By Robin Owens 15 days ago, Photography Gear
Regardless if you’re an experienced professional or a movie-making beginner, it often makes sense to look into the best video equipment rental options for filmmakers, especially if you don’t plan to use the gear frequently. Typically, each new project demands a different type of camera or lighting set and you can save a lot of money by renting the necessary equipment instead of buying it.
By renting filming equipment, videographers and videography companies can satisfy the needs of each project for an affordable price. You can rent virtually everything from a drone, camera, and lenses to film production equipment like accessories for capturing. The pricing of video equipment rental options ranges from $50 to $5000 for a camera or lens and depends on the quality of the rented gear and the lease duration.
Verdict: KitSplit allows creators to easily receive all the necessary equipment as well as rent gear directly from other creators in your area. If you need to rent a film camera in Los Angeles, a lens in Atlanta, or order a truck in New York, KitSplit has you covered.
KitSplit has production companies that are always ready to provide film production equipment rental for freelance videographers. Other than getting the best cameras for filmmaking on a budget, you can also share filming tips with others and learn something new yourself.
KitSplit allows viewing the closest located equipment in your area from rental houses, gear owners, and other production companies. Owners and renters frequently leave reviews, making it easy to check how reliable each option is. Additionally, when renting equipment on KitSplit, you can purchase insurance to ensure the gear is protected.
Verdict: BorrowLenses is one of the biggest players on the market, as it offers a plethora of video cameras suitable for all possible projects while ensuring you're only renting equipment of the highest quality.
They have an expansive collection of products that include both the latest and most popular gear pieces, which you can rent with maximum convenience. Browse through their catalog until you find the best equipment for your needs, and rest assured that it will be delivered straight to your doorstep.
BorrowLenses divides its rental library into two main categories, photography, and videography, while also featuring a used equipment store and a blog. The website offers photography gear for all main product lines regardless if you’re looking for a DSLR, a mirrorless camera for video recording, or a compact fixed-lens camera. Lenses and cameras are categorized based on their mount type, but the overall organization of the website’s library feels rather inconvenient.
Verdict: Vantage is an international rental company with subsidiary branches around the world that are led by professionals with years of experience. Here, you’ll find all the equipment produced by the world’s leading brands including the most recent additions to their product lines. Vantage also offers a large array of Tele lenses, tubes, periscopes, microscope lenses, image shakes, and low-angle prisms – with their current catalog including over 2500 items.
Vantage’s inventory includes all possible specialized optical devices that are continuously being developed to achieve the perfect image quality. To help moviemakers as much as they can, Vantage supports and adapts these devices and tools to new cameras and applications. You can even rent professional underwater equipment and exclusive hydraulic units with 2-axis remote controls.
When visiting this video production equipment rental platform, you can leave an online inquiry for a specific product you want or pick one of the offered options. You can nearly always rent gear that is located near you since the company’s offices are spread across different cities and countries.
Verdict: LensRentals is one of the best video equipment rental options for filmmakers looking for professional 4K cameras in the United States. Thanks to this service, you can quickly receive everything you need for special videography trips and projects while saving a lot of money in the process.
LensRentals won’t just work with you to coordinate the delivery, but will also help track down the closest drop-off point and offer a rental extension whenever needed for an additional fee. If you’re unable to return the equipment on the scheduled day, LensRentals provides a generous rental-extension policy, allowing you to pay 10% less for the renewed period as long as you request it before the date of return.
Underwater videographers will love the selection of underwater housings. Here you’ll find not only drones for filming but spare batteries and other accessories too. This company has cameras and lenses of all formats from all the major manufacturers, as well as all the audio and lighting devices and accessories needed for lighting up any kind of recording setup.
Verdict: Fat Llama offers standard equipment for photography and videography at affordable prices. It operates based on credit and lending policies, as the renting process is free for both parties. All cameras and lenses have insurance that covers damages and theft. If you want to lend a tripod, camera, lens, or drilling rig, Fat Llama is here to help you.
This service is simple to use, as lenders merely need to create an account and then list as many items as they want. In turn, borrowers only have to search for the gear they need, after which the application will request a rental directly from the lender. If you’re using Fat Llama for the first time, you'll have to pass a security check before the request will be forwarded.
Since you’re renting equipment from fellow filmmakers, you also get a chance to work with other professionals from your field. Rentals allow beginners to learn new movie-making techniques while using quality gear. For instance, if your work lacks aerial shots, Fat Llama offers various drone options that you can choose from.
Verdict: Wedio is a rapidly growing community that offers filmmaking equipment rentals for moviemakers and photographers, representing a sort of Airbnb of the videography equipment world. Wedio lets you rent the desired equipment while providing the financial flexibility you need to focus on your craft.
Wedio allows finding relevant gear at reasonable prices in a matter of minutes. Get inspired by the app’s offers and, for instance, add a budget video camera to your shopping cart. Send the request to the lender and receive instant insurance.
Next, receive the equipment from the lender and start working on your projects. Afterward, return the gear and share your opinion with the creditor. Wedio is easy to use and completely safe. Thanks to the provided insurance, you don’t risk finding yourself in a tough financial situation in case of an accident.
Verdict: ShareGrid is a convenient trading platform for rentals. It lets you try out the newest photography and filmmaking equipment without breaking the bank by choosing the perfect gear from over 10 categories.
All people that use this platform pass verification to ensure the safety of other users. You can rent gear from local moviemakers and even lease a house in your area. This allows you to use top-class camera gear any time you need without wasting hours driving back and forth.
ShareGrid offers the best prices in the industry and provides instant insurance for up to 750 thousand dollars. It’s also a good platform for meeting new people who can give you tips and recommendations that can further improve the quality of your work.
Verdict: Adorama offers thousands of cameras, lenses, and other accessories for filmmaking. It earned a great reputation thanks to its fantastic gear inventory while gathering positive customer reviews from all around the world.
By offering equipment from large brands like Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, and others, Adorama lets you find nearly any type of camera and lens you need. It’s a fantastic resource for renting and purchasing moviemaking equipment, as it has everything from Canon lenses for video recording to high-quality RED Dragon cameras.
Adorama offers the best video equipment rental options for filmmakers, particularly when it comes to customer service. The company provides a 10% discount on all products for students and teachers. Other than that, Adorama often has special offers like zero interest for multiple months on specific products.
