Equipment for Real Estate Photography - What gear do I use?

Welcome to the first of many blog posts to come. Time and again I get asked "what camera do you use?" or "what's in your bag?" or even "what type of lens is that"?

On this article, we will go over some of the equipment that I use, from cameras & lenses, to flash setup, tripod and even camera bag.

Before we dive in, let it be known that there is no best brand when it comes to selecting a camera. Be it Canon, Nikon, Sony, or any of the other brands, it is all based on how comfortable you feel with the equipment, from handling the camera & buttons to navigating through its menu settings. I shoot Canon because that was the first camera that I purchased when I took the jump of moving up from a point and shoot. With that being said, let's jump in!

For regular day to day Real Estate photography, my go to camera is a cropped sensor Canon 90D with a Canon 10-22mm lens. I like the versatility of this model, it can bracket up to 7 images and it performs great under low light without a flash. For Architecture Photography & Real Estate videos, I use a full frame Canon 5D Mark IV and mounted with a Canon 17-40mm lens. I have a Canon battery grip on both bodies and believe me, you will be thankful for the extended battery life. The 90D uses the Canon BG-E14 and the 5DMK4 uses the Canon BG-E20 battery grips. Note that you will need an extra battery for each (the grip accommodates 2 batteries), so remember to pick up extra Canon LP-E6N Lithium-Ion battery packs. Lastly, some folks use a remote to trigger the camera. I find it unnecessary to carry yet another piece of gear when you can just use the camera timer instead (I set it to 2 seconds delay).

If you've noticed, I stick with the Canon brand products instead of the less expensive options. There is nothing wrong with other brands and the only reason I stick with brand name is that I've yet to have any issues with any of the products made by Canon -knock on wood!

For a Tripod, I've had great luck with the 3-Legged brand and own two different models, the Travis model as a backup to the more expensive Bucky model which is my daily go to. It is an awesome piece of equipment and has lasted me over 5 years as of today. For 3D, I currently am a Matterport provider; their newest camera is the Matterport Pro3. For floor plans, I use CubiCasa on my phone (make sure that your phone has LIDAR and is compatible with the CubiCasa requirements.

Lastly, let's talk storage. Over the years, you will find yourself with an array of gear, lenses, filters, cables and everything in between. With a lot of gear comes the need to store it all. In January of 2019 I found myself needing to replace my old large case that was literally falling apart. After a few weeks of research, I ended up with the Manfrotto Pro Backpack 50. I like the versatility of having a backpack as opposed to the one large rolling hard case since you'll never find yourself needing all your gear at once. It offers a much more flexible way to set up the dividers inside the bag, not to mention it's lighter and conveniently fits in your back. If you're looking for an awesome professional quality backpack that's built to last, look no further than the ones made by Manfrotto.

Although there are many other items that I've obtained over the years, this is what I use for my day to day while shooting Real Estate photography.