would you buy a camera...

from a rental company??? I was thinking about it.. and wondering if it would be a waste..

Would you buy a car from Hertz, Avis, Enterprise or any other auto rental company? I suppose it depends upon the price and how critical your needs are.

Most folks who rent stuff are not invested in it's care, maintenance, nor what ultimately happens to it. Because of this some people abuse gear/cars. For my wedding work I depend upon critical gear. I can't be worrying about what the previous user did to it. Now, this doesn't mean I might not rent it myself for one or two uses. But ownership is another consideration.

Who is selling the gear?
What sort of warranty do they offer?
Do they have mtce. records?
Do they bench test/certify it before selling?
Do they have a money back guarantee?
Can you try before you buy?
How does their "sell" price compared to the same gear on the used market?

Im looking to use it as a backup to my wedding gear. the seller does offer a 90 day warranty and 3 day inspection which is pretty cool.. sell price seems to be on par with the used market nomicu lower or higher.

Would you buy a car from a car rental company? My thoughts are that many people abuse / neglect rental equipment of any kind, and that it may have been exposed to cats, tobacco smoke, or worse. With photo equipment, ask yourself why the rental company is getting rid of the unit. Several possibilities come to mind:

o It's not a popular item among renters
o It's getting old / cosmetically unappealing
o They want it out of their stock before renters have issues with it and hassle them

lensrentals.com says that for most gear they rotate it out of stock after 20 rentals. Other places may have different policies.

after 20 rentals sounds pretty good, but is that truthful??

anthony11 wrote in post #9027150
lensrentals.com says that for most gear they rotate it out of stock after 20 rentals. Other places may have different policies.

haha it sounds like they may be talking about lens rentals. I rented a 100mm macro from them that was 4+ months old and it looked and worked pristine. If the company is legit and it has a good warranty period why not? A lot of users here buy from the used forum with less warranty.

Hard to say - but then, ask yourself what percentage of those folks are likely to REALLY abuse the lens/body.... knocking it about, extreme heat/cold, dust, moisture, perhaps dropping it. But, here's what you can do....

Within the 90-day warranty period, really use the body extensively - not abuse it, but put it through it's paces. Make it your primary camera. If anybody has really treated it badly the flaws should show up within that warranty period..... maybe.

joey1234 wrote in post #9027166
after 20 rentals sounds pretty good, but is that truthful??

I think I'd be more careful with a rental simply because I don't want to abuse it and have to pay for it (which I couldn't afford and is why I'm renting it in the first place...)

Of course there will always be the odd 600 f/4 that's had a good bath...

I'm sure that's a true statement, but typically aren't they just one or two owners, tops? A rental place subjects it to many. Not saying it's a bad idea one way or another - just have to view it in the proper context.

scubthebub wrote in post #9027176
..... If the company is legit and it has a good warranty period why not? A lot of users here buy from the used forum with less warranty.

one hand i look at it and say- its a backup-- wont be used much- BUT on the oyther hand, i think what if the backup craps out!! ouch..

I know - tough call. What is it and how much do they want? (Not asking who it is...).

All of my old Hasselblad lenses were used, the original body and 3 of the 4 film backs. But those components were built like tanks. One film I still have is 40 years old.

joey1234 wrote in post #9027225
one hand i look at it and say- its a backup-- wont be used much- BUT on the oyther hand, i think what if the backup craps out!! ouch..

40d - below 500 -

honestly looking aorund though-- i may pick up a new 50d should be a good backup..

That's probably not unreasonable, although I'm not that familiar with the used market. Keh.com has used bodies in EX condition starting at $645, and up from there. Their ratings are pretty conservative too, so EX is probably better than that.

http://www.keh.com …d/0/40d/Grade/0​/0/SE.aspx

joey1234 wrote in post #9027342
40d - below 500 -

I hlove KEH