When we got a chance to take pictures of a new hotel in our city, it made me want to test several cameras for real estate photos. My colleagues at FixThePhoto and I tried out some of the top cameras to see which one worked best for the job.
We needed to take photos that showed the building’s true beauty without making it look fake. After using various cameras over time, I discovered that having the right equipment makes a huge difference in getting professional-looking photos.
If you ever want to take pictures with your phone, I suggest checking websites like Zillow or Redfin first. There, you can see how professional photos look and learn why using a real camera can be important for high-quality real estate images.
When you take pictures of buildings, there are some important things to think about. First, the picture needs to be clear and full of detail. Cameras like DSLRs and mirrorless ones have high-resolution sensors that capture sharp details, which is perfect for interior photography and taking pictures of the exterior of a property.
It might surprise you that the really clear, professional photos come from cameras with special lenses for real estate photography. These cameras also have advanced settings that help get the perfect light and detail. While a phone camera might work for quick, casual photos, it usually can’t capture the same sharp details or the lighting needed for professional real estate pictures.
Canon EOS Rebel T7 ★★★★★ (5/5)
VIEW ON AMAZON, VIEW ON B&H
VIEW ON ADORAMA, VIEW ON BEST BUY
We soon realized that trying them in real situations was very important. A good camera for real estate should work well whether it's very bright outside or dim inside.
One typical problem when taking pictures of homes is that bright windows can make the rest of the room look too dark. Cameras with a good dynamic range can capture both the bright and dark parts clearly, so you don’t have to edit them too much later.
Another issue is that wide-angle lenses, which are great for showing big rooms, can sometimes stretch or distort the edges of the photo but this can be fixed in editing.
A helpful tip when choosing a camera is to think about the sensor size. Full-frame cameras usually work better in low light and give you a wider view, but cameras with crop sensors can still take great pictures if you use the right wide-angle lens.
Also, if you want to make videos of houses, look for a camera that has smooth autofocus and built-in stabilization. This way, you can create smooth walkthrough videos without needing extra bulky gear.
Smartphone cameras get better every year, so people wonder if they can completely take the place of professional cameras for real estate photography. Even though modern phones offer impressive image quality, they still have trouble with showing both bright and dark parts inside a house. I tried taking pictures of the same property using a special real estate camera and an iPhone 16 Pro Max, and the results were very different.
The professional camera made a clear and balanced photo that kept details in both the bright windows and the dark areas. The iPhone, even though it is easy to use, had trouble with overexposed highlights and lost some details in the darker parts, for example, in rooms with mixed lighting.
So, even though smartphones are improving fast, they still cannot fully replace a proper camera for real estate photos, mainly because they struggle with handling different light levels, using different types of lenses, and taking good pictures in low light.
Amazon: 500+ bought in the past month
BH: 200+ sold in the past year
Adorama: 100+ sold in the past year
Best Buy: 100 sold in the past year
I read lots of advice from real estate photographers, and they all said that the Canon EOS Rebel T7 is one of the best Canon cameras for real estate photography. I got excited to try it out, so I tested it in different rooms to see if it really worked as well as they said. This camera is a great choice if you’re just looking to get into real estate photography because it doesn’t cost too much and still does a good job.
I began in a big living room with lots of natural light. In that room, the Rebel T7 took very clear, detailed pictures. Its wide-angle lens captured the whole room nicely, and a special setting helped keep the light balanced even in hard-to-shoot areas. Then I moved to a small hallway with only indoor lights. Even though the light was lower, the camera did well with colors and detail.
One small problem was that the autofocus sometimes had trouble when changing between different focal points quickly. Even with that, this camera still worked great for real estate photography because it gave clear and flexible results in different situations.
Amazon: 50+ bought in the past month
BH: 30+ sold in the past year
Adorama: 50+ sold in the past year
Best Buy: 20+ sold in the past year
If you want to take outstanding real estate photos, you need a professional camera. The Sony Alpha 7S III is one of those cameras. It costs more, but the performance this camera delivers is worth it. I asked my friend Tati to try it out, and she loved the pictures she took in different rooms.
Tati shot pictures of a big living room with huge windows. The real estate camera caught the sunlight very nicely. She also took pictures of a modern kitchen with shiny appliances, and the Sony Alpha 7S III showed all the details and textures perfectly. Tati said that the camera worked well even in dark places.
This camera has many features like a wide dynamic range and great low-light performance, which make it a strong tool for house photography. Tati found it easy to use and liked how comfortable it felt in her hands. The camera takes clear pictures with true colors and sharp details, which helps show off a property.
« I was surprised at how fast the camera focused when I was filming real estate videos. It kept up with me as I walked through different rooms. I also liked that it has Wi-Fi built in, so I could transfer photos right away.»
Amazon: 300+ bought in the past month
BH: 50+ sold in the past year
Adorama: 50+ sold in the past year
I tested a lot of cameras and discovered that the Nikon D3500 is one of the best cameras for real estate agents. The Nikon photography camera is very light, so it's easy to hold during long shoots, which is helpful when you're moving around large properties.
One really helpful feature is the Guide Mode, which gives you step-by-step help for taking pictures in different scenarios. This makes it perfect for beginners who are still learning how to use a camera. However, when I was taking pictures in a dark basement, I noticed that the autofocus worked a bit slow. In those cases, you might need to adjust it by hand or add more light.
Amazon: 150+ bought in the past month
BH: 50+ sold in the past year
Adorama: 50+ sold in the past year
Best Buy: 20+ sold in the past year
The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV is a camera that can do almost anything. It works great for high-end fashion photos, outdoor landscapes, and real estate. When you use this camera for real estate photography, it shows both bright and dark areas very well, keeping the bright windows clear while still showing details in the shadows. It also makes awesome real estate videos in 4K, with clear details and natural colors.
One thing to note is that even though its autofocus is usually fast, it can slow down a bit in very dark places. This means you might need to adjust the focus by hand sometimes.
I tried the camera in a modern kitchen with big glass windows, where the light changed a lot between natural sunlight and warm indoor light. The camera handled the changes really well, keeping the white cabinets sharp without making them too bright.
It also has a high-speed continuous shooting mode, which is great for real estate video marketing purposes. Plus, there’s a customizable button that lets you control the camera easily, and you can even see live previews on your tablet.
Amazon: 50+ bought in the past month
BH: 30+ sold in the past year
Adorama: 40+ sold in the past year
Best Buy: 50+ sold in the past year
To test this camera for real estate, I went the extra mile and reached out to a professional photographer. I borrowed his Nikon D850 for a full test, and since he’s used it for over two years, I've got some insights from his experience.
I tried the camera in a large living room with floor-to-ceiling windows. The challenge was balancing the bright natural light with the darker corners. The camera did a great job handling both the bright and dark areas, keeping details clear in every part of the shot. The autofocus was fast and accurate, even when shifting focus between different parts of the room.
One issue the photographer mentioned was that in very dim rooms, especially when using live view, the autofocus can slow down. For evening shoots, he often needed to adjust the focus manually to keep everything sharp.
Amazon: 100+ bought in the past month
BH: 50+ sold in the past year
Adorama: 50+ sold in the past year
Canon made our top list because it works well for this kind of photoshoot. I tested the Canon EOS 6D Mark II, a DSLR camera for real estate photography in a small bedroom with not much natural light, where it was a challenge to keep both shadows and highlights clear. The camera’s 26.2MP full-frame sensor did a great job, showing textures sharply without too much noise.
However, when I shot a bright window with a dark interior, some bright details were lost, so I had to fix them later while editing. One feature that impressed me was the fully adjustable touchscreen. While taking a low shot near the bed, I found that I could tilt, flip, and rotate the screen, making it easy to capture cool angles without straining, which is a huge advantage for real estate photography.
Amazon: 500+ sold in the past year
BH: 50+ sold in the past year
Adorama: 150+ sold in the past year
Best Buy: 300+ sold in the past year
I've mostly used cameras for taking photos, but the DJI Pocket 2 caught my eye as one of the best cameras for real estate videography. It's tiny, has a built-in gimbal, and keeps the video smooth. So, I tried it out by filming a tour of a modern, open living room.
I needed smooth, flowing shots to show off the space, and the camera's ActiveTrack feature helped it stay focused on the important parts. Plus, its 3-axis stabilization kept everything steady even when I was moving around.
Unlike bigger video cameras which are hard to use in small spaces, this one let me move easily without extra gear. After testing it, I decided to keep it in my kit.
We have tested many cameras used for real estate photography like the Canon EOS R8, Sony A7C, Nikon Z5, Fujifilm X-T5, Panasonic Lumix GH6, and Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III in real life situations.
Our team at FixThePhoto, including experienced photographers and photo retouchers, shot pictures in bright living rooms, dark hallways, and small bathrooms to see if each camera could handle different lighting and other challenges that may occur when taking real estate photos.
We checked if the cameras could show details in both very bright and very dark areas of the properties. Cameras with strong HDR abilities worked best in this case.
We also looked at how fast and accurate the autofocus was, even in low light. We tested if they could quickly lock onto subjects and switch focus smoothly without struggling or taking too long.
Since many photographers take pictures of real estate while holding the camera, we tested how well the cameras kept images steady without a tripod. We looked at two types of stabilization: one inside the camera (IBIS) and one in the lens (OIS). The goal was to see if the photos stayed clear and not blurry.
We also checked if the cameras worked well with wide-angle lenses. These lenses are great for making rooms look big without bending or distorting the image.
Because more people want real estate videos, we tested how good the cameras were at recording in 4K. We checked if the focus stayed smooth and if the videos looked stable when walking around with the camera. Some cameras took great photos but didn’t do well with video, which helped us decide the best ones.
If you want to set the best real estate photography camera settings, keep the ISO low (to reduce grainy images) and set the aperture between F8 and F11 for sharp, clear pictures.
Besides a good lens, there's other real estate photography equipment you could get, for example, a tripod to keep your camera steady. If you want amazing aerial shots, a drone is also a great idea.
Think about: sensor size, lens options, and your budget. DSLR cameras are great for capturing high-quality images, but mirrorless cameras are lighter and smaller, therefore will take less space. Compare different models to find the best one for you.
Not always. Full-frame cameras are better in low light and capture a wider view, but crop-sensor cameras can still take professional-quality pictures if you use the right lenses and lighting
Yes, HDR helps balance bright windows and dark shadows, so no part of the image looks too bright or too dark. Many photographers blend multiple shots for the best effect.
Natural light is best, but a flash can help brighten dark rooms. Using a bounce flash or softboxes can make the lighting look more natural and even.
