Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts

Looking for Lens suggestions for a good lens for real estate And landscape photography. Camera is a Nikon D7200. Not interested in Pro level Lenses. It seems to me there are some really good choices based on reviews in the $300-$450 range for wide angle zooms. Interested in what other members use, like and don’t like. Thanks in advance.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

The Sigma 10-20 (15-30 in full frame equiv.) gets very good reviews. KEH is showing used in excellent condition for around 250.00. I would start there and if you decide to upgrade to a pro style lens later, you will not have a big investment in that lens. You could turn around and get almost all your money back for it.

stogieboy Loc: Marlboro, NY

I own this lens, and its actually the only one I kept for my D3200 after upgrading to the D750. The 10-20 is a GREAT lens, and certainly on the more affordable side.

Najataagihe

Nikon 10-20mm DX VR AF-P f/4.5-5.6 G.

It is smaller, lighter and less expensive than the Sigma.

Quixdraw Loc: x

Very good & useful on the D7200 - can even be used on FX in a pinch.

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

If you want a wide angle zoom I’d suggest the NIKKOR 10-20 AFP.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

I won't pretend to know the specifics and reviews of every lens, but I can provide you with some basic information to help you select a lens for your real estate and landscape usages.

There are certain requirements for both kinds of photography that overlap and some more specific to each. One of the main considerations for less selection it theses areas is FOCAL LENGHT. Since your camera is a cropped format, I will quote focal lengths accordingly.

In doing real estate work, you are likely to encounter small room and space that are going to require wide-angle focal lengths and even larger and more populated locations require wide all-encompassing views. The standard wide-angle focal length for your camera is 24mm and you might require 15 or 20mm or thereabout for a tiny powder room, or other comparatively small space. If you can find a zoom lens that encompasses theses focal lengths, within your budget parameters, you are good to go.

Many architectural and real-estate shooters prefer a tilt/shift perspective control prim lenses for precise work, however, these are usually expensive. You can, however, avoid linear distortion and keystoning by keeping the camera level and parallel and cropping out excessive floor and ceiling or ground and sky.

There are many decent lenses in the aforementioned focal lengths that perhaps are not the epitome of super sharpness but they are sharp enough considering that most real estate advertisements and display do not require photomural sized prints. Any decent less can produce a good magazine cover sie image, a good screen image and prints even up to 20x24 inches. Even a certain degree to diffraction will not be problematic at moderate degrees of enlargement. You usually won't need crazy high ISO settings or ultra-fast lenses in that you are shooting static subjects and with a good tripod you can extend the shutter speeds to accommodate aperture settings for the depth of field. Some super-wide lenses and focal length settings may yield some distortion, especially at the edges of the frame but you may be able to compose so that you can crop these areas out. Remember also that perspective is influenced by distance and NOT focal length. Generally speaking, real estate work needs to be more authentic rather than interpretive so the perspective is an important consideration- so you're wide-angle need to enable coverage of small or vast areas but should not exaggerate the size of rooms and interior areas. Wider focal length also enables foreground framing through doorways and archways that prove a sense of depth and dimension.

Exterior real estate shots can be authentically and attractively photographer with normal or moderately wide-angle focal lengths using the same methods of perspective management.

Landscape photography has different approaches- perhaps more artistic than practical. A rule of thumb is if you want to end up with an image close to a perspective that you see with your own eyes, a focal length of SLIGH longer than normal will do the job- say about 40- 45mm for your camera. If you are drive or walking down the road and you spot a landscape that catches your eye and you shoot it as I just described- what you saw is what you will get. If, however, you shorten or lengthen the focal length you might get more or less of what you include in the frame and if you change the distance to accommodate the change in focal length you will change the perspective. You might be disappointed that your image did not record as you saw it o or was impressed with it or you might be pleasantly surprised. In landscape work, you have to complete artistic license and you can interpret a scene any way you like!

I hope this helps. As to brand names, there are many choices in the moderate price range OR you may consider the used market for a higher-end prime or perspective control lens or a top-of-the-line zoom.

Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts

It’s certainly one of my considerations as I have the AF-P 18-55 and 70-300. One drawback is on the D7200 no ability to turn off VR. Given that real estate and landscape photography is often shot on a tripod I am a little concerned about that. Also I am curious how it compares to the equivilant Tamron and Sigma options IQ wise. Lab comparisons are one thing not the same as opinions from people that actually use those lenses.

Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts

Not really actually. If KEH is selling it for $250 that is not what they are buying it for. That is also not really the resale market to judge by. You can not judge what you can get for a lens if you sell it based on what KEH is selling it for. My guess is they are buying it for closer to $150 or less. You will always pay more through a KEH Adorama or B&H because they take it in evaluate it and stand behind it which adds value and adds to what they are selling it for. So I am going to guess the resale value on that lens as a private party if I want to sell it to KEH of another private party is going to be a lot less than $250.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

I never said sell back to KEH. I meant selling it privately would bring almost what you paid for it because on the used market lenses do not go down in price the way cameras do. With every new generation of camera body, older technology is forced down. I recently found a receipt where I bought my first really serious digital camera -- a Nikon D300 and paid around 2400.00 for it. Today they are selling between 200 - 250. Lenses do not suffer such drastic loss.

Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts

I understand that but i think I also said a private party to private party sale would not bring as much as KEH is getting so that really is not a good guide. EBay might be better. Used OEM lenses will hold their value. As of now most third party lenses do not hold the same resale value.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

You keep trying to compare apples and oranges. One is from a company selling something, the other is from private party. You can't expect private party sales to get as much as KEH would and I never alluded to such.
Usually, for one thing, companies like KEH offer some kind of warranty if only for 30 days. The way I see it you could use that lens that I felt was a good suggestion echoed by a number of other UHHers for two years and still get 200.00 for it in a private sale if you decide to get a professional lens. My suggestion was based on the level of equipment you now have and the purpose you stated you wanted it for. If you had stated you only wanted OEM equipment I would not have made a suggestion in the first place since my suggestion would only have been for the Sigma.

Najataagihe

Okay, two things.

1. "What choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" Nikon VR is in the lenses, not the camera bodies, so a D7200 can't turn it off, no matter how badly you might wish it.

2. You don't really need a tripod for most real estate shots.

Inside, bounce flash and VR negate the need for a tripod.

Most shots inside should be shot from belly-button level, not eye-level, so make sure you bend at the knees and get a level composition.

Don't use the on-camera flash or you will get a shadow cast by the upper portion of the lens. Bouncing the flash off the ceiling eliminates this problem, freezes any golly-wobbles and fights edge fall-off.

Outside, there is usually plenty of light for a high shutter speed and an f/5.6 - f/11 aperture.


The only time you will, sometimes, need a tripod is at night and with artistic landscape photography (about which I know next to nothing).

I haven't used a tripod for a camera shot since the last century and I rarely used one, then.

These days that poor tripod either holds my wife's iPhone so she can use FaceTime to visit our granddaughter, holds the back-up digital recorder when my dance band is recording or supports a bean bag when I am sighting in a rifle.


Before anybody has a hissy-fit, there is a difference (to me!) in real estate and architectural photography.

Architectural photography demands the best image possible, so you have to take the time to get it perfect.

Real estate agents rarely let you spend hours in a client's house trying to set up the perfect shot. You have to get it and go. A tripod slows you down. A good flash helps you work around not having one.

These days, a lot of real estate agents use their cell phone for listing properties so, IF they hire you, you have to get better results as fast or faster than they can or they consider you not worth the cost.


Whatever you choose, shoot it around your house for a few days and see what it can or can't do for you.

Just remember that with that ultra-wide, closer is nearly always better.

CO

After doing a lot of research, I purchased the Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II HLD (model B023, 2017 release) lens a few months ago. It's considered to be the best ultrawide zoom for cropped sensor cameras right now. I use it on my Nikon D500. Here are features:

1) It has extensive weather sealing including a weather seal at the lens mount
2) It has vibration compensation
3) It's very resistant to flare and ghosting.
4) Its HLD (High/Low torque modulated drive) has very accurate focusing.
5) It has an electronic aperture - faster and more accurate then mechanical aperture
6) Well controlled distortion

Extensive weather sealing

(Download)


(Download)

Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts

Wait a minute. You obviously are not familiar with AF-P lenses. FYI they do not have a switch on them to turn VR off and on. VR on AF-P lenses is controlled by the camera menu. Further more the D7200 is only partially compatible with the AF-P lenses meaning they do not have the menu function available to turn it off and on. Other than that the lens is completely compatible with the D7200. So you can say VR is controlled by the lens all you want but you are wrong about AF-P lenses.
As far as whether to use a tripod or not is another argument. Like you said most times you do not need a tripod but for the times you do you can not turn VR off. What is I am not using it for real estate and need to use it on a tripod? So that is definately a concern.