Which Camera To Buy For My Requirements?

[coolguythampy]

Hi All,

Here is what I will be needing the camera for.

1. Taking some real estate photos
2. Doing some video walkthrough of homes and locations
3. Lot of youtube videos (Video blogging) with white background (Over exposed white background to get the apple ad sort of effect)

I have been ythinking real hard about SLR vs Camcorders. I already own a Sony Handycam (DCR-DVD910), a cheap tripod, 8 GB sony HG pro duo flash card. I also happen to own a nikon 7MP point and shoot digital camera.

For audio, I have bought SONY ICD-PX820 voice recorder and Audio-Technica ATR35 lavalier microphone.

I will shortly try and set up a home 3 point lighting system for video blogging. However I am not so sure about the real estate walkthroughs as I will have to rely on the lighting there.

Budget: Max 700$

I am not bothered about the rest as long as they serve my needs.

Any suggestions for a camera that suits my needs?

[i speak in math]

Originally Posted by coolguythampy

Hi All,

Here is what I will be needing the camera for.

1. Taking some real estate photos
2. Doing some video walkthrough of homes and locations
3. Lot of youtube videos (Video blogging) with white background (Over exposed white background to get the apple ad sort of effect)

I have been ythinking real hard about SLR vs Camcorders. I already own a Sony Handycam (DCR-DVD910), a cheap tripod, 8 GB sony HG pro duo flash card. I also happen to own a nikon 7MP point and shoot digital camera.

For audio, I have bought SONY ICD-PX820 voice recorder and Audio-Technica ATR35 lavalier microphone.

I will shortly try and set up a home 3 point lighting system for video blogging. However I am not so sure about the real estate walkthroughs as I will have to rely on the lighting there.

Budget: Max 700$

I am not bothered about the rest as long as they serve my needs.

Any suggestions for a camera that suits my needs?

1. Taking some real estate photos -- That means expensive wide angle lens in the 10-12mm range -- $700
2. Doing some video walkthrough of homes and locations -- You need a DSLR that has video with an external stereo microphone jack
3. Lot of youtube videos (Video blogging) with white background (Over exposed white background to get the apple ad sort of effect) -- You'll want a normal lens in the 28-55mm range (on cropped sensor) or 43 - 85 (on full frame) -- $300-800

Budget: Max 700$ -- Not gonna happen

[coolguythampy]

Originally Posted by i speak in math

1. Taking some real estate photos -- That means expensive wide angle lens in the 10-12mm range -- $700
2. Doing some video walkthrough of homes and locations -- You need a DSLR that has video with an external stereo microphone jack
3. Lot of youtube videos (Video blogging) with white background (Over exposed white background to get the apple ad sort of effect) -- You'll want a normal lens in the 28-55mm range (on cropped sensor) or 43 - 85 (on full frame) -- $300-800

Budget: Max 700$ -- Not gonna happen

Can Canon EOS Rebel T3 Digital Camera and 18-55mm IS II Lens Kit do a decent job? I know I may not get everything I need. But to a certain extend?

[RichardTaylor]

@coolguythampy

Re the kit lens for stills..
Not really, unless you just shoot very large living rooms, only, and even then..........
You really do need a very wide angle lens

Also you may need to budget for additional lighting, tripod etc, etc.

Have you seen this Flickr group.

Flickr: Photography for Real Estate

[i speak in math]

Originally Posted by coolguythampy

Can Canon EOS Rebel T3 Digital Camera and 18-55mm IS II Lens Kit do a decent job? I know I may not get everything I need. But to a certain extend?

Personally, I don't think 18mm is nearly wide enough for real estate and on top of that, its a slow, soft kit lens. It only does 720p video and does not have a microphone jack. It can only record audio using it built in mono mic. I suppose if you think that can still do the job as you want to do it, then it'll work.

[coolguythampy]

Originally Posted by RichardTaylor

@coolguythampy

Re the kit lens for stills..
Not really, unless you just shoot very large living rooms, only, and even then..........
You really do need a very wide angle lens

Also you may need to budget for additional lighting, tripod etc, etc.

Have you seen this Flickr group.

Flickr: Photography for Real Estate

Most of my shots will be of flats/ apartments which are rather small. So I do not think size of rooms is a really big issue.

Will take a look at that flickr group. Thanks!!!

Originally Posted by i speak in math

Personally, I don't think 18mm is nearly wide enough for real estate and on top of that, its a slow, soft kit lens. It only does 720p video and does not have a microphone jack. It can only record audio using it built in mono mic. I suppose if you think that can still do the job as you want to do it, then it'll work.

I might be able to Upgrade to a Canon 60D.

Or, I should rely on a HD camcorder (Canon Vixia M40) and also a point and shoot camera for taking photos.

I already purchased SONY ICD-PX820 voice recorder and Audio-Technica ATR35 lavalier microphone for audio purpose.

[RichardTaylor]

For stills - with small rooms the problem is worse.

See the dimensional field of view calculator (scroll down a little)

http://www.tawbaware.com/maxlyons/calc.htm

Imagine you are shooting from the doorway of a 10x10' (~3m) bedroom.
At 18mm won't be able to capture the whole width for the first 8' (2.4m) of the room. You will only be seeing the last 2' (600mm). That is only the width not the floor or ceiling.

Even at a focal length of 10mm you will only be capturing approx 1/2 the room in the horizontal dimension.

Just a thought - and I don't know how viable this is and if the lens/perspective corrections would be a big problem
Take number of images and stitch them together in PPing . .

[kcoppock]

Originally Posted by RichardTaylor

Just a thought - and I don't know how viable this is and if the lens/perspective corrections would be a big problem
Take number of images and stitch them together in PPing . .

Yeah, if you really want to get into that sort of thing at close range, you're going to want to invest in a good panorama head for a tripod (minimum $150 - average $500), as well as the good tripod to go with it. Then you'll need some panoramic stitching software (Photoshop will do this quite well, but there are others) and some time and patience to do it right. The bright side is you can do some interesting 360/180 degree panoramas this way, but it's definitely time-intensive.

A full frame camera is probably your best bet, since you won't have the crop factor (wider angles that way), but there's certainly no way you're going to remain close to that $700 budget for really good results.

[jdepould]

One of the mirrorless or m4/3 setups might work, but I'm not sure you'd be in budget. Sony NEX or Panasonic GF/GH type stuff.

[coolguythampy]

Now I am really getting confused.

Thank you for all the advice. I am a newbie to photography and video.

If I understand right, what you are saying is for taking photographs. Not video. Am I correct?

I am pretty sure my current handy cam doesn't have the required area of coverage to take video walkthrough. I'd certainly need a new one with a wide angle lens.

What I am thinking is to invest in a 600$ camcorder for taking videos and then spending around 200$ for getting a point and shoot camera which can do a basic job of capturing images. I know I wont be able to cover the full view. But yeah, that's the idea. I don't want to reveal everything in images. I need sellers to opt in for videos as well since my service is listing their homes for sale and I do not work on commission or based on sales.

Coming back, is there a SLR camera which can do a decent job of both under 800$ maybe?