Where to Rent?

[ziggy53]

As cameras, lenses and acessories get more and more expensive, there is often a need to rent equipment needed to fulfill a short or moderate term of use. If you've had an experience with one of the rental houses that exist, good or bad, we want to hear about it right here, in this thread.

To kick things off I would like to remind folks that http://www.borrowlenses.com/ and
http://www.glassandgear.com are Digital Grin vendors and both offer rental photographic equipment.

Thanks,

[HarveyMushman]

I usually go to one of my local shops, Penn Camera (http://www.penncamera.com/rental/), especially for big telephoto lenses. I have also used an online service, rentglass.com (http://www.rentglass.com), and was pleased with their process and service.

[borrowlenses.com]

Hi Ziggy,

Thank you for posting on a topic that's so near and dear to my heart :) Also, thank you for our mention in the post.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Max and I am the owner of BorrowLenses.com (http://www.BorrowLenses.com). We have been working with DGrinners and SmugMuggers for a while now and we'd like to thank the many of you who have utilized our services (check out the signature for more info). Also, as SmugMug members, you guys are entitled to a special discount. Visit ClubSmug (http://www.smugmug.com/ClubSmug/) for more details.

Please let me know if you guys have any questions regarding our services. I will monitor this thread to see if there are any queries.

Thanks,
Max

[Harryb]

I recently rented two lenses from BorrowedLenses to shoot a banquet. I have nothing but praise for their operation. The lenses were in prime condition, the shipping to and from them was as easy as can be. I also found their prices to be reasonable. I will be doing some repeat business with them very soon.

[zweiblumen]

I'm going to throw my voice behind BorrowLenses here. I needed a lens for the trip to Japan and it ended up being very last minute. Max was VERY helpful and worked with me on making arrangements to get the lens both to Baltimore and back from Baltimore in a VERY timely fashion. :thumb :thumb

Oh yeah, and I rented the 24-105L and it was in PRISTINE condition. Very happy with the whole experience.

I haven't rented from anyone else other than Service Photo here in B-more, and their Canon lens selection is very limited.

[mmtoruno]

I used to rent from my local Pro Camera Store. I now only rent from BorrowLenses.

These guys THE BEST! If you ever need to rent any equipment do not think twice. Call Max or Mark or better yet, just book it online.

The equipment selection is growing by the minute (Canon/Nikon), the clientele is growing and they still treat you like you are borrowing a lense from a friend.

Great job guys::thumb :thumb :thumb

P.S. For the record this was totally unsolicited!

[glassandgear.com]

Hi Ziggy,

Thanks for the mention, to introduce myself my name is Jason and I'm the owner of GlassAndGear.com (http://www.glassandgear.com). I feel like I'm crashing the thread with all of the borrowlenses.com love going around but having spoken with Max shortly after we opened I can certainly see why they are so highly regarded. I'd certainly have no hesitation sending people their way if I couldn't help them.

We offer a 5% discount to users of dgrin and while I normally just give out a coupon code it may be easier to send me a PM and I can add you to a special pricing group so that you don't need to deal with coupon codes.

If anyone has any questions please don't hesitate to post them here, call or email us.

Thanks,
Jason

[Icebear]

I have to endorse Penn Camera (at least their Tysons Corner store) in the Washington DC area).

[xris]

I have rented from Vistek (http://www.vistek.ca) for many years now and have never had a bad experinence. Stores now in Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto and Mississauga.
:thumb

[luckyrwe]

I had the pleasure of exchanging emails with Borrowed Lenses and found the chat to be so enjoyable I forgot we were talking business! Looking at the page I feel the prices are very fair. I used to rent a 400/2.8 at $150. per day so when I get back to the USA I will be renting!

[ken]

I have found Lensrentals.com to be really good. The shipping is fast and customer support it great

[pilotdave]

I used rentglass.com once...

I was very happy with them. Lens came in perfect shape, quicker than i expected (from florida). No hassle, good experience, a bit cheaper than I could find that lens elsewhere.

Dave

[TylerW]

So far I've only used two of the local shops here in town, ProCamera and the local branch of Calumet. Pro Camera is nicer and usually cheaper, but Calumet is a more convenient location from me. Been meaning to throw some business towards BorrowLenses, since they're local folks and because they have some stuff that the others don't carry (kinky stuff like Bigmas and other off brand stuff that I'd lke to try before I buy).

[elw9514]

I use LensRentals.com quite often, and have been very pleased with them.

[mmtoruno]

Been meaning to throw some business towards BorrowLenses, since they're local folks and because they have some stuff that the others don't carry (kinky stuff like Bigmas and other off brand stuff that I'd lke to try before I buy).

You'd be glad you did. These guys are great!

[cameraguy64]

I am going on one of the gapweb photo workshops in April and am trying to decide what equipment to rent or to buy. I currently have a 20-200mm lens by canon for my rebel xti. I am switching my XTI out for a 40d before this trip. I also have the 18-55 standard lens that came with the XTI. If I were to rent lenses, what would be the smartest move? What would be the smartest to buy? I have read good things about the Canon 100-400 lens. Not to mention it is REALLY cheap on amazon at the moment. Any tips would be appreciated.

Check out my work, I'm 15: http://robchronphotography.smugmug.com

[ziggy53]

I am going on one of the gapweb photo workshops in April and am trying to decide what equipment to rent or to buy. I currently have a 20-200mm lens by canon for my rebel xti. I am switching my XTI out for a 40d before this trip. I also have the 18-55 standard lens that came with the XTI. If I were to rent lenses, what would be the smartest move? What would be the smartest to buy? I have read good things about the Canon 100-400 lens. Not to mention it is REALLY cheap on amazon at the moment. Any tips would be appreciated.

Check out my work, I'm 15: http://robchronphotography.smugmug.com

I've never heard of a Canon 20-200mm lens?

Perhaps you mean the Canon EF 28-200mm, f/3.5-5.6 USM?

The first thing I would recommend is to contact the organizers of the workshop to see what "they" recommend you bring to the workshop.

The Canon EF 100-400mm, f/4.5-5.6L IS USM is a very versatile long zoom, mostly suitable for outdoor wildlife and outdoor event photography (IMO). Another option with a bit more range is the Sigma 50-500mm, f/4-6.3 EX DG APO RF HSM "Bigma", which you would either love or hate. It lacks IS, so careful technique and/or tripod is required.

As for Amazon, the best price I found for the Canon EF 100-400mm, f/4.5-5.6L IS USM is just above $1400. If you think that's "REALLY cheap", I'd like to know what you consider expensive? :D

If you need this just for the workshop, and to decide if you really want to buy the lens, just rent for now because that's not a trivial purchase and I really think you might consider a better "standard" zoom than the "kit" lens you own currently as a better purchase.

[AlaskanDave]

If you're anywhere around the Pacific Northwest or Alaska it Glazers Camera in Seattle....first class rental department and good prices

Very knowledgeable Nikon & Canon specific sales associates.

Rental link at top...PDF with items available & pricing...
http://www.glazerscamera.com/

1-888-531-3232

[S-Man]

If you're in Houston like me and want to rent lenses locally, the only place I know of is www.LightTec.com (http://www.LightTec.com)
I haven't rented one yet, but I did reserve one for April.
Prices aren't bad considering you don't have to ship (if you're a local).
We'll see how their service is...:rolleyes

[Jeff_Milo]

I live and shoot in So Cal. Every time I have needed anything for my camera Pro Photo Connection has had it. They have a huge selection of lenses and cameras to rent. They also rent full lighting set ups, pocket wizrads, flashes, backdrops, etc.... I would highly recomend them to anyone in and around the OC area of SoCal.

[Phatman113]

I've used BorrowLenses.com once and am currently ordering from them again. I've got nothing but good things to say, they're always very friendly and even offered a little advice during my first order. The glass was good quality and well taken care of. Shipping was inexpensive, but expedient.

Anyone that's considering it should at least give these guys a shot, they've surpassed my expectations and I'll definitely go back to them.

~Ryan

[claudermilk]

I live and shoot in So Cal. Every time I have needed anything for my camera Pro Photo Connection has had it. They have a huge selection of lenses and cameras to rent. They also rent full lighting set ups, pocket wizrads, flashes, backdrops, etc.... I would highly recomend them to anyone in and around the OC area of SoCal.

Second that. Great place in general. If they don't have it, you also have Samy's & Calumet a bit north on the 55 and (believe it or not) Cal's at reasonable prices on Newport a bit past the south end of the 55.

[keepright]

I've been hearing good things about prophotorental.com (http://prophotorental.com/), and they rent Olympus gear as well.

[swintonphoto]

Pictureline is fabulous. I have been renting from them for years:
http://www.pictureline.com

I have picked up equipment from them for years as I frequently have shoots in Salt Lake City. However, they do ship as well.

[Clixphoto]

I have rented from lensrentals.com and had wonderful experience. They were very helpful, prices were fair, selection was large, shipping was painless, and my equipment arrived early! I have to sing their praises.:clap

Wes

[dpollitt]

I'll agree with Wes here, I have rented from LensRentals.com 5 or 6 times now, and have had nothing but a perfect experience with them! If I rent a lens for 2 weeks, they will let me reserve it ahead of time. The shipping is so fast that many times it arrives a day or two earlier, and I just get to have it for those extra days without sending it back early.
The lenses have always been in top condition, without a single scratch. I swear some of the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS copies I have got from them were brand new!
The company is very personable, always sending you friendly reminders when they receive the item back. They also have been very accommodating to allow me to do FedEx pickup at location, so I don't have to worry about being home to sign for a $2,000 lens! :thumb

[tonichelle]

I have rented from lensrentals.com and had wonderful experience. They were very helpful, prices were fair, selection was large, shipping was painless, and my equipment arrived early! I have to sing their praises.:clap

Wes

good to know, a friend of mine just rented from them and is waiting on the delivery :) I was coming on to ask about them, and here it is! :)

[noeltykay]

I live in Southern California and I am lucky enough to be able to rent from multiple locations of Samy's Camera. I have rented lenses, bodies, Quantum Turbo's, backdrop stands, etc, etc, etc...their Friday policy is the best. Pickup Friday after 3 and return Monday by 11 for a one day charge!!! :thumb

[slrshooter]

I live and shoot in So Cal. Every time I have needed anything for my camera Pro Photo Connection has had it. They have a huge selection of lenses and cameras to rent. They also rent full lighting set ups, pocket wizrads, flashes, backdrops, etc.... I would highly recomend them to anyone in and around the OC area of SoCal.

The only problem I can find with them is they don't rent the big glass. I travel to SoCal to visit my son and would like to rent Nikon 400 to 600mm lens. No one locally, at least that I can find, rents them. So, I use BorrowLens or others like them. Would really like to find a local camera shop but can't.:dunno

[bandgeekndb]

Just a heads up: If you are ordering from BorrowLenses.com, at least in the next week or two, keep an eye on your order and specifically, the shipping.

I pulled up my tracking info yesterday (sadly, after hours), only to find the shipment was going to Florida! After looking into it a bit, I realized it wasn't my order, but I couldn't find my order's tracking number!

So, I called today and got a very friendly guy, who tried to help, but admitted he wasn't in the shipping department and couldn't really help me. He did get me a call from someone in the department shortly after they got in, which was nice.

The bad news is, my order was NEVER SHIPPED! Apparently, they did a decent overhaul of their systems, so I fell through the cracks (the first one to do so I'm told :dunno).

As a testament to their service though, the kind lady immediately got me overnight shipping so I'll have the package tomorrow, and better yet, she let me deliver to a slightly non-standard location which means I can avoid dealing with my university's ABSURD shipping department (aka, they get a package at 9am, and I see it by 5 pm two days after they receive it)!

So, all in all, still a great place to work with, just make sure you track your order carefully and leave a little padding on the edges of your rental period!

Best of luck,
~Nick

[ziggy53]

Just a heads up: If you are ordering from BorrowLenses.com, at least in the next week or two, keep an eye on your order and specifically, the shipping.

I pulled up my tracking info yesterday (sadly, after hours), only to find the shipment was going to Florida! After looking into it a bit, I realized it wasn't my order, but I couldn't find my order's tracking number!

So, I called today and got a very friendly guy, who tried to help, but admitted he wasn't in the shipping department and couldn't really help me. He did get me a call from someone in the department shortly after they got in, which was nice.

The bad news is, my order was NEVER SHIPPED! Apparently, they did a decent overhaul of their systems, so I fell through the cracks (the first one to do so I'm told :dunno).

As a testament to their service though, the kind lady immediately got me overnight shipping so I'll have the package tomorrow, and better yet, she let me deliver to a slightly non-standard location which means I can avoid dealing with my university's ABSURD shipping department (aka, they get a package at 9am, and I see it by 5 pm two days after they receive it)!

So, all in all, still a great place to work with, just make sure you track your order carefully and leave a little padding on the edges of your rental period!

Best of luck,
~Nick

Nick,

Sorry to hear there was a problem but great to see BorrowLenses step things up and try to make things right with you. Stuff happens but it's nice to know they didn't just make excuses. Hopefully it will work out for you.

[calzola]

I have to endorse Penn Camera (at least their Tysons Corner store) in the Washington DC area).

I have also rented from Penn Camera at Tysons and no have no complaints about their service or the quality of their equipment. However, I checkec the prices at the online stores mentioned here and there seems to be a significant difference in their favor.

I will be trying them next.

Carlos

[ziggy53]

I have also rented from Penn Camera at Tysons and no have no complaints about their service or the quality of their equipment. However, I checkec the prices at the online stores mentioned here and there seems to be a significant difference in their favor.

I will be trying them next.

Carlos

Carlos, welcome to the Digital Grin. :clap

Thanks for the comments.

[borrowlenses.com]

Just a heads up: If you are ordering from BorrowLenses.com, at least in the next week or two, keep an eye on your order and specifically, the shipping.

I pulled up my tracking info yesterday (sadly, after hours), only to find the shipment was going to Florida! After looking into it a bit, I realized it wasn't my order, but I couldn't find my order's tracking number!

So, I called today and got a very friendly guy, who tried to help, but admitted he wasn't in the shipping department and couldn't really help me. He did get me a call from someone in the department shortly after they got in, which was nice.

The bad news is, my order was NEVER SHIPPED! Apparently, they did a decent overhaul of their systems, so I fell through the cracks (the first one to do so I'm told :dunno).

As a testament to their service though, the kind lady immediately got me overnight shipping so I'll have the package tomorrow, and better yet, she let me deliver to a slightly non-standard location which means I can avoid dealing with my university's ABSURD shipping department (aka, they get a package at 9am, and I see it by 5 pm two days after they receive it)!

So, all in all, still a great place to work with, just make sure you track your order carefully and leave a little padding on the edges of your rental period!

Best of luck,
~Nick
Nick,

I will join Lisa and Jeff (the folks you talked to) in saying that we are truly sorry that your order went less then stellar. You did, in fact, fall right in the middle of our system upgrade and for whatever reason did not get your package shipped on time. You were also, in fact, the only person to fall through the cracks from the hundreds of orders - lucky you :). I am glad we were able to fix the issue and get the rental to you. How did it work out by the way?

In any case, I hope everything went well after you got your rental and you will give us another chance to make things right like they normally are.

Max
Owner, BorrowLenses.com

[wildviper]

I have used Ziplens.com. They are newer I think to the scene, but the pricing and service is excellent. They even accomodated my special request of having to keep the lenses a day extra due to travelling without extra cost. And once the UPS guys left the package in a location and wouldn't get to me in time. UPS' fault. They called for me and upgraded the service to next day service and it got to me just in time for my flight.

[sherijohnson]

Max,

That is great to know! Thank you for sharing more information with us. I also want to thank everyone for sharing. I had just started another thread on another forum asking this same question about rental companies and experience with them. I am archiving all of those mentioned for future reference.

Hi Ziggy,

Thank you for posting on a topic that's so near and dear to my heart :) Also, thank you for our mention in the post.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Max and I am the owner of BorrowLenses.com (http://www.BorrowLenses.com). We have been working with DGrinners and SmugMuggers for a while now and we'd like to thank the many of you who have utilized our services (check out the signature for more info). Also, as SmugMug members, you guys are entitled to a special discount. Visit ClubSmug (http://www.smugmug.com/ClubSmug/) for more details.

Please let me know if you guys have any questions regarding our services. I will monitor this thread to see if there are any queries.

Thanks,
Max

[Pindy]

+1 for Borrowlenses.com. Had a really great experience with them over the holiday with a 100-400mm. Good folks.

[codrus]

+1 for Borrowlenses.com. Had a really great experience with them over the holiday with a 100-400mm. Good folks.

I have to say my sole experience with borrowlenses.com was not so pleasant. I rented a Canon 70-200 last September, to use on a trip to San Diego with my old 300D. It would work for a few (between 2 and 10) shots, then the camera would act as if there were no lens attached (aperture showed '00'). Usually mounting/dismounting the lens would fix it, but sometimes it required power cycling. Cleaning the contacts didn't help.

That's not necessarily a big deal, problems happen and defining feature of "customer service", IMHO, is the way that a business handles then. Unfortunately, borrowlenses was unable to reproduce the problem on any of their equipment after I returned the lens to them. This meant that they weren't willing to do anything about the failure, choosing to blame it on my camera. Could it have been my camera? Sure, it's possible, but I've never seen the problem before or since on any of the other dozen or more lenses I've used on it. Borrowlenses had the opportunity to make me into a customer for life, but chose not to do so.

This was the first time I'd tried renting a lens, and the whole experience kind of soured me on the idea in general. It sounds like a great idea, but consider that you're paying to rent some heavily-used equipment, with no real recourse if it should prove to have intermittent problems. Yeah, they're probably rare and unlikely, but it can and does happen.

--Ian

[papaross]

The only problem I can find with them is they don't rent the big glass. I travel to SoCal to visit my son and would like to rent Nikon 400 to 600mm lens. No one locally, at least that I can find, rents them. So, I use BorrowLens or others like them. Would really like to find a local camera shop but can't.:dunno

I haven't seen a mention anywhere of http://www.lensrentals.com/for-all. They are a small family like store outside Memphis, TN with great Southern Hospitality and very large inventory. Cannot recommend more!

[Moogle Pepper]

I used Calumet for a while since it is right across the bridge from me, but glassandgear has better rates for weekly rentals.

I am trying glassandgear for my trip in May. I would try borrow lenses, but it seems that they are in the west coast. As Glassandgear is in the east coast, north of me, it would arrive faster.

[Rocketman766]

I just completed my second rental from LensRentals.com and I have only great things to say about them. Steve was a great help in lens selection for my event. Shipping was fast and flawless. The lenses were in perfect shape, the second one I rented absolutely had to be brand new! I will continue to rent from them when the need arises.

[HarveyMushman]

Anybody else having trouble reaching the BorrowLenses site?

http://harveymushman.smugmug.com/photos/486093654_udMHm-XL.jpg

[bandgeekndb]

coming from NJ, USA, it seems fine here.

That shot you posted looks a lot like a hacker (an immature one at that). Hopefully if someone did hack their site, nothing was lost, and they got him. Seems they had a backup, or some way to get online quick!

[ziggy53]

Borrowlenses.com and www.borrowlenses.com are working fine for me. Anyone else having problems?

[borrowlenses.com]

Borrowlenses.com and www.borrowlenses.com (http://www.borrowlenses.com) are working fine for me. Anyone else having problems?

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the concern. We actually moved servers and service providers last night and the screenshot you posted was the old website. It also showcased the "humor" of our webmaster. I have since taken it down since I can see how it can be read as a hacking attack :)

Does everyone see the new site now? (it takes up to 48 hour to propagate down the dns servers)

Max

[HarveyMushman]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the concern. We actually moved servers and service providers last night and the screenshot you posted was the old website. It also showcased the "humor" of our webmaster. I have since taken it down since I can see how it can be read as a hacking attack :)

Does everyone see the new site now? (it takes up to 48 hour to propagate down the dns servers)

Max

Works for me now, thanks.

[borrowlenses.com]

Works for me now, thanks.

Awesome and sorry for the scare. The last thing we want is people thinking their info was compromised! Off to punish the webmaster...hmm...that sounds weird :)

[Phatman113]

Awesome and sorry for the scare. The last thing we want is people thinking their info was compromised! Off to punish the webmaster...hmm...that sounds weird :)

Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha! :rofl

Don't punish him too much, webmastering can be tedious at times, it's good to find the humor in places.

Also glad to know that you guys are doing fine!

~R

[TangoJuliet]

I just completed a 7 day rental from Borrowlenses.com and was extremely satisfied. I rented a Canon 5D, a 70-200 2.8L IS lens, Polarizer, and extra battery to use as a second camera for an event I was attending. Everything worked great, and the money was well worth it. Thank you Borrowlenses.com! :thumb

[Randyp1234]

Hi Ziggy,

Thank you for posting on a topic that's so near and dear to my heart :) Also, thank you for our mention in the post.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Max and I am the owner of BorrowLenses.com (http://www.BorrowLenses.com). We have been working with DGrinners and SmugMuggers for a while now and we'd like to thank the many of you who have utilized our services (check out the signature for more info). Also, as SmugMug members, you guys are entitled to a special discount. Visit ClubSmug (http://www.smugmug.com/ClubSmug/) for more details.

Please let me know if you guys have any questions regarding our services. I will monitor this thread to see if there are any queries.

Thanks,
Max

Pity - no Olympus.

[oferrer]

Aperturent.com (http://aperturent.com) carries lenses as well as other accessories for both Canon and Nikon. You can easily request something if they are not yet carrying what you're looking for.

http://aperturent.com

[CCoop]

I have used Professional Photo Resources on 11th street in Atlanta. Rent whatever you want, with your credit card for security. I had a very good experience with them. 404-885-1881. ccoop ( I have no affiliation with them.)

[jamied]

if you are in TN, lensrentals.com is a great place, and they even have an iPhone app (who does not @ this point)..

I have had nothing but good luck w/ these guys and you can email them directly for advice if you so desire and they actually respond. They get you your product quickly..

[Robinp12]

Hi Guys,
I've been using Ziplens in Boston for lens rentals for a couple of years now and these guys are great. Fast, efficient - great prices and customer service. They always ahve the inventory I'm looking for. Check them out at www.ziplens.com (http://www.ziplens.com) and tell them Robin P from Attleboro sent you!

[Gringriff]

if you are in TN, lensrentals.com is a great place, and they even have an iPhone app (who does not @ this point)..

I have had nothing but good luck w/ these guys and you can email them directly for advice if you so desire and they actually respond. They get you your product quickly..

Does anyone have a discount code for lensrentals.com?

Thanks,
Andy

[FloridaGuy]

I to would recommend http://www.lensrental.com . I am planing on renting a Sony a900 and a Sony a850 from them in a couple of weeks. I want to compare the preformance of the 2 camera's.

There is also the following site for Sony Lenses http://www.alphalensrental.com/index.php .

[Pupator]

I to would recommend http://www.lensrental.com . I am planing on renting a Sony a900 and a Sony a850 from them in a couple of weeks. I want to compare the preformance of the 2 camera's.

There is also the following site for Sony Lenses http://www.alphalensrental.com/index.php .

You need an 's' on that. It's http://www.lensrentals.com

Alpha lenses is also very good for us A-mount folks. Their prices are generally much better than lensrentals are, though Alpha lenses does require a large deposit for their lenses.

[shaunking]

I bought a used Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM, the website reported there was some dust internally but....wow that lens they sold me was plagued. I can't tell a difference as far as image quality but I've had clients looking into the lens as I take their picture and they have made comments about it.
Also the lens produces a recurring "error 99" as it syncs with the camera contacts during autofocus (the website did not indicate this malfunction). I've found the error occurs less frequently when I turn image stabilization off.
They shipped it to me in a generic box, although I specifically asked for the original box (who throws their camera equipment boxes away!)
I've been using LensRental.com since I am in North Carolina and they are based in Tennessee - I can put my order in somewhat last minute if I need to, rather than hours earlier for a California-based company. Also LensRental.com has a larger inventory but if you combine the Smugmug discount to the rental cost - Borrowlens.com is actually a better deal (except the added "insurance" is almost always more expensive at BorrowLenses.com compared to LensRental.com).

I guess the only reason I would pick LensRental.com over BorrowLenses.com is because I rent on the East Coast which means I can make a last second decision and still get the lens by Friday for a weekend event.

[borrowlenses.com]

I bought a used Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM, the website reported there was some dust internally but....wow that lens they sold me was plagued. I can't tell a difference as far as image quality but I've had clients looking into the lens as I take their picture and they have made comments about it.

Also the lens produces a recurring "error 99" as it syncs with the camera contacts during autofocus (the website did not indicate this malfunction). I've found the error occurs less frequently when I turn image stabilization off.
They shipped it to me in a generic box, although I specifically asked for the original box (who throws their camera equipment boxes away!)
I've been using LensRental.com since I am in North Carolina and they are based in Tennessee - I can put my order in somewhat last minute if I need to, rather than hours earlier for a California-based company. Also LensRental.com has a larger inventory but if you combine the Smugmug discount to the rental cost - Borrowlens.com is actually a better deal (except the added "insurance" is almost always more expensive at BorrowLenses.com compared to LensRental.com).

In this situation what you are seeing is common with this lens. It's a dust magnet and notorious for having internal dust that does *not* affect image quality. We verified this prior to sale and you also stated the images look fine.

As for the Error 99, again it is sadly common with this lens. Lensrentals.com lists it as a "high risk lens" and notes all the complaints you have about the lens as well.

http://www.lensrentals.com/rent/canon-ef-s-17-55mm-f2.8-is/for-canon

We always inspect every facet of a lens prior to shipping, whether its for sale or rental, and want to make sure every customer has an excellent experience. If anyone who rents from us ever has any questions about a lens prior or during a rental, don't hesitate to email help@borrowlenses.com

[ElginetPhotos]

I rented a Nikon 200-400 from Borrowlenses.com last week and found the process to be relatively painless. It showed up on time, worked great and was pretty easy to return since they provided the return label.

That said....I have two Calumet Photo retail stores within 30 minutes of me (I'm in the Chicagoland area) and they are of course, my first shot. They didn't have the lens I needed when I needed it. Borrowlenses.com did.:clap

[emeraldrose]

I just rented for the first time through rentglass.com and am extremely happy with their customer service and prices. I also rented some pocketwizards from prophotorental.com, but they're not here yet. they're on par with borrowlenses as far as price, but the cost includes shipping and they were the only ones with the pocket wizards available when I needed.

[borrowlenses.com]

Attention renters -- we now have both the Nikon D3s and the 70-200 f2.8 VRII in stock. It's quite a combination if you rent them together :)

http://www.borrowlenses.com/product/nikon_bodies/Nikon_d3s

http://www.borrowlenses.com/product/nikon_telephoto/Nikon_70-200_f2.8_VR_II

[Captain Turnip]

I had a good experience using Borrowlense. I rented three lenses - all were in great shape. I found the customer service side of BL to be prompt, helpful and friendly. I'll rent from them again.

[ziggy53]

I had a good experience using Borrowlense. I rented three lenses - all were in great shape. I found the customer service side of BL to be prompt, helpful and friendly. I'll rent from them again.

Captain Turnip, welcome to the Digital Grin. :clap

Thanks for your comments.

[denisegoldberg]

I had an unfortunate surprise a week ago Sunday. I went to use my 40D and discovered that it no longer wanted to take pictures. Click, no photo - just the sound of the mirror locking up and a locked shutter. Yikes! Given that I was heading out on a photo vacation on Thursday (December 10th), you could say that I wasn't happy.

My camera was immediately sent to Canon for repair, and I started looking for a rental body for my trip.

I live in the northeast and was flying out of Manchester, NH. Happily for me, glassandgear.com (http://www.glassandgear.com/) is located in southern New Hampshire and provides a pickup location at Hunt's Photo in Manchester in addition to the normal shipping options - and given that I was short on time, a pickup felt like the right option for me. I arranged for a rental and was able to pick up the camera on my way to the airport.

My experience with glassandgear was good. The camera was ready and waiting, and it kept me happy during my wanderings.

--- Denise

[ziggy53]

Thanks for sharing Denise and good luck with your 40D.

[borrowlenses.com]

I had a good experience using Borrowlense. I rented three lenses - all were in great shape. I found the customer service side of BL to be prompt, helpful and friendly. I'll rent from them again.

Glad you had a good experience! Thanks for posting too.

[TangoJuliet]

I placed an order last week with Borrowlenses.com for a lens I'll need in May (second year I've ordered from them). I was very pleased with my order last year and had no hesitation to use them again :D .

[borrowlenses.com]

I placed an order last week with Borrowlenses.com for a lens I'll need in May (second year I've ordered from them). I was very pleased with my order last year and had no hesitation to use them again :D .

It's always good to plan ahead! Thanks for your order. :D

[TangoJuliet]

It's always good to plan ahead! Thanks for your order. :D

You're welcome :wink . Hopefully I'll have more opportunities this year to rent glass from you again. It's hard to justify buying expensive glass when it's only used a few times a year.

[borrowlenses.com]

You're welcome :wink . Hopefully I'll have more opportunities this year to rent glass from you again. It's hard to justify buying expensive glass when it's only used a few times a year.

Totally agree -- glass is pricey!

In other news we just unboxed some Canon T2is and Nikon 16-35mm f/4 ED VR lenses :)

[Cousin Madness]

I've recently started this venture for photographers in Canada. Until recently the big stuff was very difficult to acquire.

We are based in London Ontario, Canada. We ship as far as it is economical for you. If you are reasonably local you are welcome to come and pick-up. 3 day Fri Sat Sun, weekly or what have you.

We have the big stuff, EF500 f4.0, EF400 f2.8 & EF300 f2.8.

canadalensrentals.ca (http://www.canadalensrentals.ca)

All right eh?


Cousin. :thumb

[borrowlenses.com]

We just got the new Nikon 24mm f/1.4G AF-S ED in stock in case anyone is interested :D

http://www.borrowlenses.com/product/nikon_wide_angle/Nikon_24mm_1.4

[drgardner]

I'd echo what others have said about both lensrentals.com and Penn Camera in Tysons, Virginia. lensrentals.com has been great to work with, very prompt service and response to questions - good prices as well. Jerry at Penn Camera is very helpful when you want to chat with someone face-to-face and delivers great service. On simple rentals and when I have some lead time, I tend to go with lensrentals.com given the price advantage, but it's great to have a local option for those times you need something today.

[TheCheesehead]

Are there any discount codes/promotions to rent a lens? I need the EF-S 10-22 next weekend. Thanks!

[erikf]

Great information! I would love to utilize a service like this but I live in Stockholm, Sweden. Is anyone aware of a business like this in Europe?

Thanks!

[ziggy53]

Great information! I would love to utilize a service like this but I live in Stockholm, Sweden. Is anyone aware of a business like this in Europe?

Thanks!

Have you checked with "Kameradoktorn"?:

http://www.kameradoktorn.se/servlet/us_pyra?wts.PAGE=h_ix3.htm&$GUEST=SE&wts.ACTION=loginguest&p=H

Also check with:

Hyrcentralen.se
108 West Higgins Road
11 420 Stockholm, Stockholm
Phone: 010-1089027

Camrent
Drottninggatan 63
Stockholm Stockholm
Phone: 010-1089337

It looks like Camrent is only video but they might know about still camera rent/hire.

[Kixx]

VERY pleased with this past weekend's borrowlenses.com rental of a Nikon D300S and 300mm f/4. Although I am quite sure I didn't utilize the camera and lens to their fullest capabilities, a few pics can be found here - http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=169565

[borrowlenses.com]

Lookin' pretty good Kixx. Looks like a great show!

[shoppix]

As cameras, lenses and acessories get more and more expensive, there is often a need to rent equipment needed to fulfill a short or moderate term of use. If you've had an experience with one of the rental houses that exist, good or bad, we want to hear about it right here, in this thread.

To kick things off I would like to remind folks that http://www.borrowlenses.com/ and
http://www.glassandgear.com are Digital Grin vendors and both offer rental photographic equipment.

Thanks,

I've used borrow lenses twice to rent a nikon 79-200 2.8. Just broke down and bought the VRII version! Ouch! a lot of $$$! But...verrry nice.
Anyways BorrowLenses is easy to work with & very professional.
Steve

[borrowlenses.com]

Thanks for the mention Steve!

[AroundDWorld]

I am in the market to rent a lens and checked Borrowlenses but my only nikpik is that having the rental start the day the delivery reaches me.....which in my area is somewhere between 6-8 pm......meaning my rental starts a day before I even get to use it....would be nice if they gave you a grace period of at least having the day it arrives with no charge possibly..........any other rental places online that allow delivery time?

[borrowlenses.com]

I am in the market to rent a lens and checked Borrowlenses but my only nikpik is that having the rental start the day the delivery reaches me.....which in my area is somewhere between 6-8 pm......meaning my rental starts a day before I even get to use it....would be nice if they gave you a grace period of at least having the day it arrives with no charge possibly..........any other rental places online that allow delivery time?

The other rental places have the same policy; essentially the gear is in your possession that first day so the rental begins then. We'd love to be able to deliver it first thing in the morning to everyone but using standard Fed Ex delivery the gear is dropped off in the afternoon. If we were somehow able to make Fed Ex change its delivery patterns the cost would be prohibitive to most consumers we're sure.

[ken]

I am in the market to rent a lens and checked Borrowlenses but my only nikpik is that having the rental start the day the delivery reaches me.....which in my area is somewhere between 6-8 pm......meaning my rental starts a day before I even get to use it....would be nice if they gave you a grace period of at least having the day it arrives with no charge possibly..........any other rental places online that allow delivery time?

Lensrentals.com starts the rental the day after delivery From their web page "The first day of the rental period begins on the later of the day following the first attempt by the parcel carrier to deliver the item or the day stated on your invoice."

[borrowlenses.com]

Lensrentals.com starts the rental the day after delivery From their web page "The first day of the rental period begins on the later of the day following the first attempt by the parcel carrier to deliver the item or the day stated on your invoice."

Where did you find that? Here is what we see:

WHEN DOES MY RENTAL PERIOD BEGIN AND END?
Rental begins the evening of delivery (or attempted delivery) for immediate orders. For reservations, the rental period begins on the reservation day, even if the lens arrives early."

http://www.lensrentals.com/page/faq#rental-period

[ken]

Where did you find that? Here is what we see:

WHEN DOES MY RENTAL PERIOD BEGIN AND END?
Rental begins the evening of delivery (or attempted delivery) for immediate orders. For reservations, the rental period begins on the reservation day, even if the lens arrives early."

http://www.lensrentals.com/page/faq#rental-period


http://www.lensrentals.com/page/rental-agreement
Rental period is for the duration of calendar days noted on the invoice. The first day of the rental period begins on the later of the day following the first attempt by the parcel carrier to deliver the item or the day stated on your invoice. The equipment must be return shipped to us during business hours on the last day of the rental. In the event the last rental day is a Sunday or Postal Holiday, one day’s shipping extension is automatically given.

I have rented from them several times and they live by this, normally the lens arrives before the day they committed to and when that happens the rental still does not start until the "day stated on the invoice"

[borrowlenses.com]

http://www.lensrentals.com/page/rental-agreement
Rental period is for the duration of calendar days noted on the invoice. The first day of the rental period begins on the later of the day following the first attempt by the parcel carrier to deliver the item or the day stated on your invoice. The equipment must be return shipped to us during business hours on the last day of the rental. In the event the last rental day is a Sunday or Postal Holiday, one day’s shipping extension is automatically given.

I have rented from them several times and they live by this, normally the lens arrives before the day they committed to and when that happens the rental still does not start until the "day stated on the invoice"

Our policies are the same. They start the rental the day the lens is received or the first delivery attempt is made. We do the same when we ship items to people earlier than expected, which happens quite often for orders that are close to CA.

One other option is if you order it to be held at a Fed Ex it will always be there first thing in the morning. :)

[AroundDWorld]

Actually I contacted LensRental and here is their response:


"We calculate 24 hour increments, beginning and ending at 7 pm (which is both UPS drop off time and shipping cut off in most areas). So if it arrives at 7 pm on the 1st, day 1 ends at 7 pm on the 2nd, etc."


Is that also how Borrowlenses calculates their rentals? I was understanding it that day 1 would begin and end on the day it arrived...the following day would then be day 2. Am I correct?

Thank you!

And thank you Ken for your input and the link :)

[deleskie]

I rented a 300mm f2.8 this summer for the F1 race in Montreal. Loved the lens and had great service. I'll definitely be renting from there again!


-jim

I've recently started this venture for photographers in Canada. Until recently the big stuff was very difficult to acquire.

We are based in London Ontario, Canada. We ship as far as it is economical for you. If you are reasonably local you are welcome to come and pick-up. 3 day Fri Sat Sun, weekly or what have you.

We have the big stuff, EF500 f4.0, EF400 f2.8 & EF300 f2.8.

canadalensrentals.ca (http://www.canadalensrentals.ca)

All right eh?


Cousin. :thumb

[AroundDWorld]

:) So I am thinking unless anyone else has any input that I will go with Lensrental......they seem to be very reasonable and I like their policy.......and read very good reviews......Thanks for all the info, as usual you guys rock!

[MileHighAko]

I rented from lensrentals.com last month and had a great experience. I'm expecting another rental from them to arrive this week.

[cpagility]

Hi -

I've rented 3 times in the past month from lensrentals.com - I've been very happy with the lenses and the service.

I rented a Canon 300 2.8 is twice and had it shipped to Virginia to a UPS store and also to a Bed and Breakfast in the Yellowstone area. Last week I rented the Canon 200 2.0 is and had it sent to Louisville KY to a UPS store. I returned to either UPS Stores or Staples. I liked having it shipped ahead of me to the location so I didn't have to deal with it on the flight. UPS Stores and Staples are convenient and usually near airports.

I opted for the insurance each time but thankfully didn't need it. The insurance was reasonably priced.

I'm in CA and they are in TN so the shipping was a little less expensive than shipping from CA.

[Art Scott]

Just got a Tweet that BorrowLenses is having a 7 for 3 special...7days for the price of 3 (http://www.borrowlenses.com/?blpid=ArtScottFotografie).........

[shoppix]

I think Borrow Lenses is in CA, isn't it? Near LA? Probably less ups charge!
Steve



Hi -

I've rented 3 times in the past month from lensrentals.com - I've been very happy with the lenses and the service.

I rented a Canon 300 2.8 is twice and had it shipped to Virginia to a UPS store and also to a Bed and Breakfast in the Yellowstone area. Last week I rented the Canon 200 2.0 is and had it sent to Louisville KY to a UPS store. I returned to either UPS Stores or Staples. I liked having it shipped ahead of me to the location so I didn't have to deal with it on the flight. UPS Stores and Staples are convenient and usually near airports.

I opted for the insurance each time but thankfully didn't need it. The insurance was reasonably priced.

I'm in CA and they are in TN so the shipping was a little less expensive than shipping from CA.

[catspaw]

I think Borrow Lenses is in CA, isn't it? Near LA? Probably less ups charge!
Steve

they're near san francisco, but I believe delivery is just about the same within the 48 since it's Fedex 2 day or overnight.

HOWEVER, for bay area people, they have several local pick up locations (which is awesome since you avoid the $30-60 shipping :) ). DEFINITELY check them out, as their prices are excellent, often have good discounts (advertised on twitter mostly. sometimes facebook) and customer service is pretty much perfect :)

all their pick up locations (including Modesto!?) are listed at:
http://www.borrowlenses.com/page/contact

[borrowlenses.com]

Thanks Catspaw -- we have 9 different locations now, including Modesto!

[ThatCanonGuy]

Has anyone mentioned ProPhotoRental? They don't have that big of a selection (no 200 f/2) but they're the only place I've found with free shipping. Their prices are good too.

[Pupator]

Has anyone mentioned ProPhotoRental? They don't have that big of a selection (no 200 f/2) but they're the only place I've found with free shipping. Their prices are good too.

I think the "free shipping" is a bit of a mind trick. You know that the shipping costs are very real in the lens rentals business. Let's compare the cost of renting a Nikon 17-50 f/2.8 for 10 days.

Lensrentals.com: $79.75 + $21 2-day shipping = $100.75 or $10.075/day
Borrowlenses.com: $78.00 + $26 2-day shipping = $104.00 or $10.40/day
ProPhotoRental: $100 + free 3-day shipping = $100.00 or $10.000/day

So, as you can see, they simply build in the shipping cost into the price of the rental.

[ThatCanonGuy]

Well, for other things their prices are better.

Canon 85 1.8:

Prophotorental.com: 7 days--$44.80 free ship
Lensrentals.com: 7 days--$31 + $21 ship = $52

[mbonocore]

BorrowLenses.com, hands down the best I have ever used. They are super knowledgeable, pristine equipment, and AWESOME customer service. One guy (I cant remember his name) actually stayed after they closed so I could return my lens, since I had hit traffic from Marin to San Carlos! I always have, and always will use Borrowlenses.com

[borrowlenses.com]

BorrowLenses.com, hands down the best I have ever used. They are super knowledgeable, pristine equipment, and AWESOME customer service. One guy (I cant remember his name) actually stayed after they closed so I could return my lens, since I had hit traffic from Marin to San Carlos! I always have, and always will use Borrowlenses.com

Thanks for the kind words. We always do whatever we can for our customers :)

[Andy]

Thanks for the kind words. We always do whatever we can for our customers :)

Great to see you guys at WPPI!

[Brill]

Putting in another plug for borrow lenses. They were the first place I ever rented a lens from. I never had the need to look elsewhere.

[borrowlenses.com]

Thanks for the kind words Brill.

[HarryB-d]

Thanks for the help.

[viridian_vixen]

I just finished up a rental of a Canon EF100-400mm with http://cameralensrentals.com/ and it was great! The prices were awesome (around $120 shipped for 2 weeks) and the customer service was great! The lens came in great condition (just a bit of wear, but nothing that effected use) and packed very safe! Will definitely rent from them again!

[Pupator]

Just ordered a battery grip rental from LensRentals.com. BorrowLenses was about the same price (and a 1 week rental instead of 5 days), but they didn't indicate whether or not they included a battery with the grip. LensRentals explicitly states that they do.

[borrowlenses.com]

Which grip were you looking for Pupator?

[Pupator]

Which grip were you looking for Pupator?

MB-D11

And now I'm looking to buy one. What a great addition to the D7000!

[borrowlenses.com]

MB-D11

And now I'm looking to buy one. What a great addition to the D7000!

Grips are nice for sure.

[TheDuck]

I was offered the press pass for photographing at Carnegie Hall when both my sons were on stage at the same time. I rented a second (and better!) body from Adorama in NYC for the first time and was very happy with pricing and service. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

[HelenOster]

I rented a second (and better!) body from Adorama in NYC for the first time and was very happy with pricing and service. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

Good to hear!

I've made sure to copy your comments over to Vick in the Adorama Rentals department, and I know that he'll be delighted. Thank you so much for taking the time to post about your experience.

[labonegrl72]

I have used lensrentals.com for over three years. There customer service is phenomenal, and when you rent you pay for shipping both ways. When you get lens, return shipping label is included and when your done, just ship it back. Easy, fast and reliable.

[cybercox]

Anyone know of a good lens rental website that they have used before?

Thanks!

[divmedic4]

I just did my first ever rental using lensrentals.com and it went awesome. Even as a first time renter, my shipment was on it's way within 2 hours of placing the order. Lens was well packed and worked great.

[David_S85]

And don't forget the ClubSmug offer for BorrowLenses found here (http://www.smugmug.com/ClubSmug/).

[SUSU4ECU]

Hi Ziggy,

Thanks for the mention, to introduce myself my name is Jason and I'm the owner of GlassAndGear.com (http://www.glassandgear.com). I feel like I'm crashing the thread with all of the borrowlenses.com love going around but having spoken with Max shortly after we opened I can certainly see why they are so highly regarded. I'd certainly have no hesitation sending people their way if I couldn't help them.

We offer a 5% discount to users of dgrin and while I normally just give out a coupon code it may be easier to send me a PM and I can add you to a special pricing group so that you don't need to deal with coupon codes.

If anyone has any questions please don't hesitate to post them here, call or email us.

Thanks,
Jason

Do you still offer a discount for Dgrin users?

[SUSU4ECU]

Hi -

I've rented 3 times in the past month from lensrentals.com - I've been very happy with the lenses and the service.

I rented a Canon 300 2.8 is twice and had it shipped to Virginia to a UPS store and also to a Bed and Breakfast in the Yellowstone area. Last week I rented the Canon 200 2.0 is and had it sent to Louisville KY to a UPS store. I returned to either UPS Stores or Staples. I liked having it shipped ahead of me to the location so I didn't have to deal with it on the flight. UPS Stores and Staples are convenient and usually near airports.

I opted for the insurance each time but thankfully didn't need it. The insurance was reasonably priced.

I'm in CA and they are in TN so the shipping was a little less expensive than shipping from CA.
Great to know they will send to a different location than your address on credit card on file. Most will not send to a resort. My son lives in a resort and we had trouble getting a particular company to rent some things to us due to that so I will keep this in mind! Thanks for sharing!

[borrowlenses.com]

Great to know they will send to a different location than your address on credit card on file. Most will not send to a resort. My son lives in a resort and we had trouble getting a particular company to rent some things to us due to that so I will keep this in mind! Thanks for sharing!


We ship to Fed Ex/Kinkos as well. It can be nice if you're renting a big lens :wink

[Kinkajou]

I've had great luck with lensprotogo.com. You can reserve equipment for a specific date, which is nice.

[PupWeb]

And don't forget the ClubSmug offer for BorrowLenses found here (http://www.smugmug.com/ClubSmug/).

Just used borrowlenses recently, great service! I will use them again.

[JimKarczewski]

I haven't used one yet, but might soon to try out the 120-300/2.8 sigma. Borrowlenses said they won't be adding them anytime soon because of the large number of problems with Sigma Zooms they have been having. :( LensRentals.Com carries it, so I guess I have my answer. A friend of mine used LensRentals.com for the longest time till he finally got the $ to buy what he wanted.

[cmason]

+1 for Borrowlenses. As a bonus, when I rented it was a holiday on a Monday (when it was due back), so I got some bonus extra time! Lens was great, it was easy to send back. Nice experience.

[ziggy53]

I decided that the "Lens Rentals" thread really could be merged with the "Where to Rent" thread.

Carry on. :thumb

[scseith]

I too have access to Penn Camera here in the DC area. Lens Rentals (www.lensrentals.com) prices far better. Outstanding customer service with a real human on the phone in a hurry. Equipment is clean, tested. Plus they have a good Twitter feed to keep you up to speed with things, including your order progress. Their web page includes some very informative articles on various camera related issues--some very technical, all informative. They weigh in with their opinions on the various pieces of gear--they get to use it all--and I have emailed the boss on numerous occasions for his thoughts on gear and always gotten an informative reply within hours--literally.

Ships to your choice of local Fed Ex or Kinkos, comes with the return slip. Repack in the original box, slap on the label, drop it off.

[borrowlenses.com]

+1 for Borrowlenses. As a bonus, when I rented it was a holiday on a Monday (when it was due back), so I got some bonus extra time! Lens was great, it was easy to send back. Nice experience.

Thanks for the kind words!

[bjpdotcom]

If you're ever in Salt Lake City, perhaps skiing, Pictureline rents and they are great folks.

[Pupator]

I wanted to rent a Sigma 50-150 f/2.8 for an event I have next weekend. I've been thinking of buying one and want to test it out. Since I only need it for 3 days the price was better at BorrowLenses than LensRentals. I filled out the order form and received my invoice by e-mail (yesterday).

Today I got an e-mail telling me that
"Since this is an order that includes very high priced items, there is an extra step that needs to be completed before we can ship. This is done for your and our protection and to make sure that someone is not using your credit card name fraudulently and trying to steal your identity and run off with a bunch of expensive camera gear."

Initially, I could understand this. If they want me to call in or confirm some piece of information I can live with that. Here's what they wanted me to do though:
We will require the following items:

1) A clear photograph or scan of your driver's license or state-issued ID.
AND
2) A clear photograph or scan of the front and back of the credit card that was used to pay for this order.
AND
3) A clear copy of your utility bill, phone bill, car registration, or any other document that clearly lists your name and billing address.

Are they out of their minds? First is the hassle factor. Second, and the greater offense, is that this gives someone everything they need to steal my identity. I don't know your employees and I certainly don't know what your privacy policy and data protection policies are. If you want to require "Verified by VISA," fine. If you want to call me at home, fine. I think I could even live with a scan of my driver's license (maybe). But all of this to rent a $500 lens. I'll pass.

Their defense is:
The upload is done via https, stored in a password protected section on our server and is very secure. We know that people are (rightfully so) afraid of uploading sensitive docs, but we are a trusted company (http://www.yelp.com/biz/borrowlenses-san-carlos) and are trying to make sure nobody is ordering expensive camera equipment in your name.

I'm sorry, but that doesn't make me feel secure. The fact that people on yelp like you? Really? And that the part of your server this is on requires a password? So did my Playstation Network account.

[angevin1]

I wanted to rent a Sigma 50-150 f/2.8 for an event I have next weekend. I've been thinking of buying one and want to test it out. Since I only need it for 3 days the price was better at BorrowLenses than LensRentals. I filled out the order form and received my invoice by e-mail (yesterday).

Today I got an e-mail telling me that


Initially, I could understand this. If they want me to call in or confirm some piece of information I can live with that. Here's what they wanted me to do though:


Are they out of their minds? First is the hassle factor. Second, and the greater offense, is that this gives someone everything they need to steal my identity. I don't know your employees and I certainly don't know what your privacy policy and data protection policies are. If you want to require "Verified by VISA," fine. If you want to call me at home, fine. I think I could even live with a scan of my driver's license (maybe). But all of this to rent a $500 lens. I'll pass.

Their defense is:


I'm sorry, but that doesn't make me feel secure. The fact that people on yelp like you? Really? And that the part of your server this is on requires a password? So did my Playstation Network account.


I totally dig where you're coming from with this! Same thing happened to me just day before yesterday, same situ, same company, etc. Except, I don't think your $500 lens is so very expensive as to cause worry. I thought you'd rented with them before?

I have rented with them on 2 prior occasions and both times had a single lens: Zeiss and Canon 85 f/1.2II. Neither time did I have to verify. so I was surprised that I had to this time. My issue actually wasn't that I had to verify. I was/am renting 7-grand worth of Eq., so it made some sense. My problem was two fold.

1. If you're worried that someone has stolen my CC and want to be sure it's me, call me and ask me.
2. If I call you and can steer you two Web presences over the phone ( as well as tell you it is me that used my card), which I did as well as tell you I used CLUBSMUG_ as my discount code...etc..etc...what makes you think I might be out here wanting to steal your lens, which is what the gal on the phone told me. Not accusing me of course, but that that was their concern.
3. I ordered on Tuesday and my order needed to ship on Thursday, which it did. But I didn't receive the e-mail into my Hotmail acct. telling me I had to verify until 10 pm on Wednesday evening. I had no idea that ( Paperwork) awaited me on Thursday as I headed out to a Doc's appt. I was like you, I saw the Verify thing as I went to bed and told them to call me or some such and left it. After not hearing back from them. I actually had to turn the car around and come back home because I remembered the verify thing...That took some time to call, get it figured out and then go try to find the Doc's and all....

I quickly PM'd Josh here to look over my order for me, and he did. I just needed someone to check things for me ( while I was away from Internet) to ensure my order arrives here Monday for my Tech week leading up to a Shoot.

I will say a Hardy THANKS to Josh here.

But I also wonder why the change of policy. And if it's not a change, then someone needs to tighten up on the idling screw around there and let the Customer know right away that a verification is needed...like when you send the order confirmation. And not just that it's needed, but why not send a link too? When I received that order Confirmation I thought it was clear sailing ahead, so I moved on.

[Pupator]

Tom,

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Like you, I'm more sympathetic with them considering the amount of gear you were renting. Still, the time crunch they put on you is unacceptable. I haven't rented from them in a couple of years so I don't know when they adopted this policy but it seems they've got some serious bugs to work out.

--Paul

[Harryb]

I have rented from borrowlenses.com on numerous occasions and the service has just about been perfect everytime. At this point I don't even think about anyone else when I need a rental. They asked me for ID once when I rented out the 200-400 f/4 VR. It didn't bother me and the request was easily satisifed and seemed reasonable considering the expense of lens. As for identity theft I feel safer with borrowlens.com than I do giving my credit card to an illegal immigrant working as a waitress in a restaurant.

[ken]

I wanted to rent a Sigma 50-150 f/2.8 for an event I have next weekend. I've been thinking of buying one and want to test it out. Since I only need it for 3 days the price was better at BorrowLenses than LensRentals. I filled out the order form and received my invoice by e-mail (yesterday).

Today I got an e-mail telling me that


Initially, I could understand this. If they want me to call in or confirm some piece of information I can live with that. Here's what they wanted me to do though:


Are they out of their minds? First is the hassle factor. Second, and the greater offense, is that this gives someone everything they need to steal my identity. I don't know your employees and I certainly don't know what your privacy policy and data protection policies are. If you want to require "Verified by VISA," fine. If you want to call me at home, fine. I think I could even live with a scan of my driver's license (maybe). But all of this to rent a $500 lens. I'll pass.

Their defense is:


I'm sorry, but that doesn't make me feel secure. The fact that people on yelp like you? Really? And that the part of your server this is on requires a password? So did my Playstation Network account.
WOW, I will buy lenses before I will rent with that as a requirement. I would not send that much info to any one on the internet even if YELP likes them. The amazing part is this does not verify that you are who you say you are. A utility bill that shows your billing address? I can cut and past that together in 5 minutes and it will not be detectable in a scan. besides that the credit card already gives them your billing address.

I'll stick with LensRentals, unless they get this stupid. Then I will go back to buying.

[angevin1]

Tom,

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Like you, I'm more sympathetic with them considering the amount of gear you were renting. Still, the time crunch they put on you is unacceptable. I haven't rented from them in a couple of years so I don't know when they adopted this policy but it seems they've got some serious bugs to work out.

--Paul


Thanks Paul! Yes. It was unacceptable. I had actually talked to them prior to renting this time because of the time crunch. So that was another Op to inform me of this verify need. It ( the Phone convo) is the reason I ordered when I did versus waiting like I wanted to until after My production meeting.

I've been happy before and I suspect all will work out fine this time as well.

But IMO the overall experience is ubiquitous in Corporate America as a whole: We are trying to take common sense out of everything. At least that's the way I see it. And it is the reason I left Healthcare. Of course that is a part and parcel to that key of key buzz-phrases from the 90's about "growing your business". When I was last in a bigger-business that was service oriented I chose not to grow my business, not in the way it is typically accepted. I grew it the old fashioned way: It earned it's growth. Now-a-days folks tend to force growth, and...need I say more?

Sorry so far adrift from topic!

[angevin1]

The amazing part is this does not verify that you are who you say you are. A utility bill that shows your billing address? I can cut and past that together in 5 minutes and it will not be detectable in a scan. besides that the credit card already gives them your billing address.



No. True! I recently wanted to do some Biz with a person, Googled their name and had their Garbage bill, their Tax bill and all sorts of other lovely stuff returned in the query. Of course I was shocked, but thats because I am not a crook. And yes, I can see it if the delivery address doesn't match the Bill address. Mine Matched.

[Pupator]

I have rented from borrowlenses.com on numerous occasions and the service has just about been perfect everytime. At this point I don't even think about anyone else when I need a rental. They asked me for ID once when I rented out the 200-400 f/4 VR. It didn't bother me and the request was easily satisifed and seemed reasonable considering the expense of lens. As for identity theft I feel safer with borrowlens.com than I do giving my credit card to an illegal immigrant working as a waitress in a restaurant.

Harry - I'm glad you feel safe with borrow lenses. I've done business with them in the past and it's been fine as well. The issue is that I don't feel comfortable giving anyone 1) both sides of my driver's license; 2) both sides of my credit card; 3) utility bills. I don't think invoking the boogie-monster of an illegal immigrant waitress is really the best comparison here.

[cmason]

Paul:

I rented a Canon 24-105L lens from Borrowlenses.com, and did not have to do any of what you mentioned. This lens is arguably as 'high priced' a lens as what you were renting, so I don't understand the inconsistency here. In addition, that was my first rental with them.

Like you, I would not have sent the requested info, and I don't blame you for refusing as well. This is what business insurance is for it seems to me.

[Sam]

I will second or tenth recommending Borrow lenses.

Sam

[Pupator]

In case anyone doesn't know, this time of year is when LensRentals does their "Lens Lotto." If you haven't tried it it's pretty fun.

For example - I had planned to rent the Sigma 50-150 f/2.8 for two events I have this weekend. Instead, I tried the lens lotto. You pick a range (wide, normal, tele), tell them what lenses you already have, and what you're planning to shoot. They send you a random lens they pick based on what you've told them. You're assured that, worst case scenario, the rental price you paid will be the same as that lens would normally cost. Most of the time (all of the time, I think) you end up getting a better lens for a cheaper rental price.

I paid $64.50 for a four day rental (and shipping). Based on what I told them they sent me a Nikon 24-70 f/2.8. Normal 4-day rental for that would be $86.75. I'm looking forward to trying it out.

---------
I don't work for LensRentals or get anything in return for this - I just think the lens lotto is a cool thing. Also, despite my cancelled order with them over the weekend I don't have any problems with BorrowLenses. I've used them before and will use them again if they ever change this ID policy.

[angevin1]

In case anyone doesn't know, this time of year is when LensRentals does their "Lens Lotto." If you haven't tried it it's pretty fun.

For example - I had planned to rent the Sigma 50-150 f/2.8 for two events I have this weekend. Instead, I tried the lens lotto. You pick a range (wide, normal, tele), tell them what lenses you already have, and what you're planning to shoot. They send you a random lens they pick based on what you've told them. You're assured that, worst case scenario, the rental price you paid will be the same as that lens would normally cost. Most of the time (all of the time, I think) you end up getting a better lens for a cheaper rental price.

I paid $64.50 for a four day rental (and shipping). Based on what I told them they sent me a Nikon 24-70 f/2.8. Normal 4-day rental for that would be $86.75. I'm looking forward to trying it out.

---------
I don't work for LensRentals or get anything in return for this - I just think the lens lotto is a cool thing. Also, despite my cancelled order with them over the weekend I don't have any problems with BorrowLenses. I've used them before and will use them again if they ever change this ID policy.


Pulled the trigger on the Lens Lotto today! A fun idea!

[borrowlenses.com]

Thanks for your feedback, and I'm sorry you do not feel safe with us. We've been around for over 4 years, have processed over 100,000 orders, and do all we can to make the ordering and shipping process as simple and painless as possible. Unfortunately we're also the frequent victim of fraud (literally on a daily basis) so we have safeguards in place to protect both our stuff and your account/identity. I'm sorry you had a bad experience. If you ever need anything you can always send me an IM and I'll do everything I can to help out.

josh
Director of Marketing
BorrowLenses.com

Harry - I'm glad you feel safe with borrow lenses. I've done business with them in the past and it's been fine as well. The issue is that I don't feel comfortable giving anyone 1) both sides of my driver's license; 2) both sides of my credit card; 3) utility bills. I don't think invoking the boogie-monster of an illegal immigrant waitress is really the best comparison here.

[Pupator]

Hi Josh, :wave

I appreciate your response here and the kind PM as well. Let me be clear however that "you do not feel safe with us," is not an accurate representation of my complaint. I would not give the information you asked for to any company - it has nothing to do with my level of trust of Borrow Lenses in particular. Any business that has this policy - I would choose to do business with someone else. I completely understand the need to verify identities and to protect yourselves - I disagree with the way you've chosen to do that. You are completely within your rights as a company to do it that way but it means I won't be doing business with you. Others, in this thread even, have expressed a willingness to accept your practices and that is their right as well.

It's like at the grocery store when they want me to sign up for their rewards card and when I say "I don't sell my personal information for discounts" they always respond "Oh! We don't share it with anybody!" :huh They're missing the point. In the commercial realm, we get to choose who we hand our identities over to, and for what benefit. Different people are within their rights to make different choices on this issue. Companies should certainly adopt the policies that are the most effective for them. But I would also point out, from a business perspective, that if this is true:
Unfortunately we're also the frequent victim of fraud (literally on a daily basis)
Dr. Phil would ask of your policy, "Well how's that working for you?"

Let me reiterate that I have nothing against BorrowLenses and, when the need to rent arises, I'll check you out to see if the policy has changed.

Kind regards,
Paul

Thanks for your feedback, and I'm sorry you do not feel safe with us. We've been around for over 4 years, have processed over 100,000 orders, and do all we can to make the ordering and shipping process as simple and painless as possible. Unfortunately we're also the frequent victim of fraud (literally on a daily basis) so we have safeguards in place to protect both our stuff and your account/identity. I'm sorry you had a bad experience. If you ever need anything you can always send me an IM and I'll do everything I can to help out.

josh
Director of Marketing
BorrowLenses.com

[Andy]

I have rented from borrowlenses.com on numerous occasions and the service has just about been perfect everytime. At this point I don't even think about anyone else when I need a rental. They asked me for ID once when I rented out the 200-400 f/4 VR. It didn't bother me and the request was easily satisifed and seemed reasonable considering the expense of lens. As for identity theft I feel safer with borrowlens.com than I do giving my credit card to an illegal immigrant working as a waitress in a restaurant.
:agree

[borrowlenses.com]

Hi Josh, :wave

I appreciate your response here and the kind PM as well. Let me be clear however that "you do not feel safe with us," is not an accurate representation of my complaint. I would not give the information you asked for to any company - it has nothing to do with my level of trust of Borrow Lenses in particular. Any business that has this policy - I would choose to do business with someone else. I completely understand the need to verify identities and to protect yourselves - I disagree with the way you've chosen to do that. You are completely within your rights as a company to do it that way but it means I won't be doing business with you. Others, in this thread even, have expressed a willingness to accept your practices and that is their right as well.

Kind regards,
Paul

Your feedback is appreciated Paul, and we look forward to working with you should the need to rent arises one of those days! Just let me know how we can help.

josh

[borrowlenses.com]

Thanks Andy :D

:agree