Hasta La Gadget!

Photographers are tricky to get gifts for because every one of them has preferences they may already have spent years indulging. But we have blind spots, we photographers. We will spend thousands on lenses but never buy a proper camera bag, or properly back up our shots, or splurge for a gadget that makes certain shots 10 times easier. Scroll on for gift recommendations that any photographer can appreciate.

Gnarbox or Western Digital backup drive

Okay, these are definitely expensive, so keep scrolling if you’re on a budget, but they can also totally change how someone shoots. If your photographer/loved one tends to travel or go out into the wilderness when they shoot, a backup solution is a must. These drives act as self-contained rugged backup solutions, letting you offload your SD card at the end of a shoot and preview the contents, no laptop required.

They’ve been around for years, but early ones were pretty janky and “professional” ones cost thousands. The latest generation, typified by the Gnarbox and Western Digital’s devices, strike a balance and have been pretty well-reviewed.

The Gnarbox is the better device (faster, much better interface and tools), but it’s more expensive — the latest version with 256 GB of space onboard (probably the sweet spot in terms of capacity) costs $400. A comparable WD device costs about half that. If you and a couple friends want to throw down together, I’d recommend getting the former, but both do more or less the same thing.

Microfiber wipes

On the other end of the price spectrum, but no less important, are lens and screen wipes. One of the best things I ever did for myself was order a big pack of these things and stash them in every jacket, coin pocket, and bag I own. Now when anyone needs their glasses, lens, phone, laptop screen or camera LCD cleaned, I’m right there — and sometimes even give them the cloth to keep. I’ve been buying these and they’re good, but there are lots more sizes and packs to choose from.

SD cards and hard cases

Most cameras use SD cards these days, and photographers can never have too many of them. Anything larger than 16 GB is useful — just make sure it’s a name brand. A nice touch would be to buy an SD card case that holds eight or 10 of the things. Too many photographers (myself included) keep their cards in little piles, drawers, pockets and so on. A nice hard case for cards is always welcome — Pelican is the big brand for these, but as long as it isn’t from the bargain bin, another brand is fine.

Moment smartphone lens case

The best camera is the one you have with you, and more often than not, even for photographers, that’s a phone. There are lots of stick-on, magnet-on and so on lens sets, but Moment’s solution seems the most practical. You use their cases — mostly tasteful, fortunately — and pick serious lenses to pop into the built-in mount.

The optics are pretty good and the lenses are big but not so big they’ll weigh down a purse or jacket pocket. Be sure to snoop and figure out which model phone your friend is using.

Waxed canvas camera bag (or any good one really)

Every photographer should have a padded, stylish bag for their gear. I’m partial to waxed canvas, and of the ones I recently reviewed I think the ONA Union Street is the best one out there as far as combination camera/day trip bags go. That said, everyone is into these Peak design ones, as well.

Lomo’Instant Automat or Fujifilm SQ6 instant film camera

Everyone shoots digital these days, but if it’s a party or road trip you’re going on and capturing memories is the goal, an instant film camera might be the best bet. I’ve been using an Automat since they raised money on Kickstarter and I’ve loved this thing: the mini film isn’t too expensive, the shooting process is pleasantly analog but not too difficult, and the camera itself is compact and well designed.

If, on the other hand, you’d like something a little closer to the Polaroids of yore (without spending the cash on a retro one and Impossible film) then the Fujifilm SQ6 is probably your best bet. It’s got autofocus rather than zone focus, meaning it’s dead simple to operate, but it has lots of options if you want to tweak the exposure.

Circular polarizer filter

Our own photo team loves these filters, which pop onto the end of a lens and change the way light comes through it. This one in particular lets the camera see more detail in clouds and otherwise change the way a scene with a top and bottom half looks. Everyone can use one, and even if they already have one, it’s good to have spares. Polaroid is a good brand for these, but again, any household name with decent reviews should be all right.

The only issue here is that you need to get the right size. Next time you see your friend’s camera lying around, look at the lens that’s on it. Inside the front of it, right next to the glass, there should be a millimeter measurement — NOT the one on the side of the lens, that’s the focal length. The number on the end of the lens tells you the diameter of filter to get.

Wireless shutter release

If you’re taking a group photo or selfie, you can always do the classic 10-second timer hustle, but if you don’t want to leave anything to chance, a wireless remote is clutch. These things basically just hit the shutter button for you, though some have things like mode switches and so on.

Unfortunately, a bit like filters, shutter release devices are often model-specific. The big camera companies have their own, but if you want to be smart about it go for a cross-platform device like the Hama DCCSystem. These can be a bit hard to find, so don’t feel bad about getting the camera-specific kind instead.

Blackrapid strap (or any nice custom strap)

Another pick from our video and photo team, Blackrapid’s cross-body straps take a little time to get used to, but make a lot of sense. The camera hangs upside-down and you grab it with one hand and bring it to shooting position with one movement. When you’re done, it sits out of the way instead of bumping into your chest. And because it attaches to the bottom plate of your camera, you don’t have the straps in the way pretty much from any angle you want to hold the camera.

If you feel confident your photographer friend isn’t into this unorthodox style of shooting, don’t worry — a nice “normal” strap is also a great gift. Having a couple to choose from, especially ones that can be swapped out quickly, is always nice in case one is damaged or unsuitable for a certain shoot.

Adobe subscription

Most photographers use Adobe software, usually Lightroom or Photoshop, and unlike back in the day you don’t just buy a copy of these any more — it’s a subscription. Fortunately you can still buy a year of it for someone in what amounts to gift card form. Unfortunately, you can’t buy half a year or whatever fits your budget — it’s the $120 yearly photography bundle or nothing.

Print services

Too many digital photos end up sitting on hard drives, only to be skimmed now and then or uploaded to places like Facebook in much-degraded form. But given the chance (and a gift certificate from you) they’ll print giant versions of their favorite shots and be glad they did it.

I bought a nice printer a long while back and print my own shots now, so I haven’t used these services. However, I trust Wirecutter’s picks, Nations Photo Lab and AdoramaPix; $30-$40 will go a long way.

REI famously opts out(side) of Black Friday, but instead runs one of their biggest sales of the year leading up to Thanksgiving. It’s a distinction without a difference, and it’s live now.

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The smartwatch market continues to evolve, with high street brand names jumping aboard the bandwagon as well. Casio’s pedigree in the field of horology has been proven time and again, and their latest attempt in an Android-powered smartwatch that will not shirk at the sight of adventure would be the Pro Trek Smart WSD-F20A. Following Japanese wisdom, this is the second iteration of an outdoor Android-powered timepiece by the Japanese company, targeting those who live an active lifestyle and want a rugged timepiece that does more than just keep track of time.

Taking over from where the Casio Smart Outdoor Watch WSD-F10 left off, the WSD-F20A certainly passes off as its predecessor at first glance. However, the WSD-F20A is anything but similar underneath the hood, shedding some weight in terms of design to be even thinner. What makes the WSD-F20A stand out would be the addition of built-in GPS capability, letting you head outdoors without having to tote around a dedicated GPS device or have it tethered to your smartphone. The Casio WSD-F20A is compatible with Android 4.3 or later and iOS 9 or later, giving you an idea on the broadness of its compatibility with modern day smartphones.

Where does the WSD-F20A fit in?
Let me play it straight from the very beginning: the Casio WSD-F20A is not a cheap timepiece with its recommended retail price of $399 that clearly places it on the high-end shelf where smartwatches are concerned. However, do take note that the WSD-F20A is not meant to be on a similar playing field with the likes of the Apple Watch series, the Samsung Galaxy Wear range, or to mingle with the LG Watch Sport.

In fact, the WSD-F20A has a very specific target group: folks who would like to spend their free time outdoors, enjoying an evening hike on a trail that would take several hours to circumnavigate, as well as hit the dirt trail in unfamiliar places. This would place it in the curious position of where non-Android powered timepieces from Suunto and Garmin reside. Running on Wear OS by Google, the WSD-F20A brings the potential of Google’s operating system robustness married to tracking capability that caters to a myriad of outdoor activities including hiking, canoeing, and cycling. If you happen to head out for a spot of skiing or other kinds of snow sports on your holidays or during the winter, then those would fit in nicely with the WSD-F20A’s capabilities as well.

Design
Casio does not hide the fact that the WSD-F20A is an outdoor timepiece, hence eliminating the headache of trying to figure out what an outdoor watch that is also equally at home in a tuxedo should look like. It is a large timepiece, measuring 61.7mm x 57.7mm x 15.3mm while tipping the scales at 90 grams. On the outside would be a plastic case with faux metal finish, covered by a stocky protective bezel that comes in black. It does lack the hulking, angled look of a G-Shock, which I believe would go some way in further enhancing its robustness. Silver metal stud screws help keep everything in place, providing a reassuring sense of security and display of strength.

I do spend a fair amount of time outdoors and under the sun. That translates to plenty of opportunities to sweat, and with many watches, a stink will build up over time on the straps. Having worn the WSD-F20A on most days of the week, I noticed that the straps did not retain any sweat smell at all, although perhaps my wiping it with a wet tissue at the end of each working day did contribute to such a situation. Wearing it while typing is not advisable, as it is guaranteed to get in the way with your computer keyboard, perhaps as a reminder that this is meant to be worn when you are duking it out with nature.

Some people might not welcome the inflexible band as it is not the most comfortable feeling in the world, but then again you would not expect 5-star accommodation when you are fording a river and glamping. I did not have any issues with chafing on my skin, although perhaps my rather slender wrist did not have enough flesh to prevent the WSD-F20A from slipping after a while due to vigorous hand movements.

If there is one major design flaw about the WSD-F20A that I found irritating, it would be the charging method. It relies on a magnetic charging terminal that disconnects all too easily with the slightest of movements. I understand that this is to prevent any kind of unwanted horror stories of the charging connector being broken off due to an accident, or perhaps making it more difficult to waterproof, but it would be best to lay down the WSD-F20A on a large, flat surface as it charges while ensuring the surrounding area is free from movement of any kind.

On the right side of the WSD-F20A lies a trio of large buttons, which will trigger the Tool, Power and App functions. Pressing them yields the desired result most of the time, and I say so because there were instances where I had to press the same button a couple of times in order to access the function that I wanted. The Power button also doubles up as the only path to return to the “home screen”, so to speak, and it is cleverly protected by a couple of button guards in order to prevent you from shutting down your smartwatch by accident. As for the Tool and App buttons, those can be customized to be assigned to various functions, but by default the App button will launch the maps, while Tool will bring the compass to life.

In terms of sensors, there is a pressure sensor that handles both air pressure and altitude readings, while the accelerometer, gyrometer, and magnetic compass are self-explanatory. Bluetooth connectivity arrives in the form of Bluetooth 4.1 (Low Energy), while it also has built-in 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity.

There is even a built-in microphone that comes in handy to let you bark “OK Google” and issue commands for your smartphone to work through. I also like the fact that I am alerted to incoming e-mail and WhatsApp messages through a gentle vibration, although replying on such a small display is painfully slow as it would be far more convenient to speak out the reply instead.

Display
Within the bezel lies a 1.32-inch dual layer display: one a color TFT LCD display at 320 x 300 pixels while the other is a monochrome LCD display. The capacitive touchscreen features an anti-fouling coating that comes in handy when the elements are involved. To date, I have found the touchscreen display to be quite responsive, while transitions are smooth without any kind of lag. The only times when there is any noticeable lag would be while the WSD-F20A is downloading a map via Wi-Fi, and I try to access various apps and tools in quick succession. In order to maximize battery life, the timepiece will also switch to the monochrome display automatically once the battery dips below a certain level.

The screen has 5 different levels of brightness, although it would be nice to see a bar that indicates the brightness level in the user interface. I personally found the screen readable even under direct sunlight, and wearing my UV-rated sunglasses did not require me to fiddle with the brightness setting that I am comfortable with (level 2 out of 5).

There is a number of pre-installed watch faces to select from, depending on where you would like to go for the day. Both outdoor and everyday use watch faces are available, and you can opt to download additional watch face designs from the Google Play store when you get bored of the existing designs.

Battery life
Casio claims that the WSD-F20A is able to last for up to 2 days on average if measurements are taken every half a dozen minutes, or up to 6 hours with accuracy priority turned on alongside per-second measurement, with both scenarios requiring GPS to be turned on. When the GPS module is turned off, do expect normal use to last anywhere from one to two days, while in timekeeping mode only, the WSD-F20A is touted to last for more than a month. I have yet to test timekeeping mode only, but I would not be that sanguine. After all, if I were to simply have it in timekeeping mode, I would be better off investing in one of the more affordable Casio G-Shock models.

Maps and other apps
Here’s a tip: if you were to pre-download a particular area beforehand, do so via Wi-Fi. It will save you a whole lot of trouble and time. You can choose between Google Maps and Mapbox, and have the option of toggling different modes on the maps to suit the visual representation that you can best identify with.

With terrain and satellite views to choose from, in addition to a standard Google Maps-style view, you will feel right at home on the tiny display. It will rely on Mapbox, which uses OpenMapStreet’s data as opposed to Google Maps’ API. If you would like to wear the WSD-F20A on your runs and do not mind casual record keeping, the Google Fit Workout should be adequate. However, there are other alternatives such as ViewRanger, Strava and Runkeeper.

The WSD-F20A’s ability to run third-party tracking apps makes it extremely appealing, making it far more versatile than its predecessor. Do take note that hikers would benefit the most from the WSD-F20A. While it has the software to be used by runners and cyclists, it works best when you are in the middle of the woods, enjoying the trail and nature around you. There is a location finder app that will let you check out your existing location, with the option to include voice notes or memos, but it will not log your performance nor keep track of your cadence.

Neither does the WSD-F20A come with a built-in heart rate monitor, so you might want to have a fitness band that does so on the other wrist. There is not much to complain about GPS performance in the WSD-F20A, where it takes slightly more than 10 seconds to find a lock when outdoors. With the GPS chipset supporting GLONASS and Michibiki satellite systems, you do not have to worry about its tracking performance.

Is it tough enough?
Is the Casio WSD-F20A tough enough for your outdoor forays? The answer is relative to the kind of extreme activities that you are used to. It is comforting to know that the WSD-F20A arrives with MIL-STD-810G standard military-grade levels of protection, being water-resistant up to 50 meters deep, ruling out diving and water sports. So far, my one month’s use of it has seen it enter hot and humid jungles, go through a 3-hour fishing expedition by wading through rivers and using a pneumatic spear, and even having it being gnawed at by an overly active Golden Retriever. I am happy to say that it has managed to live through all those instances without coming out worse for the wear, which is a testament to its build quality and durability.

Conclusion
The Casio WSD-F20A is certainly one of the best Android Wear watch for those who love to head outdoors, although if you are able to afford a Garmin Fenix 5X that is approximately one third pricier than Casio’s offering, then go for it. The downside of doing so would be losing access to the Google Play store. Go ahead if you are not too perturbed about depending on proprietary software, but I would strongly recommend the Casio WSD-F20A to anyone who is shopping around for a top notch Wear OS rugged smartwatch. However, those who are always on the lookout for the newest and the greatest might want to hold their horses for the far more expensive Casio WSD-F30 which is set to be released in January 2019, presumably at CES in Las Vegas.
[ Casio WSD-F20A review copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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