Choosing the right camera gear for your real estate business could add some more eye-catching exposures to your images and videos. To take your HDR real estate photography to new heights, use of essential camera gear is crucial. If not so, you might experience bad images due to poor lighting, imperfect views, and geometric issues etc. The poor editing of your photos might also be one of the reasons for bad image results.
To capture the right photos for your clients, you should consider standard camera equipment like lens, lens filters, tripod, flyers, external flashes, light meter etc. These tools also play an equal role to provide you a great exposure which makes your images true-to-life.
List Of Must-Have Real Estate Photography Equipment
If you are providing real estate photography services, you need to choose the right camera gear in order to keep your clients satisfied. Here I’m going to share some details of camera gear I’ve used for real estate photography that might be helpful in improving your photos and videos output.
Camera
Camera is the most important tool for real estate photography. Your half of the image view relies on your camera features. There are a large number of good cameras available in the market which are budget-friendly. Picking the camera with a large frame delivering a 1:1 ratio will suit for real estate photography. It will provide enough picture space if you use a wide angle lens. If you choose a model with a smaller aspect ratio, your lens would not be able to capture the whole picture.
While buying or updating your equipment for real estate photography, prior the camera having a better sensor with great dynamic range. Because it will automatically recover the highlighted exposures from the surroundings like overexposed windows. Moreover, an automatic exposure bracketing feature is essential to keep in mind for real estate photography. I’ve used multiple cameras throughout my journey but I found Canon 5D Mark IV, Sony A7 IV, Nikon D750, and Nikon Z 6 simply perfect for real estate photography.
Lens
After choosing the right camera, choosing the lens for your camera is also equally important. Wide angle lenses are best considered for real estate photography as they provide a wider view of the room. I always prefer a lens zoom range from 15mm to 30mm because 15mm is good enough for interior photography, but if you want to capture minutiae, then you can zoom to 30mm and that will be wide enough. I use Tamron SP AFA012C700 15-30mm f/2.8 to get sharp images for my projects. You can also go for mid-range zoom or ultra-wide for a wider variety of deeper shots. Go for a concave view in a lens that allows you to capture the room’s details with all corners without compromising the light.
Lighting
Lighting is the major part which keeps the photos neat and clean. For a more luxury photoshoot, keep good light conditions as well as use light equipment. You can use a flashlight to make your view more clear or a bounce flash is also perfect for taking natural views. You can also place several light units if necessary for your required light conditions. Personally I prefer UBeesize LED Video Light Kit as it offers multiple functions and diverse shooting effects.
The photographers also use an HDR photography technique through which they create the most appealing and vibrant colors. They capture photos in three different exposures: over-exposed, under-exposed and standard exposed. Then they merge them with each other creating a totally new photo that gives a luxury view.
Tripod
While taking shots, sudden movement of the camera could make the photos blur. In order to avoid movements of your camera, keep a tripod with you which necessarily provides a strong and secure grip. In this way, your photos will look sharp and more clear.
Avoid the wobbling or flimsy tripods because your expensive camera can fall off as well as the photos can be blurred due to the movement of tripode. Carbon fiber tripods ensure a more professional photoshoot for your real estate business. I recommend the SIRUI Carbon Fiber Travel 5C Tripod because its joints are tight and legs are solidly constructed to secure your camera while photographing.
Drone
Drones can be used for two types of shooting i.e interior shooting and exterior shooting in real estate photography. A special drone is used to capture the external images of a garden, roadside or a beach in order to acknowledge your clients more about the properties. Mavic 3, Mavic Air 2, as well as the Mini 3 Pro are the best drones I’ve flown for real estate photography.
While shooting a house, taking some exceptional photos like capturing a corridor view might not be possible without using a drone. So with the help of a drone, you can capture the specific parts of the house. You probably would like DJI Mini2 for interior real estate photography.
Remote
Instead of touching the camera with your hand while photographing, you can use a remote trigger. The remote will help in taking shake-free photos that are essential for real estate photography. Likewise, you can avoid blurred images too when using this.
Wireless triggers are more common nowadays. Nikon ML-L3 and Canon RC-6 are the best wireless remote options for HDR real estate photography.
Photo Editor
Capturing good photos is not enough to be a great photographer. You also need to gain some photo editing skills to provide real estate photography services. For this, you must need a tool like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.
I personally use Adobe Photoshop for editing photos. Despite its perfect editing features, it is easy to use and makes the photos true-to-life. This software really helps make photos more appealing and natural.
Conclusion
Real estate photography requires an array of specialized equipment to capture stunning images of homes and properties. Investing in quality camera gear is an important part of any real estate photographer’s business, as it allows them to produce high-quality images to showcase the real estate. From full-frame cameras and lenses to tripods, flashes, and drones, there is no shortage of gear available to real estate photographers. With the right combination of equipment, any real estate photographer can take their business to the next level.
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