A DSLR is a great camera for both professionals and enthusiasts alike. But shopping for camera bodies and lenses can be quite overwhelming, especially considering Nikon alone carries over 75 current lenses and 11 bodies. And with some of this gear costing the same as a used car, you definitely want to make sure that you make the right decision on your purchase.
One solution to this dilemma is to rent cameras and lenses before you drop the big bucks on purchase one. By renting, you can pay a small fee, as cheap as $15, to try out the gear for the weekend. For Kelsey and I, we rent gear whenever we have a specific need for a project. For example, a Nikon 600mm f/4 lens that you see at sports venues cost upwards of $10,000. But for a weekend, we can rent it for under $300. I’d say a 97% savings is pretty darn good!
Yes, this beast can be yours for the weekend for 3% of the retail value!
Some of you may also wonder, “What happens if I’m on vacation with the lens and/or camera, and it happens to fall down the Alps, crash into a tree, and bust into hundreds of little pieces?” My response would first be a cringing look on my face, followed by a reassuring statement letting you know that most rental companies offer insurance with your rental. While the details vary, the general idea is that you would pay a deductible, either a flat amount or a percentage of the cost of the item, and the rest is covered by under the policy. We ALWAYS opt for the insurance, because A)we use our gear a lot more often and in much crazier conditions than the average enthusiast, and B) that stuff is expensive!
There are several great rental companies, both local and online, but our absolute favorite is BorrowLenses. Their prices are among the lowest, and their customer service is top notch. Not only that, but you can plan out your rentals way in advance. Say you have a big vacation coming up 6 months from now, and you want to rent some cool lenses for it, you can simply put in a request for it, and it’ll show up on the date you specify!
BorrowLenses has just about every piece of gear you can imagine. Contact us if you have a question on what lenses would be best for specific scenarios.
Now you should have no excuse for not having awesome pictures on your next vacation!
