Want to take amazing landscape pictures of real estate? Here are the best choices for you.
A good real estate agent has multiple listings in various locations available for sale on hand anywhere they go. A great real estate agent, has great pictures to accompany them. As a real estate agent, it’s crucial to own and be able to operate a good camera to take flattering pictures of the properties you’re selling. Whether it be to showcase a home for AirBnb or rental, or for selling, you ideally need to have good wide angle pictures of your property inside and out.
It would be hard to discern what would make the best camera for real estate photos. The major feature you need to thing about is its ability to take wide angle photos.
In this guide, we’ll help you pick the perfect camera to help you take good, clear pictures of the properties you’re advertising. First we’ll go through the features and specifications you need to have in your camera. We will then provide our best suggestions for you the best camera for real estate photos.
What do you need to consider when buying a camera for real estate photos?
The first thing one needs to consider is what type of camera you should purchase for real estate photos. There are many types of cameras that would do just as well a job as any, but you still want to exude some professionalism from your photos. After all, real estate photography is not just a matter of showing up and taking photos or different rooms of the house.
The types of cameras to take real estate photos.
There are two main kinds of cameras to take real estate photos with, those with fixed camera lens and those with interchangeable lens.
Both types have their own features, specifications, advantages, and disadvantages, both will be thoroughly discussed in the following section.
Cameras with fixed lens
Fixed lens cameras include a variety of options including smartphones and compact cameras. Both have their significant advantages and features in terms of convenience and ease of use.
A smartphone camera is very convenient as it is a multi functional tool in the comfort of your pocket. With every new generation, the photo quality provided by a smartphone is constantly improving. This makes smartphones great to take quick, nice weather shots of different rooms in your house.
Compact cameras, are considered a staple of casual photography. These small cameras are great to take holiday shots or to commemorate family events. However, they are found less and less every day.
Cameras with interchangeable lens
These types of cameras are the perfect tool for someone looking to take professional level, high quality photos or videos. They are also great for wide angle and no blur in any type of lighting. The two types of cameras good for real estate photos with wide angles are DSLR cameras and mirror less cameras.
Mirorrless Cameras
Mirror less cameras are named as such because they don’t have an internal mirror that reflects light. This doesn’t enable you to see the image through the viewfinder. They’re also on the less lighter side so they tend to have lesser battery life than the DSLR counter parts.
Mirror less cameras also have less lens attachments and smaller sensors, this reduces their image quality in low light.
DSLR Cameras
DSLR cameras can be regarded as the best cameras for real estate photography, due to some advanced features over other cameras. DSLR cameras offer the highest quality of image.
More over, they possess the best capabilities for lens attachments, better sensors for stable and clear images, and the most professional looking images around.
This often comes at a price, as DSLR cameras tend to be on the more expensive side as they are professional grade cameras.
Features
The features you should be considering when buying your camera, regardless of type, are divided into 4 major parts. This is what we will be considering when reviewing our choices with you.
- Sensor and ISOs: this is what gives you clear photos regardless of lighting. DSLRs have these. ISO is the measure of how sensitive your sensor is to light, the higher sensitivity, the better and less grainy pictures you have.
- Zoom & shoot capabilities.
- Wide Angle lens: this is what gives you great wide angle shots, thus giving you greater range of the shots and photos you take.
- Battery life: this is important as you don’t want to be hustling back and forth from power plugs to charge your camera.
Our Top Real Estate Wide Angle Camera Recommendations
Below is a list of our top recommendations for the purposes of real estate purposes. As mentioned before, most of them will be DSLR cameras as they provide the best features for the types of footage you will be taking.
1. Canon EOS Rebel T7i/ EOS 800D
The reason why this is awesome camera is our to pick is simple, it offers the best value for price of the cameras on this list. It’s well affordable, easy to use, and offers professional level photos.
This beast has a 24.2 mega pixel, CMOS sensor, and an APS-C sensor.
The Canon EOS 800D is a full DSLR camera, meaning that is has an easily detachable lens, full ISO capabilities, and a superior sensor. This allows you take clear pictures, with no graininess in low light.
You can also attach the wide angle camera lens you need to take great real estate photos. Focusing happens through an optical viewfinder through the CMOS sensor.
In addition, the EOS 800D is insanely fast to use. It utilizes 6 frames per second shooting capabilities. Its Vari-Angle screen is the world’s fastest Live View AF system. This helps you focus and shoot with the glimpse of an eye.
Finally, this EOS 800D offers a great battery life, giving you the ability to shoot up to 600 pictures on one charge.
Pros
- CMOS sensor, making it great in low light situations.
- WiFi enabled, simplifying the hassle of file transfer to your devices.
- Full HD video at 60 fps.
- Best price for value.
- 6fps continuous shooting.
Cons
- No 4k Video
2. Nikon Coolpix P900
Our second selection on this list is the equally cool but skimps a bit on quality in exchange for affordability. Slightly cheaper than the Canon EOS 800D, the Nikon Coolpix has lower camera quality and battery life.
The Coolpix P900 has a nifty 16 mega pixel lens, interchangeable lens, and the same Vari-angle display and Electronic Viewfinder as the Canon. With the Nikon Coolpix P900, you can shoot full HD video, and even utilize its PSAM mode control dial.
The Vari-angle LCD display is fully motile to help you use more creative angles for your real state shooting pleasure.
The main attraction of the Nikon Coolpix, however, is its zoom range. This beast of a camera allows you 83x zoom capability! This lets you use the Nikon for anything from wide angle real state shots, to close ups without skimping on quality or clarity.
One thing to remember is that this is a mirrorless display camera, hence the sensor and lighting are not as optimal as the DSLR.
In terms of battery life, you compromise some of that also in exchange of price. You can shoot up to 360 pictures in full HD using the Nikon Coolpix P900.
Pros
- More affordable.
- Amazing zoom range.
- WiFi Enabled.
- Wide angle lens available.
- Built in GPS and Points of Interest(POI).
Cons
- Low battery life.
- Weak sensor, no DSLR.
- Clunky autofocus.
3. Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ80
The next selection we have for your real estate photography endeavors is the Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ80. This affordable beast offers you amazing features for an even lower price that its predecessors on this list.
The DC-FZ80 gives you an astounding 60x zoom, includes support for Raw images, and even 4k video capabilities.
This awesome device gives you 18.1 mega pixel camera, allowing you to take awesome footage with amazing quality. The RAW image format allows you to take continuous shots at 10 frames per second. Add that to its ability to shoot 30fps 4k photos, and you have yourself an amazing deal on a real estate photography camera.
It has a fixed 3 inch, touch LCD screen with great clarity, touch capacity, and refraction. On the other hand, the EVF is a bit clunky and does not register auto focus properly.
The real amazing part of this camera, however, is its lens. The fixed lens can cover ultra wide (20mm full frame equivalent) perspective zoomed all the way through. This gives you greater wide angle capacity and really enlivens your real estate shots.
The Panasonic DC-FZ80’s rechargeable battery is a bit disappointing. It offers a measly 330 photos per full charge, a lot less than other options on this list.
Pros
- 60x zoom range.
- 10fps Raw capture, 30fps 4k photo capture.
- Sharp EVF.
- Wi-Fi enabled.
Cons
- Fixed LCD.
- Limited Raw buffer.
- No Sensor(no DSLR capacity).
- Omits 24fps photos.
- Low battery life.
4. Nikon D850
This is the first selection of the more expensive options for a camera to shoot your real estate photos. However, you can rest assured that the extra money will be payed on much superior DSLR capabilities. From amazing photo quality, to a backside illuminated CMOS center, this one has it all.
The Nikon D850 offer a 45.7 mega pixel camera, allowing you to shoot near perfect images of your property. Add that to the 7fps continuous shooting with AE/AF capabilities, and you have an amazingly performing camera.
As a full DSLR camera, the Nikon D850 continues to offer the ISO 64 mode as its predecessors. This gives it superior light sensitivity and allows for better resolution in low light conditions.
The backside illuminated BSI sensor is the latest technology in DSLR sensors, not ionly increasing the efficiency on the sensor but the overall image quality from the device.
In terms of shutter speed, the D850 also improves on that, shooting an amazing 9 frames per second burst rate. The camera also allows to shoot full HD, resolution video, offering from a range of 25fps to 40fps quality.
As for the battery, the D850 completely obliterates the competition. With this Nikon, you can shoot up to 1840 shots on one charge!
Pros
- 7 mega pixels, enough said.
- BSI sensor, best in the market.
- Audaciously long battery life.
Cons
- Very expensive.
- It’s large size makes it too heavy to hold for longer periods.
5. Fujifilm X-T2
This camera’s predecessor, the X-T1, was considered a revolutionary product in the photography world when it was introduced. Featuring awesome ergonomics, superior auto focus, and insane image quality, the X-T1 was considered a hit.
The Fujifilm X-T2 takes a lot from its previous iteration in terms of quality and speed. The X-T2 offers even faster EVF, 4k video, and an increase on the continuous shooting capabilities of the XT-1.
It’s one of the pricier options on this list, the main reason for its deducted standing on this list. The features, however, illuminate the reasoning behind the hefty price.
The Fujifilm XT-2 boasts a 24.3 megapixel camera, with 3.9 micrometer pixel size. Being a DSLR camera, it holds a large sensor with native ISO sensitivity of 200-12,800; along with an internal sensor cleaning system.
It also maintains a continuous shooting speed of 8 fps, with the ability to upgrade to 14 fps with battery grip. Furthermore, it has an impressive 325 point Auto focus system.
The Fujifilm XT-2 also offers a 3 inch, tilting screen, making it suitable for angled shots.
Finally, and perhaps the most disappointing thing for such a high priced device, the battery clocks at just 340 shots per charge.
Pros
- Great video quality.
- ISO capabilities.
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled.
Cons
- Low Battery life for such an expensive camera.
- Very pricey.
6. Nikon D750
This selection is another great entry from Nikon. The D750 offers similar quality to most entries on our list with a great affordable price.
Utilizing a 24.3 mega pixel camera, the Nikon D750 offers great photo and video quality , especially for a wide angle.
In terms of ISO performance, the D750 contains a newly developed image sensor and EXPEED 4 technology. This ensures optimum light sensitivity in low light and shaky situations. It’s also equipped with Multi-CAM 3500 focus module.
A 6.5 frames per second shooting speed placed the D750 at a position somewhere in the middle of our here list in terms of shutter speed and reactivity.
The most unique selling point for this product, however, is its body. This is a very lightweight camera. It has a very slim body, deep grip, and amazing durability. Making this a very convenient option for shoot and go purposes.
It’s also a great option for those looking for a long battery. The Nikon D750’s battery can last up to 1230 shots.
Pros
- Great quality for price.
- Light weight.
- Great Battery Life.
- Wi-Fi.
Cons
- Sluggish AF in Live View.
- Weak AA Filter.
- Slower Shutter Speed.
7. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
This is our final selection for this list. And in this instance, last definitely does not mean least. The Canon E0S 5D Mark IV is the next level of professional level real estate cameras.
This 30.4 mega pixel beast takes almost real life clear pictures. It offers the best of video and photo qualities, along with a great sensor for light reactivity. This is on the bottom of the list, however, because of its seeming lacking when it comes to taking wide angle shots.
On the other hand, its ergonomic structure is very comfortable and convenient to hold. It contains the usual CMOS image filter, and has the capability to shoot 7 frames per second burst rate.
In terms of battery life, the Mark IV includes a battery that last for up to 4 hours.
Pros
- Great image quality.
- Excellent ISO performance.
- 7Fps Buffer Rate.
- Built in WiFi and GPS.
Cons
- Dual memory cards use different formats.
- Low-light AF dissapointing.
Conclusion
Real estate photography can be considered an art in its own right. You need to take impeccable photos to provide buyers with incentive for your properties. To take good real estate photos, you need to have a trusty camera. Your ideal camera should give you the ability to take wide angle shots comfortably.
We have provided you with a guide on the best options for a camera to take your real estate photos. We hope we were of help to your endeavors.
Even if you don’t decide to purchase any of our suggestions, you at least have a general idea of the features you need to consider when purchasing your camera.
We generally recommend a DSLR camera, which is why most of our suggestions have been as such. However, we do offer a mirror less option in our suggestion.
Happy shooting!
