How many rent equipment on a regular basis?

Just wondering, when I shot for a living I rented equipment a lot. Special lenses, special lights, studios, etc. I still have a large core of equipment be its easier to rent the high end stuff, the client pays for it anyway.....

I haven't rented anything. If there's something I really want, I'll go ahead and buy it. If I can't afford it, I won't use it. If I rented lenses I couldn't afford, I'm scared I'd start thinking I could afford it!

spkerer wrote in post #10606876
I haven't rented anything. If there's something I really want, I'll go ahead and buy it. If I can't afford it, I won't use it. If I rented lenses I couldn't afford, I'm scared I'd start thinking I could afford it!

Let's say you have to send in your lens for repair and you have three days before a large event. In this case it was 7 on 7 football. I rented a 300 f/2.8 for $40/day from a local firm - 20 min drive from the house. Not bad at all. Sales have already paid for the rental.

Or I could have bought it for $4500 and had it overnight shipped!

MT Stringer wrote in post #10606904
Let's say you have to send in your lens for repair and you have three days before a large event. In this case it was 7 on 7 football. I rented a 300 f/2.8 for $40/day from a local firm - 20 min drive from the house. Not bad at all. Sales have already paid for the rental.

Or I could have bought it for $4500 and had it overnight shipped!

I guess I should have clarified.... I'm a hobbiest. If my 300 has to go into the shop, I'll be without it for the duration and I won't miss any paid gigs, cause ... well.. I don't have any paid gigs.

I didn't intend my earlier post to come across as being against renting. I understand renting and how that makes sense for various people at various times. I was just saying that I personally (never doing paid gigs) haven't ever - and don't plan on - renting equipment.

I've started renting recently. 1st experience was good, second really wasn't at all.

1st shoot wasn't even for me, but a guy here at work going into a club at night to shoot. rented a fisheye and a fast wide L lens and a few other odds and ends.

2nd shoot was screwed up all the way around. I called the rental guy at the local camera shop - same guy as the first rental - and had him hold a 50 1.2L for me. I show up, he's gone and the guy who's filling in is, well...less than competent. I wound up renting a 50 1.4 instead (which was worthless - the quality wasn't any better than my tamron 17-50 2.8 ) - but my subject didn't show up anyway. He sprained his ankle, missed my shoot and is now missing Cowboy's training camp. *doh!*

With that in mind, next time I rent I'll still call ahead and hold the lens (or whatever) that I need, but I'll make sure the guy who runs the rental department isn't at lunch when I show up.

Depends on where you rent I'm sure. Here in Atlanta, we have PPR, Professional Photo Resources, excellent service and always quality stuff. A lot of photographers get the "gotta have it syndrome", great if you have a unlimited income or can justify the piece of equipment because it will be used on a regular basis. Also, its always a good investment to rent a piece of equipment before you spend big bucks to discover it really is not exactly what you wanted and you have a $2500 hole in your pocket.

I rent equipment once a month to shoot races. It allows me to get a second body & a 300mm when I've got a lot of orders ahead of time.

Got a 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II coming in a couple days from Barry (www.cameralensrentals.​com) for vacation. Rented from him several times.

I rent gear on a regular basis. We have a great grip house in town that has amazing service. Citation Support is the name of the local grip house. Also Lensrentals.com is great for lens rentals.

I use rental sites all the time for events I go too.

$70 for a week with a 100-400 isn't too bad if you ask me.

spkerer wrote in post #10606876
I haven't rented anything. If there's something I really want, I'll go ahead and buy it. If I can't afford it, I won't use it. If I rented lenses I couldn't afford, I'm scared I'd start thinking I could afford it!

You can always afford when you rent. If you shoot for a living, you rent it a couple of times and make enough to buy it if you decide you like it. Don't be scared just quit listening to the little voices we all hear that are saying "go ahead, buy it, you want it, you can always mortgage your house if you need to"

I don't rent, not that I have anything against it, but its just not a great option. We don't have any local rental options. The online mail order places do a good job, or so I'm told and I would go there if I needed a specialty lens which isnt often. Most of the stuff I shoot is with lenses I want in my collection so I try to justify each purchase. Given the lack of depreciation you can always purchase a lens, use it and resell it at near break even prices and not have to be a slave to rental return deadlines.

no1photo wrote in post #10611289
You can always afford when you rent. If you shoot for a living, you rent it a couple of times and make enough to buy it if you decide you like it. Don't be scared just quit listening to the little voices we all hear that are saying "go ahead, buy it, you want it, you can always mortgage your house if you need to"

I've pretty much squashed those voices. I'm very happy with my current lens lineup. Eventually I'll add a 16-35, but I know I want that and won't bother renting it.

If I had the occasional need for unusual lenses, I'd consider renting. But being just a hobbyist, I never really "need" anything.

I have used Borrowlenses.com three times - twice to rent lenses and once to rent a light meter. They sent me good equipment and the entire transaction went smoothly. They are in Calif and I am in Tx. FedEx all the way.

I know I will never be able to afford the likes of a 400 f/2.8 for sports or a 500 f/4 for birding/wildlife, but I plan to rent them sooner or later just so I will know how it feels to shoot with those lenses.

Only time I rented was to check out a lens I was considering buying. Enjoyed the lens so went ahead with the purchase a couple of months later.

If I'm ever in two minds about a potential purchase in the future, I'd be happy to rent again to test the water.