Choosing a Sony Lens for Real Estate Photography

Understanding Your Creative Vision

When it comes to real estate photography, the lens is your most critical tool. A good lens can transform a simple shot into a remarkable shot that truly wows clients. Before diving into the technicalities, take a moment to reflect on your personal style. Are you drawn to wide-angle shots that emphasize grandeur, or do you prefer a medium-wide lens that offers a balance between perspective and detail? Consider the spaces you're photographing: vast lobbies, cozy nooks, or luxurious outdoor retreats. Your choice of lens should align with the atmosphere you want to convey. Most Real Estate Photographers opt for a wider angle choice, to make the spaces they photograph seem larger than they are in person, but maybe you have other intentions in mind.

Considerations for Your Selection

Sensor Compatibility: Ensure your camera body is compatible with the lens size. Full-frame sensors maximize wide-angle benefits, while APS-C may require careful consideration to avoid cropping.

Color Accuracy and Distortion: Look for lenses that are designed for accurate color reproduction and minimal distortion, which contribute to producing natural-looking photos. Distortion can be particularly tricky in real estate photography, as it is very obvious when lines in rooms are supposed to be straight.

Sony Wide Angle Lens Lineup

1. FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM

   • Features: Ultra-wide angle zoom, reasonably fast aperture

   • Why It's Great: A very fast aperture, great sharpness, and a good focal range for real estate. This is the current pinnacle of Sony's wide angle lens lineup. Part of the prized trinity of f/2.8 zoom lenses: 12-24mm, 24-70mm, and 70-200mm.

   • Current Price: $2900

2. FE 12-24mm F4 G

   • Features: Ultra-wide angle zoom, lower cost

   • Why It's Great: A very good workhorse focal range for real estate photography, without break the bank as badly as the 12-24mm f/2.8.

   • Current Price: $1800

3. FE 16-25mm f/2.8 GM/GMII

   • Features: Workhorse wide-angle zoom, reasonably fast aperture

   • Why It's Great: Provides consistent sharpness across its range, suitable for various real estate shots. A higher focal length compared to the 12-24's, if you feel your style might fall closer to the higher focal length end of the real estate photography range.

   • Current Price: $2300

4. FE 20mm F1.8 G

   • Features: Very fast aperture, medium-wide angle, low cost

   • Why It's Great: Ideal for isolating subjects while maintaining a wide field of view and in specific low-light conditions if you can't use a longer exposure or shoot video as well.

   • Current Price: $800

5. Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA

   • Features: Very fast aperture, high-quality optics, medium-wide angle, low cost

   • Why It's Great: Excellent for detailed architectural elements, emphasizing key property features.

   • Important to Note: This lens is made for APS-C format cameras.

   • Current Price: $800

What We Use

Here at Gridline Digital Foundry, we use a 12-24mm f/2.8 GM lens for the bulk of our real estate work, swapping out to a 24-70mm f2.8 for detail photography.