Slim digital cameras make great gifts

Most serious amateur photographers very likely already have a digital SLR, but having a small camera to carry around in a purse or pocket can be a very handy way to be ready for any photo-taking opportunity. Sure, most cell phones have digital cameras built-in nowadays, but a camera that is dedicated to shooting pictures will have a lot more features and better picture control than a simple phone camera, not to mention cameras come with a flash built-in. With that in mind, here are a few slim digital cameras that are great for gift-giving:

Canon Powershot SD780 IS

The Powershot SD780 is part of the digital ELPH line of Canon cameras, and its 0.72 in (18.4mm) depth makes it easy to carry it along anywhere. It features a 12.1 megapixel sensor, 720p movie recording capability, face detection technology, and even includes an HDMI output for viewing movie clips on a television. The SD780 comes in red, black, silver or gold, making it a festive gift idea for anybody.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7

The Lumix DMC-ZS7 has many similar features to the Powershot SD780, but it also includes a 25mm ultra wide angle lens and 12x optical zoom. The camera also sports a built-in GPS unit that can be turned on or off, and lets you geo-tag your photos automatically. This camera sports a ton of features, so anyone would love to get this camera as a gift. You can choose either red, blue or black.






Nikon Coolpix S70

The Coolpix S70 is not only a sleek looking ultracompact camera, but it sports a unique touch-screen interface that makes it fun to use. With a 12.1 megapixel sensor and a 0.8 in (20mm) depth, this is a great slim camera for gift giving. It is available in red, black or champagne.

Photo hard drive

Anyone who takes a lot of photos will quickly realize that storage becomes an issue, not to mention that having a backup of digital photos is essential if you don’t want to risk losing them. An excellent gift for a photographer would be a hard drive.You can never have too much storage space, and a practical gift like this would be appreciated by anyone with a growing number of photos to store. A great photo hard drive to get is the Lacie Rugged hard drive. It works with Windows or Mac, has triple interface ports for Firewire and USB, and is tough enough to withstand a 35 inch drop when in non-operational mode. All of this, plus a spacious 1 TB of storage, make a great gift for any photographer.

Bendy tripod

Tripods are very useful for photographers in low light photography situations and for shooting with long range zoom lenses, but there may be times when the traditional three-legged tripod just isn’t right for the job. Enter the Gorillapod, a small flexible-legged tripod that can be attached to many different mounting points. Sure, it may look a little goofy, but it can be very handy for getting all kinds of creative angles. The Gorillapod comes in several different colors and several different sizes, so no matter how big or small a camera is, there is a Gorillapod to hold it. If your gift recipient has an SLR with a zoom lens, pick up a Gorillapod SLR-Zoom for them.