Choosing the right gear is half the battle when it comes to real estate photography. There are many products to choose from, and the process can be overwhelming. As the Creative Services Manager at Open Homes Photography, I direct our team of photographers and handle the essential gear needed to take beautiful real estate photos.
Each day, Open Homes Photography (OHP) dispatches 60+ award-winning, professional real estate photographers to shoot homes throughout Northern California. To date, these photographers have shot over 70,000 listings and have helped market over $50 billion in real estate. OHP’s diverse team of part-timers and seasoned veterans put an unusual amount of wear and tear on gear. In fact, our top photographers will typically complete photos, video, aerial, and a 3D Matterport Tour for 3-4 properties each day. If you’re looking for gear that can stand up to daily use, check out my picks below.
Must-Have Gear for Real Estate Photography
Camera
If you have a few real estate gigs under your belt, you’ve likely already chosen your camera brand and workflow. A camera brand alone won’t make you a better real estate photographer, but there are some features I can’t do without.
Because real estate photographers tend to eat through shutter mechanisms, the majority of my team has gladly moved over to the mirrorless systems from Canon and Sony. There are certainly other cinematic video-only options like the Black Magic Pocket Cinema 6K, which can be helpful if you’re willing to manage multiple bodies and systems while on the go.
If you already have a camera/lens system but are looking to upgrade, these are my favorite features:
- Built-in level for making sure your horizontals are on point
- On-screen grid for lining up those beautiful one-point-perspective architectural shots
- Large touch screen with touch autofocus
- Crop sensor switch to assist in one-point-perspective framing and focus
- LOG (Logarithmic) Video capability for the best dynamic range and grading opportunities
My Picks
If you’re already using Sony’s A7 series for still photos, I love the new Sony A7Siii for video. The built-in Apple ProRes workflow achieves an incredible dynamic range with 12-16 bit. This frees me from using a recording monitor while letting me really push the color grading to make interiors pop. If it had a higher resolution on the still photography side, it would easily stand out as the best “all-arounder,” but 12MP just isn’t enough for client needs.
You can also rely on the Canon R5 or Canon R6. Approximately three-quarters of OHP photographers work on Canon systems and have adopted the new EOS-R series with great success. Incredible photo quality and an easy CRW pipeline go without saying, but we love the CLOG video and image stabilization. Pair it with the newer Canon 15-35 RF Glass and you have an almost-perfect real estate setup. The optical and sensor image stabilization helps me spend a little less time on the tripod while maintaining low noise shots with great dynamic range.
Tripod
Speaking of tripods, this is one piece of gear that sees the most wear and tear. A solid mid-level tripod will last the average photographer two decades, but the hustle and bustle of a real estate photographer’s day-to-day will wear out the clamps in less than a year. It might seem crazy to spend $1,000-$3,000 on a Gitzo or Really Right tripod and high-end head, but there is a strong return on investment if you’re in the field all day, 5-6 days a week. Gitzo tripods are very popular, and for good reason — a hardcore veteran that just retired last year left a 40+ year professional architectural photography career with a Gitzo he first bought in 1982.
My Picks
A great lightweight stick is the Gitzo Traveler GT2545T Series 2 4-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod.
If you need to support more weight and shoot from higher up, I swear by the American-made Really Right Stuff TVC-34L Series 3 4-Leg Sections Mk2 Versa Apex Carbon Fiber Tripod. Pair it with a Really Right Stuff BH-55 Ball Head for a precise head that will support a big rig.
If money is no object, check out the ultra-precise Arca Swiss C1 Cube Geared Tripod Head. The machine tolerance is insane, the build quality is incredible, and the buttery smooth operation will allow you to dial in the best compositions. A few folks on my team use this head daily and say it is worth every penny.
471 South Clark Avenue, Los Altos – Unbranded – Presented by: Dana Cappiello from Open Homes Photography on Vimeo.
Real Estate Video
Good audio is key to high production value. Great video content needs great audio to help drive the narrative, context, and tone. While music usually sets the tone, an agent interview or voiceover is key to a successful listing video. But because the audio input options on most DSLRs or mirrorless cameras are subpar, an external recorder and capture device is a prerequisite in my book. And since I’m usually the solo shooter onsite, I need a solid recorder that is reliable and acts as my “audio guy.” This means clean input and output and watching levels or running back up tracks. It also means I need on-board microphones so I have redundancy from laveliers or if I want to level up the video with ambient sound design like ocean waves, water features, etc.
My Picks
For all-around quality, the Zoom H6 is my top pick due to its relatively small size. I also like its ability to create a supplementary “back up” track recorded at -12db,in case the real estate agent gets too excited and clipping occurs on the main track. Lastly, I love the mix of tactile gain controls and LED display.
For those on a budget, Tascam DR-40X is a bit cheaper and gets you the necessary redundancy with the safety back up track, incredible battery life, and good recording from on-board mics.
800 Corte Madera Avenue, Corte Madera – Presented by: Joshua Deitch from Open Homes Photography on Vimeo.
Drone
The majority of listings where I shoot video also include aerial video. It’s no surprise that my drone of choice is the DJI family, specifically the Mavic 2. While I generally love it for its small size and solid runtime, I’ve noticed that the lens begins to soften when stopping down the aperture. Yes, this seems very counterintuitive and contradictory to how most lenses operate, but I can quantify it based on how I shoot in DLOG. In order to fix this and to maintain a theoretical 180º shutter angle, I recommend adding Neutral Density (ND) filters to your DJI.
My Pick
I recommend the DJI ND Filters Set for the Mavic 2 Pro Drone which includes a ND4 Filter, ND8 Filter, ND16 Filter and ND32 Filter.
3D Virtual Tours
3D Virtual Tours have been a prerequisite for agents in the COVID era. Although, we at OHP have been a market leader in 3D Tour development for a decade. Matterport started in 2011, and OHP bought one of the first available Matterport scanners. OHP is now an enterprise customer and I think they have one of the best virtual tour workflows.
Along with Matterport, OHP now also uses the Ricoh Theta Z1. The Ricoh is tiny, high-quality, and relatively cheap. Moreover, if you’re an independent shooter, the Ricoh is mostly platform agnostic, meaning you can use it for Matterport and any other platform (Zillow, Ricoh tours, etc,) which supports tours from panoramic images.
My Pick
I recommend the Ricoh Theta Z1 Bundle. You’re going to need accessories, so save some money with Adorama’s bundle. I also stress buying the Z1. When Ricoh released these a few years back, comprehensive tests found the Z1 to perform eight times better. The V is great for hobbyists and those looking to make HDR maps.
Gear Bag
All this great gear needs a safe and comfortable home. There are a ton of options when it comes to gear bags and finding the right fit comes down to personal preference. That being said, Think Tank’s bag comes highly recommended from a few of the team’s top photographers.
My Pick
The Think Tank Airport Security V3.0 Carry-On Rolling Bag is a team favorite largely due its inconspicuous size and modularity. It’s marketed as a carry-on for air travel, but I’ve found that its durability is perfect for day-to-day use.
Must-Haves Under $50
Gaffer’s tape is the duct tape of the photo/video industry which means you shouldn’t ever leave home without it. It’s the sticky stuff to get you out of sticky situations and is great for holding doors, curtains, taping your non-Gitzo tripod back together, and a million other uses.
An “everyday carry” multitool like the Leatherman Crunch is a must for any photographer that travels 36,000+ miles a year like I do. Don’t get stuck with a loose tripod plate or stick clamps. True to the name, the tool is multi-functional and is great for fixing a loose light switch cover or helping you open a stuck, painted-over door.
