Lens rental (nikon) recommendations

[DHA]

Am thinking of renting some lenses before I buy (don't want to cock up a £1500-£2000 purchase). Can anyone recommend a nikon lens rental company, ideally one that posts or you can collect/drop of in west London or Surrey.

Cheers

[LaSarthe+Back]

Lenses For Hire

Excellent service when I borrowed a Cacnon 17-55mm 2.8. £850 quids wirth of lens for two weeks for £75 quid (no deposit and insured too!)

[DHA]

Cheers

[Dogsey]

LaSarthe+Back said:

Lenses For Hire

Excellent service when I borrowed a Cacnon 17-55mm 2.8. £850 quids wirth of lens for two weeks for £75 quid (no deposit and insured too!)

Seconded! Good range of Nikon lenses too.

[LaSarthe+Back]

A Cacnon!

[ROADRUNNER3]

Fixation

[ian in lancs]

Calumet - much cheaper than lensforhire

[Dogsey]

ian in lancs said:

Calumet - much cheaper than lensforhire

Really?

Nikon 300mm f2.8

LfH 1 week hire = £144.50
Calumet 1 week hire = £212

Canon 100-400 L

LfH 1 Week = £59.50
Calumet 1 week = £144

First two lenses I looked at. Plus LfH include free insurance and also don't ask for a deposit. Do Calumet do that?

[ian in lancs]

Dogsey said:

ian in lancs said:

Calumet - much cheaper than lensforhire

Really?

Nikon 300mm f2.8

LfH 1 week hire = £144.50
Calumet 1 week hire = £212

Canon 100-400 L

LfH 1 Week = £59.50
Calumet 1 week = £144

First two lenses I looked at. Plus LfH include free insurance and also don't ask for a deposit. Do Calumet do that?

Nikon f/2.8 70-200 VR - Calumet Daily Rate (weekend) £35/weekly rate £140; Lenses for hire Weekly Rate £68.25. LFH don't do rents for less time so depending how long you want it for Calumet may or may not be cheaper.

[Dogsey]

ian in lancs said:

Dogsey said:

ian in lancs said:

Calumet - much cheaper than lensforhire

Really?

Nikon 300mm f2.8

LfH 1 week hire = £144.50
Calumet 1 week hire = £212

Canon 100-400 L

LfH 1 Week = £59.50
Calumet 1 week = £144

First two lenses I looked at. Plus LfH include free insurance and also don't ask for a deposit. Do Calumet do that?

Nikon f/2.8 70-200 VR - Calumet Daily Rate (weekend) £35/weekly rate £140; Lenses for hire Weekly Rate £68.25. LFH don't do rents for less time so depending how long you want it for Calumet may or may not be cheaper.

You can select any length of hire from 3 to 33 days (at the bottom of each lenses homepage) - and they'll happily talk about longer. The lens you quoted works out at £40.25 for three days with no deposit, plus it's delivered the day before you want it and collected the day after, making an average total of 4 days hire. Still think Calumet are a better option?

Edited by Dogsey on Wednesday 7th October 09:55

[BigDaveTheMighty]

ian in lancs said:

Dogsey said:

ian in lancs said:

Calumet - much cheaper than lensforhire

Really?

Nikon 300mm f2.8

LfH 1 week hire = £144.50
Calumet 1 week hire = £212

Canon 100-400 L

LfH 1 Week = £59.50
Calumet 1 week = £144

First two lenses I looked at. Plus LfH include free insurance and also don't ask for a deposit. Do Calumet do that?

Nikon f/2.8 70-200 VR - Calumet Daily Rate (weekend) £35/weekly rate £140; Lenses for hire Weekly Rate £68.25. LFH don't do rents for less time so depending how long you want it for Calumet may or may not be cheaper.

The shortest time you can rent from LFH is three days. Three days with LFH is also three whole 24 hour periods. The day you receive the lens isn't day one, but day zero. Likewise day three is the day before you have to return it.

Calumet's stuff isn't insured when you hire it and they'll take a deposit for the full value of the lens. LFH won't take a deposit and the gear is insured (unless you choose not to take their insurance). I certainly wouldn't want to take gear valuing in the thousands without any insurance on it.

I've used both companies and would favour LFH over Calumet. Calumet aren't bad - but the service I've received from LFH is second to none.

The only thing for which I'd use Calumet over LFH would be if I needed a highly spec'd body or lighting gear, but if LFH rented this I'd use them.

[BigDaveTheMighty]

Dogsey said:

You can select any length of hire from 3 to 33 days (at the bottom of each lenses homepage) - and they'll happily talk about longer. The lens you quoted works out at £40.25 for three days with no deposit, plus it's delivered the day before you want it and collected the day after, making an average total of 4 days hire. Still think Calumet are a better option?

Edited by Dogsey on Wednesday 7th October 09:55

Great minds and all that, etc etc.

[Fordo]

BigDaveTheMighty said:

ian in lancs said:

Dogsey said:

ian in lancs said:

Calumet - much cheaper than lensforhire

Really?

Nikon 300mm f2.8

LfH 1 week hire = £144.50
Calumet 1 week hire = £212

Canon 100-400 L

LfH 1 Week = £59.50
Calumet 1 week = £144

First two lenses I looked at. Plus LfH include free insurance and also don't ask for a deposit. Do Calumet do that?

Nikon f/2.8 70-200 VR - Calumet Daily Rate (weekend) £35/weekly rate £140; Lenses for hire Weekly Rate £68.25. LFH don't do rents for less time so depending how long you want it for Calumet may or may not be cheaper.

The shortest time you can rent from LFH is three days. Three days with LFH is also three whole 24 hour periods. The day you receive the lens isn't day one, but day zero. Likewise day three is the day before you have to return it.

Calumet's stuff isn't insured when you hire it and they'll take a deposit for the full value of the lens. LFH won't take a deposit and the gear is insured (unless you choose not to take their insurance). I certainly wouldn't want to take gear valuing in the thousands without any insurance on it.

I've used both companies and would favour LFH over Calumet. Calumet aren't bad - but the service I've received from LFH is second to none.

The only thing for which I'd use Calumet over LFH would be if I needed a highly spec'd body or lighting gear, but if LFH rented this I'd use them.

Gald i read this thread - LFH seem like a good option. I like they're little summarys of each lens. It's helping me choose what i need to hire in a few months. Thanks for posting the link

[ian in lancs]

BigDaveTheMighty said:

I certainly wouldn't want to take gear valuing in the thousands without any insurance on it

Ah! I hadn't appreciated that and in the detail LFH seem to be the better option. Thanks guys!

What transit method do LFH use?

[BigDaveTheMighty]

ian in lancs said:

BigDaveTheMighty said:

I certainly wouldn't want to take gear valuing in the thousands without any insurance on it

Ah! I hadn't appreciated that and in the detail LFH seem to be the better option. Thanks guys!

What transit method do LFH use?

Depends, you have a few options.

Smaller lenses are sent by RM special delivery and the larger ones by courier.

If you select courier, then you can also pay a bit more to have them collect it.

Obviously, if you have the kit sent out to you by RM, then you'll need to go to the Post Office to send it back.

Alternatively, you can arange to pick-up/drop-off the kit with them yourself. Which is worthwhile if you're near Maidenhead.

They're really helpful. Give them a call and ask for Stewart.