Appraiser Cameras

[Randall Garrett]

I cannot find a US source for the EX-Z150 yet. The Casio EX-Z250 and EX-Z350 have been announced just a little over a week ago. Basic specs:

Z250: 9.1 MP, 28mm - 112mm, MSRP $249.99
Z300: 10.1 MP, 28mm - 112mm, MSRP $299.99

The $179 MSRP Z85 reportedly has a 38mm - 114mm zoom :-(

The availability of a 28mm equiv. lens is a most welcome addition to this super-slim camera! Previous cameras were 3X as typified by the Z85. Hopefully, the "street price" of the Z250 and Z300 will be $50 - $75 less than the MSRP. Maybe that means we'll see the 8.1 MP Z150 for well under $200...

Hope this helps!

-Randall Garrett-
..Apex Software..

 

[reliantappraisals]

I have been using kodak cameras for years with great results.
They are sub $300 dollar cameras with 8-10mp
They come with a dock/charger so you never worry about batteries or charging. Just throw it on the dock at the end of the day and life is good.

I use the larger traditional looking style camera, my current one is the p850, I like it and it has lasted me for 3 years with no repairs or additional parts/batteries needed. I suggest testing them out in a store, some cameras have a wider angle than others which can be helpfull at times.

Heck even that is overkill after the pictures are compressed into the report. In a pinch (i forget my camera somtimes) my cellphone takes photos that look nearly as good once their in the report.

 

[Lawrence R.]

Another interesting camera coming soon. The Nikon Coolpix P6000 is a 13.5 MP mid-sized shooter with a 28mm - 112mm (equiv.) zoom and adds a GPS sensor that encodes the current location into the EXIF data for geo-tagging. Some other features popular with appraisers are an optical viewfinder in addition to the typical LCD on the back and a shoe for external flash.

More detailed info on this camera can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/59l3gg
and here: http://tinyurl.com/5sl268

MSRP is projected at $499


-Randall Garrett-
..Apex Software..

Why on earth would I want to geo tag my photos? So that they wouldn't need to even bother reading the address I put in on the grid before mining the photos and the comp data?

That is most decidedly NOT COOL with me.

 

[Metamorphic]

Geo tagging would be very helpful for us rural appraisers. The address data bases sometimes get a little flaky in the sticks and even sometimes the road outlines in the map data bases are significantly wrong making a relative positioning difficult.

 

[Randall Garrett]

Lawrence,

Geotagging photos is very helpful for some professions. If you don't find it useful, then fine, but the info in the EXIF is not automatically transferred when putting the photo into a common URAR type report. I seriously doubt the software you are using even knows what that data is or accepts it anyway, LOL. And if someone is mining your reports, they are getting some sort of locational data you put in the report, anyway... :-( So, if you want to stop that, quit putting in that data, LOL. Seriously, the main use for geotagging photos is so the USER (appraiser, inspector, whatever) benefits - it helps identify the location of the photo and can make it easier to keep track of which photo belongs with which comp, or whatever. Remember what a hassle it is keeping this stuff straight? I do... Still, it is mainly used by folks doing more properties at once than a typical residential appraiser, but I mentioned it here for those who might be interested in the fact that this sort of technology is finally coming down to the sub-$500 range. I see this as a good thing.

Reliant,

The P850 is a fine camera, and has a wider-than-typical zoom lens. I found it a little bulky for my personal tastes, but the SLR-like form factor was sort of comforting, too... On the other hand, some of the newer point-n-shooters are a little too small, IMHO. Does your P850 constantly do that little in/out "micro-focus" dance? Mine does and it kinda bothers me - it is like the auto-focus is on all the time vs. just active at shutter half-press. Love that lens, though!

Just my 2¢...

-Randall Garrett-
..Apex Software..

/end/

 

[Vermonter]

Well, I can recommend one NOT to get.... Kodak Z712 IS!

Fresh batteries won't last thru an inspection and will corrupt pics before you can download to your pc. Avoid this POS at all costs!

 

[Jo Ann Meyer Stratton]

I just purchased a Cannon PowerShot SD790 IS ELPH. This makes my third ELPH and it seems to be working very well. Has a 3" screen to focus and look at the photo I am taken/have taken (which is good for my aging eyesight). Only problem is all the control buttons are right where my thumb needs to be to hold onto the camera as I take a photo. So I have made a plastic sleeve to fit over the right side of the camera so I am not pushing function buttons as I use the camera. Cost $205 at Amazon.com--the price at Walmart was $259. My first ELPH had a stainless steel case and last five years, dropped on concrete, down mountain sides, etc, etc--and still in use. My second ELPH lasted two years, hard plastic case that looks like stainless steel. So I am hoping this third one is as dependable as the first one. And to think my first digital camera cost over $500 and only held 30 photos! I have a 1gb card in my camera which holds close to 7,000 photos at the 480x640 size.

 

[reliantappraisals]

Randall

You can actually turn that continual autofocus feature off.
I also like to use the flash in fill mode, I never ever get a dark photo that way, Particularly in dimly lit homes the flash is a lifesaver.
I like the larger size, it fits nicly in my cup holder when driving and along with the long strap it comes with keeps me from easily dropping it.

sorry for the bad spelling/grammer...in a hurry.

 

[Randall Garrett]

Reliant,

Good points, all! Thanks for the auto-focus tip! I take it from your comment that my P850 is not defective - just that I didn't RTFM, LOL.

I also like the tip about putting the lens assembly in the cup holder - very cool!

Your mention of the fill mode for flash is most appropriate. The P850 is one of the few cameras that even offer this in any real and effective manner. Great tip!

Thanks for contributing!

-Randall Garrett-
..Apex Software..

/end/

 

[appraisalondemand]

why so long Pentax Optio W60

Randall,
I took your advice with this camera. The camera is ok. I have not tested the waterproof feature yet (the main reason I bought this as I have lost 3 out of the four last cameras to water) Anyway, the camera is slightly larger that it looked and that I am used to, which I am totally ok with. I really like the wide angle lense. Some photos appear to be blurry, while others are more crisp than I have ever seen. The camera doesn't seem as rugged as I thought it would or what it looks like. The most important concern I have is...it takes too long from taking a picture to the next picture. I need to be able to take photos back to back with out the wait. I can deal with everything else. Is there something I am missing? I cannot remember the proper name for this. Let me know if I can adjust the settings to allow for a quicker refresh.

Thanks again - The last four cameras I have had have been: Kodak 570 (freshly stolen), (3) Casio Exilim 3.2

FWIW, I do not seem to be able to get a full 10 MP image out of the W60 in 16:9 aspect ratio - it is only available in the older 4:3 format. If you want to use a 16:9 "wide screen" format, you drop the image down to a 7.5 MP setting.

Question: Do any of the forms software photo pages support 16:9 images or are they all still 4:3?

I would think this would start to be an issue with more and more people starting to use 16:9 aspect ratio as standard now. I know it is for me as almost all of our monitors are 16:10 now and all my TVs are 16:9. Looking at your photos in 4:3 format on a 16:10 or 16:9 display is not very satisfying...

-Randall Garrett-
..Apex Software..

/end/