Looking for the best Amazon Prime Day deals for photography gear? Have you been waiting for a deal to buy the camera equipment you need? Wait no longer! Amazon Prime Day is one of the best days to find some photography deals on sweet gear. Just be warned, you may need to buy a bigger camera bag 🙂
Is Amazon having a Prime Day in 2020?
Prime day originated back in 2015 as a one day shopping event to celebrate Amazon’s 20th anniversary. With the success of the event the company has continued the tradition but expanded it to include multiple days, although it’s still just referred to as ‘Prime Day’.
Remember to get the best deals, or at least quicker access to them, you’ll need to be an Amazon Prime member. Down below we’ve answered some of the common question people have about Prime Day and Prime memberships. Plus how to get a FREE Trial membership in time to take advantage of access to the best sales.
As of this writing, Amazon Prime Day this year doesn’t have a set date yet. In 2019 Prime Day was in July and that was probably the original plan for this year, until things with the pandemic hit. The rumor mills have most recently identified dates as early as September 7th, 2020, Labor Day weekend in the US, or sometime into October, maybe the 5th.
[UPDATE] Amazon Prime Day 2020 has been announced as October 13 & 14. So we’ll help you sort through the best Photography and Camera deals for Prime Day 2020.Is there anything different about Prime Day this year?
This year Amazon also announced that they are adding an element to Prime Day to try and better support small businesses. In the U.S. Japan, and select European countries if you are a Prime Member that spends $10 on qualified items that are purchased from small businesses you’ll earn a $10 credit to spend on Prime Day.
The purchases have to be made through Amazon Storefronts between September 28, 2020 and October 12, 2020 (the day before Prime Day 2020 starts). There are restrictions that apply, such as having to be a Prime Member to be eligible.
Support small businesses. Show your support for small businesses and offer a great promotion to build more traffic on Prime Day. In the U.S., Japan, and select European countries, Prime Members who spend $10 on qualified products from the small businesses featured through Amazon Storefronts between September 28, 2020, and October 12, 2020, will earn a $10 credit to spend on Prime Day. When alerting your audience to this promotion, be sure to note this is an exclusive offer only for Prime Members and that restrictions apply.
When you decide to buy something for your camera through our links, you also automatically support our work as we receive a small commission.
How do I get the best deal on Amazon Prime Day?
According to reports, Amazon Prime Day in 2018 sold $3.4 Billion worth of goods. For perspective, according to Wikipedia that’s about the 2019 Gross Domestic Product of a small country, like Burundi or Liberia. However that was just in a couple days, not a whole year!
In 2019 hundreds of thousands of electronics were sold, making it the bigger than both Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Among the massive sales there was one accidental camera deal last year that made a few photographers REALLY HAPPY. According to an article there was a pricing error that allowed $13,000 worth of high-end camera gear to sell for only about $100.
Buying Advice
Aside from any crazy accidental price mix ups, our philosophy is buy only what you need or want. For good Prime Day camera deals don’t feel like it means it has to be the absolute lowest price that has ever been offered. If you find a product that you need or one that you’ve been hoping to buy, and can purchase it for less than normal then you’re a winner! Remember, just because something is on sale doesn’t mean it’s worth buying. Lots of sites post every single thing that is on sale, but buying a bad product just because it’s cheap doesn’t sound like a deal to me.
Whenever it is, I’m expecting some amazing camera deals. With everything that’s gone on this year I think companies are going to be trying to get sales any way they can, which probably means great deals on photography gear.
Up until Amazon Prime Day 2020 happens we’ll be watching for deals on the best photography gear and posting them here, so check back weekly to see what’s new.
Aside from the standard camera and lens sales here’s a list of photography accessories and equipment you should consider picking up on Prime Day.
Best Amazon Prime Day Deals for Photography and Camera Gear
If you’re looking to buy a new Canon, Nikon, Sony, or Fujifilm DSLR or Mirrorless Camera I don’t think you’ll find any “once in a lifetime” deals. However, we do expect to see some nice camera bundles or maybe bonuses, like a gift card with purchase. Nevertheless, there should be some nice sales still. If you don’t already have a model in mind check out our sister site, Best Photography Gear, for our selection of the best DSLR Cameras for beginners.
Most likely we are going to see lots of great sales on photography equipment and accessories.
Don’t expect to see ‘every deal’ out there in our list. As always, we look for the best gear and the best deals and only share those. If you want to look at every single offer available there are other sites for that. For us, saving you time and effort is our goal.
What can we expect based on last year’s Prime Day?
Amazon Prime Day camera deals in 2019 went up to about 30% off higher-end items like some cameras and lenses from Canon, Panasonic, Fujiflim, and others. So we are expecting similar discounts this time around. So if you see a deal for photography gear that you’re already interested in and it’s near that 30% discount you can feel comfortable pulling the trigger on that purchase.
I’m sure that some Prime deals for camera accessories will be discounted more that 30% but just make sure the item is worth the purchase.
In order to make it easy we are going to break the best Prime Day photography deals down into the following groups.
Helping You Find the Best Photography Deals
- What Gear a Beginner Photographer Should Buy
- What Gear Every Photographer Should Have
- What Gear Professionals Need
- What Gift is Best for a Photographer
Gear a Beginner Photographer Should Buy
Everyone starts somewhere, the key is just to start! With technology these days its so easy to get into digital photography. Some times you just need a few tips to point you in the right direction.
| Canon EOS 2000D Rebel T7 Kit | Great introductory Canon DSLR kit for a beginner photographer. |
| AbergBest 21MP Digital Camera | A low cost option to get your kids started on photography. (Use coupon code “8PN26WBI” for $12 savings. Expires 9/1) |
| Telescope for Kids Beginners, 70mm Aperture 400mm AZ Mount, with Tripod and Phone Adapter | Does your kid dream of flying through space? I do! This has the best reviews I could find and is still under $100. |
Gear Every Photographer Should Have
While the investment in photography equipment and accessories isn’t usually as costly as buying a camera and lenses, it is still really important. When you buy something make sure you’re investing in quality camera equipment.
| AmazonBasics Large DSLR Camera Gadget Bag | If you don’t already have a bag this is a great size for a camera, up to 3 lenses, and still have room for other gear. |
| Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens | A great Canon Prime lens for wide angle photography, such as real estate. |
| Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G Lens | One of our favorite Nikon Prime lenses for Portraits, Weddings, and Low Light photography. |
| MACTREM Professional Camera Tripod | Really lightweight and stable travel tripod, plus it can convert into a monopod. |
Gear Professionals Need
It is important to select the best photography gear, but as a busy professional it is not always easy to find the time. Finding a new lens for your Canon, Nikon, or Sony is one of the quickest ways to up your photography game.
| Nikon Z50 Compact Mirrorless Digital Camera with Flip Under “Selfie/Vlogger” LCD | Really nice mirrorless vlogging camera in a compact package. |
| Canon Portrait and Travel Two Lens Kit with 50mm f/1.8 and 10-18mm Lenses | Includes a newly-designed focus mechanism. Smooth and quiet continuous AF during video recording, as well as when shooting photos. |
Best Gifts for a Photographer
Know someone who LOVES photography? When you are looking for a gift for them sometimes there are too many options to choose from. Then other times it seams like there is not anything they do not already have.
| Canon EOS M50 Mirrorless Video Creator Kit | A really nice gift to get someone started with making more professional-quality videos. |
| Neewer 50-In-1 Action Camera Accessory Kit Compatible with GoPro Hero 8 | If you know someone with a GoPro this is a popular set of accessories for under $30. |
| SNAPTAIN S5C WiFi FPV Drone with 720P HD Camera and Voice Control | For under $60 this will provide hours of fun and give you an amazing new view on the world. |
| Crenova 10” LED Ring Light for Selfie Live Streaming/Makeup/YouTube Videos | Nice gift for under $30 if you have someone that likes to post videos or do live streaming. |
What if I Don’t Have Amazon Prime?
Here are some common questions people have about Amazon Prime:
Do I have to have Amazon Prime to purchase Prime Day deals?
No. Although, there are plenty of perks for being a member and sometimes you may have sooner access to some of the ‘doorbuster deals’ that get posted. But you’ll be able to still buy great gear at a great price.
The camera and photography deals that will be offered will fall into two categories. For alliteration sake we’ll refer to them as Lighting and Long-term deals. Lighting Deals, as the name implies, are short lived and go quick. As we’ve mentioned above, these are the deals where being a Prime Member can get you quicker access. These tend to be deeper discounts but could also be a bit of a trap. Companies obviously want you to purchase their products so they create a sense of urgency for you to purchase something. It takes awareness and some restraint but just make sure you’re following our philosophy is buy only what you need or want.
The Long-term Deals have a bit less urgency since they often are available for days or sometimes weeks.
What are the benefits of Amazon Prime?
I won’t bore you with ALL the perks that come with a membership. For me the best ones are Prime Video, Prime Music, and the FREE 2-Day shipping. Enough said.
What’s the cost of an Amazon Prime Membership?
The cost right now for Amazon Prime is $12.99 per month or a little less if you buy an annual membership, $119 per year.
To put that into perspective, that’s the same monthly cost for your standard Netflix account. Just with Amazon you get the video streaming AND the 2-Day shipping.
What’s even better? If you are a qualifying customer with an EBT or Medicaid card then it’s just half price, only $5.99 per month.
Then for all you qualifying photography (or other types) of students, you can get a sweet 6-month Prime Student trial. Just be sure that after you finish your finals that you cancel your membership if you don’t want to keep it. Although as long as you are a student it’s also 50% off the normal cost.
Is Amazon Prime worth the cost?
That really depends on your shopping habits, and I’ll say patience as well 🙂
If you are buying stuff often then the monthly or yearly fee will get offset pretty quickly. Think of your Costco or Sam’s Club membership. If you’re going there a couple times a month (or weekly like my dad) then it’s a no brainer.
The other thing to consider is if you’re okay waiting for the regular shipping. I know whenever I buy something without 2-Day shipping it’s a bit of a struggle to wait for it to arrive. Thus you have to plan ahead a bit more.
If you didn’t know, you can actually sign up for a Free 30 Day Trial with this link. That gives you access to the FREE 2-Day shipping for all you Prime Day shopping. Then just set a calendar reminder to cancel it before the 30 Days is up.
If you’re a professional photographer then maybe an Amazon Business Account makes sense. It doesn’t have the same perks as Amazon Prime, but it’s still a little better then just a normal account. They have FREE shipping on eligible items and some stuff you can get a ‘business price’ on. Plus the base account is FREE!
Make your purchases worth a little more!
One other tip we wanted to share is that you can give to a favorite charity while you shop for stuff you are planning to buy anyway!
You can select a charity to link to your Amazon account. Thousands of options available! The cool thing is a lot of the ones you can select are local options. Such as a local school, or my choice is a homeless shelter in my city. Then you just need to make sure you are using smile.amazon.com when you are shopping on Amazon.
You can either start your shopping by going directly to https://smile.amazon.com/ or just replacing the www. with smile. on whatever page you land on.
I missed out on Amazon Prime Day, now what?
If you missed Amazon Prime Day this year or couldn’t find anything that seamed worth buying don’t lose hope.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are always great options for deals on camera equipment and accessories. To stay up to date on the best options available we’ve put together a guide to help keep you from feeling overwhelmed by the options. Our guide to the best Black Friday deals for photography gear will help you select items that you need, not stuff just because there’s a sale.
