Photo by Hanson Lu on Unsplash
If you’re a realtor, selling houses is your number one priority. To sell someone’s home to a potential buyer, you need the ability to showcase the piece of property in a clean, attractive, and appealing way. For this, you are going to need the best camera for real estate photography.
In our virtual world, more people than ever are offering online open houses. Not only that, but real estate is being sold more and more using virtual reality and virtual open houses. To remain competitive with such new technologies, you need to take the best possible photos of whichever piece of real estate you are adding to the market, that way you can upload them online and submit them to real estate magazines.
The best camera for real estate agents is generally going to be a wide-angle lens. This is because you need to show your property in its most flattering light, making any room or space appear vast and full of light and color. There is a special method for real estate photography. You want to capture the soul of the house in such a way that buyers feel drawn to it. There is no better way to do this than with a wide-angle lens camera for real estate.
The Five Best Cameras for Real Estate & Realtors
1. Fujifilm X-T10 Mirrorless Digital Camera
To start our list we have the Fujifilm X-T10 mirrorless digital camera. This unit has everything a real estate agent needs to sell a house. You get a powerful CMOS sensor with 16 megapixels, plenty of different modes to choose from, a camera body that feels natural in your hand, and an automatic mode for those who don’t fully understand cameras. Best of all, the camera comes in a very chic silver color. It even looks like a realtor’s camera.
What’s so great about the Fujifilm is that it is a very affordable wide-angle camera, barely $30 more than the least expensive camera on our list. It comes with all the features you need, including built-in filters to help bring out the brightness of any piece of property. Even the viewfinder on the X-T10 has an intuitive interface that is easy to use. The screen tilts, and the automatic mode is simplified for realtors who know nothing about photography.
Pros
- 16-megapixel CMOS II sensor
- One of the shortest display lags in the world @ 0.005sec
- Design fits nicely in your hand & feels sturdy
- Automatic mode is easy to use
- Compatible with the special camera remote from Fujifilm
- Unique filters handy for real estate to make colors pop
Cons
- Can’t shoot in 4K
2. Canon EOS Rebel T6i Digital SLR Camera
Canon is always the go-to brand for high-quality cameras, with their Rebel series leading the pack as one of their best. For real estate, the Rebel T6i is a phenomenal digital SLR that is going to take bright, vivid, and alluring photos of even the most boring piece of property.
With 24.2 megapixels, you can feel confident that your photos of the interior and exterior of houses are all going to come out great, adding a sense of space and depth to the property.
The EOS Rebel T6i comes included with a lens. And while it may not be the best lens, at least it is not only the body of the camera you’re getting. This means that for the extra few hundred dollars, you are getting better functionality without the fuss of having to go out and buy a professional lens yourself. This camera has a large ISO range that allows for striking imagery either in sunlight or at nighttime. This is handy for dark basements or cellars.
Pros
- 2 megapixels
- built-in Wi-Fi and NFC
- HD movie mode
- Great for any lighting, including low light
- Mid-range pricing, affordable for realtors
- Light and easy to carry
Cons
- Wi-Fi may be unreliable when linking to smartphones
- The included lens could be better
3. Panasonic Lumix FZ300 Digital Camera
This camera is a beast. It’s hard to find such a quality camera at such a low price, as the Panasonic Lumix FZ300 costs less than $400. That’s less than your average middle-grade camera. And while this camera is very affordable, it has all the bells, whistles, and advanced features that you would expect from a modern digital camera. We’re talking about 4K photo tech, superb 4K UHD video, photo extraction mode from video, anti-blur technology, and a long zoom for magnificent photos from a distance. This is ideal for getting shots of real estate from the street, or for taking photos of the neighborhood.
The Lumix FZ300 is built to withstand the elements. And although this may not be crucial when taking photos of real estate, it is still nice to know that your camera is still going to hold up in dusty or wet conditions. Don’t let the 12.1-megapixel sensor dissuade you from buying. For real estate photography, 12.1MP is absolutely sufficient. The Lumix puts all those megapixels to work creating amazing photos every time.
Pros
- Excellent long zoom capabilities
- Rugged, dustproof/splash-proof body
- 3-inch touch panel to set focus
- Fits nicely in your hand with all buttons easily accessible
- Takes exceptional close-up shots
- Can develop RAW images inside the camera
Cons
- A lot of frills for photography newbies
- Only 12.1 megapixels
4. Pentax K-1 DSLR Camera
The Pentax K-1 DSLR camera is indeed the most expensive piece of equipment on our list. However, that’s the price you pay for excellence. The Pentax K-1 has it all. It takes the best pictures of any camera we have talked about today with its powerful 36.4-megapixel sensor. This is a serious, professional camera used to take highly detailed photographs of literally anything. For real estate photography, yeah, it may be overkill. But if you’re looking to sell houses, and the quality of your photographs determine how well you’re going to sell houses, the Pentax K-1 is well worth it.
This unit comes with a built-in GPS to track where you take your photos. It’s resistant to the weather and has a super-strong, lightweight design. And while it does take stunning 1080p video, the Pentax really shines with photographs. In fact, it has the highest ISO rating of any other camera in its class. This means nighttime photos of real estate are going to look amazing, which is especially useful for hilltop or ocean view properties.
Pros
- Massive 36.4 megapixel CMOS sensor
- Fully functional GPS + electronic compass + astro tracer
- Weather-resistant, great for using in harsh elements
- LCD tilting display
- Full frame camera excellent at adding depth to any room
- Pentax is known for unyielding quality + robust designs
Cons
- Uncomfortably expensive
- Body only, does not come with a lens
5. Panasonic Lumix FZ80 4K Digital Camera
It only feels appropriate to put our most affordable camera after our most expensive camera. The Lumix FZ80 from Panasonic is an 18.1-megapixel camera with 4K capabilities, 60x zoom, a 3-inch LCD touch-enabled monitor, and built-in Wi-Fi.
For such a low price, and for a camera that weighs only 1.36 pounds, you are really getting a sweet deal. For a realtor who needs to take sharp, dramatic pictures of their properties, and who want to spend less than $250, the Lumix FZ80 is without a doubt the best camera for real estate photography in its price range.
The FZ80 can handle low-light shooting, it has manual focusing for close-up macro shots, there are oodles of accessories to make shooting easier, it produces vivid colors, and it is arguably the most efficient and simplistic point-and-shoot camera around. Not a bad choice if you ask us.
Pros
- Fantastic quality at an amazing price
- Bright and realistic colors with 18.1 megapixels
- Capable of 4K w/ 4K burst mode
- Easy to use for amateurs, not confusing at all
- The zoom is top-notch
- The best option for amateur realtors
Cons
- May find a challenge in low-light situations
- Some may find it bulky to handle
Final Thoughts
When choosing the best camera for real estate photos, wide-angle is the way to go. You are going to want a max aperture of f/4 at the bare minimum. You should also invest in either a monopod or a tripod to take steady, reliable photographs of all your attractive properties. The best camera for realtors is always going to be an easy camera. You don’t really need something tricky, with a lot of confusing buttons or modes. Whether it’s a full-frame or a mirrorless, as a realtor all you want is to point, click, then upload enticing photos of real estate.
For any real estate agent who wants to take nothing more than perfect photos of their neighborhood properties without spending a fortune, the Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ80 is right for you. This camera will do everything you require of it at a reasonable price. However, if you want the best of the best to show luxury properties in all of their excess splendor, then maybe the Pentax K-1 is more your style. The K-1 is definitely a high-class camera for high-class realtors showing expensive homes.
Meeting you in the middle is the Canon EOS Rebel T6i. It is about half the price of the Pentax and double the price of the Panasonic. For the middle ground of quality, the Rebel T6i is certainly the best wide-angle point and shoot camera for real estate.
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