Are you an amateur or professional photographer dying to try all the new techniques and technology that are out there? Well I recently learnt that camera lens rental is the relatively simple and affordable way to utilize practically every gadget or gear to take my photography to places I never thought possible.
Even professional photographers find it difficult to keep up with the pace of technological advancement; and dishing out thousands of dollars a year for incremental improvements just doesn’t make sense.
Vendors’ rates and rental conditions may vary, so be sure to do your research when looking for a lens rental outlet. There are a number of reputable vendors, both online and offline that rent camera lenses from all the major brands and all the popular makes and models:
Brands | Lenses |
· Nikon · Canon · Zeiss · Sigma · Yoshica | · Macro · Micro · Fisheye · Zoom · Wide Angle |
Here’s how it works: Once you find a dealer who has what you need, you make an order for a specific time period, and most vendors have a minimum time that lenses can be rented (4 days to a week). Late fees are enforced if you miss your return date for whatever reason, setting you back about 25% of the rental fee for every late day. This can be avoided by making an extension on your rental, at a slightly lower rate. It may be in your best interests to rent lenses or equipment for the amount of time you NEED, so know for sure! You may or may not be required to pay a deposit on the gear, depending on how trusting the vendor.
What’s the catch? Just take care of the equipment and get it back on time. That’s it! As a rule of thumb, keep the channels of communication open with your vendor in order to keep misunderstandings to a minimum. Additionally, your bill/invoice will have the all your fees totaled, including shipping and handling, so be sure to keep copies of all receipts/notifications. You can either pick up your camera equipment in person or have it delivered, and for that little extra piece of mind, you can get damage insurance, which only makes you responsible for paying a deductible, either a dollar value or percentage of lens sale price (NOTE: Water damage isn’t covered). I recommend it, unless you want to be held responsible for the total cost of repairs $$$$
For International Photographers:
If you aren’t located in the US, Canada or the UK it might be a little more difficult to rent lenses online, as vendors may require orders to be delivered to and returned from the place of origin; but for the most part, you will be able to take your camera lens anywhere in the world.
Links
From my informal research, here are a couple of major online vendors that rent camera lenses and equipment: LensRental, and TheLensPal. Not only can you hire a wide range of DSLR lenses, but also camera bodies, video equipment, lighting, tripods and accessories.
It's my first post, tell me what you think?
It's my first post, tell me what you think?
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