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GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS
PRO REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY KIT
Sony A7V
The Sony A7V is my top recommendation for real estate photos paired with the 16-35mm GMii. You can definitely also use this camera as well for video as it shoots 4K 60fps with no crop so it has the potential to be an all in one solution.
Sony A7IV
The Sony a7IV is a great professional option for real estate photography. It is a previous model (so cheaper than a7V) but still very capable for RE photos. Unfortunately, this camera is not really well suited though for RE video so don't look to this if you are looking for an all in one solution.
Sony a7III
If you are just starting out or looking for a more budget friendly option for RE photography than my suggestion would be the a7III. Completely capable for RE photos, even though its an older camera. It's definitely not good for RE video this day and age though so keep that in mind.
Sony 16-35 f/2.8 GM II Lens
My current lens for all my real estate photography work. This is the version 2 of the 16-35 GM which is smaller, lighter and has improved optics over its predecessor. It's the best wide angle lens in the Sony lineup!
Sony 16-35 f/2.8 GM Lens
This is the original version 1 16-35mm GM lens which I also own and have used for many years. It has come down in price a little bit since the version 2 has come out. Its a fantastic lens so if you are looking to save a few bucks go for this lens instead of the version 2.
Sony 16-35 f/4 Zeiss Lens
If the G Master lens is too rich for your blood, this lens is the next best alternative. If you are looking for the ultimate budget setup, use this lens with the sony a7III. You can purchase an a7iii with this lens for less than just the body of the a7iv or a7v and still have a very good RE photo setup.
Sony 50mm f/1.4 GM
This is my favorite lens for grabbing tight detail shots.
Zeiss Circular Polarizer Filter
I recommend using a circular polarizer filter for all of your interior and exterior real estate photos. For interior photos it reduces reflections coming off of shiny surfaces such as hardwood or tile floors and for exterior photos it makes the sky look more blue. Make sure to get the proper thread size for your particular lens. For instance the 16-35 G Master is an 82 mm thread size and the 16-35 F4 is a 72mm thread size.
Sony NPFZ100 Z-series Rechargeable Battery Pack
These camera batteries for the Sony a7siii, a7iii & a7iv are amazing. I can sometimes get through a whole day of shooting on one battery. I would definitely recommend having at least 2 of these. I personally own 4.
REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY STARTER/BUDGET KIT
Sony a6700 Crop Sensor Camera Body
The current king of the crop sensor cameras! If you put the lack of a full frame sensor aside, this camera actually has more features than the Sony a7IV including the ability to shoot up to 4K 120fps 10 bit video making it a hybrid photo/video powerhouse. You could do everything with this one camera.
Sony a6400 Crop Sensor Camera Body
A capable and affordable camera for those who may be starting out in RE photography or may be on a tighter budget. Not going to serve you very well for shooting RE videos though.
Sigma 10-18mm Lens
My recommendation for a wide angle lens for RE photos and video with these crop sensor bodies. Its a better option than the Sony 10-18mm OSS lens because its f/2.8 (better for video) and lighter and also cheaper! Great value.
Zeiss Circular Polarizer Filter
I recommend using a circular polarizer filter for all of your interior and exterior real estate photos and video. For interior photos it reduces reflections coming off of shiny surfaces such as hardwood or tile floors and for exterior photos it makes the sky look more blue. Make sure to get the proper thread size for your particular lens.
Battery for a6400
Battery for a6400 Camera. Definitely get a few as you'll need 3 or 4 to get through a full day of shooting! These batteries are probably my least favorite thing about the a6400. The a6700 has a much better battery (you can pretty much shoot a whole day just using 1!).
Battery for a6700
These camera batteries are amazing. I can sometimes get through a whole day of shooting on one battery. I would definitely recommend having at least 2 of these. I personally own 5.
Sony BCQZ1 Z-Series Battery Charger
Battery charger for Sony camera batteries.
a6700 Memory Card
You'll need these faster cards for the 6700 if you want to take full advantage of its advanced video recording features.
a6400 Memory Card
Memory cards of choice for a6400.
REP Starter Kit
PRO DRONE KIT FOR REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHERS
Mavic 4 Pro Fly More Combo
The Mavic 4 Pro is my current top choice for RE Drone work. The 2 additional telephoto cameras are greatly improved over the Mavic 3 Pro and just greater image quality overall. Also, D-Log is now available across all 3 cameras. Extremely good battery life as well. Just a fantastic drone. Fly more combo comes with everything you need except the memory card. Upgrade to creator combo if you want the fancy remote which is nice but definitely not necessary!
Mavic 3 Pro Fly More Combo
Mavic 3 Pro is still an excellent drone if you want to save a little money over the Mavic 4 Pro. Its still completely suitable and capable, its just not the latest and greatest as far as features and image quality.
Air 3S Fly More Combo
The DJI Air 3S is the drone I would recommend if you are more on a budget. It has a smaller sensor than the other 2 but still a great drone and absolutely capable of producing professional results. Unlike the others, this combo comes with an ND filter set as well ($100 value) so no need to purchase one separately!
Drone Memory Card
Memory card for drones.
Mavic 4 Pro ND Filters
I highly recommend picking specifically the DJI brand ND filter set for whatever drone you purchase. They are essential for shooting video with drones.
Mavic 3 Pro ND Filters
I highly recommend picking specifically the DJI brand ND filter set for whatever drone you purchase. They are essential for shooting video with drones.
Pro Drone Kit
STARTER/BUDGET DRONE KIT FOR REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHERS
Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo
My number one budget option drone would be this DJI Mini 5 Pro. Its been upgraded to a 1" sensor now so the mini series is getting really good in the image quality department. Downsides are no multiple cameras and also gets blown around easily in the wind. This combo also comes with ND filters so no need to purchase separately!
SanDisk 128GB Micro SDXC Memory Card
Memory card for drone.
Starter Drone Kit
PRO REAL ESTATE VIDEO KIT
Sony FX3
The FX3 is my RE video camera of choice. When shooting S-Log 3 footage, you have dual native ISO's of 640 and a whopping 12,800. This is one of the main reasons this camera is a powerhouse. It allows incredible versatility with what apertures you can shoot at and also low light capabilities. Amazing camera!
Sony a7SIII
The Sony a7sIII has the same video capabilities as the FX3 for the most part. Same sensor etc. It has a viewfinder though. It has an only 12MP sensor however you can absolutely use this camera for photos as well I have done so extensively with no issues so if you want a great hybrid 1 camera solution for both photos and videos this is a great option!
Sony ZV-E1
If you are on more of budget and still want a lot of the same video capabilities of the FX3 and a7SIII then this is for you. Its basically a very stripped down version of those 2 cameras although it has the same sensor etc. Only issue is that it suffers from overheating so I suggest getting the fan for it which solves that problem.
Fan for ZV-E1
As mentioned, the Sony ZV-E1 suffers from overheating. This fan is essential if you want to shoot with that camera as it solves any overheating issues. With this fan, you should have no issues.
Laowa 12mm Lens
This is the main wide angle lens I've been using for my real estate videos. I will get all my wide shots with this lens and then get some tight detail shots with the 50mm lens. I love the 12mm, it makes your shots look epic! What is specifically great about this lens is that it has very low distortion for such a wide angle lens. It is fully manual though so its manual f/stops and no auto focus!
Sony 50mm f/1.4 GM
I use this 50mm in combo with Lawoa 12mm to get all my tighter detail shots. Its definitely essential to mix these shots with the wide shots to achieve a good balanced video.
DJI RS4 Pro Gimbal
The RS4 Pro is my gimbal of choice. Its extremely capable and a joy to use. A gimbal is an essential piece of gear to get the smooth shots required for real estate videos.
Small Rig Handles
These are totally optional but I absolutely love having an extra handle for stability and guiding my shots with the gimbal. I actually only use the left hand handle and hold the main gimbal handle with my right hand. Thats my favorite setup.
DJI Mic 2
A good mic system is essential for RE videographers for capturing agents speaking on camera. Yes, I realize there is the new DJI Mic 3 but you cannot use lav mics with the new version (stupid). Lav mics provide better audio and also just look more professional than clipping one of the units on someones shirt. I refuse to do that so the Mic 2 for me is the way to go. Its a great mic system perfectly suited for what we do.
Pro Video Kit
STARTER/BUDGET REAL ESTATE VIDEO KIT
Sony FX30
The Sony FX30 is the FX3's little brother. Crop sensor instead of full frame but still has great features. Dual native ISO of 800 and 2500 when shooting S-Log3. Its not the 12,800 you get with the FX3 but its workable. Not a bad little camera for almost half the cost!
Sony a6700
The Sony a6700 has pretty much the same video capabilities as the fx30 but with a bit of a cheaper price tag. Although not officially listed as a feature, it is know to have the same dual iso behavior as the fx30 when shooting S-Log3. This camera is a better hybrid option but does not have a cooling fan like the fx30 and only has 1 card slot so no backup recording keeping your jobs safe. I think the fx30 is worth the extra money but if you are on a shoestring budget, this camera will definitely get the job done!
Sigma 10-18mm Lens
This lens would be my lens of choice for wide angle shots with these camera bodies.
Sigma 18-50mm Lens
Perfect tighter lens for those detail shots! Especially for video, its very advisable to have some sort of tighter lens for detail shots to compliment your wide shots and this lens goes perfectly with the 10-18mm wide angle lens.
Memory Card for FX30 and a6700
I recommend these memory cards for video shooting on these cameras. Keep in mind, the FX30 has dual card slots so I would buy 2 for that camera. The a6700 only requires 1 card.
Battery for FX30 and a6700
You definitely want to have a few of these batteries in your bag at all times to make it through the day. I recommend at least 4.
Sony Battery Charger
Battery charger for Sony camera batteries.
DJI RS4 Gimbal
A smaller version of the full size RS4 Pro gimbal made for smaller payloads. A good compliment to these camera bodies and the 10-18 lens. A must have to get those smooth shots for your real estate videos!
DJI Mic 2
A good mic system is essential for RE videographers for capturing agents speaking on camera. Yes, I realize there is the new DJI Mic 3 but you cannot use lav mics with the new version (stupid). Lav mics provide better audio and also just look more professional than clipping one of the units on someones shirt. I refuse to do that so the Mic 2 for me is the way to go. Its a great mic system perfectly suited for what we do.
Starter Video Kit
VIRTUAL TOURS
Matterport Pro 2 3D Camera
This camera is made by Matterport specifically for creating Matterport virtual tours so if you want the best quality and best experience for creating Matterport tours than this is your camera! This is what I use for my Matterport scans.
Ricoh Theta Z1 360 Camera
The Theta Z1 is, I think, the best balance of quality and value. It is also more versatile because it is not specific to Matterport like the Matterport Pro 2 camera is. You can use this to create Zillow 3D tours and other things as well. It's biggest downside is battery life which is why I recommend getting a USB power brick as well.
Slik Pro 700DX Tripod
This is the same tripod that I recommend for the photography kits. You can also use this to support your 360 camera of choice for doing virtual tours.
Tripod Extension Screw for Theta Z1
This little adapter will allow you to raise the Ricoh Theta Z1 above the tripod head or whatever support system you are using and allow you to access the port on the bottom to plug in a USB power brick into it. The Theta Z1 does not have the best battery life so if you have a large house to do or are doing multiple houses in one day then you will definitely be needing additional power!
Anker USB Power Bank
I recommend using this power bank for longer shoots when using the Theta Z1.
Virtual Tours
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