Back light.

[Dodge159]

Hi
I am about to invest in my first Dslr and i specifically need it to photograph interiors.
( I manage and advertise holiday properties)
The properties that i photograph are located in an area of great natural beauty and amazing views. I need to be able to include these views in the images while at the same time show the rooms interior. Whenever i try with my cheap digital camera all i get is either a dark room with a beautiful view of a beautiful room shot with a washed out window view.
I was looking for any tips and advice on
a, Which camera would be best for these types of picture
b, Any advice on the best way of taking these shots.

Many THanks in advance.
Dodge

[John Hendry]

It sounds like its not the camera but the exposure range. All cameras would strugle with his. You could just take a range of exposure with the camera on a tripod and merge them together post production.

all the best

[BigFuzzy]

a. there is no 'best' camera for this. It's more about the lenses. You should be asking what lenses are best for this and then choose the camera that's best able to take advantage of this good lens. Since I don't shoot this, I can't recommend such lens though it's likely to be something with ultra-wide angle capabilities.
How big are you going to need your prints/images?

b. Sorry if I sound a bit smartass-ish here, but the best way to take these shots is learning how to take good photos, particularly learn about lighting issues. You need to learn how to deal with the diverse lighting conditions that exist both inside and outside houses. You need to know how to light interiors or how to take advantage of the available light conditions and how to add to it with flash (if needed). You need to learn what lighting conditions outdoors are best to shoot in.. ie always avoid mid day harsh lighting. This is too open ended a question to answer with much more than "learn the basics of photography". It's not as simple as saying "shoot at 1/125th and f/8"... every single image will be different due to different lighting conditions. It sounds as if you need to learn either how to use flash to light the interior to balance it with the external light, or learn how to read light so you know when the light coming in from outside is close to being balanced with what's already inside.
Or lastly, as John said, learn how to take bracketed exposures which you can then merge to balance exposure.. often called HDR. There's a reason there are professionals for this, it's not easy to do it well and it's not just a matter of upgrading from a point and shoot to a dslr.

Start with this maybe.

Good luck.

[gturner]

you need to get off camera flash units to light the interiors and expose for the view. It is not easy to get it right if you want decent images with no kit.

it is quite a skill to get it right, but you should be able to find a lot of info on the web.