3 Real Estate Photography Cameras to Consider for 2021
- 18MP CMOS sensor with DIGIC 4+ image processor
- Full HD 1080p video capabilities
- 9 point AF system
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- 3” LCD screen with 920,000 dots
- Great battery life
- ISO range of 100-6400
- Good battery life
- Incredible array of compatible lenses
- Compact
- ISO performance isn’t all that great
- Poor live view mode that drains battery
- Overexposes images in low light shooting
- How to Photograph Real Estate in the Winter
- Critical Real Estate Photography Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make
- 24MP full-frame sensor
- 4K video capabilities
- 12fps burst mode
- 6K timelapse
- 273 point AF system
- ISO range of 100-51,200
- Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- Incredible low-light shooting
- 4K video
- In-body image stabilization
- Poor battery life
- Single memory card slot
- Tilting screen, rather than fully articulating
- 24.3MP full-frame sensor
- 1,230-shot battery life
- ISO range of 100-12,800
- 51-point AF system
- 3.2” tilting LCD screen with 1.2m dots
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- High ISO performance for low-light shooting
- 51-point AF system that is fast
- Tilting LCD screen
- Remote shooting needs improvement
- Expensive add-ons
- No 4K video capabilities
- Basic Real Estate Photography Tips for Absolute Beginners
- Building a Real Estate Photography Business
photo by CentralITAlliance via iStock
Real estate photography is hard enough, which is why it pains me when I see photographers using the wrong real estate photography gear.
Real estate photography cameras need weather-sealed bodies, for shooting in the cold winter months, great low-light capabilities for those closet and basement shots, and the ability to shoot quality video because almost every single client is asking for video nowadays.
Real estate photography cameras also need to fit in your price range, because there’s no point in spending loads on your real estate photography gear if your business isn’t bringing that much in yet.
So, I’ve compiled a list of the best cameras for real estate photography in a wide range of prices to fit every budget.
Canon EOS Rebel T6
First up on our real estate photography cameras list is the all-around Canon EOS Rebel T6. If you read my review on the Canon EOS Rebel T6 a few months ago, then you know this is one of my go-to cameras for people starting their own photography business.
The Canon EOS Rebel T6 is an entry-level DSLR (the only one on this list) and deserves its spot as one of the top cameras for real estate photography due to its lower price tag, its full HD 1080p video capabilities, it's good autofocus system, and the fact that it shoots good real estate photos as soon as you pull it out of the box.
Canon EOS Rebel T6 Specs:
Canon EOS Rebel T6 Pros:
Canon EOS Rebel T6 Cons:
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Nikon Z6
Another important factor of real estate photography cameras is that they should be able to shoot high-quality video, which this Nikon Z6 more than handles. It offers 4K video and also comes with 6K time-lapse, although you’re less likely to use this in your real estate photography business.
The Nikon Z6 is hands down the best mirrorless camera for a DSLR owner, and what I mean by this is the Nikon Z6 is compatible with hundreds of F-mount Nikkor lenses if you have the FTZ adapter, so there’s no reason to sell all of your Nikon gear to make the transition to mirrorless.
The Nikon Z6 is also one of the best cameras for real estate photography because it comes with an electronic viewfinder, a 3” touchscreen, and easy to understand controls.
Nikon Z6 Specs:
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Nikon D750
My Nikon D750 by George Rex licensed under CC by 2.0
The Nikon D750 represents everything I love about real estate photography cameras. The Nikon D750 matches its price, which is to say it functions excellently. It has a 24MP full-frame sensor, can shoot 6.5fps, and comes with a tilting vari-angle 3.2” LCD screen.
Plus, the Nikon D750’s video capabilities are good; it shoots full HD video and maintains its 1,230-shot battery life while doing so.
Best of all, now that the Nikon D780 - the D750’s replacement - has been announced, you can expect a significant price drop on the now four-year-old D750.
It was already one of the most affordable full frame cameras on the market, but it should become even more affordable in the coming weeks!
Nikon D750 Specs:
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Regardless of the Camera You Use…
photo by vicnt via iStock
Whether you use a mirrorless camera, a DSLR, a crop sensor or full frame, one thing remains true - you should be bracketing your exposures and merging them in post-processing.
Even the Nikon Z6, which has the most robust capabilities of the cameras listed above, can’t accommodate every lighting situation.
This is especially true when the dynamic range in the room is high. If you take a single exposure, the camera will try to expose for the highlights (i.e., a bright window), thus making it well-exposed and leaving the rest of the room dark.
The converse can also happen - the camera might expose for the darker areas of the room, which leaves the view out of the windows overexposed.
As seen in the video above, bracketing and merging the exposures is a quick way to overcome this issue.
This tutorial is an excellent guideline for learning how to bracket exposures. As you’ll see, it’s a simple matter of adjusting a few camera settings!
Once you have the bracketed exposures, you can easily blend them together in post-processing to create a single image that’s well-exposed throughout.
In a business in which your images can make or break a sale, it’s important to put forth your absolute best work. Using this bracket and merge technique will certainly help you do that.