For real estate professionals who take photographs and real estate cameras , photographic equipment is often about the perfect compromise between quality and mobility - they want to take the best real estate photos with light equipment. That is why I have put together useful basic equipment for various types of real estate cameras in this post . If you do not want to read the explanations, you can find the current recommendations here .
So in this article you will learn:
- which real estate cameras from the areas of single-lens reflex , system cameras and micro-four-thirds are suitable,
- which lenses should be used for real estate photography
- which tripod is small and stable enough,
- which system accessories I consider useful.
Note: Nikon has had very successful mirrorless system cameras in its range for some time. So far, these have primarily been so-called full-frame cameras with large sensors, in which both the cameras and the lenses are not only of high quality but also have a higher price. With the Nikon Z 50 , there is now also a Nikon camera with a smaller sensor. I have tested these and found them to be very good. Therefore it is now part of my recommendation list. However, I recommend buying the camera version with an interchangeable adapter , as there are currently no Z lenses on the market in the ultra-wide angle range and so the top optics from Nikon's F series can still be used.
So let's get into our Best Basic Equipment And Real Estate Cameras For Good Real Estate Photos shall we?
THESE ARE MY RECOMMENDATIONS
I will focus on three real estate cameras classes as well as the major brands of cameras in the following recommendations.
- DSLR cameras from Nikon and Canon
- mirrorless system cameras from Nikon and Sony
- Micro Four Thirds cameras (MFT) from Olympus and Panasonic
The smaller design and greater mobility desired by brokers in the last two classes are sometimes bought at a higher price.
All real estate cameras come from the upper entry-level segment. Cameras and lenses are smaller, lighter and cheaper than professional models, but they are still of very good quality. The price-performance ratio is therefore right.
Some of the real estate cameras proposed here have already been replaced by newer models - but the technical advantage is minimal. Still, they are very suitable for real estate photography - and at a good price .
SLR SYSTEMS
| Basic Equipment Nikon | |
|---|---|
| Camera | Nikon D5600 |
| Lens for indoor and outdoor photography | Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 10-24mm 1: 3.5-4.5G ED |
| Lens for close-ups | Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f / 1.8G |
| Tripod | Manfrotto Befree travel tripod |
| Equipment | Camera Spirit Level Nikon Remote Cord MC-DC2 Nikon EN-EL14a camera battery 2 memory card of 16 GB B + W Circular Polarizing Filter |
| Photo bag | Kata DC-443 |
| Basic Equipment Canon | |
|---|---|
| Camera | Canon EOS 80D |
| Lens for indoor and outdoor photography | Canon EF-S 10-22mm f / 3.5-4.5 USM |
| Lens for close-ups | Canon EF 50mm f / 1.8 STM/td> |
| Tripod | Manfrotto Befree travel tripod |
| Equipment | Camera level Camera level on Amazon Canon RC-6 IR remote release Canon RC-6 IR remote release Canon LP-E17 Reserve battery Canon LP-E8 camera battery 2 memory cards each 16 GB Sandisc Extreme memory card B + W Circular polarization filterPolarizing filter 77 mm |
| Photo bag | Smart-Planet® SLR camera bag |
MIRRORLESS SYSTEMS
| BASIC EQUIPMENT NIKON | |
|---|---|
| Camera and adapter for F lenses | Nikon Z50 + FTZ lens adapter |
| Lens for indoor and outdoor photography | Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 10-24mm 1: 3.5-4.5G ED |
| Lens for close-ups | Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f / 1.8G |
| Tripod | Manfrotto Befree travel tripod |
| Equipment | Camera level Camera level on Amazon spare battery EN-EL 25 battery 2 memory card of 16 GB Sandisc Extreme memory card B + W Circular polarizing filterPolarizing filter 72mm |
| Photo bag | Cullmann Malaga |
| BASIC EQUIPMENT SONY | |
|---|---|
| Camera | Sony Alpha 6400 |
| Lens for indoor and outdoor photography | Sony SEL1018 10-18mm F4 OSS |
| Lens for close-ups | Sony SEL-50F18F 50 mm, F1.8 |
| Tripod | Manfrotto Befree travel tripod |
| Equipment | Camera level (for Sony!) Camera level (for Sony!) Sony RMTDSLR2.CE IR remote control Sony IR remote control Sony NP-FW50 battery Sony NP-FW50 battery 2 memory cards each 16 GB B + W circular polarization filterSandisc Extreme memory card |
| Photo bag | PEDEA Sony Alpha 6300 |
IMPORTANT TIPS AND INFORMATION ON PHOTO EQUIPMENT
THE CAMERA
An up-to-date digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR) or a mirrorless system camera are clearly preferable to any compact camera and smartphone because they can better deal with the extreme lighting conditions for real estate pictures. Micro-Four-Thirds systems are often very close to the limit in terms of image quality due to their significantly smaller sensor.
The recommended cameras
- Are equipped with a very sophisticated photo technology and therefore ensure excellent image results,
- have special setting options with which even difficult photo situations can be mastered,
- offer the possibility of changing the lens and are therefore very flexible in use.
My tip for you: When buying, you have to make sure that you do not buy cheap interchangeable lenses in a package (so-called kit lenses). For this reason, they prefer to buy the camera body without optics and put the money saved into a better wide-angle lens.
THE LENSES
The first requirement for successful shots is a really good wide-angle lens . The quality cannot necessarily be measured by the largest possible angle of view, but by the optical quality. In contrast, the permanently installed lenses in inexpensive compact devices and smartphones are far from having the required image quality. Therefore it makes sense to buy a solid ultra-wide-angle lens separately from the camera.
Wide-angle lenses have the unpleasant property of losing image quality towards the edge of the image. As a result, images are slightly blurred towards the edge, distorted unevenly (curved lines), and aberrations such as color fringes increase. However, high-quality lenses are calculated and constructed in such a way that they keep these errors within tolerable limits. In addition, they mostly use quality glass in stable frames.
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RULE OF THUMB
A good lens is not that easy and costs at least as much as the camera it is attached to.
A zoom lens with a powerful wide angle is ideal for real estate photography. This means: For the recommended cameras with DX / APS-C sensors, the focal length starts at around 10 mm, for Micro Four Thirds sensors it starts at 7 mm. The Nikkor 10-24 mm lens suggested here ( Model 2011) I use on the reserve camera. It is a workhorse and on the one hand delivers really sharp, high-contrast and brilliantly colored photos. On the other hand, slight weaknesses at the edge of the picture remain within tolerable limits.
In the second step, it makes sense to get an inexpensive but extremely powerful lens for detailed shots. No zoom lens is required here, but a lens with a fixed focal length and the largest possible entry lens. Such a bright fixed focal length lens can be found in the standard shelves of Nikon and Canon for a comparatively moderate price. The models mentioned here have a focal length of 50 mm , which corresponds to about 75 mm on the smaller sensor of the recommended cameras and thus protrudes slightly into the telephoto lens area, which is perfect when it comes to detailed photos.
THE TRIPOD
Absolute sharpness is a must when shooting real estate. This is not only achieved with the right combination of camera and lens. A stable tripod is required due to the usually longer exposure times . The camera is mounted on this tripod and can then be triggered without vibration or shake. In addition, a tripod offers the possibility of precisely aligning the camera for taking the picture. Saving on the tripod would be fatal. As a result, inexpensive wobbly candidates are eliminated from the grab table immediately .
Basically, the heavier a tripod, the more stable it is. I know - you don't like that. Because as a real estate professional you work mobile and want to keep the transport weight as low as possible. But there are only a few candidates that offer a successful compromise between stability and lightweight.
I personally tested the Manfrotto Befree tripod in the recommendation and found it to be good. This tripod reliably carries the camera-lens combination recommended here indoors. However: If there is a very strong wind blowing outdoors, a more stable solution must be found. That is why I recommend stronger tripods in this case and for heavier cameras and larger lenses, such as the Sirui T-2204X CarbonSirui T-2204X Carbon in combination with the Sirui K-20XSirui K-20X tripod head tripod head .
THE ACCESSORIES
First of all, I will name my universal tool for clamping, underlaying, covering, upholstering, wiping - a common microfiber cloth . It belongs in every photo bag.
CAMERA SPIRIT LEVEL
It is plugged into the camera's flash connector for taking pictures. Even if current cameras have a built-in electronic horizon, this little piece of plastic is a real time saver. Because you don't have to operate any camera menus, and the level indicator does not block any screen area. Instead, you can use a large, clear bubble level on your tripod head to align your camera very nicely in a few seconds. In several axes at the same time.
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RESERVE BATTERY
It's embarrassing when a photo shoot has to be paused or canceled because the camera is out of juice. You are on the safe side when you buy the original. In contrast, very cheap replicas sometimes do not have the expected stamina. Oh: the reserve battery should of course be charged.
REMOTE SHUTTER RELEASE
It reduces the risk of possible vibrations when the camera is triggered because it can be activated virtually without contact. This can also be achieved with the help of the built-in self-timer, which only opens the shutter of the camera after an adjustable period of time.
RESERVE MEMORY CARD
They should also be available in sufficient capacity, because even here it is usually not possible to organize supplies quickly on site if the digital film should be full. In the case of memory cards, too, there are sometimes inexpensive variants in circulation. Care must be taken here, because cheap replicas are often responsible for data loss. That's why I only use the original.
CIRCULAR POLARIZING FILTER
Such is known, for example, from specially coated sunglasses. They make the picture more brilliant and bold the colors (especially sky blue). So it's also interesting for photography. But such a polarizing filter has another property: when used at the right angle, it can soften unwanted reflections until they are barely noticeable. This works well, for example, with glass partition walls in the bathroom, with shiny furniture fronts or with shiny floors. However, it does not work on metallic surfaces.
THE PHOTO BAG
On the one hand, a stable, easy-to-carry and well-designed photo bag not only protects sensitive equipment from impact, rain and heat. She also helps organize the photo shoot because all the items you need have their place.
I currently use the Kata DC-443 shoulder bag for small to medium-sized jobs Kata DC-443. Although it only measures 17.5 x 28 x 21.5 cm, it can accommodate all of my “small cutlery” items. For larger orders, the necessary equipment can be found in the Crumpler Jackpack 9000 shoulder bag . And for the really big number, I travel with the Lowepro Pro Roller x200 AW photo caseLowepro Pro Roller x200 AW . In addition to a tripod, it also swallows some video accessories.
ADDITIONAL LIGHT SOURCES AND LIGHT SHAPERS
Sooner or later, advanced photographers will resort to artificial light to create certain lighting moods. Because of the required mobility, compact flashes are used in combination with light shapers, reflectors, color filters and special light stands.
THE SOFTWARE
A must for image editing is the Adobe Lightroom program . Thus, not only image errors can be professionally repaired and photos given the necessary “crack”. It is also an excellent archive program. Getting used to it goes quite quickly.
THE HARDWARE
Ideally, you work with a large, true-color graphic monitorEizo CS2420 with a resolution of at least 1920 pixels and a screen diagonal of, for example, 24 inches. However, it works better on two screens in parallel. But even here it is usually not worthwhile to use the Grabbeltisch offers. Display errors and color shifts make the work a pain.
In addition, the computer should be equipped with sufficient RAMRAM . Then it works more smoothly with the mentioned software programs. 16GB is a good place to start. In addition, an SSD drive brings SSD another significant speed boost for the system and the programs.
If you want to work with a notebook, you should use a device with a 15 ″ screen. With smaller screens, too much actual image area is lost in image processing for the entire setting palette. It doesn't really matter whether it is MacApple MacBook Pro, 15 or WindowsDell XPS 15 .
Because of extensive retouching in the picture, it is advisable to replace the computer mouse with a graphics tablet . You draw on it with a pen and see the result directly on the screen. This allows images to be edited faster and more precisely.
This was our "Best Basic Equipment And Real Estate Cameras For Good Real Estate Photos" article for you. I hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to leave us your question down below in the comments. We would love to hear from you.
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