With gift-buying season upon us, the world of digital photography offers plenty of interesting gadgets to help the camera buffs on your list snap, record and share their favorite images.
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Hold on tight
The Joby GripTight GorillaPod Stand adds flexibility—literally—to the old-school tripod. Its bendable legs can wrap around a tree branch, position your camera phone at odd angles or simply hold devices level on uneven surfaces. The lightweight GorillaPod is easily portable and works with any smartphone or small tablet. Plus, it’s fun. $30. (707) 827-4000; joby.com.
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Add a clip
Channel your inner artist on the cheap with the Insignia Phone Camera 3 Lens Kit. Wide-angle, fisheye and macro lenses clip on to nearly any smartphone to capture the world—or at least the kids—with more creativity. A soft pouch stores lenses, caps and clip. $40. (888) 237-8289; bestbuy.com.
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Remote control
Remember the days of setting your camera on a tripod and rushing to get in the picture before the timer snapped the photo? Solo or group selfies are way easier now with the CamKix Bluetooth Remote Control. It works with any camera-equipped Apple or Android device up to 30 feet away. And no rush. $8. (307) 466-0086; camkix.com.
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Phone drone
Your smartphone controls this personal drone that shoots professional-quality aerial video with a first-person view. The Ghostdrone 2.0 VR from EHang mimics the movements of your phone, and a smart app helps reduce human error. Wearable gear makes it controllable, too, by simple head movements. (That’s the VR, or virtual reality, part.) If accidents happen, EHang will cover up to three crashes in the first year, no questions asked. $900. (888) 800-7056; ehang.com.
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Gamble on a gimbal
Serious videographers may want to go the gimbal route. Like it’s balanced by a gyroscope, the DJI Osmo Handheld 4K Camera and 3-Axis Gimbal stabilizes your video recording, while joystick controls let you scan, pan and tilt to your heart’s content. Attach any smartphone to serve as your monitor via Wi-Fi. $569. (941) 444-0021; getfpv.com.
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Video selfies
Easy-to-use robotics let you be your own cameraman with the Soloshot 3. Just carry the tag device, and the camera base will follow your every action, automatically panning, tilting and zooming, so you’re the star of every scene. Its editing software even helps you find and share your best clips. $809. (866) 347-0869; soloshot.com.
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Dynamic duo
Pairing two key functions, you can clearly see and shoot photos of distant subjects with what Hammacher Schlemmer labels The Best Digital Camera Binoculars. With 8X magnification, users can read lines of text from 100 feet away and capture images visible on a mounted preview screen. $200. (800) 321-1484; hammacher.com.
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Game time
Capture deer or whatever else crosses your path up to 100 feet away with the nighttime flash capabilities of this Browning Strike Force HD 10-megapixels game camera. Trail-friendly features include infrared LED illumination, anti-blur technology, fast trigger speed and Browning Buck Watch time-lapse viewer software. $101. (888) 280-4331; amazon.com.
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Private eyes
Need a hands-free—or surreptitious—way to record up to an hour of outdoor video footage? Brickhouse Security SpyShades Hidden Cam Glasses let you record on the go by pushing a frame-mounted button. Savor and save the view, with no bulky equipment. $80. (800) 654-7966; brickhousesecurity.com.
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Don’t blink
Don’t just map your driving route; add some dash-cam functionality to your GPS. The Garmin DriveAssist 50LMT dash cam is like “an eyewitness that never blinks,” delivering continuous recording that saves video on impact, including details on when and where the collision happened. $300. (800) 800-1020; garmin.com.
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Not for squares
The #Cube—pronounced “hashtag cube”—brings real-time video streaming to the now-venerable digital photo frame. Still photos also can be streamed on the device, which accommodates Wi-Fi and Instagram uploads and provides views of up to 16 images at one time. $59. (888) 280-4331; amazon.com.
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It’s a snap
Polaroid cameras were revolutionary, offering the instant gratification of photo prints right out of the camera. The Polaroid Snap recaptures those moments with digital technology that lets you snap, print and share on the spot. $100. (855) 564-5705; kohls.com.