News video photographers have cameras that sit on their shoulder, and they study the eye piece while panning, or just zooming in and out of the scene or talking head they want to capture.

With video, unless you want to spring for a professional camera that could cost from $4000 to $23,000, you may want to start out with something a little lower cost. Check the hard drive size, the sensitivity to low light situations as you are not carrying around a lot of lights nor do you have a spotlight on the camera usually.

     Also see if you can add a hand held or lavalier microphone, a windscreen for windy outside production days on the camera you are considering. I found an aftermarket audio shoe that came from Germany but took some time to find a place that had them available to buy, and that was not out of stock. But back to that all important fit.

Make sure the camera fits in your hand. That it is not like holding a brick or a toaster or something awkward. A wrist strap to secure your hand to the camera you are holding, that feels like an extension of your hand if matched to your paw size correctly.

Try them out and get one that you can wrap your hand around solidly and hold securely.  Video cameras do not want to be dropped, to end up in a lake or river that you are being creative at with shots to hear the water with the camera microphone. To capture the wave action, the sparkle of sun on that water to showcase the land or home, camp it borders. Quick ability to plant on a tripod handy but also balanced and ergonomically fit for your hand size are key to save you time, feel comfortable and make this real estate tool easy to use. The flip cameras do not feel natural to me, too square, too boxy and for on the fly, just would not work in addition to other features beside feel and fit in the electronic department requiring more cash outlay for better results.

     I found my old Sony with a wrist strap was ideal and then a new HD Sony video camera had more electronics and weight. But adjustments made to proportion that weight in an extended stretched length so it fits in your hand, rather than just snug in your palm like it's older predecessor. If it is not a comfortable fit, feels unnatural, its like shoes too big or small. Awkward, irritating, distracting. It wil not feel like an extension as you quickly shoot, edit in your head as you capture the sequence and then stitch it for upload to a variety of platforms / social media outlets. Like a world series baseball player who like a certain bat, with a certain weight, color, grip or a hockey player with the same pickyness for a certain weight or flex stick or gloves or skates. It all adds up to the little things that affect the production, that harness and direct the effort you put in for the results you want. Feeling natural means the weight, fit of the video camera is one less thing to worry about. Heft them, shoot some footage and see how fluid your pans are, and if you can be unaware of the camera and more intent on the subject your are capturing which requires your attention and no distractions from a cinderblock shape or weight camera.

Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers - Maine, Live Your Taser In The City.