Photography equipment is expensive. Having been a professional wedding photographer for over 7 years, I concur that this sentiment is true.
Having the option to rent high-end camera equipment as opposed to buying outright, in many scenarios, makes a lot of sense. Over the course of my professional photography career, I have found myself in such scenarios on occasion. And since discovering them, BorrowLenses.com has been my photography rental vendor of choice.
Wondering if Borrow Lenses is legit? How does Borrow Lenses work? Is Borrow Lenses worth the money? In this Borrow Lenses review, I’ll be sharing my personal experience and thoughts on this service to help you make the best decision for you.
Check out current Borrow Lenses promos, coupons, and special offers here.
What is Borrow Lenses?
You can certainly deduce from the straightforward name that Borrow Lenses is a lens rental service. As the name suggests, Borrow Lenses provides a service where you can rent lenses, cameras, and other professional camera equipment for a set period of time.
Their selection of lenses, camera bodies, lighting equipment, and everything in between is sizable, from varied top manufacturers, and available at a fraction of what it would cost to purchase new or used.
Who is Borrow Lenses for?
Borrow Lenses, in a nutshell, is for professional photographers and amateurs alike.
Both professional and amateur photographers will appreciate the service Borrow Lenses offers as they can outfit themselves with high-quality equipment at an affordable price without having to shell out thousands of dollars upfront.
It’s a great way to be able to use equipment that you need for a special purpose or event for example. It’s also a great way to test and try out a certain piece of gear before investing completely.
How Does Borrow Lenses work?
The Borrow Lenses website is straightforward and easy to navigate, so getting yourself sorted with an equipment rental is a breeze.
Their service is plug-n-play simple: you pick out your rental items online, accept the Borrow Lenses terms and conditions, pay at checkout with an optional insurance add-on (more on that in a bit), and wait for your items to be delivered to you. Did I mention that fast shipping is free?
Most items available from Borrow Lenses do not require a deposit, however, the company does offer a GearGuard insurance add-on option developed to give you peace of mind and protection from taking on the full liability of unintentional damage to rental gear by paying just a deductible amount in the result any of your rental items get damaged.
The standard rental period is 7 days, but you can choose to keep your items for 3-90 days, shoot to your heart’s desire, and when you’re ready, ship the gear back hassle-free!
Additionally, if you’re looking to purchase used photography equipment, Borrow Lenses also offers used gear sales here. This is a great alternative to purchasing equipment brand new.
My Experience using Borrow Lenses.
The very first time that I rented camera gear from Borrow Lenses I was a new and inexperienced photographer who had just booked one of my first weddings. I wanted to do a great job and produce a wedding gallery for the couple (my portfolio too) that I could be proud of, and I wanted to make sure I had all the equipment I felt I needed.
While I didn’t have enough money to invest in some wedding photographer “gear essentials” like a macro lens for killer ring shots or a telezoom lens to shoot from far away, I did have enough cash to rent the equipment in the interim.
The second time I ordered with Borrow Lenses was when I was commissioned by a friend to take on a genre of photography that I was interested in but had never tried before — architecture photography. By this time I had built up my wedding photography gear kit pretty well but was missing some handy gear for the architect gear at hand, like a solid wide-angle lens and tilt-shift lens.
Fast forward about 7 years (Borrow Lenses have been around for some time), and I have since taken a career focus shift from professional photography to growing this here blog you’re reading. I’ve sold much of my photography equipment and traded editing in Photoshop to writing in WordPress. From my years of experience in the field, I still receive inquiries to photograph weddings and portraits. And although I don’t own all of the equipment I may need (depending on the venue set up), when I’m so obliged I accept — because I know Borrow Lenses has everything I need and always comes through.
What I appreciate about Borrow Lenses
Borrow Lenses is not the only camera rental service or lens rental service on the block. They are, however, from my experience, the best on the block.
Firstly, Borrow Lenses offers a wide range of photography equipment rentals. Among others, their inventory currently includes a wide range of Canon and Nikon DSLR bodies, lenses from many good manufacturers, A-series flashes from Canon and Nikon, lighting equipment including strobes, softboxes, reflectors etc., grip gear such as battery packs and vertical grips for DSLRs, video rigs, support systems like monopods and tripods, bags to carry all your equipment in, and everything else that a professional photographer could ask for. With regards to the items that they rent, Borrow Lenses’ selection is second-to-none (or at least in my opinion).
Secondly, Borrow lenses has excellent customer service. I have never run into any problems with borrowlenses.com, but should the situation ever arise, I feel positively their response would be prompt, fair, and professional. When renting equipment from borrowlenses.com, you are always given the option of contacting them via phone or email.
Lastly, Borrow Lenses offers gear that’s in great condition. When you rent camera equipment, you may be concerned that some rental vendors offer equipment that is either very used or not well-maintained. Rental items from borrowlenses.com, are always high-quality gear in great condition. I’ve had nothing but great experiences with the gear that borrowlenses.com has supplied to me.
Borrow Lenses Review Final Verdict
If you need camera equipment for your next job or photography project, look no further than Borrow Lenses. The rental process couldn’t be easier, the delivery/pick up is dependable (I’ve never had any problems), and the variety of gear is excellent.
Borrow Lenses offers an unbeatable service with great gear and excellent prices. The gear I have rented over the years has been in great condition and the prices are very competitive.
Check out current Borrow Lenses promos, coupons, and special offers here.
I don’t know about you, but I’m sold — or rather, rented (with Borrow Lenses)!