufacturers that most photographers use. Paterson was one of the few suppliers who continued making high-quality equipment for film photographers throughout the digital era, while Ilford is the leading manufacturer of black and white film and film processing chemicals.

There are other kits out there, but they don’t include the same trusted, high-quality equipment that you will find in this kit. Find a film developing kit on Amazon here.

Printing photos using a small Canon Selphy photo printer
Printing your photos is the absolute best way to see and learn why some photos work, and others don’t. The Canon Selphy is a small, inexpensive-yet-high-quality photo printer that prints up to 4×6 size images. It’s a great way to dial in your settings for making larger prints, or for giving photos to friends and family.

10. Canon Selphy C1500 Photo Printer

One of the reasons we shoot film in the first place is to get physical photographs. But many film photographers still only ever see their images digitally.

The Canon Selphy C1500 is an affordable photo printer capable of printing 4×6 prints over wifi or through an SD card. The paper also comes with the right amount of ink, meaning you never have to fuss with expensive and inconvenient ink cartridges to get it to work right.

Each print costs about $.35, making it a fantastic option for photographers who want to dial in their photos or make fun prints for friends and family easily and conveniently.

Personally, owning a small photo printer has been a major help in my photography, because it allows me to see details in my photos that you can never fully appreciate on a computer screen.

It’s also allowed me to dial in my edits to make the best full-scale image prints possible. In fact, I added more Canon Selphy KP-108 paper to my Christmas list this year so I can make some prints from all the holiday magic.

Me using the Peak Design Travel Tripod to capture a long exposure.

11. The Peak Design Tripod

The Peak Design Tripod is tiny
This is how small the Peak Design tripod is when it’s folded up. A regular travel tripod is easily longer, and twice as thick.

Over my 10 years in photography, I’ve owned many tripods and hated them all. But then I decided to take a chance and pick up the Peak Design Tripod, and I have to say this is by far the best-designed tripod I’ve ever used.

This tiny tripod has everything. It folds down small enough to fit inside a backpack, it has its own mobile phone mount, can be turned upside down (great for scanning film), and has a detachable bottom section so that the tripod can get low to the ground. The tripod also uses the Peak Design quick-release plate, which adapts to the camera mounting systems most photographers are already using.

This is the first tripod that I can bring with me everywhere and not even notice it’s on my back. You can read my full review of this unique tripod here.

So if you have a film photographer in your life who lugs around a big, bulky tripod — one who loves to travel, hike, and climb mountains, the Peak Design Travel Tripod can make a perfect gift.

Find this tripod on the Peak Design Store for the best price.

You can never go wrong with buying more film for the film photographer in your life

Final thoughts

I hope you found everything you need in this article. These are all of the gifts that I’d have loved to receive myself, and every single one of them is something that I use often. But, if the film photographer in your life is someone like me, who is a serial gear buyer, the absolute safest gift to give is a box of the most popular color film, Kodak Portra 400 or the most popular black and white film Kodak Tri-X.

These are by far the most sold film stocks in the world and are ones that photographers are running out of all the time. If I had to choose one, these rolls would be them. And the prices are going up in 2022, so many photographers are going to be very happy to receive another box or two before the prices rise.

As always, if you have any questions about other items that you’ve found and are wondering if they’re a good option, feel free to leave a comment below, or send me a message on Instagram! I’ve already answered a few users questions, and I am open to helping people in any way I can, as quickly as possible.

Film photography is a major passion of mine, and I love to help people enjoy this medium in any way I can.

By Daren

Daren is a journalist and wedding photographer based in Vancouver, B.C. He’s been taking personal and professional photos on film since 2017 and began developing and printing his own photos after wanting more control than what local labs could offer. Discover his newest publications at Soft Grain Books, or check out the print shop.

2 thoughts on “11 Gifts a Film Photographer will Actually Use in 2023 (with photos)”

  1. Absolutely brilliant article! As a digital photographer needing to give a gift to a film photographer, I found fantastic insight in this.
    I also loved the use cases for everything! Cheers!

    Reply

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