6 Online Resources for Renting Camera Gear
Looking to rent your gear out or pick something up for a weekend shoot? Here are six online resources you need.
Cover image via Parachut.co.
This article is for two types of people. Person one is someone who has recently purchased a high-end camera and is looking to make a little money on the side by renting it out.
Person two is someone who needs high-end gear and is looking to pick up a camera or lenses or other equipment for a weekend shoot without breaking the bank.
Whether you’re person one or person two (or maybe just a fan of gear-rental articles!) we have you covered with these six online camera gear rental sites.
ShareGrid
ShareGrid is a peer-to-peer rental marketplace that has truly revolutionized the camera rental industry. If you’re familiar with other ride-sharing or home-sharing concepts like Uber and AirBnB, you’ll probably be quick to figure out how ShareGrid works – but in case you aren’t, you can watch the video below. You can read more on their FAQ about how to rent equipment or rent out your equipment.
KitSplit
This list would have been longer if KitSplit hadn’t acquired one of its biggest competitors — the recently merged CameraLends. Similar to ShareGrid, KitSplit operates as a large network of production houses and individuals looking to rent in and rent out cameras and gear. You can read more on their site on the process (or click here to find out about renting out your gear).
Parachut.co
As reported by PetaPixel, “Parachut is a new startup that wants to do for camera gear what Netflix did for movies.” While you can’t stream cameras onto your laptop or phone, you can use Parachut to rent as much gear as you want for a fixed monthly subscription fee (currently $99). You can check it out yourself here (and here to “parachut” your gear to others).
BorrowLenses
A little buried on the list is one of the biggest players in the industry. While you can’t actively rent your gear out through BorrowLenses, it is the place to go to rent quality gear. They have perhaps the biggest selection in stock and the latest and greatest gear to choose from if you’re in a pinch and need to rent. Check out their membership process here.
LensRentals.com
Similar to BorrowLenses, LensRentals.com is one of the few online mega resources that has the size, capacity, and domain authority to operate as a rental house on a large scale. They also offer a cool “keeper” program that allows you to try out cameras and gear that will reimburse your rental fee from the purchase price if you choose to buy. It is a great resource you can read more about here.
LensProToGo.com
LensProToGo is another great resource for renting gear. Don’t let their name fool you. In addition to lenses, you can also rent cameras, tripods, stabilization systems, lighting, and audio gear. They frequently offer coupons to allow you to rent gear to test out for a weekend. Also, be sure to keep up with their social pages for filmmaking and photography insight and their big warehouse sales — where they sell off tons of old gear that you can grab for a great price. You can browse their gear selection here.
Have any other online resources for finding and renting gear? Let us know in the comments.
