Camera Choice For Trainee

[Artemis Fowl]

Splitting hairs but:
If commercial...phone works fine.
If residential...recommend camera. IMO you look less like a creep and more like someone doing a job...no guarantees if you wear sandals to your inspection tho.

 

[Joe Flacco]

Get a wide angle lens camera.

 

[residentialguy]

I'm with the get a separate camera crowd. They have superior wide angle and long distance...besides my phone is too valuable to be carrying it out and potentially dropping it with all the other stuff appraisers need to juggle while inspecting. I have had the best luck with the Panasonic Lumix cameras with at least 24-75mm lens. You can get some really good older ones on amazon and ebay for $100-$250 that are still in new condition.

 

[Basically Rectangular]

A phone will do but a dslr is better. You can wear a dslr on your neck and I have found it more comfortable to manage while taking notes than reaching into my pocket.
Not sure about all phones but while the phone I was using had an excellent camera, the file sizes were just too large, and no way on the phone to make them smaller. Thanks to marketing and technology, most people don't understand that unless you want to print a wall-sized poster, 5 megapixels are more than adequate for prints, but who really prints anymore anyway? I can set my dslr to the smallest file setting and not worry about file sizes, which can become an issue depending on what report software you use.
The flash is better on a dslr. You will encounter the REO with no power and creepy basement.

That being said if it is for training purposes I would probably buy a laser before a camera, a phone works fine and it's not architectural photography quality that is expected.

 

[Tim The Enchanter]

Yes on the wide angle lens. Also my phone has no flash, which is handy indoors.
Still using a Kodak V705 that is 13 or 14 years old.
I did not realize cameras were still being made with the Kodak name.
Looks like they sold or leased the rights to some other company.
In China I suppose.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Panasonic Lumix cameras with

Good cameras. Since I've been an SLR guy since I got out of High School, I think of my phone as a back up. These new cameras though are making me think gee, if I had a couple grand it could be a Pentax K-1 or this baby,..for half that
https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/compact-digital-cameras/coolpix-p1000.html

 

[Tim The Enchanter]

I have a Nikon D40 to sell with 2 lenses, filters, a book, a bag, and a bunch of extra stuff if anyone is interested.
Works fine, but I don't use it. Is rather big to haul around, and the small camera works just as well for me.

 

[Joe Flacco]

I use a Canon sx30is. Discontinued but can find a used one for $100-$200 now. The good thing about this model compared to the newer versions of the same camera is that this one has a flippable LCD which is useful.

 

[Deleted member 152047]

A phone will do but a dslr is better. You can wear a dslr on your neck and I have found it more comfortable to manage while taking notes than reaching into my pocket.
Not sure about all phones but while the phone I was using had an excellent camera, the file sizes were just too large, and no way on the phone to make them smaller. Thanks to marketing and technology, most people don't understand that unless you want to print a wall-sized poster, 5 megapixels are more than adequate for prints, but who really prints anymore anyway? I can set my dslr to the smallest file setting and not worry about file sizes, which can become an issue depending on what report software you use.
The flash is better on a dslr. You will encounter the REO with no power and creepy basement.

That being said if it is for training purposes I would probably buy a laser before a camera, a phone works fine and it's not architectural photography quality that is expected.

http://www.bricelam.net/ImageResizer/

I've been using this free batch resizer for years. It is super easy and the best software for this that I have come across.

 

[Rlong]

The newer phones have very good lenses, I stopped carrying the camera once I was carrying the laser, and sketching on the iphone plus (big screen iphone). Was just not comfortable switching three things in my hands.. I'm not sure my clients are really concerned about image quality, literally never had a comment or complaint. But I respect those that want to create better images, it is just not my style, I needed the most efficient.