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Inside a Real Estate Photographers Camera Bag
Curious what gear a professional real estate photographer uses on a daily basis? Then you’re in the right place.
In this article I’ll outline ever piece of gear that I have in my bag which comes with me to every shoot.
Table of Contents
Inside a Real Estate Photographers Camera Bag
I’ve worked as a professional real estate and architectural photographer for the past 7 years. I’ve tried multiple bags, set them up in all sorts of ways, and have run through tons of different gear to get to my current set up.
Trial and error (too much error in the beginning) has gotten to me this point, and I’ve pretty much settled on all of the various choices I’ve made. Finally.
This is the stuff that I use and need on a daily basis. I bring this to every single shoot and, more times than not, I use almost all of it. Skip the guessing game, skip the early mistakes, and have a look a real estate photographers camera bag.
The Carrying Bags
I use 2 bags that hold everything I need for a standard Real Estate shoot. I have a backpack for all of my electronic gear and a duffle type bag for my tripod, light stands, and umbrellas.
Backpack:
Tenba Shootout 24L
Duffle:
Neewer f. 64 Studio Kit Bag
The Tenba backpack holds everything I need and is extremely durable. I love the waist straps for extra support. It’s cushioned really well and although I haven’t dropped it yet, I’d guess that if/when I do, my gear will be fine.
The Neewer duffle offers a simple storage and carrying fix for the bulkier light stands, my tripod, plus a few umbrellas… and it’s really cheap.
Cameras and Lenses
Typically, I only bring 1 camera body and 2 lenses on a shoot. There’s definitely an argument for bringing a back up camera and a 3rd heavy zoom lens, but I personally don’t find the need.
Nikon Z7ii
Nikon D750
Nikkor 16-35mm f4
Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8.
The Nikon Z7ii is a fairly recent purchase (about 6 months ago I believe) and is my primary camera. I use it for everything from residential real estate to larger commercial shoots.
The Nikon D750 was my everyday camera until I purchased the Z7ii. Now, it’s an extremely high quality backup.
90% of the time I have the 16-35mm f4 lens attached. I’ll switch to the 24-70mm lens for some exteriors, some nicer detail shots, and for non-real estate shoots like interior design or architectural photography.
Flashes
I bring 2 flashes along on every shoot and typically only use one. Multiple flashes are needed at times though, so I’ll always have 2 in my bag.
Godox AD200 Pro
Full disclosure, I used to carry around an on-camera flash, but recently decided to switch to an AD200 Pro and plus another one as a back up. You would probably find an on-camera flash inside a real estate photographers camera bag though. The type of real estate photography that I shoot has no need for an on-camera flash.
The Godox AD200 Pro is amazing and I use it every single shoot. This baby can light up pretty large rooms and offers a size and price point that’s unbeatable.
Tripod
The only tripod I use is this one:
Manfrotto 055 with the stock ball head.
It’s very sturdy and tall enough for every shoot I’ve been on. It fits perfectly in my Godox duffle and has worked flawlessly for me since I purchased it about a year ago.
Manfrotto is the name for tripods. I won’t be buying another brand anytime soon.
Remote Triggers
Pocket Wizard PlusX
I bring 4 of them with me on every shoot.
- On the cameras hot shoe
- Connected to my AD200 flash
- Connected to my 200SL flash
- In my hand, releasing the shutter.
They never leave my bag. I only take them out to recharge the batteries once a week. They’ve made my life so much easier. Highly recommend, but a bit pricy.
I also have a wired shutter release as a back up:
Nikon MC-DC2
I never use it, but for $20 it’s a nice piece of insurance that takes up virtually no room.
The Extras
I end up carrying a lot of extra things that I won’t use every shoot, but I’ll need while out on a job eventually. This list is the total number of things that are in my bag, including the batteries and SD cards that are inside my camera and other electronics already.
- 3 batteries for my camera
- 12 AA’s for my remote triggers and flash
- 2 batteries for my AD200 Pro
- 3 SD cards
Everything Else
These are just the little extra things that are going to make your life easier, which in turn will help you concentrate on photography. Necessary items inside a real estate photographers camera bag.
- 2 Westcott White Diffusion Umbrellas, which are ideal to photograph hardwood or deep colored interiors
- 1 Impact Light Stand – probably my least used piece of equipment, but necessary for some shoots
- I use the Tiffen Circular Polarizer for most of my exterior photos to give them a bit better contrast (note: make sure to buy the correct size for your lens)
- Lens cleaner, a microfiber towel, and a lens blower
- 1 wallmount USB charging box
- 2 pens
Inside a Real Estate Photographers Camera Bag
There you have it. Everything inside a real estate photographers camera bag. The only other thing I ever find in my bag might be an energy bar. I hope this helps you on your way to becoming a professional real estate photographer!
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