Have You Considered Renting a Lens?
Have you ever wanted to test that new lens before you bought it? Or how about that vacation where you wished you could have brought a new lens for the SLR/DSLR with you… Well look no further, I have two lens rental web site for you to check out.
The first is RentGlass.com and they have just what you need. This was the first lens rental company that I found a couple years back when looking for a lens for a family vacation. They feature both Nikon and Canon lenses and will ship out the lens to you via USPS. Rental periods are from 1 to 3 weeks and prices start at around $13 a week.
Another lens rental site it LensRentals.com and they boast about having the largest stock of any rental company in the business and the fastest shipping. They do offer reservations, which RentGlass does not but these extras come at a price. Both lens rental fee and shipping are both higher at this company but the ability to reserve a lens may outweigh the extra costs. The rental periods are from 7 to 30 days and the site also offers an iPhone version where catalog and order tracking information can be seen.
While I have not yet rented a lens, the thought has crossed my mind. Especially when I’d like to take the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR Zoom with me on vacation but the $1900 price tag prohibits the purchase. That’s where renting a lens is appealing. It’s also a good idea to rent a high dollar lens first to test it out before making a big purchase.
UPDATE: Reader “Keira S.” recommended two other lens rental sites that offer shorter rental periods and visual reservation systems. Take a look at the following sites if interested:
