Real Estate Photography Gear Must-Haves (2019 Edition)

Canon T7i

This camera has Auto Exposure Bracketing (+-2 stops, 3 frames) which should be sufficient for HDR. The swivel LCD comes in handy when the camera is backed up into a tight space.

Canon 10-22mm Lens

Having a focal range of 12mm to play with, you should be able to get all necessary real estate shots using this lens.

Canon 5D Mark IV

Full frame instead of cropped sensor. Known for its great video recording capabilities if you are looking to add on to your offered services.

Canon 17-40mm Lens

Like the 10-22mm, this lens has a great focal range that will allow you to get the necessary shots when shooting real estate. This however is the L-Series, great for Canon full-frame bodies.

DJI Mavic Air Quadcopter

For those high up aerials, this drone is super light, compact, and easy to travel with. A long battery life gives you plenty of time to capture the shots you need. A built-in 8GB of storage means you don’t have to add an optional SD card.

SanDisk Extreme PRO 64GB Compact Flash Memory Card

64GB is plenty for a few day’s worth of shooting real estate. You’ll likely empty it every night for editing so you could start fresh every morning.

SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO SDXC Card

Make sure you know whether your camera body utilizes SD or CF cards. CF can be faster and have noticeably quicker operation during shooting.

64GB Sandisk Extreme Pro Micro SDXC Card

For extra storage if you plan on doing video, or want peace of mind with the DJI Mavic Air Quadcopter.

Manfrotto 190XPRO Aluminum 4-Section Tripod

Great set of tripod legs that will last after daily use. Being able to configure the center post into a horizontal position can be useful in some tight spaces.

Benro Mach3 Carbon Fiber 4 Series

Step it up a notch with carbon fiber. This set of legs is also significantly taller when fully expanded. The twist locking grips stay tight and don’t loosen over time like some of the Manfrotto legs with lever locks.

Manfrotto 322RC2 Grip Action Joystick Head

Quickly adjust the camera into the “level” position with the bubble level. Time is money, and being able to quickly get your camera into position for each shot is extremely beneficial with this tripod head.

ePhoto Professional Video Camera Fluid Drag Tripod Head

Fluid head on a budget – if you are doing video tours you’ll want the ability to pan/tilt smoothly.

Manfrotto 055 XPRO Leveling Center Column

Like the joystick head, this leveling center column works great with Manfrotto tripod legs when you have a fluid head or slider attached for video work. It allows you to quickly adjust to a “level” position when your legs may not be extended equally or if you are on an uneven surface.

DJI Ronin-M Gimbal Stabilizer

Smooth footage while walking couldn’t be easier than with the DJI Ronin-M. The battery also lasts forever. One downside is you can’t set the gimbal on the ground, it must be on its stand. Can make quick, minor camera adjustments more difficult.

DJI Ronin-S Gimbal Stabilizer

Another option from DJI for smooth video footage. The downside is the camera sits on top, so when you record a home and want a lower vantage point, you’ll have to compensate by bending over. This could be uncomfortable over time.

Neewer Carbon Fiber Camera Track Slider

For video slider movements. Small and portable, easy to carry around from room to room.

Flashpoint XPLOR 600 HSS Battery-Powered Monolight

Super powerful, and runs on a battery. The perfect way to light up large spaces efficiently and easily.

Godox AD200 Battery-Powered Speedlite Flash

Don’t need as much power as the XPLOR 600, or want something lighter/easier to carry? The AD200 is a great option.

Pro Tip: You can combine two together with velcro straps, and use an Auxiliary Grip to make light work of maneuvering with this flash!

Godox XT32C HSS Wireless Power Control Flash Trigger for Canon

Two of these work great in tandem. Place one on top of your camera. This will trigger when the camera fires. Hold on to the other one. You can turn the flash unit on/off and adjust the power without touching the flash or camera itself.

CamRanger Wireless Nikon and Canon DSLR Remote

Indispensable tool when shooting with flash. Allows you to view a live feed of your camera, adjust settings while you are not near the camera, take photos when you are not near the camera, and view photos to see the result of adding flash.

NOTE: CamRanger does not sell this version any more as they are creating CamRanger II. As of July 2019, the CamRanger II has not yet been released.

Apple iPad Air

In combination with the CamRanger, view photos and control your camera from a nice, big screen.

Pro Tip: Buy a slim case, and attach two ring holder stands to opposite corners of the case. Clip on a shoulder strap and you can carry around the iPad hands-free.