CAMERA GEAR + BUDGET
Camera body - Canon EOS R50 $500
(if you already have a camera body scroll to bottom to see if it will work for real estate photography)
Camera lens - Canon RF 10-18mm $349
Computer ($430)
You need to be able to upload pictures to dropbox, send them to an editor, get them back from the editor, and send them to your agent. You also need to be able to build a website, etc.
If you don’t have one already, a budget friendly way is you can just buy a mac mini and hook it up to any kind of monitor and use as computer (I think even a tv)
Mac mini
$329 - https://amzn.to/3HnEcx6
Connect to a monitor
HDMI cord
Keyboard
Mouse
Tripod $119
Tripod Head (3 way)
Polarizer (for glare on flooring)
Memory Card
Drone (about $1000)
Gimbal (about $70)
Iphone 13 or above (which you already probably have)
360 camera (about $400)
Microphone
Drone License - $175
https://faa.psiexams.com/FAA/login
Business License- $50 (go to your city hall, it’s so much easier than you think it is)
LLC - $100 (you can do this online or through a 3rd party company like zenbusiness but they charge a lot to do it and you don’t even realize it… it’s much easier than you think to google it and do it yourself. Or ask Chatgpt. ChatGpt will be your best friend through this process)
Dropbox- $20/month
You’ll be paying editors too.
If you are really tight on money, maybe start by renting a camera here and there so you can start building your portfolio. Google camera rentals near me or order from a reputable place online.
This all might seem like a lot but it can pay off big time. And fast.
GEAR PRIORITY:
Start with the bare minimum if you are on a budget.
The minimum if you are starting with nothing
CAMERA BODY + WIDE ANGLE LENS + POLARIZER ($880)
TRIPOD + TRIPOD HEAD ($240)
COMPUTER ($430)
MEMORY CARD ($20)
~$1600
If you already have a computer
$1150
You can start with just photos and floor plans
Start with this, and then get a feel for your market.
Then add video, drone, or 3d floor plans.
If you already have a camera body, or you have a camera already in mind. Go to ChatGPT and type in this prompt:
“Im getting into real estate photography and I’m thinking about getting the canon 5d mark iv, is this a good camera for real estate photography? I want a screen that flips up and need it to shoot bracketing shots”
This is what the response looks like, and it will give you a lens recommendation too.
📐 What Is a Wide-Angle Lens?
A wide-angle lens has a short focal length, which means it can capture more of the scene in a single frame. It exaggerates space — making rooms look larger and more open — which is exactly what you want in real estate photography.
🏠 How Wide Do You Need for Real Estate Photography?
- On a full-frame camera: You want a lens between 14mm and 24mm. ✅ Ideal range: 16–20mm This gives you wide coverage without extreme distortion.
- On a crop sensor camera (APS-C): Because of the crop factor (more on that below), you need a wider lens to get the same field of view. ✅ Look for lenses in the 10–18mm range (which is roughly equal to 16–28mm full-frame equivalent) 📸 Full-Frame vs. Crop Sensor (APS-C)
📏 Sensor Size:
- Full-frame = same size as 35mm film
- Crop sensor (APS-C) = smaller sensor → crops the image
This changes your field of view depending on the lens used.
🔄 Crop Factor:
- Most APS-C sensors have a crop factor of 1.5x (Nikon/Sony) or 1.6x (Canon)
- This means a 24mm lens on a crop sensor = 36mm field of view (Canon)
🔍 Crop Sensor Lenses vs. Full-Frame Lenses
🔧 EF-S (Canon) or DX (Nikon) = Made for crop sensor bodies
- Smaller image circle
- Lighter, cheaper
- Won’t work properly on full-frame bodies (can cause vignetting or not mount at all)
🔧 EF (Canon) or FX (Nikon) = Made for full-frame bodies
- Can be used on both full-frame and crop sensor bodies
- On crop sensor, it’ll be cropped by 1.6x (Canon)