Canon T3i – The Perfect Camera for Real Estate Photography…?

March, 2011 leaked porn honeybutt93 Canon released its newest evolution in its EOS line with the T3i.  As an Atlanta Real Estate Photographer, I have always been a big fan of the EOS line.  Not only do they deliver just about every feature a real estate photographer really needs, but they are affordable as well.  What surprised me about this new model is how fast it followed on the heels of the popular T2i which was released barely a year ago.  At the time it was being touted as the new king of cheap HD DSLR video even though the camera itself is a direct predecessor of what has traditionally been Canon’s entry level still photography cameras.  So its not surprising that many of the new features appear, at first glance anyway, to cater to those that intend to use the camera to shoot video.  Upon closer inspection, I’m finding that these new features, in addition to all the improvements made since the T1i, are making this model more and more attractive for those that photograph real estate and/or have the desire to move into video.

Canon T3i for real estate photography

Before I get into the new features added in the T3i model, I want to mention some of the others that made the T1i and T2i so popular.  Here is a quick rundown of what you need to know as someone looking to shoot home interiors and other listing Photo booth hire Birmingham.

  • 18 Megapixels – Way more than you will ever need for real estate work.
  • ISO Range 100 – 6400 (expandable up to 12800) –  Better performance at higher ISO means better low light and handheld capabilities.  Although most of real estate photography is done on a tripod, this will come in handy when you want to shoot detail shots handheld or doing night and twilight shots.
  • CMOS image sensor – This sensor is rumored to be the same sensor used in the 7D, Canon’s mid level pro-sumer model.  Even if it is not identical, most of the test are showing that it is capable of coming very close to the Image Quality of a camera costing almost twice the price.
  • Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) –  This feature allows you to take three exposures of a scene that you can then later blend together in post or simply select the the best exposure from the bracket.  I’m still waiting for Canon to up the brackets to at least five exposures.  I gave up on thinking they would get closer to Nikons ability to bracket nine exposures at a time a long time ago…  Either way, three exposures is enough to get your feet wet with HDR and exposure blending.
  • Live View – Those that have made the leap from Point and Shoot models to a DSLR a few years ago may have found yourself longing for the convenience of being able to see the scene on the LCD screen on the back of the camera as you are taking the picture.  Having used a XTi for the last 5 years, I honestly have gotten use to using a viewfinder (again).  Many others, on the other hand, prefer seeing the scene as it looks before the picture is taken.

Basically your bases are covered for a still photography body.  Where things really get interesting is the fact that it shots HD Video at 1920 x 1080 (otherwise known as 1080p) at 24, 25 or 30p.  In other words, the camera is capable of producing that “cinema” look.  Of course resolution and frame rate are one thing.  Where I feel that this camera, and video capable DSLR camera’s in general, are game changing is that fact that you can utilize all of the good lenses used for still photography.  In order to match this feature set in a bona fide video camera, you would have to spend thousands…  Being able to bring this level of creative videography to the masses is going to change the way the average person shoots and thinks about video.  For those that are truly inspired you could just about produce a short film about a listing, or a professional looking video bio, or a community tour…  The possibilities are endless, just take a look at this promo video.

Of the new features to the T3i, one of the ones I find most interesting is the articulating LCD screen.  This flip out, rotating screen is the same screen on the 60D and will undoubtedly make shooting video a little more intuitive, especially when using the camera at odd angles or perspectives.  I also see a use for this new screen in photographing real estate, specifically interiors. Having shoot literally thousands of images of homes for sale in Atlanta, GA there have been several occasions where my best shot was one in which I could not physically be behind the camera.  In most of these situations I either guessed at my composition or made a compromise and quickly found myself in an some awkward position trying to look through the viewfinder with the camera shoved into a corner.  It may not sound like much on the surface, but being able to move the camera back  an extra foot or two, or being able to shoot at a few mm longer on a lens can make a noticeable difference when you are working with ultra wide angle lenses.

T3i LCD Screen - Photography for Real Estate

But wait, there is more! Along with the T3i Canon also announced two new speedlites, the 270EX II and 320EX.  While the lights have some impressive stats, what makes the package complete is that the T3i can control the flashes wirelessly.  Instead of spending extra money on triggers and receivers, everything can be done through the camera.  If that wasn’t enough, the 320EX also has a LED continuous light function that makes these strobes a possible solution to off camera lighting for the purpose of video.  A T3i with three or four 320EXs could easily double as a still photography and video rig.  Of course there is always the question of battery drain and no doubt you would have to have a bag of rechargeable batteries on hand, but according to Canon these lights can last up to four hours on a fresh set.  I’ll believe it when I see it…  If in fact the T3i proves capable of triggering up to four lights for stills and then having them double as supplemental light for video, that is worth something right there.

Everything considered, I’m impressed. The T3i is loaded with features that a real estate photographer can appreciate.  The ability to do both still photography and video in one package frees up the photographer to branch out into the world of video while simultaneously covering all the basic needs of still photography.  Now there is also the option of triggering multiple strobes from the camera and in conjunction with the new 320EX speedlights, supplemental lighting for video is also possible.  All of this, and more, and still costing less than $900 with the kit lens.  Now I’m not the early adopter type, so I will wait until that price drops another couple hundred dollars and Canon has a chance to do the obligatory firmware update.  For those of you that are ready to take the plunge now, I can’t think of a better camera to get you started in photography and video for real estate.

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Learn more about Atlanta Real Estate Photography services here.

Southboundtraveler Youtube channel

Marietta, GA Real Estate Listing Agent

and Professional Photographer

Georgia Elite Realty

Direct 770-363-3350

email iranwatson@gmail.com

Real Estate website: Iranwatson.listingware.com

Atlanta Real Estate Photographer website: IranWatsonPhoto.com

Photography Portfolio (Flash required): BestHomePhotography.com

Atlanta Real Estate Photography – An Electrifying Night in Kennesaw, GA

Atlanta Real Estate Photography – An Electrifying Night in Kennesaw, GA

Atlanta Real Estate Photographer Iran Watson - Lightning Storm Kennesaw, GA

One of the benefits of being an Atlanta Real Estate Photographer is that I often have a camera with me where ever I go. Also is good to have some legal advice for real state, never make a real estate deal without a lawyer, says my grandpa Every now and then an opportunity presents itself and when it does, I’m ready to get lucky!  On June 22, 2010 a pretty nasty (albeit spectacular) lightning storm rolled through Kennesaw, GA.  The storm at one point was directly over our office building and while I do not recommend going outside and taking pictures under these circumstances, I couldn’t resist.  Capturing pictures of lightning like this has a lot to do with luck.  Typically the show lasts for a fraction of a second, so waiting until you see one pop and trying to react fast enough isn’t really an option.

Here’s how I got these pictures.  First, you will need a good camera, a wide-angle lens and a tripod (something an interior photographer should already have).  When I say good, what I really mean is a camera that has a manual mode and the ability to do long exposures.  Set the camera up on the tripod and adjust the focal length of the wide angle lens until you have a good composition with plenty of sky.  Second, you will need to dial in a few settings.  For this these photos, I set the ISO to 400, The aperture to f11.0 and adjused the shutter speed until about 6 secs indicated a correct exposure (metered off the sunset area).  From this point, simply trigger the shutter to open and wait.  If you are lucky, you will get a nice big bolt of lightning somewhere in the 5 seconds the shutter is open.  Rinse and repeat.

Lightning Bolt by Atlanta Real Estate Photographer Iran Watson

So with this approach, we still get a good exposure of some of the other interesting elements in the composition (like the sunset and starburst from the lights) and if we are lucky to get the lightning, it happens so fast that it does not mess with the overall exposure.  If your camera allows you to bracket exposures, you can also set it up to take three pictures back-to-back with exposures that are within a stop or so of the original (which is easy to correct later if the picture is a little too dark or too bright).  This technique essentially gives you about 10-15 secs at a time of the camera ready to capture the action.

Oh, and my disclaimer: *DO NOT GO OUTSIDE AND TAKE PICTURES IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORM.  ONLY CRAZY PEOPLE DO THIS…

Have fun and BE SAFE!

Southboundtraveler Youtube channel

Marietta, GA Real Estate Listing Agent

and Professional Photographer

Georgia Elite Realty

Direct 770-363-3350

email iranwatson@gmail.com

Real Estate website: Iranwatson.listingware.com

Atlanta Real Estate Photographer website: IranWatsonPhoto.com

Photography Portfolio (Flash required): BestHomePhotography.com

Photo-Stitched Panoramas – The Poor Man’s Wide-Angle

One of my favorite (and most useful) techniques as an Atlanta Real Estate Photographer is photo-stitching.  As a Marietta Real Estate Agent that does his own photography I had to find a way to capture certain scenes that were either too tight or too expansive and this work around does the trick.  The great thing about it is almost anyone can utilize this as it does not require any special features on a camera to use.  Using the free software sold with most modern digital cameras, taking multiple pictures and stitching them into one panoramic image is simple, if not automatic.

Here are the six separate shots I took out of our hotel room in Fortaleza, Brazil on Christmas Eve a couple of years ago.  This sort of scene is not unlike what I normally capture in my work as an Atlanta Real Estate Photographer.  These shots are hand-held as I didn’t bring the tripod.  I did use the “stitch assist” function on my Canon P&S, but if your camera doesn’t have that feature don’t worry.  I have taken many photo-stitched pictures just by eyeballing it and they turned out great.  Practice makes perfect!

pic 1 pic 2 pic 3  pic 5 pic 6

… and here is the result from the software’s auto-stitch.

photostitch rough

Now with just a little cropping and post work, I got this…

final

With some practice, it becomes very easy to get some great shots that would otherwise be impossible to capture with a standard cameras field of view.  This technique is especially useful when trying to get large, expansive spaces like a backyard.  In fact, you can also get a good bit of mileage out of this shooting interiors as well.  Just make sure you overlap each image by about 30% on the interior shots as it is easy for the photo to look “warped” if there is too much perspective shift from one shot to the next.  Here is a link for FREE software and great info you can start using today.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/panoramic-software.htm

Southboundtraveler Youtube channel

Marietta, GA Real Estate Listing Agent

and Professional Photographer

Georgia Elite Realty

Direct 770-363-3350

email iranwatson@gmail.com

Real Estate website: Iranwatson.listingware.com

Atlanta Real Estate Photographer website: IranWatsonPhoto.com

Photography Portfolio (Flash required): BestHomePhotography.com