BUYER'S GUIDE: Digital cameras

BY MICHAEL ANTONIAK

Moving on up

Whatever your priority—price, optics, ergonomics—you’ll find what you need in today’s digital cameras. Besides more choices in wide-angle lenses, design has become an important selling point among vendors. After all, some of us want a model that slips into a pocket; others want something that feels like a conventional camera and has an LCD screen that won’t make us squint.

“My first camera took great pictures, but it wasn’t user-friendly, especially when trying to move images to my computer,” says Sandy Wimett, a sales associate with Nothnagle, REALTORS®, in Rochester, N.Y. Last year she replaced it with a Kodak EasyShare camera and docking station for $400. “It’s easy to use,” she says. “With the night setting, I get beautiful pictures of rooms, even in a house without power. And I can e-mail photos right from the docking station by pushing a button.”

For his third digital camera, broker Tom McCarty, of The Real Estate Shoppe in Yorba Linda, Calif., wanted excellent optics in a camera designed for large hands. “I decided on the Lumix DMC FZ20 from Panasonic,” he says.

Selling points of the roughly $600 camera included its 5-megapixel image sensor, 12X optical zoom Leica lens, and built-in image stabilization. “With the 12X zoom and image stabilization, I can take close-ups of house features without a tripod,” he says.

Five years ago, Roger Hall, of Miller Realty in Ovid, Mich., bought what was then a top-of-the-line 5MP camera. He replaced it last year with Canon’s EOS Rebel Digital–SLR (single lens reflex) for $1,000. “One thing that sold me was the digital Rebel would work with all the lenses I already had for the Rebel film camera I’d been using for years,” he says.

“The digital Rebel has settings that let me use it for general purpose photography,” Hall says. “But as an SLR, it also gives me creative control.”

Gerry Bourgeois Jr. relies on two cameras at Towne & Country, REALTORS®, in Leominster, Mass. A new Nikon 4300, compatible with the IPIX imaging kit he bought years ago, serves exclusively for his 360-degree virtual tours.

And he always carries the new Kodak V570, a $400 dual-lens camera with a built-in wide-angle lens and panoramic stitching software. “In real estate, a wide angle is important,” he says.
For more on digital cameras, see the Tech@work column “Create grade A shows”.

Step-up features

With an assortment of features, the latest digital cameras may entice you to upgrade.

• More megapixels A 3MP camera should be adequate for your real estate needs, but you can find high-resolution 6MP sensors in cameras that cost as little as $250.

• Optics Lenses built into cameras now range from 3X to 12X optical zoom.

• Wide angle More models now offer wide-angle capability built in or as an option.

• Bigger monitors LCDs now measure up to three inches, making it easier to frame pictures, review photos, and adjust camera settings.

• Image stabilization This feature, under a variety of names, ensures sharp pictures when you’ve got a shaky hand or you’re using the zoom for close-ups.

• Simplified operation Today’s cameras offer a wider range of automatic settings—for sunny days, nights, portraits, landscapes, and so on.

• Durability Metal cases on some models help protect your investment.

• Better software All cameras now ship with improved software suites for image editing, archiving, and stitching to create panoramic images. In addition, accessories are widely available in stores.

• Digital SLRs Like film SLRs, these cameras take accessory lenses. For serious photographers.

Compact Digital Cameras

These self-contained cameras, with built-in lenses and flashes and automatic settings, make it easy to get consistently good photos, no matter your skill level.

FinePix A600 $249 Fuji Photo Film U.S.A Inc.,www.fujifilm.com,800/800-3854. One of the latest versions of an entry-level camera. 6-megapixel (MP) image sensor, 3X optical zoom, and 12MB internal memory. Compatible with xD flash media. 2.4-inch LCD. Eight shooting modes. Direct printing from camera with PictBridge compatible printers. Runs on standard AA or rechargeable batteries.

Exilim Zoom EX-Z60 $249.99 Casio Inc., www.casiousa.com,800/836-8580.
Ultracompact digital camera. 6MP image sensor, 3X optical zoom, and 8MB internal memory. Compatible with Secure Digital (SD) flash media. 2.5-inch LCD. 33 shooting modes. EasyMode for simplified operation. Camera body is approximately 3/4-inch thick.

RB Partner PhotoSmart R717 $269.99 Hewlett Packard, www.hp.com/go/nar,800/888-8177.
HP’s most popular camera with real estate users (at press time). 6.2MP image sensor, 3X optical zoom, and 32MB internal memory. Compatible with SD flash media. 1.8-inch LCD. 12 shooting modes including panorama. Records up to 60 seconds of audio. Compatible with optional PhotoSmart R-series docking station for printing from camera, for example.

Lumix DMC-FX01 $349.95 Panasonic, www.panasonic.com,800/211-7262.
Built-in 28mm wide-angle lens. 6MP image sensor, 3.6X optical zoom Leica lens, 2.5-inch LCD viewable from any angle. Compatible with SD flash media. Image stabilization. 16 shooting modes. Extended battery life for taking up to 320 pictures between charges.

EasyShare V570 $399 Eastman Kodak, www.kodak.com/go/EasyShare,888/368-6600. Unique dual-lens system for normal and wide-angle photography. 5MP image sensor, 5X optical zoom and 23mm wide-angle lenses, and 32MB internal memory. Compatible with SD flash media. 2.5-inch LCD. 22 automatic scene modes. Software for image stitching in camera to create 180-degree images. Compatible with optional EasyShare docking system.

CoolPix P3 $449.95 Nikon, www.nikondigital.com,800/645-6689.
Advanced self-contained camera supports wireless image transfer. 8.1MP sensor, 3X optical zoom, and 24MB internal memory. Compatible with SD flash media. 2.5-inch LCD. 17 automatic shooting modes with manual control options. Vibration Reduction image stabilization system. Automatically adjusts images to compensate for insufficient flash. Can identify and save sharpest images. Wi-Fi–compatible for wireless transfer of images.

Cyber-shot DSC-H5 $500 Sony Electronics, www.sonystyle.com,888/222-7669.
Powerful zoom in a self-contained body. 7.2MP sensor; 12X optical zoom lens, equivalent to 36mm-432mm lens; and 32MB internal memory. Compatible with Memory Stick flash media. 3-inch LCD screen. SteadyShot image stabilization. Automatic, manual settings. Optional wide-angle conversion lens available for $150.

Digital Single-lens reflexes

For serious photographers who want more creative control, digital SLRs offer a versatile imaging solution that can be enhanced with accessory lenses, filters, and flashes.

*ist DL $599.95 Pentax Imaging Co., www.pentaxslr.com,800/877-0155.
Economical entry-level DSLR bundled with wide-angle lens. 6.1MP image sensor and 18mm-55mm wide-angle lens. Compatible with SD flash media. 2.5-inch LCD. Automatic and manual settings. Stainless steel body. Compatible with Pentax KAF bayonet mount lenses.

Digimax GX-1S $799.99 (bundle price) Samsung Camera, www.samsungcamerausa.com,866/344-4629.
Compact DSLR with interchangeable lens system. 6.1MP image sensor. Bundled with wide-angle Schneider D-XENON 18mm-55mm lens. Compatible with SD flash memory. 2.5-inch LCD. Automatic and manual settings. Compatible with Pentax DSLR and KAF and KLAF2 mount lenses.

Evolt E-330 $1,099, bundled with wide-angle lens Olympus Imaging America Inc., www.olympusamerica.com,888/553-4448.
7.5MP image sensor, 3.2X Zuiko digital zoom lens with 28mm wide-angle setting, and optical and LCD viewfinders. 2.5-inch LCD moves for shooting images at any angle. Compatible with CompactFlash and xD-Picture Card memory cards. Fully automatic with manual settings. 19 pre-set shooting modes, including panorama.

EOS Digital 30D $1,499 Canon U.S.A., www.usa.canon.com,800/652-2666.
Digital SLR package for serious photographers. 8.2MP image sensor. Bundle includes wide-angle EF-S 18mm-55mm lens. Bright 2.5-inch LCD. Compatible with CompactFlash media. Automatic and manual settings. Stainless steel and magnesium alloy body. One-touch direct printing from camera to PictBridge compatible printers. Compatible with Canon EF and EF-S series lenses.

Prices are the vendors’ suggested retail prices and are subject to change. This list isn’t comprehensive; NAR doesn’t evaluate or endorse these products and isn’t responsible for changes in company info.