Sony HX-1 Video Review – Great Camera for Real Estate Agents
The camera most recommended by HDhat.com and Tech Savvy Agent for real estate agents wanting to shoot near Pro quality video is the Sony Cybershot DSC-HX1.
Priced at under $400 this simple to use camera shoots fantastic video, stunning instant panoramics and great still photos. Add a wide angle lens to your Sony Cybershot HX-1 and for less than $500 any agent can be shooting near Pro quality video.
Sony HX-1 Video Review
The following 13+ minute video goes over many of the recommended settings for shooting a real estate video tour, photos, sweep panoramics and twilight photos. As always if you have any questions feel free to contact Mark Passerby at mark@hdhat.com
Here are some important comparison points of the Sony HX-1 vs the Kodak Zi8.
Stabilization:
The Sony HX1 has superior optical stabilization which uses a built-in gyro sensor to detect camera shake and automatically shifts the lens to help prevent blur without sacrificing image quality. The Kodak Zi8 has Electronic Image Stabilizaton(EIS) only.
Lowlight Shooting:
The Sony HX1 has manual exposure settings as well as others that make increasing the brightness level even in the worst conditons quite simple! The Kodak Zi8 on the other hand automatically adjusts with no options for you to manually increase the brightness level of the video being captured.
Photography:
The Sony HX-1 compared to the Kodak Zi8 shoots far superior photos as well as stunning almost instant sweep panoramics(up to 224 degrees) and dramatic handheld twilight photos. Once these simple to use settings are mastered any agent can dazzle their sellers and dramatically improve the buyers experience.
Audio Recording:
The Sony HX-1 does have a built-in stereo microphone but unfortuneately lacks an external microphone jack. The Kodak Zi8 has a built-in mono microphone, however it does have an external microphone jack making it more useful for shooting interviews and profile videos etc.
Pricing:
The price tag on the Sony HX-1(approx. $500 with wide angle lens) is a bit higher than the Kodak Zi8(under $200 with wide angle lens). However, HDHat.com feels that the Sony HX-1 is a fantastic all-in-one wonder for any real estate agent and worth every penny of its price. Most likely it is the last camera an agent will need.
There are of course higher end more complex to use DSLR’s such as the Canon T2i that have a multitude of more options and settings, but we feel the HX-1′s ease of use, price point, and quality make it a better buy for most agents.
More Camera Information:
You can review many more of the cameras features here as well.
Below is a full real estate video filmed with the Sony Cybershot HX-1
Wide Angle Lens for the Sony Cybershot HX-1
Additional Real Estate Video Tips
Originally Posted at: Sony HX-1 Camera Review – Real Estate Video
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Great post, thanks!
It’s amazing that one thinks all that is necessary to make “pro quality” video is a good camera.
I assume if I buy Tiger Woods’ golf clubs, I will be a championship golfer? Or if I bought Shakespeare’s pen I would be a famous author?
The GEAR is the least important, which is why so much garbage is online – both photos and video.
Shooting good quality video is probably the simplest highly effective tool an agent can implement! Here are just 2 of many examples of agents that use the HX-1 and our service to edit i.e. we “smooth” the video as part of our editing process(this usually takes about 1 hour of machine time per video tour) then we cut out all the unusable footage, add pro narration and sync that narration to match the video.
All the agent needs to do is film the clips for us to use to finish the process.
AGENT HX-1 Examples: This is Katrina’s 5th video with the HX-1 and I just shipped her a wide angle lens yesterday for her HX-1 http://www.hdhathomes.com/tours/1859_tourb.html
AGENT HX-1 Examples: This is Lindsey’s 2nd video with the HX-1 without a wide angle lens: http://www.hdhathomes.com/tours/1439_tourb.html
Stabilizing example(this is what an agent can expect once we stabilize their footage) – http://www.hdhathomes.com/tours/401_tourb.html
Being the son of a pro golfer and raised on a golf course I can say without a doubt that mastering golf is far more daunting than mastering the simplicity of a real estate video tour.
I am working now with a brand new agent(less than 6 months in the business) and documenting everything for a full article series on how to crush the competition using the video/social media channels. In fact she just got her first listing 184k in a competitive situation by using the “video tour” as “what makes her different”. She is an aggressive new agent. I think as her story unfolds over the next 6 months it will provide some great insights for all who want to grab on to the idea of using video as a competition crusher. It also will serve her clients well, reduce her days on market and increase her buyer activity.
So yes definitely all an agent needs to do is buy a good quality camera like the HX1 and either learn editing or outsource that labor intensive process out and they can get results much like a Pro.
We have tutorials on our site on how to shoot a tour and I am available and will walk an agent through any steps or difficulties via phone or email 7 days a week.
Mark Passerby, HDhat.com
toll free anytime 877-245-1488 7 days a week till 10 p.m. someone is available to help
Amazing review!! I just ordered this camera along with the wide angle lens due to this review. Well done!
I ordered this camera and the wide angle lens last week after reading this review. The camera came in today and I got to play outside with it and the kids after a great snow. I love it! Can’t wait for the lens to get here so that I can try it out inside. Thanks Tech Savvy Agent and Mark Passerby for the great information!