So what's the ideal camera kit? Well, normally it doesn’t come in pink, neither does it have a tiny in-built flash; and it won’t fit in your pocket. And the other bad news is that to kit yourself out from scratch with brand new equipment, you’re going to be north of a thousand pounds lighter in your pocket area. However, you’ll be better equipped to do your job professionally – you are in the property marketing business after all. This is one of the most important tools you have at your disposal. You will also LOOK more professional than the guy who whips his pink snapper out of his trouser pocket and is gone in less than 30 seconds.
1) The best equipment for the job would be an SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera – as an absolute minimum.I’d suggest an entry-level Canon 1200D with 18-55mm lens if buying Used or if you're in the market to buy brand new, the Canon 1300D – costing around £300 - £400ish inc. VAT, currently.Shop around but if you buy online, make sure of the net price after VAT because some sites are based abroad and don’t charge VAT. That can make their net price appear lower than UK sellers, when it isn’t.There's a black Friday deal on today at Currys saving £150 on the Canon. See hereThe Canon 750D is another option you might like to consider. Its main advantage is a flip screen which will save you having to squash yourself into corners to see the screen or look through the viewfinder.Most interiors are best taken at a low height – around 4’ off the ground, so a flip-screen will save your knee, too.Again, it's on sale at Currys at the moment, saving £110. See here
2) Wide-angle lenses are best for interiors as they enable you to capture more of a room than the 18-55 kit lens would. If buying newThe lens I’d suggest for your Canon is their 10-18 as it’s the cheapest option at £199 VAT and very good.To be honest, I don’t see much point in spending more.Other pieces of essential kit for property photography include:3) “A good STURDY tripod”Personally, I favour productivity above price. In other words, I’d rather use a tripod that’s expensive and that allows me to extend and retract the legs quickly and easily, than pay peanuts and spend ages fiddling with knobs. But then, I take a lot of photos so you might disagree.You’re allowed to disagree, but if you value your time then take a good look at the Manfrotto 458B at around £479 inc VAT.There is currently a deal on at Amazon bringing the price down to £329. See here
You can pull its legs out faster than you pulled them off spiders when you were five, but unlike spiders’ legs these retract again at the push of buttons on the top of each leg.4) Fit onto this a Manfrotto 324RC2 Joystick Grip Action Head for around £97...... and you’ll have a platform for your camera that’s steadier than a butler’s hand carrying his master’s finest port.Jessops have a deal on these right now saving £19.. see here
All that said, you can of course buy much cheaper tripods and if that suits your pocket right now then you may as well do that. You can’t really go wrong with Ebay for tripods. There’s not a lot to go wrong with them – just make sure it’s sturdy, described as at least ‘good’ condition and won’t collapse the first time you use it.Of course, having all the kit won’t make you a great photographer, but if you know the techniques then photographing interiors is really very easy. Contact me if you’d like to find out how to make professional-looking photos – email johndurrant@doctor-photo.co.uk and ask any property photography-related questions that’ve been bugging you. I’ll be really pleased to help
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