The current issue of The Specialist, the official magazine of The Council of Residential Specialists, insists that “99 percent of home buyers say that photos are the most helpful feature on a Realtor’s web site.” I’m pretty much convinced that 47% of all statistics are made up on the spot, but I suppose that recalcitrant one percent is visually impaired or something.
In any case, I have two things to say about photography:
First, Karl Hoelscher is starting a real estate photography business in North Phoenix, and he would love to have some help honing his marketing message. Give him a look at HomeSnapz.com. Even if you use your own photos for your web pages, super-hi-resolution professional photography can work wonders for your printed pieces and MLS listings.
Second, the article I mentioned in The Specialist is a wonderful example of really bad advice. As we talked about in BloodhoundBlog months ago, the two most important features in a camera to be used for everyday real estate work are a wide-angle lens and a fairly small image size:
Except for print reproduction, the best size for a real estate photo is 640 x 480 pixels — which is 0.3 megapixels. Ideally, your everyday camera should be able to produce that size image without post-processing. The photos on your web pages can be bigger than this, but not by much. If you try to load 20 images on a page, with each image weighing in at one megabyte or more, you’ll overtax most web browsers — well after you’ve overtaxed the patience of your audience.
What you want from a lens is not a long zoom but the widest possible angle. Most digital cameras have their widest angle setting at 45 – 55mm, if the lens were on a 35mm film-camera equivalent. A few cameras get down to 38mm. This is inadequate. What you want is 28mm or less — with reservations.
The features camera-makers advertise, megapixels and zoom lenses, are mostly useless for taking photos of homes.
So what does The Specialist suggest you buy? Cameras with long zoom lenses and massively megapixelated images — just exactly the wrong cameras for real estate work.
Here are the four they suggest:
- Samsung Digimax S500, 35mm equivalent lens at its widest angle, but 640×480 pixel images at its smallest size.
- Kodak EasyShare C875, 37mm equivalent lens at its widest angle, 1200×900 pixel images at its smallest size.
- Nikon CoolPix S7c, 35mm equivalent lens at its widest angle, but 640×480 pixel images at its smallest size.
- Canon PowerShot G7, 35mm equivalent lens at its widest angle, but 640×480 pixel images at its smallest size.
In fact, these aren’t awful cameras. But there are others that are so much better for the task of real estate photography, that it would be foolish to buy cameras that are so obviously inadequate.
Here’s the best question, though: Why did they go to the trouble of writing an article about real estate cameras without researching which camera features matter to real estate photography? Why is print journalism dying? Because it deserves to…
Technorati Tags: real estate, real estate marketing
Jim Duncan says:
It’s interesting that there are so many blog posts right now about real estate photography … have quality photos always been so in demand, or are good photos taking on more importance now that the market has slowed and Realtors are looking for ways to differentiate both their services and their listings?
January 17, 2007 — 5:49 pm
Greg Swann says:
This one owes its genesis to the stoopid advice in The Specialist. It’s just dumb to offer “expert” advice on the wrong cameras…
January 17, 2007 — 6:02 pm
Dave Barnes says:
“Karl Hoelscher…a look at HomeSnapz.com”
1. Your link does not send someone to Karl’s website.
2. His photos are awesome.
3. Real estate agents are too cheap to pay for excellent photos.
4. You may delete this post after taking action.
January 17, 2007 — 8:14 pm
Dave Barnes says:
Visit http://dpreview.com/ for answers.
January 17, 2007 — 8:16 pm
Chris says:
Now this is interesting, I am currantly looking for a camra to use in the field. Everyone that I talked to seems to like the Canon DS630. Which ones do you guys use for taking shots of homes?
January 17, 2007 — 8:54 pm
Greg Swann says:
> Which ones do you guys use for taking shots of homes?
We use the two cameras shown at the bottom of the sidebar, the Kodak for print work and the Fuji (we have two of them) for everyday photos. There are others that will do very well, including a new pocket-sized Kodak camera that is built to take two-shot panormas.
January 17, 2007 — 9:00 pm
Chris says:
Thanks I like the price on that Fuji! As a new agent money is tight, and I’d rather not dump $300-$400 on a camra right now. $82 sweet off to get one!
January 17, 2007 — 9:49 pm
Doug Quance says:
You don’t want me to get started on cameras and photography…
😆
January 17, 2007 — 10:06 pm
Greg Swann says:
> Thanks I like the price on that Fuji!
I bought a Ridge camera case for mine at BestBuy. Just big enough for the camera and two extra batteries. Mounts on my belt, so it’s always with me. We talk to our clients in web pages with dozens of photos.
January 17, 2007 — 11:14 pm
Spencer Barron says:
I admit, I overkilled the camera choice for myself. Bought a Nikon D70 a year ago mainly because I wanted an SLR. Even my employing broker kind of chuckled at first, he has a cybershot. But trust me, you don’t want to be talking to clients telling them about the great pictures your going to take if I got there first.
There’s a place for the low end ‘any pic will do’ cameras. I’m actually in the market. But if you can afford it, it’s worth buying something better. It’s really about the perception your clients have of value.
As far as daily use, I agree wide angle is important but smallest image size is not. Most computers have software that easily resizes images (even PC’s!), you’ll want the image depth too if you need to color correct or adjust the values. You don’t want to have to make a seperate trip.
January 18, 2007 — 1:39 am
CJ, Broker in L A, CA says:
FYI…The new pocket sized Kodak is the V705. It has a 23mm lens, and it is about the size of a Razr phone.
January 18, 2007 — 4:48 am
Greg Swann says:
> As far as daily use, I agree wide angle is important but smallest image size is not. Most computers have software that easily resizes images (even PC’s!)
Cheap resizing: Mac: SmallImage2. PC: IrfanView.
We use the Fuji cameras to shoot our VisualTour panoramas. We take the photos with the camera thrown vertically to get the best view we can floor to ceiling. IrfanView can rotate in bulk batches, saving tons of time.
As for getting a small image size from the camera, you’re right that post-processing is fast, but getting the pix out the door without spending any extra time is a worthwhile goal. I would love it if a camera on a cell phone were good enough to do remote previewing, to push the photos out that much faster.
January 18, 2007 — 6:21 am
Drew Nichols says:
I would also like to suggest that REALTORS get their assistant (or themselves) to learn how to use a photo editing software like Photoshop, or better yet The Gimp (free!)
Being able to work with your photos, especially on pictures that are going to get adequate public exposure, is a great idea.
You can also take all of your photos at high resolution then shrink them to the appropriate size using Gimp.
January 18, 2007 — 6:29 am
Greg Swann says:
> FYI…The new pocket sized Kodak is the V705. It has a 23mm lens, and it is about the size of a Razr phone.
Sleek, compact, Schneider lenses. Kinda pricey, but the two lenses make it a decent snapshot camera, as well.
January 18, 2007 — 6:34 am
Karl Hoelscher says:
First, thanks for the plug! 🙂
On image size and post-processing. I shoot only in RAW, which is a 10 meg file. I do this because this gives me control of the image after the shot is taken, without altering the original at all. Think of it as a digital negative. Only, instead of being developed in a lab, it is developed on the computer. In post-processing, I correct the white balance as needed, set black and white points, adjust the curves per channel, and use various other tools to get the image to ‘pop’ After re-sizing for its intended use, I then apply the correct amount of sharpening to the image. Of course, with the correct on-site exposure, camera angle and composition to begin with (a tripod is mandatory), post-processing time is kept to a minimum, but all images taken need some level of correction and sharpening.
To me, this is one of the bigger values of having a photographer shoot the home. IMO, if the agent spent the time needed in post processing every house he (or she)listed, well, that’s alot of hours out of his (or her) day that they could be spending doing what they are experts at – that is selling real estate.
Hope this makes sense….
January 18, 2007 — 6:39 am
John says:
Just about any 4+ megapixel camera will do. The photos get compressed when put into MLS so they lose quality. Also, 4+MP is enough quality for 600×400 photos anyway.
What matter is good composition, lighting and color balance. Also, Photoshop or Gimp should be used for sharpening.
That’s all it takes, folks!
January 18, 2007 — 10:21 am
Larr in PHX says:
One word: stitching
January 31, 2007 — 11:03 am
Tim R says:
How can we improve copyright infringement for photos on the Internet
February 25, 2007 — 12:59 pm
MARK Z. says:
Does anyone know if the Kodak p880 comes with the 24mm wide angled lens or is that something you have to buy aftermarket?
October 2, 2008 — 2:42 pm
Greg Swann says:
The p880 has a 24-140 Schneider lens, really the best thing about the camera. It’s a lot a bang for the buck.
October 2, 2008 — 3:15 pm
Julie Anne says:
I use the Cannon Powershot SD870IS, 8.0 Mega Pixels. I do not need an attachable wide angle lens with this camera. It takes great pics, I reduce them on the computer because we use the same shots for our brochures and ads. Of course for the higher end homes we use a professional photographer.
October 3, 2008 — 7:19 am
MARK Z says:
Greg,
Do you still use that Fuji? I just feel funny paying so little for a camera. LOL But if you say thats what you use to take your photos I might just go ahead and get one. The pictures I see you use on your site look great! Does the fuji also have 24 mm wide angled lens? If you had your choice between the two cameras, which one would you pick?
October 3, 2008 — 8:44 am
Greg Swann says:
We each have one of the Fujis, and we carry those with us all the time. The lens is 28mm, adequate but not great, but we use those cameras for previewing, taking visual notes, etc. With engenu, we can build web pages just like that with those cameras. We use the Kodak for listing photos, starting at 5MP and down-sampling for our web sites. When the Fujis die, there are a lot of interesting 23mm and 24mm point-and-shoot choices out there. FWIW, I almost always carry a Flip camera with me now, too. We don’t use video that often, but when you need it, there’s no substitute.
October 3, 2008 — 8:52 am