We thought it would be a fun idea to get together a list of holiday gifts for film photographers. This guide includes 23 gift ideas ascending in price range. Most of these items have been released within the past year, so it’s also a chance for you to catch up on the latest products from various businesses in the industry.
The list below can be used two ways if you are celebrating the holidays this year and looking for gift ideas, assistance, or inspiration. One, it could help you find a suitable gift for the film photography lover in your life. Two, it can be mass-emailed to your friends and family to help them find you a gift. Of course, with the latter scenario, you might find yourself with multiples so proceed with caution.
If you’re anything like me, you avoid holiday shopping like the plague until the very last minute and then overspend on expedited shipping or end up making highly addictive toffee candies to rot everyone’s teeth out. Or perhaps you bask in the glory of THE SEARCH to find the perfect gift for each special person in your life. Whatever spot you stand in on the holiday gift spectrum, perhaps this list could be a good starting or ending point to help with your shopping. That is, if your budget isn’t already blown from Black Friday.
Note: None of the links in this post are affiliate, 35mmc doesn’t get anything from sharing them. Additionally, you might notice several currencies below. The guide is organised by price level in GBP but as some products are from various parts of the world, we have included their original currency to avoid conversion differences, which can vary day to day.
Gifts Less than £25
1. Film
The past twelve months (or so) have been uplifting for film product news, especially after the recent launch from Harman Photo. We saw many companies release film products during the year. Some were new films made from scratch including Harman Phoenix, Ferrania Orto 50 (120 and 35mm), Adox CHS II (120), and Foma Ortho 400. Others were new (or returned) offerings of respooled films like Street Candy ATM 400 and MTN 100, and Atlanta Film Co.’s KOJI 125T. A couple were creative releases like Dubblefilm’s pre-exposed GLITCH black and white option and Lomography’s latest LomoChrome Color ’92.
Any of these films would make a great gift, especially if the person in mind (or yourself) hasn’t had the chance to shoot them yet. You can never go wrong with film, but make sure you buy the right format (unless you are also buying them a camera too, look at you!).
- Harman Photo – Phoenix (check your local retailer for stock)
- Ferrania Orto 50 in 120 and 35mm
- Adox CHS II in 120
- Street Candy ATM 400 or MTN 100
- Dubblefilm GLITCH
- Lomography Color ‘92
- CatLabs 120 Color Film
- Foma Ortho 400
- Atlanta Film Co KOJI 125T
- Reto Glow and Aqua Films
- Bonus film: Revolog SnoVlox – The Winter Film (this film isn’t new, but it IS pre-exposed to look like there’s snow on the pictures)
Bonus Gift – Film Lab Gift Cards: Ask what lab they use and then go and ask that lab if they do gift cards!!
2. DO NOT X-RAY film pouch (pre-order) 7.99 USD
Looking for a gift for someone who travels often? Consider getting them a film pouch to travel with. You could go for the lead lined DOMKE bags for extra protection (found at B&H or Amazon) or these cool marked ones from Sissi Lu, a photographer based in NYC. Shop them here.
Gifts £25 – £50
3. Platypus 4×5 from Simon Forster – £29.99
This 3D printed drying rack option from Simon Forster Photographic is great if you shoot 4×5. Get it as a kit or preassembled from Simon Forster’s shop in the UK here.
“Just load your wet film or plates vertically, then tilt the rack so that the water drips from a point instead of collecting along the bottom edge” – Simon Forster Webpage
4. The Ultimate Film and Darkroom Workbook from Little Vintage Photography – £30
Created by Rachel from LittleVintagePhotography, this new darkroom workbook will guide you through your film and darkroom journey. These are in stock at Analogue Wonderland here but you can also find them on Rachel’s Etsy shop here.
“It is a unique space to record and plan, journal your ideas, log your shoot, process & print settings and also to reflect on your practice so that you can become more confident and improve over time.” – Analogue Wonderland’s Webpage
5. The Solarcan Puck – £39.95
Embrace solargraphy with the slick new Solarcan Puck that has taken the analogue world by storm. This is such a great gift for kids, family, and friends to do together over time. It’s easy and only takes a few hours or a day to get results. Check it out on the Solarcan shop here.
“Like all Solarcan, the Puck! captures the path of the Sun over days, weeks, months or years. It’s just a little bit smaller and instead of a rectangle image it catches a circle!” – Solarcan website
6. Shoot Film Co. Camera Blanket – £42
Stay warm and flex your camera obsession at the same time with Shoot Film Co.’s fleece blanket – a new addition to the shop of analogue goodies. See it here.
7. PIXL-LATR – £41.66
Ok, this one isn’t new but it is awesome and owned by Hamish, who runs this site if you are new here! So, of course we had to include it.
If you are into or would like to get into DSLR or mobile phone scanning, this is the most affordable and flexible option. With the ability to scan 35mm, 120, 4×5, and even other formats (if you get additional inserts), it covers most of the bases in one compact package.
Shop Pixl-latr here.
“pixl-latr is the most versatile and lowest cost film holder on the market. It can be used to produce results equal in quality to results using film holders that cost many times as much and that are much less versatile!” – Pixl-Latr website
8. Reflx Lab Light Meter – 50 USD / TTArtisan Shoe Mount Light Meter II – £52
This is a two for one. These two companies both released light meters in the last year and they are priced similarly. Either would be a great gift for someone who uses a lot of cameras without light meters or broken light meters.
Shop links:
Reflx Lab Light Meter Free-shipping
TTArtisan Light Meter II — 2023 Upgrade Version
Gifts £50 – £100
9. The Kodak Ektar H35N from Reto Pro. – 65 USD
The upgraded Kodak Ektar H35N from Reto Production Ltd is an excellent gift for a photographer looking to get more out of their film rolls, twice as much to be exact. Half-frame format has grown in popularity since film prices have risen a decent amount in the last few years. Reto’s creative plastic number helps a lot with the budget side of film by doubling the amount of images you can take. Shop it here.
“KODAK EKTAR H35N Half Frame Film Camera comes with a built-in star filter to create four-beam flares on the images, as well as a bulb shutter and a tripod hole to support long-exposure photography. Besides, it features an element of glass lens which produces sharper photos with more details captured. Photographers can create distinctive photography and capture stunning images with ease.” – Reto Production Ltd Product Page
10. The LomoApparat 35mm Film Camera from Lomography – 89 USD or 99 USD (depending on colour)
Lomography released this brand new 35mm camera in the past year loaded with creative possibilities. The LomoApparat is a wide angle plastic camera with a flash and accessories to create various effects in your images. A great option for folks that love experimenting with their photography.
“Get Wide, Get Weird, Get Wonderfully Analogue! Shoot out-of-this-world imagery with the LomoApparat camera. Super easy to use for analogue newbies and pros alike, the LomoApparat will look cool in anyone’s hand. It’s pocket-sized but won’t stay there for long. Your authentically analogue companion for everyday film photography, shoot iconic images bursting with classic vignetting, high contrast, Lomography saturation and gorgeous film grain.” – Lomography Apparat Product Page
Find it in Lomography’s shop here or check with your local retailer/distributor to see if they have it in stock.
Gifts £100 – £500
11. Valoi Easy 35 Scanning System – £204
An innovative scanning solution that involves attaching the Valoi Easy 35 device to the end of a digital camera. Shop it from Kamerastore here.
“The easy35 is a compact home-scanning solution. It will give you professional results fast and reliably. Setting up the easy35 is extremely simple an fast as there is no need for levelling or copy stands. Simply attach the needed amount of tubes in front of your macro lens and mount the easy35 on and you are good to go.” – Kamerastore
12. Negative Supply Light Source Mini – 249 USD
If you are into the Negative Supply system, they have come out with several new products and bundles in the last twelve months including the Light Source Mini which has a 97 CRI. Shop it from Negative Supply here.
“The Basic Light Source Mini is more compact, 4+ stops brighter than our 4×5 Light Source Basic, comes in at 97 CRI which is great for both black and white and general purpose color film scanning, less expensive and integrates with nearly all Negative Supply accessories. This light is perfect for users who scan 35mm and 120 film and need a very bright, color accurate light source that’s built to last.” – Negative Supply product description
13. NONS Instant Back for Hasselblad models – 279 USD
We didn’t get a chance to cover this one on the news yet, but there is a review in the works! NONS Camera has created an instant back for Hasselblad cameras that shoots Instax film. It’s a great gift for someone with a Hasselblad that might want to try shooting instant photography with it.
Check it out the pre-order available at the NONS Camera website here.
14. Alfie Cameras TYCH – £299 for Standard Version – £499 for Premium
A beaut of a camera, the 35mm half-frame Alfie TYCH is both economical for the wallet and energizing for the creative soul. Read more about Hamish’s experience with the camera here.
See more details of the camera on Alfie Cameras shop here.
15. Chroma Camera 6×6 Medium Format System – £350
Chroma Camera sells creative 3D printed cameras and lenses. One of the newer inventions is a 6×6 medium format system. Check it out here.
“The custom camera setup offers a compact solution for 6×6 square frame medium format photography, giving 12 images to a roll and an easy to use manual winding mechanism.” – Chroma Camera website
16. FrankInstax Instant Back for Mamiya RB67 – 499 USD
Based in Colorado, USA, FrankInstax makes instant backs for Mamiya RB67 cameras. The latest and greatest is the instant back from the new SQ40 Fujifilm Instax cameras. This allows RB67 users to shoot Instax square film and achieve maximum results from the reliable film format. Shop it here.
Gifts £500 – £1000
17. Filmomat Light – 549 EURO
A nice gift for the home developers in the crowd. Filmomat created an automated home-developing machine system that is a stripped down and more affordable option compared to their existing product, the Filmomat, priced at 4,000 EUR.
Check out the Youtube channel “Shoot Film Like A Boss” to see a review of the Filmomat Light.
Find it on Filmomat’s store here.
18. Intrepid 8×10 Black Edition – £590
Based in Brighton, UK, Intrepid Cameras specialises in large format cameras and enlargers. This past year they released a beautiful new 8×10 black edition.
Shop it on their site here.
19. ONDU EIKAN 4X5 – 750 EUR (ON SALE)
The new EIKAN 4X5 camera from ONDU was quite an exciting release this year. From pinhole cameras to large format, ONDU’s quality is top grade. See the news article about it here which includes some incredible words and photos from ONDU founder Elvis’s alpining adventures.
20. Negative Supply Enthusiast Kit for 35mm and 120 scanning – 769 USD
As mentioned previously, Negative Supply has released a few new items and bundles for their DSLR negative scanning systems. This is a new kit for folks that need both 35mm and 120 options. Their kits generally cover most items you might need to get started with DSLR scanning (aside from the DSLR and lens of course).
Shop Negative Suppy here.
21. SLR670-X MING Edition (Type i) – £979
Mint released a slick new SLR670-X Ming edition Type I that can use three types of Polaroid film, 600, SX-70, and I-Type. A very exciting and expensive release for Polaroid users.
“SLR670-X (Type i) is the ultimate masterpiece of our manual control series. It delivers outstanding performance and film diversity condensed into an incredibly compact design. With seamless combination of manual and auto control, external flash sync, and a weightless built-in battery, it unleashes the full potential of polaroid films. No wonder the SLR670 (Type i) is the best SX-70 ever.” – Mint Website
Shop Mint here.
Gifts £1000+
22. A New Leica M6 – $5,695
One of the hottest items released in the past year or so (a bit over a year), the new Leica M6. A gift to remember for sure!
Check it out here.
“For more than 100 years, Leica Camera AG has been a synonym for cameras and lenses with permanent values such as reliability, consistency, and quality. With analog photography experiencing a renaissance –the new Leica M6 represents Leica Camera’s continued commitment to these values.” – Leica website
23. Ad-Free 35mmc Subscription – PRICELESS £
Lastly, we have the gift that keeps on giving…a £2.99 subscription to 35mmc.com!! Endless hours of browsing your favourite material with NO ads. Subscribe here.
Happy Shopping
That’s it for our 2023 holiday season gift guide. Hopefully some of you found it helpful for your shopping or catching up on the year’s new releases in the analogue photography niche!
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