Appraiser Cameras

[VegasWayne]

I have used my film camera, Canon F-1 with a 20mm lens, for a couple of very nice houses. The long exposures I took for a roof deck at night came out very well. The cost of the digital equivalent is currently prohibitive.

 

[Bill_FL]

Wayne - I had 3 F1 bodies and about 12 lenses (tons of lighting gear too) stolen from me about 25 years ago. Wish I still had them. Film wise, I only have an A1 and a Yashicamat TLR.

To the guy shooting in RAW. If you are shooting in raw for appraisals, you are wasting your time. Yes RAW will capture more data/detail, however there is no need for that size image in appraising. I shoot in RAW for pro work only. My file sizes average about 6-8MB each. On most pro level DSLR's, shooting in jpg medium would be overkill for appraising. The software packages simply do not have viewers or processing capabilities to be able to tell the difference.

I do pro photography work, but that gear does not get used for appraising. I use a sony cyber shot for appraising.

 

[Metamorphic]

Agreed, you dont need to shoot raw. But I've never seen any reason to shoot at less that the camera's full resolution. In terms of time invested and money spent, a generous number of good high-res photos gives a lot of bang for the buck in terms of work file and the ability to substantiate quality/condition judgements.

 

[Bill_FL]

Agreed, you dont need to shoot raw. But I've never seen any reason to shoot at less that the camera's full resolution. In terms of time invested and money spent, a generous number of good high-res photos gives a lot of bang for the buck in terms of work file and the ability to substantiate quality/condition judgements.

Take a look at your picture in photoshop or GIMP. The take a look at it once it has been pdf'd. The PDF process is very lossy for pictures. They just are not at the same quality level. You can put it 6MB photos and the entire file ends up less than 1MB.

 

[Metamorphic]

I realize that, but on more than a couple of occasions I've emailed full resolution pictures to a UW or reviewer to make some point, I've zoomed in on portions of the photo to verify something for myself that I didn't adequately appreciate in the field, and I've severely cropped down a wide shot to put together a more focused shot for a report.

Bottom line a photo is data. A higher res photo is "more" data. It takes no longer to take a full res photo that a limited res photo. The only downside is on the storage end of it. For $50 my carbonite service gives me unlimited storage capacity so its just boils down to the upload time...which happens mostly at night, so no biggie.

One of the local appraiser's had an attorney contact him. The attorney was looking for a good set of quality photos from a known time of a property he had appraised. It was for a case not related to the appraisal. He sold the photos to the attorney for twice what he got for the appraisal.

Just doesnt make sense to me to collect less data.

 

[Metamorphic]

As I'm working with the TZ-6 more I'm finding out a few more things. One, the battery life is significantly less than the TZ-5; like by maybe a third less (just a guess). Secondly, the TZ-6 battery is chipped, so that you can only use OEM batteries and they're a fair bit more than an aftermarket cell for the TZ-5. Also, it seems a wee bit slower on its auto focus.

All things considered there's less of a distinct advantage with the 6 over the 5. Really it boils down to the wide angle. If you really want that extra 2mm, you have to get the 6, if you can live without it the 5 is the clear choice. Either is a very good choice for an appraiser.

 

[Randall Garrett]

Updated Camera PDF

I have updated my "New & Recent Pocket Cameras" PDF and linked to it below. In this update, I removed a couple of cameras in favor of newer models which have similar or better specs and/or lower prices. Some of the newly announced models will not be available at retail or on-line for another (projected) 30 - 60 days so I am leaving the previous PDF linked in the last update in case someone needs something now. Additionally, I have updated the known prices for those available now with the average "street" price. Predictably, most of the cameras have dropped very slightly in price...

I also added a link at the bottom of the "Waterproof & Semi-Rugged" camera pages with a link to an updated review of several popular models.

Note: I had to make the PDF compressed as the size for higher quality exceeded the allowable upload limit. Sorry for the reduced quality this time.

Hope this helps!

-Randall Garrett-
..Apex Software..

/end/

 

[2008 KC Royals]

I have the Panasonic DMC TS-1 and really like it. I think it is the perfect camera for appraisers and anybody who travels. Very tough and waterproof. Very good battery life.

 

[Randall Garrett]

PDF Updated 08/23/2009

FWIW, I have updated my "Recent 24-25mm, Semi-rugged and Micro Four Thirds" PDF and have removed the previous versions. Summarily, the updated document has:

• Added the Canon PowerShot SD980 IS (24mm - 120mm) entry for those Canon fans. This is Canon's first sub-28mm compact camera.
  
• The PDF now contains links to the lowest "street price" found at a reputable e-tailer (i.e. Amazon, Beach, Crutchfield, Dell, etc.) for items available now vs. due out soon. YMMV on your buying experience from the linked e-tailer. I typically use Amazon. Note that some of the Amazon links are to an Amazon Marketplace partner. On some Amazon pages, you have to click to add to your cart before you can see the price. You can always edit your cart and delete the item.
  
• Combined the Samsung HZ10W and HZ15W entry as they were essentially the same except for 10.2 MP vs. 12.1 MP and price, which have dropped to $194 and $239, respectively.
  
• Separated Semi-rugged cameras into Non Wide Angle (typically 35mm equiv. to 105mm equiv. zoom) and Wide Angle (typically 28mm equiv. to between 102mm equiv. and 140mm equiv. zoom) categories. The two listed Non Wide Angle cameras are not recommended for appraisal work due to their 35mm equiv. FOV ratings but are included because I noticed that some appraisers still get by with a non wide-angle camera. The Canon is $315 but makes great pictures, while the Fujifilm model is very inexpensive at $139. I still recommend other models in the $235 - $330 range which have 28mm equiv. lenses for appraisal/inspection work. My recommended overall best appraiser camera is still the Panasonic DMC-TS1 - $330. YMMV, depending on your particular needs...

Also, note that the listed Panasonic DMC-FP8 is not rated as being waterproof, dustproof or otherwise "semi-rugged" (drops.) Still, it has the folded optics design which eliminates the number one failure point of compact shooters - the motorized zoom lens mechanism. Folded optics designs are starting to show up more these days and if the trend continues I will need to expand the section accordingly. Most of the recent models with folded optics do not, however, have a 28mm (equiv.) wide angle rating and are therefore not included in this summary document as it is tailored for appraiser/inspector types. Two recent additions, the Nikon CoolPix S70 and the CoolPix S1000pj, have 28mm - 140mm (equiv.) zooms, but they were just announced earlier this month and are too far out to know (vs. speculate) much. As usual, their announced MSRP is higher than most - $399.00 for the S70 and "unknown" for the S1000pj. The "pj" stands for "projector" - it has a built-in micro-projector, so you can imagine the price when it hits. When I have actually seen and used either one of these, and know more, I will update the PDF accordingly.

Lastly, it has been requested that I start listing traditional DSLR cameras, but I am going to decline on that for now. There are just too many choices, each with too many variables for me to keep track of. Also, the traditional DSLR is typically geared more toward the "prosumer" (or higher) category and toward those who are photo enthusiasts. These folks know what they want/need and there are plenty of sites which do an excellent job of addressing this crowd. I continue to list the two available Micro Four Thirds entries as I believe they address a common complaint of DSLR cameras - size and weight, yet they give you a way to get to better photographs than a compact shooter can manage - they simply have a larger image sensor and better glass (lenses) than shooters (the LX3, notwithstanding.) As mentioned before, the two entries approach the "problems" differently. The Olympus E-P1 is essentially like a compact shooter with beefed up sensor and lens, no on-board flash and no viewfinder (like most shooters today.) The Panasonic G1 is like a slimmed down traditional DSLR and has both on-board flash and probably one of the best electronic viewfinders available today, especially in this price range. So, if you like the look & feel of a compact shooter and can live with the need to add a "bolt-on" viewfinder and flash, the Olympus E-P1 is your choice today. If you like the feel of a traditional DSLR but want something much more compact, the Panasonic G1 is for you.

Hope this helps!

-Randall Garrett-
..Apex Software..
/end/

 

[Randall Garrett]

PDF Updated 09/02/2009

Have updated the PDF again:

• Updated pricing and availability on some models that were not yet available
• Removed the Panasonic DMC-GH1 and replaced it with the new Panasonic DMC-GF1 which is more comparable to the Olympus E-P1 - that is, more like a compact shooter with a DSLR type sensor, interchangeable lenses, etc. Had I known the NDA on this camera was going to be lifted yesterday, I would have held off publishing the previous PDF. This camera replaced my beloved DMC-LX3...
• Updated the DSLR - Micro Four Thirds illustration to reflect the appropriate camera body/lens comparison for the models listed.
• Added a link for a side-by-side comparison shot of the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic DMC-GF1 so you could better compare them.

As usual, when I update the PDF I will leave the previous PDF uploaded for a few days before removing it.

Hope this helps!


-Randall Garrett-
..Apex Software..