What were your best photo buys of the year? Jessica Miller speaks with some photography enthusiasts, to find out what their favourite purchases of 2025 were… and how it’s aided their photography this year. Here are their favourite photo-related purchases, from cameras and photo accessories to photography tours and everything in between!
Skellerup Quatro Insulated Wellies (Hugh Maxwell)
A pair of great wellies is probably the last thing most photographers would think of buying, but it’s easily been my best purchase this year. The Skellerup Quatro Insulated Wellies were not cheap but nothing beats keeping my feet warm and dry when walking along the coast, through fields of dew-soaked long grass and negotiating marshy or muddy areas. The soles are also really grippy which gives me the confidence to explore streams and rivers, where it’s often treacherous, without sliding or falling into the water. I definitely enjoy my photography more as a result.
Wildland Photo Tours, Jasper Dark Sky Festival (Theresa Muth)
Living in Alberta Canada, I am fortunate to be close to our Rocky Mountains. Jasper National Park is my go-to location for landscape photography. It’s also an amazing place for night photography as it is a Dark Sky Preserve. Although I have been going to Jasper almost all of my life, I know there are areas that I hadn’t explored at night. During Jasper’s Dark Sky Festival, I signed up for a night photography tour through Wildland Photo Tours. This small group tour not only took us to some amazing night spots, we each also got one-on-one help with different camera features and tips for improving.
It did end up being cloudy that night, but without skipping a beat, our tour guide took us to locations that still photographed well, without the sky being the main focus. No matter what your skill level is, there is always more to learn. I highly encourage everyone to never stop learning. There is always a new tip, location or lesson that can dramatically improve your trade.
Instagram: @theresamuthphotography Website: www.theresamuthphotography.com
2x Zip ties, 1x 4-way cable tie holder, 1x Self Amalgamating tape and 1x key ring (Jenny-Louise Read)
I have a disability called Phocomelia. Basically, I have one normal arm and a T.Rex arm. I cannot change the focal length of any telephoto lens so with the equipment I brought from my local hardware shop, my friend Steve Wood helped me put it all together to create my attachment.
X: @felinedoggeous, Instagram and Facebook: @felinedoggeousWildlife
A year’s membership of The Photographers’ Gallery, London (Ade Wyatt)
Since the exhibition of Daido Moriyama, membership of The Photographers’ Gallery has given me the confidence to be my own self, and express the way I see the world through images. Exhibitions have also challenged me, but mostly they’ve shown me I can express outwardly my inner feelings in images. It has changed my photographic life. Peter Mitchell has been my favourite exhibition this year.
Instagram: @xrosspurpose, Website: www.xrosspurposes.com
Second-hand 055 carbon-fibre Manfrotto tripod with Manfrotto geared head (John Cuthbert)
For any serious photographer like myself, a sturdy tripod is non-negotiable. It’s the backbone of sharp landscapes, long exposures etc. Personally, I like my lovely photography partner and I never leave home without them.
Recently, I decided to invest in a high-quality setup without breaking the bank. I found a second-hand 055 carbon Manfrotto tripod paired with a Manfrotto geared head, both in excellent condition. This savvy purchase saved me a couple of hundred pounds compared to buying new, proving that carefully selected second-hand gear can offer professional-grade performance while easing the strain on limited finances.
The tripod’s carbon construction keeps it lightweight for travel, yet rock-solid when in use. The geared head provides precise, smooth adjustments that make framing complex compositions a pleasure.
Facebook: john.cuthbert.963, www.flickr.com/photos/106737096@N08/, Instagram: @jcstudios12345
Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs by Henry Carroll (Laura Jane)
As a novice photographer, I’m always on the lookout for tools that make learning easier and enjoyable. One of my recent finds was a book – ‘Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs’ by Henry Carroll.
The book breaks down basics like the exposure triangle and composition in a way that’s refreshingly simple and easy to grasp, with example images for each subject. It’s perfect for any beginner and would make a brilliant stocking filler for any budding photographer.
Instagram @photosbylaurajane
Fujifilm X-E5 (Russell Ferguson)
The X-E5 has been groundbreaking for my personal growth as a photographer. It may sound a cliché and a little grandiose, but as a relatively new photographer transitioning from smartphone photography to early Fuji cameras and finally the X-E5, it has opened up creativity in both its technical capabilities and the motivation we all need to get out and use it.
It is stunning with a beautiful top plate, feels solid and well built, the dials feel purposeful and deliberate, and in combination with a 40MP sensor makes my own skill the bottleneck in my creative output and not the tool.
IRYS: Russell, Instagram: @russell_ferguson_photography
PIXAPRO MiniBox60 (Ian Knight)
Sometimes you need someone else to show you something before you realise that is what just you require. I love using this compact PIXAPRO softbox in my small home studio which I saw being demonstrated at The Photography Show in March. It is a 60cm softbox, very easy to open and close in seconds, and it comes with internal and external diffusers as well as a grid. I use the Bowens mount but that can be swapped to other mounts as needed.
It comes with a nice bag to store or transport it in, and although it is light as a feather it seems to be great quality, as I have used it regularly since it arrived.
Instagram: @zort70 or Z70 Photography on most platforms.
Sony A6400 and Sigma 56mm 1.4 (Alex Guitton)
I love my new Sony a6400 with the Sigma 56mm because it captures moments with real depth and beautiful bokeh. It makes photography accessible: you don’t need to be an expert to create great images, and it genuinely motivates me to shoot more. For a first camera, the ease of use is surprisingly good.
Instagram: @pixelatedeyes_, X: @pixelated_eyes
Laowa 15mm F2 Zero-D Lens on L mount (Natalie Wright)
An affordable lens, I got it for astro photography with my Lumix S5IIX. A metal construction, manual lens, it’s built solidly. It has smooth tactile controls, with click aperture dial. At F2, it’s pretty sharp and has minimal aberrations; at F2.8, and they diminish greatly, as does the vignette, sharpness improves.
Facebook: NatsPhotographyUK, Instagram: @nataliesphotojournal, YouTube: natswright
For great guides to cameras, including good cameras that you should be looking at buying, have a look at our latest buying guides, or the latest reviews.
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