Letting someone borrow your gear?
Discussion
I'll lend things to people who I can trust to look after it as if it were their own and who can afford (and be expected) to make right anything bad that might happen to it (repair to original condition or replace entirely). If you aren't sure but do want to lend them your gear then surely the way to go is to say that if they insure it with a camera insurance specialist (don't get into the is it covered on house policies and so on) then you are happy for them to go and play with it?
PlaneFan said:
I've lent my 1d4 and L lenses and flash units to friends before. Good friends only...and on the understanding of "you break it, you own it".
That's my view too. My backup D200 and a spare lens is currently with a family member until I need it for the next wedding. He knows that if he drops it in the sea it'll cost him £650!Simpo Two said:
That's my view too. My backup D200 and a spare lens is currently with a family member until I need it for the next wedding. He knows that if he drops it in the sea it'll cost him £650!
Which is nearly enough to replace with a D300 (sans lens) 
Other people using my gear is de facto for me as I do a lot of work in secondary schools. Once you've seen how kids handle your gear when they're next to you and it survives, it's a lot easier to let it out of your sight with people you trust
Drogo said:
Only if she would be willing and able to pay for replacement or repair should the need arise.
I had an experience where I lent a camcorder (in the days when they were expensive) to someone, on the grounds he'd replace it if he broke it. Of course he agreed on the assumption he wouldn't break it...but he did. In the end all I got out of him was a repair and it was never the same.DiscoColin said:
If you aren't sure but do want to lend them your gear then surely the way to go is to say that if they insure it with a camera insurance specialist (don't get into the is it covered on house policies and so on) then you are happy for them to go and play with it?
^ this seems like the best optionI would only lend to someone else who had an SLR and kit. If they wanted to borrow specific lens that I had etc or wanted to try out my camera body.
If they only had experience with compact cameras then I would say no.
I just think that only an SLR owner would take the care ref dust caps, placing lenses in safe places whilst changing etc and also keeping £1000 - £3000 of kit in personal view at all times.
If they only had experience with compact cameras then I would say no.
I just think that only an SLR owner would take the care ref dust caps, placing lenses in safe places whilst changing etc and also keeping £1000 - £3000 of kit in personal view at all times.
Conor D said:
I'm curious what peoples thoughts are towards lending your DSLR (Nikon D5000) to someone for a few days. A good friend of mine is going to Amsterdam with her boyfriend.. She asked about having a lend of my camera.
Anyone have any horror stories about people borrowing your gear?
Would she know how to use it? If not why would she want it?Anyone have any horror stories about people borrowing your gear?
What is the motivation for wanting to use your camera?
At a much less expensive level over the years I have loaned books, some with significant personal value though perhaps not fiscal value, and similar items to people with a promise to return them and never seen them again. In one instance many years ago a young lady with whom I had worked borrowed a 1st edition book after. Some months later when I asked if she had finished with it she casually mentioned that she had loaned it to someone else on her college course but was not sure where it was ..... never did see it again.
Over the years my kids have seem their DVD collections depleted (a number of times) when friends simply couldn't be bothered to care about them or who they belonged to - at University all property seems to be communal amongst young people.
I'll happily let someone use my kit if I'm there or if it is something non-critical or easily replaced at relatively low cost. I'm grateful when others offer the same facilities to me. Simpo's example sound fine to me since it's within the family and non-critical to his needs being a backup.
It's your call of course but I would suggest you need to be really really sure that you are OK with the idea. That you ask the question on here suggests you may not be.
LongQ said:
At a much less expensive level over the years I have loaned books
Books are a funny one. I too have lost books loaned to people I thought would return them. The last time was when I was in a local charity shop and thought - 'that book looks familiar'. When I got home I checked the shelves and my copy wasn't there. Then I then remembered I'd lent it to a friend who lived locally. He said he didn't have it, but I never got it back and I'm convinced he just forgot where it came from and gave it away. Sadly by the time I got back to the shop it had been sold.Going back to the OP; in this case I would say 'no' because there is a boyfriend involved, and the chance of him grabbing it and horsing about showing off, possibly with a few lagers thrown in, is too great I feel. You may know your friend but you don't know her boyfriend.
Interesting question. I think it would depend on the camera. I doubt I would lend my D700 to anyone because I doubt many (if any) of my friends would be comfortable replacing 2k+ of equipment if they damaged it. On the other hand, a friend visited recently and I let her use my micro four thirds camera during her trip without being overly concerned. Nothing was explicitly said about "you break it, you buy it" but she's a responsible professional so I was pretty sure she wouldn't have screwed me over if something had happened.
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