Camera and Lens Choices
A digital camera is one of the best timesaving tools you can buy, and it's an expense that will eventually save you money because it makes film-developing costs a thing of the past. There might be times when it's necessary to print photos, but they'll be specific photos you choose by previewing images in the camera itself or on a computer screen. The technology allows you to bypass developing a roll of film that might only contain a few good shots.
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Don't worry about buying a digital camera yet if expenses are tight. You'll most likely work with buyers before you work with sellers, so photos might not be an issue right away. You can always use a disposable camera to take pictures for out-of-town buyers who ask you to preview properties for them.
Digital images are stored in the camera in tiny square chunks (called pixels), which sit side by side to form the image. The total number of pixels in an image is often stated as megapixels, which means millions of pixels. Sometimes pixels are expressed by giving the total number of pixels in a photo's height and width, such as 1,800 × 1,200 pixels. Multiply those dimensions together to determine the total number of pixels, 2,160,000 in the example — or 2.16 megapixels.
How Many Megapixels Do You Need?
The more pixels in an image the smaller they each are, resulting in a less jagged, higher-quality image. Most digital cameras are suitable for use in e-mails and online, where lower pixel counts (referred to as
4″ × 6″ is the maximum print size for a quality 1+ megapixel image
8″ × 10″ is the maximum print size for a quality 2+ megapixel image
11″ × 17″ is the maximum print size for a quality 3+ megapixel image
A 2+ megapixel image is all most real estate agents require, but camera prices have dipped in recent years, so you may want to consider a higher-resolution camera. Most digital cameras have settings that allow you to choose your pixel quality, from low to high. If you choose a lower pixel setting on one of these cameras, you can fit a larger number of pictures on the camera's memory card.
Lenses and Flashes
Most digital cameras come with a lens that goes from wide angle to zoom. The flexibility helps you frame your shots as you take them, and that means you won't spend as much time cropping unnecessary areas from the photos after they are loaded into your computer.
A single, wide-angle lens is useful, especially for photographing interiors. It allows you to capture a wider area of the image from a closer position. A wide-angle lens will also help you capture the entire house in one image, without walking across the street.
Another thing to consider when shopping for a digital camera is the camera's flash capability. Although nearly all digital cameras have a built-in flash, it's not always powerful enough for indoor photographs. Buy a camera with a hot-shoe, a place where you can plug in a more powerful flash accessory, if you plan to take lots of indoor pictures.
Storing Your Digital Photos
Your digital images are initially stored on a memory card. Some cards resemble tiny floppy disks and others are cylindrical in shape. Most memory cards that come with cameras do not hold very many photos, especially at high resolutions, so be sure to buy one or more extra cards that do have plenty of memory. Prices for memory cards have come down drastically in recent years, so even those with large storage capacity are affordable.
Once you've taken your photos, you will use a cable or a special card reader to transfer them to your computer. Once they are stored on your computer, you can delete the images from the memory card and use it again to store new pictures.
The camera should come with some type of transfer apparatus and the software required to manipulate your photos once they are stored in a computer, allowing you to crop and enlarge photos to best showcase the property.
