If you know someone who is into astrophotography – or wants to get into photographing space – then check out our list of great astrophotography gifts ideas for 2024.
We include the best cameras and lenses, as well as more budget-friendly suggestions like the best books and learning guides.
Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024 Calendar
Each year the most prestigious astrophotography competition in the world is run by Royal Museums Greenwich in London, UK.
This calendar is the perfect inspiration for a beginner or experienced astrophotographer. It features a selection of the winning images alongside a 2024 12-month calendar.
For other options like this, see our guide to the Best Space & Astronomy Calendars 2024.
Thierry Legault Astrophotography Book
This is one of the best books out there for learning astrophotography and understanding the different techniques and equipment used.
It covers all the basics and has more advanced information and so would suit beginners or someone who is already experienced.
For more like this, see our guide to the Best Astrophotography Books.
Astrophotography Online Mentoring
This is the gift of an hour-long one-to-one personal online tutoring session with leading astrophotographer, Gary Palmer, a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.
This one-on-one session can be customized to cover all types of astrophotography and any level – whether you are a beginner or already advanced.
It is done over Zoom and so can take place anywhere in the world at a time and date convenient to you.
Sony A7 III Camera
Finding the right camera for astrophotography can be pretty tricky – especially if buying for someone else.
To help make this easier, we researched which cameras were most successfully used in the world’s leading astrophotography competition and found that the Sony A7 III was number one.
This model is therefore proven for astrophotography and strikes the right balance of price to performance.
You can check prices by clicking the button below or, if you want to investigate more, you can go to the Best Cameras for Astrophotography.
SmugMug Gift Subscription
SmugMug is a photography portfolio site that allows photographers to store their photos and easily create their own websites for displaying and selling images as prints and products.
This would make a great gift for an astrophotographer that is building up images and perhaps sharing on Instagram but not yet with their own portfolio website to display (and maybe sell) their best work.
Using the link below gets 20% off a gift subscription.
Shimoda Photography Bag
A camera bag makes a great gift for an astrophotographer to have all their gear packed up and ready to go when the conditions are right.
This bag has a hardshell to protect that expensive gear from knocks and it also waterproof.
Celestron Smartphone Adapter
This smartphone adapter enables you to attach your phone to a telescope, binoculars, monoculars, or spotting scope so that you can quickly and easily take photos.
It can also be bought with a Bluetooth shutter release for wireless control of the camera’s shooting.
Manfrotto Tripod
Tripods are an undervalued piece of the astrophotography setup yet they are essential when you need complete stability for taking long exposures of the night sky.
Manfrotto are the Ferrari of tripod manufacturers and this model combines sturdiness with a light weight, as well as versatility to use with telescopes as well as cameras.
For more details and other options – from cheaper to best-of-the-best – see the Best Tripods for Astrophotography.
Red Light Headlamp
One of the most useful things a nighttime photographer (or astronomer) can have is a headlamp, as it allows you to keep your hands free to operate your camera, telescope and other gear.
There are loads available on Amazon and other outlets but the most important thing you need if buying one for an astrophotographer is for it to have a red light option.
The reason for this is that red light doesn’t ruin your night vision as you adjust to the dark, whereas white light will.
This model has a red light and is also USB rechargeable which is preferable to having to use batteries.
Celestron 20x50mm Outland Monocular
Primarily for daytime observing, monoculars can be great for astronomy and astrophotography.
They are small, compact and light and so perfect for taking out on trips or into the field.
This model from Celestron has high magnification (20x) and a large aperture (50mm) and so works great for getting close in on the moon or even the planets and some with a small tripod and smartphone adapter to make it perfect for photography.
If you want to understand more read our guide to the Best Monoculars for Stargazing & Astrophotography.
I Need My Space Mug
You can get your budding astrophotographer this “I Need My Space” mug.
Astrophotography and astronomy are fairly solitary pursuits and most of us like it that way!
Touchscreen Gloves
Another good and fairly cheap gift option for a budding astrophotographer is a pair of touchscreen gloves.
These are great for the winter months when it gets colder at night. The touchscreen technology means that you can keep your gloves on whilst operating your camera or smartphone.
14mm Lens
We found that 14mm was the best lens focal length for shooting starry skies and milky way landscapes – see our research in the Best Lens for Astrophotography.
This lens was released brand new in 2021 and is perfect for pairing with a full-frame Sony mirrorless camera like the Sony A7 III above.
If you don’t have a Sony camera, see also our guide to the Best 14mm Lenses.
Heated Jacket
Building on the gloves above, a heated jacket is a great gift for an astrophotographer.
It means that they can stay out for longer taking photos in the cold and is also a bit of a safety tool if they are traveling out to a dark site and there’s a risk they might get stuck somewhere.
Timelapse Photography Online Course
Learn how to shoot stunning timelapse videos – including astro timelapse – with this online video course.
This is a three-hour workshop with 25 individual lessons that can be done at your own pace.
This is ideal for budding photographers and astrophotographers that already know their way around their camera well.
Smartphone Battery Charger
Just like the jacket above, if your astrophotographer friend likes to drive or hike to places to take pictures then having a small and light power backup for their smartphone can help ensure they don’t get caught somewhere and be unable to make calls.
Thermos Flask
Another one to prepare the astrophotographer for nights out shooting the stars – a thermos flask so that they can take hot tea or coffee with them.
Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Star Tracker
Star trackers are cool tools that sit under your camera and rotate it at the speed of the Earth spinning so that you can stay focused on the stars for longer and take better night sky pictures.
The Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer is the best and most popular star tracker on the market.
This is a great astrophotography gift for someone who is already happy with their camera and lens but wants to go to another level with astrophotography.
Check prices by clicking the button below or else see more options in the Best Star Trackers.
Portable Hand Warmer & Charger
This 2-In-1 device is firstly a hand warmer for being out on cold nights, and secondly a portable charger that can be used for your smartphone or other devices.
Camera Intervalometer
An intervalometer is a remote control device that allows you to operate your DSLR or mirrorless camera wirelessly and gives you increased control over the manual settings.
This enhanced control is perfect for astrophotography where it requires practice to get the perfect exposure time, aperture, ISO settings, and also where you want to take multiple exposures to maybe stack them for improved results.
The Pixel TW-283 is a great intervalometer that gives you all you need to give you take your camera to the next level for astrophotography.
For different options, see the Best Intervalometers for Sony, Canon and Nikon cameras.
Astrophotography Log Book
A log book is a great tool for astrophotographers to keep track of what they have been imaging and create a diary that they can look back on as they progress.
This is a great cheap way of encouraging the hobby.
Dwarf 2 Smart Telescope
This is a bit of a splurge but these smart telescopes are making waves in the world of astronomy and astrophotography.
They are telescopes with in-built cameras that are operated via your smartphone. They are ultra-easy to use and take all the complications out of building an astrophotography setup with a telescope, mount, camera, tracker, tripod, etc.
The Dwarf 2 was released in 2023 and is the best budget option – see our review here.
For more information and to see other options, see our guide to the Best Smart Telescopes.
More Astrophotography Gift Ideas
For more gift-buying inspiration, see our guide to the Best Space Gifts for Stargazers & Astronomers and more in our Holiday Sales & Gift Guides hub.
