Here are 6 recent posts we wrote on filming real estate video tours. Everything from camera options to how to properly film is covered. Enjoy.

Real Estate Video Tours and The iPhone 4

Nothing Is Easier For A Realtor To Add To Their Marketing Than Video

Real Estate Video Tips

Review Of Kodak Playtouch

Full HD Video Tours Using The iPod Touch

Coldwell Banker VP Talks Video With Tech Savvy Agent

Photo Courtesy of Flickr

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

Video Stabilizer Bar

Review of the Kodak Zi8

Additional Real Estate Video Tips

Originally Posted at: Sony HX-1 Camera Review – Real Estate Video

The Kodak Zi8 is the perfect camera for the real estate agent looking to begin using video as part of their real estate marketing program.

ADDING A WIDE ANGLE LENS TO THE KODAK Zi8

Out of the box the Kodak Zi8 does not shoot very wide video so a simple modification can be quickly performed.

The videos below detail how to attach the Sunpak .5x(HDhat.com recommended lens) and the Sunpak .45x magnetic lens.

Video 1 also reviews a bit of the camera and some of the Zi8′s simple settings.

We also recommend an inexpensive video stabilizer bar such as that offered by http://www.videostabilizerbar.com which helps to eliminate some of the natural twisting of the arm & wrist that is common when using an ultra compact camera like the Zi8 or Flips.

VIDEO 1

This video details how to attach the Sunpak .5x wide angle lens to your Kodak Zi8 and also goes over some of the cameras basic features and settings. The end of the video features a short clip of a real estate video tour shot using the Zi8 with the .5x lens.

VIDEO 2

This video details how to attach the Sunpak .45x magnetic wide angle lens to your Kodak Zi8. The end of the video features a short clip of a real estate video tour shot using the Zi8 with the .45x lens.

Kodak Zi8 – Real Estate Video Camera

Pros:

*Incredibly simple to operate

*Inexpensive

*Quality video results when lighting is sufficient

*Respectable video quality in lowlight

*External mic jack for interviews and profile videos

*HDMI port

*Removeable SD storage card

*Removeable/replaceable battery

*EIS – Electronic Image Stabilization – this cuts down on “twitches” that are common in many of the other compacts.

*Simple USB transfer and easy to use plug/play software that facilitates basic editing and transfer to Youtube and Facebook
Cons:

*Lack of manual settings for exposure.

*Software is simple but not that powerful

PHOTO GALLERY – .5x Sunpak Wide Angle lens samples

The photos below were taken with the Kodak Zi8 using the .5x wide angle lens. You’ll notice far less vignetting and higher clarity with this lens vs the .45x lens.
The .5x takes a little more effort to attach and modification is more apparent but it is the HDhat.com recommended solution for a wide angle lens for the Kodak Zi8.

PHOTO GALLERY – .45x Sunpak Magetic Wide Angle lens samples

The photos below were taken with the Kodak Zi8 using the .45x wide angle lens. There is noticeable vignetting with this lens.
The .45x is very easy to attach and the modification is not very apparent once complete. However, the magnetic attachment does release fairly easily and could very easily result in lens breakage.

Enter HDHat.com.  I recently spoke to Mark Passerby who shared tips on cameras, shooting the video properly and how there amazing service is a perfect solution to the growing demand for real estate video.

The easy part for most agents is getting the footage of the property.  There are many cameras on the market right now (Mark mentioned 3 great options that work with any budget) that are both affordable and will get the job done easily.  Where the challenge lies for many Realtors is in the post production of editing, voice over, transitions, etc in an effort to produce a finished video that really has that WOW factor we know tech savvy home sellers demand.

HDHat.com has really simplified this process for you by giving you a 2 click portal to upload the raw footage to and they will then turn around in 24 hours and send you the final polished clip.  They handle all of the tedious work behind the scenes for a very fair price and you get the quality and word of mouth that comes along with providing something that is cutting edge and done professionally.  Another awesome perk of what they can do is by them submitting your new listing videos to several different video sites it gives you some really great SEO juice in Google when someone searches for the address of that property.  They even have properties that are all 10 results on page on in Google and they all link to the well done real estate video tour.

Mark even gives tips and tricks that really improve the footage on your end and makes there job easier, thus producing an A+ real estate video in under 24 hours.  In fact you will be spending less than 20 minutes of your time getting the footage and they take it from there.  Mark was also nice enough to answer a question that I get all the time during our interview about which cameras are the best for recording footage for this real estate specific use.

I hope you find our interview informative and I would really encourage you guys to try out HDHat.com as it is a cost effective, tech savvy solution to putting out high quality real estate video tours without spending a whole lot of time or money!

You can also see a collection of there work by visiting their YouTube Channel. Here is one sample to view now:

If you have any questions for Mark you can also leave those below as always.