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Well, now I understand bad bad MLS photos!

New camera for Mother's Day! Great. I've been using my old Sony Mavica for years and I do love the thing.

MLS photo The floppy discs are reusable! The camera is good and heavy feeling so it's easy to hold it steady.

But time marches on and I go to a party once in awhile and wanted a smaller camera so it would fit in my purse.

So I have this new Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W150 that is no bigger than a cell-phone.

I started yesterday to try to figure it out. I spent today trying to figure it out. I spend last night dreaming of how hard it is to figure it out. It is more complicated than I'd thought it would be.

I love the wide-angle lens that will take a shot of three sides of a room, the floor and the ceiling! My other camera would not do that! What! A smile sensor. It snaps when you smile.....

The moral to this blog, I guess, is that I now understand the awful pictures in our MLS book a little better than I did. How many agents are willing to give up a whole weekend (and I'm still not finished) trying to learn how to operate a stupid camera. Just use the cell phone camera and go out and have some fun.

By the way, this MLS photo shows skill. It shows the things up close (mailbox) and the things in the distance (house) and both are in focus!! I knew it had caught my eye for some reason! My goal is to be this good!!

P.S. If you have hints for me with this camera, shoot them my way......................................................

Posted by Barbara S. Duncan ABR, CRS, GRI, e-PRO Searcy AR on 05/11/2009 07:12 AM

Comments (24)

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sony mavica, sony cybershot, new camera, mls photos, barbara duncan real estate searcy ar

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24 Comments on Well, now I understand bad bad MLS photos!

MAY

Hint #1. Keep a supply of batteries handy.

Hint #2. Try the "auto" feeature. It will save pixels and make the images much easier to load.

I too loved the Mavika and used them for many years. Once most computers no longer had floppy disk drives, although mine do, it was obsolete and the Mavikas are bulky.

I still have two that work.

Not knowing what a Mavika is (or was) I can only say these new camera's are fancy. I use auto as I am not that smart! Enjoy!

Barbara,

I have a Kodak , anyway, its digital,. Does this tell you anything! Anyway, It takes great pictures, and isn't big or heavy.

I really didn't take a lot of time getting to know everything it can do, but it would be a good idea!

Barbara, snap away. It is amazing what a good wide angle lens camera will do for you. I went looking at online brochures of luxury homes, I knew they were shot by professionals. I made mental notes of what I liked and didn't like. Also, make sure you straighten the photo, just in case, like me, you tend to hold the camera a bit off.

Another thing is there are many photographers here on AR. They are always willing to answer questions!

Good luck and have fun!

Hi Barbara ~ I loved my two Sony Mavicas as well. I got my first one in 1998 for ebay actually. Loved those floppy discs! And I'm with you - I simply do not have the time to spend days figuring out a new piece of equipment or software.

Liz

I hate having to read a manual for something new. Last week my copier went down. Turned out to be a bad new cartridge *thank heaven* as I did not want to figure a new one out right now.

I think the new camera nicely highlights how the mailbox needs tuckpointing.

Hey, Barbara. Don't you just love new toys. I am sure you will have it all figured out very soon. Thanks, Jim

Hi Barbara, and Happy Mother's Days a day late ( I didn't come near my computer at all yesterday or I would have stopped by then).

I'm not familiar with your camera, so I don't have a lot on input other than to say that the Auto feature will serve you well until you figure out all the little details. Get an extraset of rechargeable batteries, this will keep you from ever running out of power. Have fun and click away.

That mailbox needs a little tuck-pointing.

Congratulations on your camera upgrade. Regarding wide angle, the lens does a little distortion in order to get the wide angle. Fisheye lens are an extreme example. I rely on panorama software to get good undistorted views from several carefully shot pics. I like Arcsoft Panorama Maker Pro v. 4.5. Don't worry, it's easy to use.

Here's an example of a pic made from 4 shots. It's not possible to get this view with a wide angle lens.

P&D GGB

Barbara,

In the inspection field getting decent photos, with a camera that is not unwieldy can be a chore. I have used a few different ones and now tend to use an Olympus. You need far away photos, closeup, etc.

Lenn, I also have two workable Sony Mavicas. They're like kids. You love them and don't want to part with them. I gotta practice with this new one.

Gary, we are brother/sister then because cameras have always been very difficult for me. No matter how hard I try, they're harder.

Connie, I've always had this problem of wanting to get my money's worth. If the camera makes movies I want to use it. I try at first to learn all of it and then I sign and give up.

Andrea, I too seem to get the camera a little off straight. I have learned to straighten them a little.

Elizabeth, me too. The second Sony was for doing better close-ups for ebay. So now I have two. I believe my old Sony will probably do a better micro than this new one. It says it does micro up to 4". That's not close enough, is it?

Tammy, my home copier is down right now. I guess it thinks that at the ripe old age of 13 it can just quit. I think it still has life in it and I'm going to work on it as soon as I finish this dratted camera.

Alan Elvis, what is a tuckpointing??

Jim and Maria, I HATE new toys that require manuals. This camera is getting to me!

Suesan, I've been short of time for my activerain activity lately also. Now I've got the camera to figure out so bear with me. I'll be back.

Tom Boos, what is tuckpointing???

Don, there you go braggin' and usin' big words again. You're just so far above me in cameras and computers and fisheyes and panoramas! I need that little camera that Paula won and maybe it wouldn't be so hard!

Steven, yeah, I know. And you need to be able to figure them out fast!

Barbara - I have seen some terrible MLS photos in the last number of years, but this one of your's seems to take the cake. . .What where they thinking? Oh, I got it figured out. That house is an "8" in numerology. The Asian community loves the number 8. . .That house ought to sell:-)

When I have to figure out a new piece of equipment I usually tend to just start using it. And figuring it out as I go. Of course sometimes this takes longer than reading the manual - lol. I too would like to know what tuckpointing is??? ~Rita

MAY

Myrl, I wondered myself what they thought. Perhaps they wanted to show the nice mailbox but the mailbox has a flaw. Beats me! But is is clear!

Rita and Brian, my worry is taking pictures of a house 20 miles away, getting home and having no pictures or awful pictures and then folks will laugh at my pictures...... : (

Barbara - tuckpointing is the repair of mortar that holds bricks in place.

Hi Barbara, while the mailbow is clear (nicely taken), it's use as an MLS photo puzzles me. You can't see most of the property. That is, afterall, what they are trying to sell! : )

We had a hard time giving up our Mavica ... about 9 years ago! We have several, i.e.- 8, different digital cameras. Each has its purpose. The main thing for real estate - ultra wide angle. Congratulations on your efforts - it will pay off for you and your customers.

Alan Elvis, is that all it is. I thought it would be something more interesting!!

Tony, as I said, maybe they wanted to show the brick mailbox as a feature......still strange....

Jim Valentine, that's a lot of cameras! I only have 3!

MAY

Hey Barbara - I have the older and larger Sony Cyber Shot and I LOVE it. I'd love for it to break so I could get the smaller version but for right now it ain't broke and it's doing a darn good job! Enjoy!

MAY

Carol, I think I'm going to like this camera as soon as I understand it and it understands me.

MAY

Barbara,

That is a great camera. Should take great pictures, with just the basic point and shoot.

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