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Cool Camera Accessories to Make Shutterbugs Smile

These holiday gift ideas will banish even the grinchiest shutterbug's holiday humbugs.

By Brennon Slattery, PCWorld

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Holiday Gift-Giving Is a Snap

This holiday season, you could buy the shutterbug in your life a brand new camera. Or you could save some cash by simply helping lens-happy friends and family get the most out of the cameras they already own. From a practical gift of a spare battery to a lavish new camera lens, check out these add-ons that any shutterbug would love.

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Undersea Adventure

Divers will appreciate an underwater case that lets them dive deep and snap the wildlife. The popular Canon PowerShot G11 has its case on sale for roughly $175 -- not too steep for the quality of action.

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Diver Down!

Thrill-seekers can dive deeper with Liquid Image's Scuba Series of camera masks. These water-resistant electronic goggles capture 720p HD video and 5.0MP stills for $250. You can also get lower-grade Liquid Image products for $100.

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Up Close and Personal

There are loads of cool things a shutterbug can do with a zoom lens, and there are many lenses to choose from: prime, zoom, wide-angle, fish-eye, telephoto, and macro, to name a few. A fish-eye lens for a new Nikon camera can set you back as little as $30 to as much as $700 and beyond, so check your recipient's skill level before checking your bank account.

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Sweet Memory

Most cameras have a tiny amount of built-in memory, so memory cards are essential. Memory cards have dramatically dropped in price: you can pick up a 4GB SanDisk card for $7 or 16GB for $30 -- which could be more than your recipient should ever need.

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Next-Gen Memory

To introduce the photographer on your list to the next generation, try the Wi-Fi enabled Eye-Fi memory cards, available starting at $50 for 2GB. Eye-Fi detects the user's computer, selects a list of 17 online photo-sharing or photo-blogging sites, and uploads the photos without the hassle of cords.

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On the Level

Many point-and-shoot digital cameras come with built-in image stability features, but for a more professional view, tripods are where it's at. Gorillapod is a cheap and hip way to stabilize, and lives in the $30 range.

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Brother, Can You Spare a Battery?

It may not be terribly sexy, but a backup battery is a great gift at a low price. A backup battery for a $900 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1, for example, will set you back $30. For other camera models, the prices hover from $10 to $50.

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iPhone Camera Add-Ons

The iPhone's camera is pretty crappy, but there are a few add-ons that enhance image quality and add cool features, from augmenting the light for night-time photos to making 3-D images. Check out the comprehensive PC World App Guide for the latest iPhone camera app reviews.

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Picture Perfect

Shutterbugs can always use something to spruce up the pictures they take. The latest version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 ($99) is a popular choice. Element's big brother, Photoshop CS4 (pictured) runs for almost $700, but improves upon its little brother with 64-bit capability for high-RAM computers.

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Image-Editing on the Cheap

For a cheap (as in free) alternative, simply steer your favorite photographer to image-editing software online. Our photo guru Dave Johnson digs Splashup for its intuitive interface and outstanding capabilities.

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Prints for Pennies

Photo printers are perfect for photographers who want tangible proof of their shutterbug skills. You can grab an HP Photosmart A646 for $100 on Amazon without spending your entire holiday budget.

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21st Century Frames

Digital photo frames have come a long way in recent history, and they simply scream "I'm 21^st century!" Out of the top 10 digital photo frames, the Kodak EasyShare W1020 10-inch packs the most features for a decent price tag ($120).

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Slip 'n' Slideshow

If the photographer on your list prefers to keep images on a computer, or turn them into DVD slideshows, there are many options for slideshow software. Photodex's ProShow Gold ($70) is a popular option with many features. Mac users, of course, can make iPhoto do the dirty work for free -- though iPhoto does have its limits.

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Just in Case

Casual handling can shorten a point-and-shoot camera's lifespan, so consider giving your loved one some extra protection: a case. A slim coat (such as the one pictured) for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230 is available at the slim price of $4.

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Have Camera, Will Travel

For a serious shutterbug who lugs loads of equipment, consider giving a large, heavy-duty bag to insulate and protect. The $80 Tamrac 5535 Adventure Messenger Bag (pictured) has special sleeves for a camera and will also accommodate a laptop. Not big enough? The Tamrac 698 Big Wheels Rolling Backpack carries tripods and lighting equipment for a decent price of $500.

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Got a Light?

You might think lighting equipment is for pros only, but there are lots of inexpensive options for illuminating subjects. The Impact Strobros Portrait Kit comes with a dish reflector with three interior discs, three grids, neutral filter to reduce light output, three color filters, and a snoot for narrow circle of light for $83, and it mounts to any on-camera flash.

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On-the-Go Studio (Priced to Sell!)

If someone on your list does a lot of product photography -- the kind of snapshots that get stuff sold on eBay -- check out inexpensive kits like the Digital Concepts Portable Lighting Studio. Replete with light and dark backgrounds to make objects pop, this kit costs only $35.

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You Big Baby

For the photographer who has everything, consider giving something quirky like the ShutterBuddy ($20), made to get baby's attention.

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It's a Dog's Life

If you know someone who would really get into exploring their dog's world, there's the Pet's Eye View digital camera for around $30 that attaches to an animal's neck. And won't Fido look fetching wearing it?

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