Through A Glass, Briefly: My Experience Renting A Lens
After years of hearing about the epic spring bird migration at Freezeout Lake on Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front, I finally made the trip in late March. I decided to try renting a lens for my weekend adventure.
The birds – thousands of snow geese, tundra swans and other waterfowl – stop at Freezeout Lake near Fairfield, Montana, during their annual migration from warmer southern climates to nesting grounds in the Arctic north. While resting at the windswept prairie lake, the birds feed in surrounding grain stubble fields. Their flight against a wintry, dramatic landscape makes for thrilling photo opps.
Since getting a used Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi / 400D and the Canon EF-S 18-55 IS kit lens, I’ve been lusting after more and better lenses. Until finances allow, though, lust is all I can afford. Then I heard about lens rental companies.
A handful of online and brick-and-mortar businesses around the country offer lens and camera rental services. I checked out six recommended by users in PhotographyREVIEW’s forums: LensRentals.com, CalumetPhoto.com, BorrowLenses.com, Rentglass.com, TryAndBuyLens.com and LensGiant.com.
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I started by identifying the lens I wanted to rent: a Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom. It’s a popular and extremely versatile $600 telephoto that I could see myself buying. Some of the wide-angle and super-telephoto lenses on these sites were tempting, too.
Comparing prices and policies on the six sites, I discovered each had different rental length periods. Some rented lenses by the day or by three-, four-, – and five-day as well as one week or longer increments. I knew I would need a Friday through Monday rental, so four days fit my needs. (Calumet was limited to pick-up in nine U.S. cities, so they were not an option for me.) Although LensRentals.com cost a couple more dollars, I decided to go with them because their four-day rental was right for me and I liked their clean site design, easy-to-understand descriptions and easy-to-use rental duration calendar.
LensRentals.com charged me $30.75 for the four-day rental, plus $21 round-trip shipping. I opted not to buy the $4.50 damage waiver because I’m not typically hard on my equipment and it excluded theft and water damage – which I figured were the two most likely scenarios for me – but I questioned that wisdom when I found myself nervously carrying the camera and lens along an icy, snowy, slippery trail next to the lake. I should’ve gotten the insurance. Fortunately, I didn’t need it.
Based near Memphis, Tenn., LensRentals.com had great customer service and communication. I received confirmation emails from them at all stages of the process – approval, shipping, delivery, return shipping and receipt.
According to LensRentals.com’s site FAQ, “First time renters require approval by our security services, which takes from 15 minutes to 48 hours. An anonymous email address (yahoo, gmail, etc.), cell phones, etc. provide no verification information and make the process take much longer. Use of listed, land line phone numbers, verifiable business and student email address, even a note linking us to your professional web pages, will help speed the process up.” I had read a complaint from a forum commenter who was not approved and it made me a little nervous.
Ordering late on a Friday night for delivery the next Friday, I included links to my website, my Flickr account and my work email address. I was impressed to receive an approval email from them first thing Saturday morning. I also had a minor problem during checkout – the Verified by Visa screen disappeared before I could enter my code – and I received a prompt personal response to my note about it.
Note that LensRentals.com ships by UPS – two-day or next-day – and requires a signature for delivery. They also suggest you schedule your lens delivery for one day before you need it in case of accidents, weather and other shipping delays beyond their control.
My lens arrived on time, well-packaged in a tidy cardboard box, bubble wrap, foam and lens case. It included a return mailing label – just repackage, place the new label over the old one and drop off at a UPS location before that day’s shipping deadline. It’s pretty similar to renting a Netflix movie.
I made it to Freezeout Lake a little early – this year’s cold weather has delayed the birds – so I only saw a few thousand geese instead of the tens of thousands there during peak migration. But I still thrilled to the incredible natural beauty of the Rocky Mountain Front and the sights and sounds of its winged wildlife. When the birds took to the air, the 200mm zoom allowed me to get closer than my 55mm would have, and I got some decent pictures.
My $51.75 lens rental provided a photo-taking opportunity I wouldn’t otherwise have had, and solidified my decision to buy the Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens when I can afford it. Photographers who need a specialized lens for an event – perhaps an architectural or wildlife shoot – or who just want to try before buying should definitely check out lens rental services.
– By Patia Stephens
More Online Lens & Camera Rental Web Sites:
Rentglass.com
TryAndBuyLens.com
LensGiant.com
Related Content:
Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Zoom Lens User Reviews
All Lens User Reviews
Digital SLRs Forum
I would add Lensprotogo.com out of Maine to the list. Price includes insurance and UPS shipping both ways. Fast, friendly and excellent quality gear.
Thanks for the additional suggestion, Chris. I was hoping people would share their own favorite gear rental shops
My very first lens rental was online via LensRentals.com. Excellent experience… got my rental on-time and hassle-free, when it was time to ship it back, I just used the included return label and dropped it off at UPS.
I probably would have kept renting there if not for a local outfit, Borrowlenses.com, opening up right down the street from my office. I’ve been using them for the past 2 years and have nothing but good things to say about them.
I think 52 bucks for 4 days (plus the potential liability) is NOT exactly a good deal. Might as well try to get credit at a store to buy the lens. Tons and tons of unsold lenses are piling up at retailers, they want to move stuff off the shelf.