I hope that this helps you shop for someone you love, or maybe even give you some new ideas to treat yourself.
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Above $1000
Canon 5D Mark IV (This is my favorite all-around camera. Yes, I do own a Canon 1D X Mark II and use it quite often, but it is overkill for most people. It also happens to have a $600 rebate right now)
MacBook Pro 16" (This is the newest addition to my arsenal of travel gear and I love this new laptop. You can see my recent review of this new laptop here. Apple replaced the 15" MacBook Pro with this new model and kept the price the same.)
Canon 70-200mm 2.8 IS lens (This is my go-to lens for portraits, events and so much more. I can't even explain how much I love and rely on this lens. There is $300 rebate right now.)
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Under $1000
Drobo 5D3 (I personally use the Drobo 8D, and love it. But I know that this is probably overkill for most people, and that a 5-bay system is more affordable. For this reason I recommend the 5D3.)
Canon 100mm macro lens (Not used as much as the other lenses, but awesome for creative close-up shooting. $200 rebate right now)
Canon Rebel T7i Camera (I personally do not use this camera, but always recommend this to people who are looking for a good entry-level DSLR and are on a tighter budget. There are rebates on this camera now, ranging from $250 to $400.)
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Under $500
Wacom Intuos Pro Tablet (I do not even have a mouse on my editing computer. Instead I rely solely on the Wacom tablet. This is a huge time saver for me! Oh, and I recommend the medium size as I find it to be just the right size for me.)
DJI Mavic Mini (This is the one product on this list that I have yet to use BUT I am excited to get mine soon. The lower price is exciting, but not as exciting as the small size! Mine is on its way.)
Acratech ball head (I am really picky about my tripods and heads, and this one has been my favorite for the last 8 years.)
Canon 50mm 1.4 lens (For years I have said that this is the best value lens Canon has to offer. Normally offered at $400 with a super wide aperture and tack sharp, this is a great deal. Right now there is a $100 rebate, bringing this lens down to $299. If you don't have one, you should get one now.)
ThinkTank StreetWalker Rolling Backpack (I credit this backpack for saving my back over the last 2 years. With the option of either carrying this as a backpack or rolling it like typical luggage, what I thought would be a scarcely used camera bag is now my go-to bag for all trips!)
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Under $200
Datacolor Spyder X color calibrator (If you take your photography seriously, you need to be retouching your photos on a monitor that is color calibrated. I have one of these for each computer.)
Photo Mechanic (People often marvel at the speed at which I post images from an event. One of the tools which makes this possible is a software package called Photo Mechanic. It is available for Windows and Mac and is a huge time saver!)
Crucial X8 External SSD (I reviewed this new external SSD a couple of months ago and love this storage device. It transfers data twice as fast as any SSD on the market. Forget the old portable hard drives and get one of these!)
ProGrade Memory Cards and Readers (I hate it when I see people using great cameras and lenses, and cheap memory cards. I trust my images to memory cards and readers from ProGrade. High quality and good prices! You can use the code "CABLE20" to get 20% off of everything.)
FitBit Versa Smartwatch (This is not really a photography related product, but I love it so much that it had to make the list. In fairness, I do use the Versa to track my steps when I am shooting an event, but more for fun than anything else.)
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Under $100
BlackRapid Straps (This is the best camera strap on the market. No more neck strain, and that is a good thing.)
MagMod modifiers (I use these flash modifiers every weekend when shooting events and they are just awesome. Easy to put on and take off, and very effective in spreading light.)
Powerex rechargeable batteries (I have a TON of these rechargeable AA batteries and use them in all my Canon 600EX-RT flashes. They are inexpensive, pack a whopping 2700mAh of power, and recharge super fast in the Powerex MH-C980 charger.)
Tiffen HT UV filters (I protect all of my lenses with these filters. The HT filters are super clear and do not degrade my lens quality at all, and that is critical.)
Eargasm Earplugs (You might be thinking, "Why are earplugs on this list?", but I can assure you that they are needed by any event photographer. I just purchased these recently and they are in every camera bag. They help me protect my ears, but still allow me to talk to and hear people. I will blog more about these soon.)
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I hope that these suggestions help you in your holiday shopping for yourself or someone on your list. And happy holidays to you all.
- Jeff
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Check out my upcoming photo tours to amazing places around the world. I have photo tours to Africa, Costa Rica, Europe, Asia, India and more. And Canon will loan you any gear you want for FREE for any of my tours.
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Perfect! Just today I was thinking that I needed a tablet. It will arrive Wednesday ��
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