Coming up with gift ideas for photography-loving adventurers doesn’t have to be an adventure in itself. Sometimes the adrenaline-seeking outdoor types can seem a little hard to understand - let alone buy presents for!
Thankfully, the team at Ted’s Cameras love a bit of adventure themselves - and we’re here to provide you with our top choices of the best photography gifts for adventurers.
If you have a loved one who spends time hiking and exploring the great outdoors in all its climatic glory, then they’ll need a suitably tough and versatile kit of accessories. A good starting point is a rugged pair of binoculars, so they can survey their surroundings and see what’s on the horizon - without the risk of damage from the elements.
The Bushnell 12x42 Powerview Binoculars are a suitably outdoorsy pair of binoculars, with a water and fog-proof design, as well as non-slip rubber armouring - making them easier to hold and operate when the environment is cold and slippery. In terms of viewing, these binoculars provide a lengthy magnification and generous objective lenses that have been multi-coated for bright and clear results. Adventure seekers will love taking this versatile companion out for everyday exploring.
The company synonymous with drones, DJI, brings you their answer to adventure cameras, the 4K-enabled DJI Osmo Action. Sharing part of its name with DJI’s own popular Gimbal range, it's fitting that the Osmo action features RockSteady image stabilisation. This feature utilises electronic stabilisation with modern advanced algorithms to ensure even the bumpiest and most dramatic of scenes are remarkably stable, delivering a more impressive and enjoyable playback experience.
The DJI Osmo Action features dual screens so you can just as easily turn the lens on yourself as the sights around you, while the voice control feature helps you to control the camera’s key functions, even when your hands are busy. The Osmo Action is tough out of the box, waterproof to 11m, shockproof to 1.5m and temperature resistant down to -10 degrees - plus it comes with plenty of handy accessories, so you can get the most from this gutsy action cam in any situation.
The Nikon Sportstar 10x25 Binoculars make a great gift for your outdoorsy family members and friends. As well as their all-weather-friendly features, these versatile binoculars are extremely portable, so they can comfortably make their way into adventure rucksacks or camera gear backpacks.
The 10x magnification helps to bring your surroundings into clarity, while the 25mm objective lenses let in enough light for most situations - keeping in mind that smaller objective lenses are necessary for such a portable design to be possible. Practical and comfortable to use, the Sportstar features a generous eye-relief, which is good news for anyone wearing glasses. Your adventurous friend will also love the simple, smooth centre focussing knob and rugged, slip-free rubber-armouring - working nicely with nitrogen-filling to provide reliable usage in inclement weather.
If you need more help choosing a pair of binoculars, have a read through our Binocular Buying Guide.
The tough Nikon Coolpix W300 is ready to be pushed to the limits, whether that be adventuring on land or well below the surface of the water. The W300 is waterproof to a huge 30m, shock-proof to 2.4m, dust-proof, and weather-proof down to -10-degrees.
In terms of image capture, the Coolpix W300 is no slouch, with a 16MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor and 4K UHD video capture, as well as a versatile 5x optical zoom for comfortably framing all adventures. With the W300, Nikon has truly thought of everything. This camera is not just made to withstand getting wet and taking a fall, it also includes an ergonomic and comfortable grip that allows you to use the camera in the trickiest of conditions. For the avid adventurer, there are a host of outdoor-friendly tools, including a built-in LED light for illuminating subjects in dark surrounds, a GPS, an eCompass and more.
Top Tip: Don’t forget to add a Total Care Package to your purchase, if you want your gift to come with a little added security and peace of mind.
Since its release at the end of 2019, the GoPro Hero 8 has shot straight to the top of any serious adventurer’s wishlist. And with good reason: This adventure camera is notable for its portability when compared to previous GoPro releases, as well as the much-improved HyperSmooth 2.0 stabilisation.
Like the previously mentioned DJI Osmo Action, the GoPro Hero 8 allows users to get down to business, controlling the Hero 8 with up to 14 voice commands, so their hands are free to partake in the action that they are recording - from skiing to rock climbing. Video capture is available in 4K60P, while a range of cool built-in features are easy to explore, such as 8x slo-mo, TimeWarp and Night Lapse. The GoPro Hero 8 features new folding fingers to make it quicker and easier to change mounts out in the field, while the new exciting, separately available GoPro Media Mod allows you to suit up your GoPro for content creation, with better lighting, audio or an additional display all separately available.
Give a gift that's as adventurous as they are
Surprise your favourite adventure enthusiast with a gift that’s as practical as it is inspiring. Any free-spirited wanderer will love documenting their time in nature with high quality, rugged camera gear that performs well in all conditions and during all activities.
For more adventurous gift ideas, check out our guide to the top 5 travel cameras or head into your local Ted’s Cameras store today!