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The Pros and Cons of Renting Camera Equipment
One of the things that put a lot of people off from photography is the exorbitant cost of absolutely everything. Equipment and camera rental can be an affordable way to get the shots you want without sacrificing quality.
I am poor. Not ridiculously so, but a large portion of my income is going towards paying off old credit card debts. I can’t afford fancy lenses right now. Renting lenses is a good way for me to be able to play with fancy equipment on a tiny budget.
I currently use a local outfit here in Vancouver called Leo’s Camera Supply for all my camera rental needs. These guys are mad sexy. If I were the kind of gentleman who’d attempt to court a store as if it were a lady, this would be the first place to receive tacky chocolate roses. I have only ever had one problem with them, and it turned into one of my best customer service experiences ever.
They accidentally double booked a Canon EF 24-105mm F4 ‘L’ IS USM lens I wanted for a single day. I couldn’t get my lens because they technically promised it to the other guy first. I understood, but was frustrated because I still had to shoot an event that day. They set me up with a Sigma EX 24-70mm f2.8 DG Macro for three days, at no charge, and I didn’t even ask for a deal. That’s service.
Obviously if you’re outside of Vancouver, Leo’s is not so helpful. If you’re in Canada, my advice is to check your local photography shops and pray for the best. If you’re in America, options expand somewhat. I’ve found two companies that do mail order lens rental in the US: ZipLens and RentGlass. Sadly, I know nothing about either company beyond what’s in their FAQs.
If forced to choose one, I’d go with RentGlass but I probably couldn’t tell you why. Photocritic wrote a quick entry about these two sites, but (for once) Haje doesn’t seem to know any more than I do.
Renting equipment is a choice I’ve made because it works for me, for now. I know I won’t be doing it forever, and I know it’s not the best choice for everyone.
Lens Rental Pros:
- This is an excellent way to save money on equipment costs when you’re starting out, particularly if you schedule multiple shoots during the same rental period.
- No need to buy accessories. Most rentals come with a good UV filter, lens hood, and carrying case.
- Let’s be honest, how often are you going to need that 400mm fixed lens? That’s what I thought.
- Less risk of damage if you have kids/pets/roommates. It’s easy to be vigilant about a $2,000 lens when you’ve only got it for two days. It’s a lot harder when you own it.
Lens Rental Cons:
- You can’t always get what you want. You are at the whim of what they have in stock, unless you reserve well in advance.
- The cost on frequent lens or camera rental can add up fast. This will start to dig into the money you were saving to purchase equipment.
- You can’t be as spontaneous as you’d like to be. I run into situations all the time, sometimes right after I return my rental, where that lens would be useful.
- It’s cool to own things! There is a distinct happiness that comes from owning your own equipment.
Ultimately, it’s up to everyone to evaluate the idea of camera equipment rental and make the decision themselves. Those of you who use special camera equipment and lenses, do you rent? Why or why not?
Edit: This is also featured as a guest article on Photocritic.org
Brian Larter Said,
January 21, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
Great write up. I’ll be keeping all of this in mind. I hope at one point Aperture Studios will be able to get into lens rentals.
Andrew Ferguson Said,
March 4, 2007 @ 9:30 pm
Despite being all the way across the country, I’m excited about you opening Aperture Studios in Halifax soon.
Like you said, there’s no lens rental place there so you wouldn’t have much competition. Just don’t forget to take deposits! :P
Todd Said,
March 29, 2007 @ 12:40 pm
Hello:
If I may, I would appreciate your allowing me to mention Lens Lenders here in your comments section.
We are a Canadian company renting lenses to Canadian photographers through the mail. Our inventory is small and we focus on Nikon at the moment. (I believe you are a Canon shooter?) But this is the time for Canadian photographers like yourself to make your suggestions so we go where you want us to as we grow.
We offer flat-rate pricing to anywhere in Canada; one price for the entire country. Our lenses include a UV filter, hood, soft case and are shipped inside Pelican containers. A return-shipping label is included with the rental and returns are as simple as bringing the lens to any Canada Post outlet.
May I have your permission to link to your excellent article?
http://www.lenslenders.com/
Andrew Ferguson Said,
March 29, 2007 @ 1:47 pm
Hey Todd,
This sounds like an excellent idea, particularly for East Coast photographers in Canada.
I’m lucky enough to have one (maybe two) shops in town that rent, but my fellow phtoographer Brian in Halifax is not so lucky.
Feel free to link to my article on lenslenders, just email me and let me know when it’s up if you can :)
Thanks!
photographyVoter.com Said,
April 25, 2007 @ 12:57 pm
The Pros and Cons of Renting Camera Equipment…
One of the things that put a lot of people off from photography is the exorbitant cost of absolutely everything. Equipment and camera rental can be an affordable way to get the shots you want without sacrificing quality….
Paul Said,
April 25, 2007 @ 1:05 pm
Great article, very good read and thanks for posting to www.photographyvoter.com (where I found the blog)
Daniel Garcia Said,
April 25, 2007 @ 2:33 pm
I regularly use both ziplens and rentglass. There are things that i like about each. One of the things that I like about ziplens is they give you an approximate date of shipping, that you can use to set up your rentals around. Rentglass appears to have started selling off their used lenses (presumably as they cycle newer gear in).
Usually, if I need to rent a specific lens, i’ll hit up both sites and the one with it in stock gets my business.
Shawn King Said,
April 25, 2007 @ 3:24 pm
In the US, also check out http://www.lensprotogo.com/ . I spoke to them at length during Photoshop World in Boston.
Max Said,
June 18, 2007 @ 12:17 pm
***Shameless Plug***
http://www.borrowlenses.com We have just opened a new service that rents lenses online as well. We offer a lot of high-end Canon lenses. We also give you the ability to reserve lenses ahead of time, we give you an estimated ship date and let you pick up locally (San Francisco Bay Area). Please let us know if you have any feedback.
Thanks,
Max
Andrew Ferguson Said,
June 18, 2007 @ 12:35 pm
@Max:
Thanks for marking it as a shameless plug, I got a kick out of that :P
I spent a few minutes poking around the site and it looks like you guys are Canon exclusive for the time being. Any plans to offer Nikon mount lenses in the future?
Also, your FAQ doesn’t really cover whether you ship to Canada or not; care to step in and answer that one?
Max Said,
June 18, 2007 @ 5:19 pm
Andrew,
I hate when people try to pretend like they are a “customer” posting for somebody else’s site or some nonsense like that. If it’s a shameless plug, I will announce it as such :)
Thanks for checking us out. At this point, we are a Canon-only shop, but that will change as we grow in the next few months. Carrying Nikon lenses is definitely on our radar.
Also, we are currently exploring shipping to Canada. I will announce it here if that option becomes available.
Are you based out of Canada? Are there no good Canada-based lens rental places?
Max
Andrew Ferguson Said,
June 18, 2007 @ 5:41 pm
Yes, I’m based out of Canada. Vancouver, specifically. I’ve got a couple local photography shops for great lens rental, but large swathes of Canada do not.
A friend of mine, Brian Larter, got so frustrated with the lack of lens rental options in Halifax that he’s opening his own studio soon and offering lens rental!
Lenslenders.com seems to be the only option right now. Their selection is limited, but it’s expanded a fair bit since LL’s owner Todd posted in the comments above here.
Drop me a notice if you offer Canadian lens rental in the future :)
Max Said,
June 21, 2007 @ 12:25 pm
Andrew,
Thanks for the post on the state of Canadian rentals. It seems like you guys have it bad ;( The US has at least 5-6 places to rent online and more are coming up. I heard that the main reason for the lack of shipments from US to Canada is various problems at customs. If we figure out a way around them in the future, I will definitely let you know.
Andrew Ferguson Said,
June 21, 2007 @ 1:44 pm
Yeah, I’ve never had the best of luck with customs but not the worst either. Just long delays on everything.
I’ve asked a couple other lens rental companies and they’ve said that the only real ways around it are to operate your lens rental business from inside Canada. Sadly, that’s not really an option for most people.
jackiephotogirl Said,
July 9, 2007 @ 8:22 pm
You forgot another con of renting gear…you need a credit card with a high available limit in order for them to authorize (not actually pay for) a usually large amount of money as collateral. Those of us starting out with oh say, student loans, and only one credit card, can neither afford to buy new gear, nor rent the high ticket items because of this.
Max Said,
July 10, 2007 @ 12:40 am
Hey Jackie,
That is not entirely true. My site (www.borrowlenses.com), as well as our competitors, do not put any sort of “hold” on your credit card. Thus, you are free to order anything you like :)
Max
Andrew Ferguson Said,
July 10, 2007 @ 12:44 pm
@Jackie
That is a pretty big disadvantage. I’m afraid I don’t really have a solution.
Thankfully, Max does. It sounds like the online lens rental sites operate a bit differently, you might want to give it a peek.
Mark Said,
July 16, 2007 @ 12:04 pm
Andrew,
This is Mark. I am Max’s partner in borrowlenses.com. Max got busy with the day job, so I am here to provide an update on the Nikon question. We posted the first couple of Nikon lenses last night. More are coming this week. Lots more are coming in the next couple of weeks as the massive expansion gets full head of steam.
Canadian service is definitely ruled out for now. Maybe if the governments repeal customs, then it would be an option, though lack of legal enforcement is still a huge problem.
Barry Said,
January 24, 2008 @ 1:26 pm
Came across this article and wanted to let everyone know we just opened our online doors. Check us out for any of your Canon needs.
We are a mom and pops type store so let us know if you have any questions.
www.cameralensrentals.com
Lyle Said,
February 10, 2008 @ 9:55 am
I’m looking to rent a long lens for the upcoming lunar eclipse on Feb. 20/08 and came across your site.
Besides the renters already mentioned, who ship to or within Canada, I have found:
http://www.vistek.ca/rentals/
I’m in Winnipeg and it’s before store opening time on Sunday so haven’t contacted
local stores yet. I’m optimistic though.
Thanks for this article.
Pektusin Said,
June 6, 2008 @ 1:03 pm
I was looking for a monitor calibration device like Spider3 or such… didn’t find where I could rent it from. No stores mentioned above carry this device.
I would not purchase my one one to use it once a year, but rent could be quite a good option here.
Paula-lynn Duke Said,
July 24, 2008 @ 10:31 am
I have rented from Lens Lenders recently and they are a WONDERFUL company to rent from. The lens’ arrived well before the expected arrival date and couldn’t have been easier! I just packed them both up, shoved them in the prepaid bag and dropped them at the Post Office on Monday Morn. Will definately do business again! Thanks Todd your the Best! PS. The pics I took of my first wedding came out PERFECT! Thanks!