Architectural Photography Gear - A Good (basic) Setup

Starter Kit for Architectural Video + Photography

If you’re looking for camera gear to document your work and record video for a YouTube channel these are my current recommendations.

Camera Body with articulating screen: Canon 90D (body only) or the Canon 90D Video Creator’s Kit which includes a kit lens (18-55mm), an external mic, and SD card (6DMKII shown above is the full frame equivalent). Crop sensor vs. full frame vs. mirrorless discussed below.
**2022 UPDATE: I currently own and use two Canon full frame mirrorless EOS-R bodies. The upgraded sensor + dynamic range as compared with the 6DMKII is substantially better.
Wide angle lens: Canon EF-S 24mm f2.8 (budget option) Canon 16-35mm f4L IS (better quality option)
Manfrotto 055 Upgraded Tripod with Cantilevered arm (more about this setup here)
Manfrotto MVH502AH Upgraded Video Head
RODE SmartLav+ lavalier mic paired with your smartphone is better than the on-board mic for video. See below for additional shotgun mic recommendations.
Extra Batteries - ~$13 ea
Adobe Lightroom + Photoshop Photography Plan - $10/month Essential for editing your RAW photos for social media and your website.
32GB SD card $12, you’ll need a Class 10 card if you’re recording video. 64GB is even better.
Variable ND filter to fit the chosen lens. For video the variable ND filter blocks varying amounts of light which allows you to open your aperture. Wider apertures help you achieve the blurred background effect known as bokeh and brings attention to your subject.

That’s all you need to get started, to learn more about the evolution of my kit read on…

I started with a cropped sensor Canon 70D DSLR, moved to a full-frame Canon 6DMKII DSLR, and in April of 2020 graduated to a full-frame mirrorless Canon EOS-R. I liked it so much I bought another one in 2021. When you’re starting out with zero experience and no equipment your first decision point is to choose amongst camera manufacturers and systems. Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras are disappearing in favor of lighter mirrorless cameras but still a dominant and affordable camera style in the market today.

I chose a Canon DSLR based on their reputation, color science, and market dominance. Canon gear is easily sourced where I live (new + used) and competitively priced. When I started on YouTube in 2013, the 70D which was one of the most popular vlogging cameras available. I bought it for a few main reasons: it was affordable (low-mid range), it was one of the few with fully articulating screen, and knowing I wanted to use it for video Canon’s dual pixel auto-focus was, and still is, the best-in-class. The touch sensitive, tilt-screen allowed me to record video of myself and monitor it in real-time, and was an unexpected bonus for capturing photos from awkward angles (high or low). It’s a feature I can’t live without now.

To complement the camera body I chose a few cheap prime lenses (see below) and began shooting with it. I resigned myself to making lots of content to learn how to use it. Learning about ISO, shutter speed and aperture, frame rates, video codecs and compression, I fell so deeply in love with the process of taking and editing photos and video that I began to see the shortcomings of this entry level rig. As the YouTube channel earned more, I reinvested the earnings into upgrading my pancake lenses first.

Shooting wide with a lens like the 16-35mm f4.0L pictured above is important for both architectural photography + video. It’s especially true if you choose a cropped sensor as the effective focal length will be 1.6 times greater than the actual (16mm is actually ~26mm). It allows you to photograph more of the space and with video 24mm is a near perfect focal length for making the viewer feel as though they’re right there with you. Upgraded lenses improved the image quality, but the true limitations were baked in to the camera body and sensor. I loved Canon’s colors, but the video from the smaller sensor was mushy.

It took me three years and many hundreds of hours of experimenting and making to get to a point where I wanted to upgrade the camera body. Even today, I still use the 70D to capture second camera angles and gain some extra reach out of my long lenses (200mm is a 360mm equivalent on the 70D’s cropped sensor).

Making the jump to a full-frame sensor and the 6DMKII improved the quality of the images and video I was capturing, but I spent only two years with this new body before outgrowing the limitations of the 6DMKII’s video codec. Even when paired with beautiful L-series glass, my videos were soft. Adding sharpening in post helped, but I wanted to capture a better image in-body and to do that I needed a more robust video codec and higher bitrate. As my focus has shifted more and more toward making high-quality video content and with the introduction of the EOS-R by Canon, their first full-frame mirrorless with a fully articulating touch screen, I was again ready to upgrade. The EOS-R is a substantial investment and - if you’re just getting started - not one I’d recommend. Start simply with a cropped sensor DSLR like the 90D and shoot with it. If you like it and find yourself needing higher quality output, you can always sell it and move into a full frame body like the EOS-R or it’s latest replacement.

I’ll review in detail the components you’ll be choosing amongst below.

camera body

The Canon 70D / 80D / 90D are crop sensor cameras. Smaller sensors produce smaller images, capture a more limited dynamic range and are overall less expensive than full-frame sensors to manufacture. Larger sensors will record a greater dynamic range and will allow you to use the maximum focal length of your lenses. Choosing a crop sensor for a first camera is sensible as it allows one to purchase a nice camera and still have some in reserve to pick up a few nice lenses. And, at 24.2 and 32.5 megapixels (respectively) a crop sensor camera like the 80D or 90D will still net you fantastic image quality.

It’s important to know a couple of things if you choose a crop sensor camera. The smaller sensor changes the effective focal length of any lens you use. For these camera bodies, you’ll have to multiply the lens’ focal length by 1.6 to calculate the actual focal length. So, for a 10MM lens, the effective focal length when used on a crop sensor camera would actually be 16MM, while on a full frame EOS-R, it would be the actual 10MM. You can see the smaller sensor is able to capture less information from the same lens, which makes sense, right? If you have a long lens in your stable, this effect can turn a 200mm lens into a 320mm ultra-zoom. The entry lenses I chose below note the converted focal lengths to give you an idea of how wide they actually are.

**2022 Update: Given the minor difference in cost between a crop sensor body - like the 90D - and the full frame EOS-R, I’d absolutely recommend this as the new entry level standard. Canon is phasing out it’s DSLR line in favor of mirrorless models and the EOS-R provides a much cleaner image. In fact, I liked mine so much, I bought two!

Canon EOS-R (April 2020 current kit) — **Canon EOS-R** (2022 current kit)

Canon 24MM EF-S/f 2.8 $149 (of the two, this is the wider angle) - effective focal length on 70D = 38MM

Canon 40mm EF f/2.8 STM Lens - $179 (more of a macro lens, close-ups, detail shots) - effective focal length on 70D = 64MM

Lenses

I started off purchasing two prime lenses of better quality that would be the foundation of my kit. Some opt for the kit lens, but I read too many reviews about the inferior quality. I chose one for close-up work - details and filming videos - and another for wider angle work. 40MM/f2.8 EF STM (effective focal length of 64MM) $179, the STM designation stands for Stepper Motor which has been designed for nearly silent autofocusing when recording video. This one came with a hood, a UV filter and a lens cleaning supply kit too.

24MM/f2.8 EF-S STM (effective focal length of 38MM) $149 The ’S’ designation stands for “small image circle”. Crop sensor cameras allow the optical elements to protrude further into the camera
body, which allows for some very wide angle lenses and enables them to be made smaller, lighter (containing less glass), faster (larger aperture) for less money.

From these initial purchases I’ve made a series of upgrades. First I wanted a wider angle lens, so I picked up the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens. This has image stabilization and is nice for interior architectural work; it’s not, however, the sharpest lens and at its widest FOV, the edge distortion is severe. For the price it offers reasonable value, especially for entry level interior documentation and everyday vlogging or video work, but I’d probably recommend saving up for one of the sharper, wide angles listed below.

Next, I purchased what has become my go-to, favorite lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Zoom Lens. My first “L” or Professional Series lens. See the red ring there? That’s Canon’s visual indicator that the optics are of the highest quality. The images this lens produces are truly impressive in every way. It comes at a pretty steep price though which is why I waited four years to upgrade. The zoom feature is handy when space is tight and you absolutely can’t move further away from your subject. On a full frame 24mm is a great focal length for capturing interiors without the significant distortion I noticed with the 10-18mm.

Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens - effective focal length on 70D = 16 - 28mm

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Standard Zoom Lens - effective focal length 38mm - 112mm

Next, came two in rapid succession, the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS, and the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II lenses. That little red ring…it hypnotizes you. Once you upgrade your glass, it’s hard to go back to lenses of inferior quality. Having dismissed zoom lenses early on, I’ve found their versatility to be invaluable. Both of these lenses have a version that’s a stop wider than the 4, bringing the maximum aperture to 2.8, but it’s add a lot to the cost and the weight. To help offset the slower lens aperture, each has an active internal stabilization system which will help you shoot a few stops wider than you normally would be able to handhold. For video, the IS is quite useful as well and although not a substitute for a gimbal it takes the edge off of ultra-shaky footage. The most recent addition to my collection is the Canon EF 100mm f2.8L Macro (added in Nov 2018). I’m using it sketching videos as well as detailed images (materials, connections, textures…) The IS for this lens is super helpful given the 100mm focal length.

Accessories

Ravelli APGL4 New Professional 70" Tripod with Adjustable Pistol Grip Head - $65 (link is for the Amazon basics version)

Manfrotto 055 Upgraded Tripod with Cantilevered arm (more about this setup here)

Manfrotto MVH502AH Upgraded Video Head

RODE VideoMic Pro shotgun mic $199 (on board mic is subpar)

RODE SmartLav+ lavalier mic $75

Extra Batteries - $13 ea

Adobe Lightroom + Photoshop Photography Plan - $10/month

32GB SD card $12, need the Class 10 card if you’re recording video

The bag (which works well for everything architecture too) is the Lowepro ProTactic 450 AWII, and it holds not only my camera gear (lenses, SD cards, batteries, camera body), but it also has a slot for my Macbook Air/iPad Pro and the top compartment fits a sketchbook, pens, and my phone. Two side access compartments allows quick access to the camera from either side and the semi-hard shell exterior has a Molle system to clip or velcro your accessories to (waterbottles, flashlights, etc.)

NICE TO HAVE, BUT NOT NECESSARY

DJI Mavic Pro Drone I have the original version 1 and the most current is v3. Here are a few reasons to upgrade: new models (2+3) have a better controller + larger sensor. Overall, in bright lighting conditions this drone captures nice footage and provides a different vantage point to architectural work. It’s especially handy on site visits (sloping sites especially) and for mapping terrain. The smaller sensor in v1 isn’t very capable in low light conditions and it’s a bit underpowered on windy, coastal sites.

Insta360 One X2 For capturing interior spaces and job site documentation this is a time-saver. The internal stabilization and post-production reframing of video footage are incredibly versatile and easy to use.

Professional Kit

A few additional pieces of gear my professional friends + collaborators use for photoshoots. If I had to move to an upgraded camera body for photography only, the Canon 5DMKIV would be a solid choice. But, it’s been a long while since it’s been refreshed and for video, because it lacks a flip screen, it’s a no-go for me personally. Of the below kit, the Aputure 120D Light Dome has made the biggest difference in video quality. Having a large, soft light source of a known Kelvin temperature makes the image beautiful and easy to color grade in post.