Christmas shopping is a pain in the ass. Lots of people to shop for and knowing what to get for people isn’t always easy, plus some people you don’t want to spend a lot of cash on. You like them but not that much or you have to get a small present for someone in the office you don’t really know. Since I’m a gear junkie and always want photography equipment I’m going to break down my list so you can get something for anyone on your list at any price point.

$10 or less:

The Bottle Cap Tripod: Tired of those myspace shots at every party? Someone sticks their arm out and tries to get a picture of themselves at every damn party. Grab one of these for them and they can make a tripod out of any bottle sitting around.

The Lens Bracelet: Perfect for the shutterbug you don’t want to spend a lot on, grab them a bracelet or two in their favorite focal length so they can show their hobby off with subtlety. They come in Canon and Nikon.

$50 or less:

Cell Phone Lenses: It is said that the best camera is the one you have with you, for me that is my cell phone. It isn’t easy to get the best shot with the cell phone lens so grab a Macro, Telephoto, or Fisheye lens that you can switch out via a metal ring and magnet. All 3 are $49 or you can buy them individually.

Lens Mugs: At the Vancouver Olympics Canon gave out coffee mugs that looked exactly like their L series lenses. Now you can grab some of your own and they even come in Nikon style now. I have a smaller one and it makes a great coffee cup and the detail is surprising, I wouldn’t leave it sitting in the cupholder in your car. They also come as shot glasses.

$100 or less

Tenba Messenger Bag: A lot of camera bags scream out “I have thousands of dollars of equipment steal me!” So getting a bag that carries your gear but doesn’t look like a standard camera bag is hard. I bought the Tenba Messenger that fits my camera and laptop and love it. I carry it every day and on the weekend slip in the padded camera cube with my gear. They have lots of bags at different price points and sizes and colors so give them a look.

Thrifty Fifty: Coming in at around $100 the Thrifty Fifty is always a great lens to have. Great Low Light performance and helps you learn to love fixed lenses. I use mine like crazy and they are such an amazing value there is no excuse to not have one. Nikon and Canon.

$500 or less

Olympus Tough: Point and Shoots get smaller and smaller all the time, but they are also extremely delicate and I tend to drop small things. The cameras from Olympus Tough and Stylus Tough line are great for people who like to get out and have fun. They are water proof, shock proof, freeze proof, and basically just tough. They don’t skimp on features either. 14 MP and depending on the model, GPS and altimeters along with art filters and in camera panorama mode.

Bank Breakers:

EVIL: With possibly the best name for a camera line ever the Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens (micro 4/3s) are the newest tech and more are popping up all the time. They come stripped down without even a pop up flash on some but they have many of the features and sensors of an SLR without the bulk. Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Sony and Samsung all make one so you have plenty to choose from. They also range from point and shoot prices to DSLR prices (Under $500 to over $1000).

DSLR: The big guns. You can start small with something like a Canon Rebel or go big league with a Nikon D7000 or Canon 7d. The sky is the limit with these things and the accessories are just as bad. If you are buying for a budding photographer get them something that can grow with them. Some of the pro models can be overwhelming but you can do amazing things with the lower end models as you learn and grow.

Lenses: Can’t forget about these. You can get your EVIL or DSLR in a kit but sometimes the best thing to do is buy the body only and spend some money on a solid lens. Kit lenses aren’t awful but they aren’t the best either and it’s usually worth it to upgrade. I drool over Canon L Series glass and Nikon and the other companies are bringing out glass for their smaller cameras all the time. With quality glass you are looking to spend insane amounts of money, but when you get those crystal clear photos it’s worth it.

Hopefully this list can help or at least point you in the right direction and you can grab some things without having to fight the crowds for the next month.