To Rent or not to Rent: That is the Question:

[MDJAK]

Calumet Photo, which I believe has stores around the world, has a store about an hour's drive from me. They are recommended by Michael Reichmann, author of the Luminous Landscape.com. They rent high end equipment. It may be the only way I get to shoot with a 300 f2.8 or a 500mm lens, as I don't think I'll be affording one any time soon.

I believe it costs about 150 for a week and significantly less for a weekend.

Is it worth it?

[Adam Hicks]

Of course it's worth it. If you don't need it often enough to purchase. I just rented a 200 1.8 for $35 from Friday morning through Monday afternoon. How can you beat that? I'd have the use the thing WAY more than I need it to justify the $3k+ to buy one. Plus I can get a 600mm f4 for $60 for the same period. And it's a pretty darned expensive lens!

Just do some basic math, how often you think you'll use it and how many times you'd have to rent before it would have made sense to buy one. I wouldn't worry about renting things like the 50mm or 85mm, etc, but anything past 200 2.8 you should rent if you're not getting paid good money for your photography and if you don't plan on using it often.

My $.02!
Adam

[CyberDyneSystems]

I would DEFINATELY rent lenses,. if there was a damn place any where near me that did this! :( :(

What a great way to decide if a lens is right for you .. let alone get the opportunity to use the "dream machines" that we may never be able to afford.

[cecilc]

I rent the stuff I certainly can't afford to buy, but need .... at least, on occasion ....

I've rented a 400 2.8 to shoot the state high school football semi-finals in the Ga Dome - even though I really WANT one, I really can't justify the cost to own one right now.

I will rent a 200 1.8 to shoot the finals of the high school basketball playoffs here in March - again, for the same reasons I rented the 400 2.8.

Renting is the way to go - it's cost effective and you can shoot with lenses you can't buy to find out if you really NEED them or not ....

[lmelendez]

I would DEFINATELY rent lenses,. if there was a damn place any where near me that did this! :( :(

What a great way to decide if a lens is right for you .. let alone get the opportunity to use the "dream machines" that we may never be able to afford.

I am in the exact same boat.... I would definately rent lenses if there was a place around where I live. If you can rent... rent!

Leo.

[merlyn9]

...Plus I can get a 600mm f4 for $60 for the same period. And it's a pretty darned expensive lens!

My $.02!
Adam

Adam...

So in Texas, You can get the 600mm for $60? Seems like Chicago is ripping me off then since it's $120 for that period here? Damn!

My problem isn't so much the rental fee's as it is ensuring I have the required $$$ OR insurance rider to cover this item for rental.

---michael

[sid]

Which stores rent lenses ? (Apart from Calumet photo.... they dont have a store in Ohio). I know Cord camera doesnt and I doubt if Wolf Camers does either.
Also, is there a way to test the lens before you take it out of the store to ensure that any defects (due to use) arent blamed on you ?
Thanks !

[MDJAK]

That was one other question I had. I guess you can take a careful look at the lens element to see if it is scratched. I would imagine the filter would protect it. And I'm sure they would have a camera (if you didn't bring your own) to try it on.

To anybody who has rented, what kind of deposit does it require? Do they hold the value of the lens against your credit card?

[cecilc]

....what kind of deposit does it require? Do they hold the value of the lens against your credit card?

The procedure here is that they hold a credit slip for what THEY say it would cost to replace the lens, and when the lens is returned (in the same condition that it left in ....), that credit slip is trashed.

I know a brand new 400 2.8 costs about $6500.00, but the "replacement" cost for the rental I had was $8,000. Even MORE incentive for you to bring it back in the same condition as when you picked it up ......

[billsh]

Adam,
Where did you rent from? There is nothing out here in west texas to rent, but on the odd occasion, I might be willing to drive to the metroplex to get one. I shot High School playoffs last year at Texas stadium and would loved to have used bigger glass there.

Thanks !!