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Thursday, April 12 2007
New camera designed to sell homes
"Wired" says it looks like a $10 disposable camera. Indeed, the big red button, simple display that only shows number of pictures left, and the lack of an LCD monitor or any exposure controls would lead the casual observer to think that the RealPIX, a just-introduced, $299 compact camera designed for real estate agents, appears just a tad overpriced. But if the Nashville, TN-based manufacturer's claims are accurate, then to a typical real estate agent, it's a bargain.
The typical real estate agent is around 50 years old and not at all technically savvy, according to Jack Thomas, of RealPIX, which tested several existing compact cameras by putting them in the hands of real estate agents and seeing how they reacted before building their own camera. It turns out "they resented the complexity of the cameras, and just wished that they could walk into a house and go click, click, click and then load the resulting photos up to their favorite online photo listing sites."
And so RealPIX spent two years developing a deceptively simple camera that they say meets the specific needs of real estate agents. Specs include 640x480 pixel JPEG images only (unimpressive to experienced shooters but ideal for online listings and black-and-white newspaper ads, according to Thomas), a fixed-focus 22mm f/2 rectilinear lens (with enough depth for the scene to be in focus) which the company claims has no visible barrel or circular distortion, and a flash that is said to cover the entire angle of view and the company claims the camera will let non-photographers produce "nicely balanced interior (and exterior) real estate photos."
Why an optical finder but no LCD monitor? "Shots of rooms are taken while backed completely into a corner," explains Thomas. "An LCD requires several inches of space between it and the shooter's eye, decreasing the amount of the actual room that appears in the photo." This is why cameras like the Kodak V710, which is less expensive, may not be ideal despite the 23mm lens.
The company is planning a how-to primer designed for real estate agents that will include tips on staging shots, setting up windows/indoor light fixtures, etc., and on best approaches for dusk/
dawn exterior shots, as well as uploading and photo file management
for the various MLS/listing sites, and prepping/submitting photos for
use in local newsprint ads. The camera is expected to be available in July.
© 2007 Adorama
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