Photography Rentals help You Decide
Renting Photography Equipment Works
There are a few companies out there renting great Canon and Nikon equipment, both camera bodies and lens. But only one I could find that rents Medium Format equipment, though I haven't as yet found anyone offering Phase One as a rental. How do they stack up? All offer insurance policies, all offer lens and camera bodies, some offer other equipment, such as flash units and battery packs.
But how can you be sure their equipment is in top shape, and how do they differ when it comes to insurance waivers and deposits? It's kind of a wild west approach out there. I'll give you some direction but you'll need to read the fine print, regardless how you feel after reading my article. Its a buyer beware landscape out there in this field.
The takeaway, if you're looking for a new body or lens, is that rentals aren't that expensive if you can accomplish some testing in a day or two. If you are taking them on a week long shoot, well it will cost what it costs. Still you can't know what you want unless of course you have been lucky enough to have someone who loaned you equipment and you already know what you want. Here's my comparison with three of the most well known rental companies.
Aperturent's insurance policy reads like this:
If you get insurance, you are only responsible for a maximum of 10% of the total value of the equipment. For example if a $1,000 lens is damaged, and the repair costs are $400, without the optional insurance you are responsible for the $400, but if you get the insurance you are only responsible for $100 (10% of the cost of the lens). TOS
Accidental Damage Coverage
We do not require you to carry separate insurance on the equipment. The cost of accidental damage coverage is built into your rental. There is an accidental damage deductible of 5% of the value of each item on the order. The value will be printed on your packing list. This deductible covers damage to the item and extends to any accessories included with that item. TOS
But how can you be sure their equipment is in top shape, and how do they differ when it comes to insurance waivers and deposits? It's kind of a wild west approach out there. I'll give you some direction but you'll need to read the fine print, regardless how you feel after reading my article. Its a buyer beware landscape out there in this field.
The takeaway, if you're looking for a new body or lens, is that rentals aren't that expensive if you can accomplish some testing in a day or two. If you are taking them on a week long shoot, well it will cost what it costs. Still you can't know what you want unless of course you have been lucky enough to have someone who loaned you equipment and you already know what you want. Here's my comparison with three of the most well known rental companies.
Aperturent
Starting with Aperturent, you are effectively locked into a minimum 3 day rental, not something that appeals to anyone, unless you are familiar with the body and have been hired to do a shoot for that time period. For a Canon 5DMIII the cost is $110, a Nikon 800 $105 and a Canon 1DX $268. They also carry some Sony, Fuji and Panasonic bodies. No MF equipment but plenty of lighting, video accessories, battery packs and extenders, really a plethora of associated equipment, but no video cameras and again 3 days is the minimum.
Aperturent's insurance policy reads like this:
If you get insurance, you are only responsible for a maximum of 10% of the total value of the equipment. For example if a $1,000 lens is damaged, and the repair costs are $400, without the optional insurance you are responsible for the $400, but if you get the insurance you are only responsible for $100 (10% of the cost of the lens). TOS
ATSRentals
ATSRentals doesn't lock you into 3 days, but their cost is similar even for a 1 day rental. A Canon 5DMIII is $100 for a single day, Nikon D4 $198, and a Sony A99 is $111. So if you are choosing between Aperturent and ATSRentals, I'm going for the 3 days at just a few dollars more. Where they shine is in their SD and HD video camera rentals. They are not low cost but they have them in stock.They also have projector, audio and PA equipment as well as lighting and accessories.
ATSRental's insurance policy reads like this:
Security Deposit
For some orders, we will place a security deposit "hold" on your
credit card. When applicable, this security deposit amount will be shown
during the checkout process on our web site. This hold is released as
soon as the equipment is returned undamaged.Accidental Damage Coverage
We do not require you to carry separate insurance on the equipment. The cost of accidental damage coverage is built into your rental. There is an accidental damage deductible of 5% of the value of each item on the order. The value will be printed on your packing list. This deductible covers damage to the item and extends to any accessories included with that item. TOS
Borrowlenses
And now for the Grandaddy of them all, Borrowlenses. Once again you are locked into 3 days minimum, this seems to be an industry standard but when compared to ATSRentals, it doesn't matter, the cost is only a slight increase over the 1 day price. At some point ATS will succumb. BL rents the wides variety of bodies and lenses and equipment but there are entries missing. Camera bodies, from Canon and Nikon, to Sony, Leica, Olympus and Pentax. Medium Format is strictly Hasselblad, no Mamiya, but they also offer Rangefinders, Micro 4/3's and GoPro. They also offer plenty of video cameras and a full range of accessory equipment. Lighting and battery packs are easy to locate as are tripods and monopods and audio mixers. BL is in a class by itself when t comes to variety. And when it comes to cost they are just a couple pf dollars more. The Canon 5DMIII is only $102 for 3 days, the Nikon D810 is $110.
Borrowlenses's insurance policy reads like this and is a bit more complicated:
What is a damage waiver?
Damage waivers purchased through BorrowLenses.com gives you peace of mind and protects you from liability for unintentional damage to the rental item after paying a deductible. If you do not purchase a damage waiver, you will be responsible for 100% of the cost to repair, or a replacement item. If you do purchase damage waiver and an item is damaged, you only pay a deductible of 12% of the replacement value of the item, or the repair fee- whichever is cheaper.
But you really need to read the whole 11 paragraphs, to avoid any unpleasant financial surprises.TOS
Borrowlenses's insurance policy reads like this and is a bit more complicated:
What is a damage waiver?
Damage waivers purchased through BorrowLenses.com gives you peace of mind and protects you from liability for unintentional damage to the rental item after paying a deductible. If you do not purchase a damage waiver, you will be responsible for 100% of the cost to repair, or a replacement item. If you do purchase damage waiver and an item is damaged, you only pay a deductible of 12% of the replacement value of the item, or the repair fee- whichever is cheaper.
But you really need to read the whole 11 paragraphs, to avoid any unpleasant financial surprises.TOS
Scroll down to Damage Waiver and Damage from the left column.
Conclusion
I'd give ATSRentals the first try, simply because of their costs and simple insurance policy, but that's me. It may not make any difference at all if you are really careful with using rented equipment and don't fear any damage or loss of equipment. The point is no matter who you choose, if you're looking to purchase new equipment, and don't want to gamble, take some time to read in photography forums, they are easy to find, and take a look at renting prior to buying. Purchasing lenses won't hurt you if you need to resell, as they don't lose much if any value, but camera bodies can drop rather quickly because of new models, age and actuations. This is a perfectly reasonable approach for most of us.
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