Do rented lenses usually come with cheap filters attached?

Question

I got the Pentax smc DA★ 200mm f/2.8 ED (IF) SDM from an online camera gear rental company as part of the Photography Stack Exchange Lending Library experiment. (Thanks, Stack Exchange!) This is a relatively fancy lens; one of Pentax's most expensive, and it's got heavy-duty build and features, including weather sealing. I wasn't surprised to see that the rental company sent it with a UV filter (which the insert says is "mostly for protection"), but I was disappointed to see that it's the cheapest Tiffen protection filter, which is generally not well-regarded.

Now, I realize that it's my responsibility to protect the lens, but part of my reason for renting is to see what the lens can do, and having it impaired by a cheap filter is not really what I wanted. So, I've taken it off and am going to be ultra-careful. Since I'm beyond phase where I had a high risk of a two-year-old suddenly flinging sand at me at the playground, I usually don't use a protective filter on my own lenses, even the pricier ones, and nothing horrible has happened to me yet. And this one comes with a really hefty and solid lens hood which makes me feel pretty safe in the field.

If the filter were a super-multicoated B+W or Hoya — or maybe even a fancier Tiffen filter — I'd be inclined to leave it on (at least outside of some technical tests). Or if I had a high-quality 77mm ⌀ UV filter of my own, maybe I'd swap that in — but I don't.

I'm going to ask the company about this, but I wonder if it's standard practice, and what people who rent lenses usually do. The company didn't even send a protective storage case for the filter; it seems pretty clear that they expect it to be left in place.

Do most camera lens rental companies send their lenses with protective filters? What kind of filters do they use if so? And what do people who do this a lot do about it?

Asked by mattdm

Answer

I've rented two from LensRentals.com, a 15-85 and 100-400L, and neither came with a UV filter. Personally, I wouldn't expect a rented lens to come with a filter since a purchased lens doesn't come with one; like any other lens you get into your possession, the damage-quality tradeoff is up to you to make.

LensRentals.com's FAQ explains why, and comes down on the side of image quality (without penalizing the renter):

Because we believe filters degrade image quality to a slight degree, we do not put UV filters on the lenses unless you specifically order them. Because that is our choice we do not consider the renter responsible for minor hairline scratches to the front element.

Answered by drewbenn

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What is good equipment to buy/hire for a generalist photographer, new to event photography?

Question

I'll soon be covering an event, and my existing lens set isn't necessarily ideal for low-light people photography.

As with many events, this may be both indoors and outside, and runs throughout the day, so need to be prepared for all sorts of lighting.

Of course, there are lots of non-equipment things to consider - such as scouting the venue in advance to get a better idea of potential conditions, and other possible pitfalls mentioned here.

Equipment-wise, I have a Nikon D300s and a D70.

My current lenses are:

• Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED DX
• Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG
• Sigma EX 30mm f/1.4

The 30mm can do low light, and will be fine for general/scene shots, but not great for individual people/portrait style shots, since it requires getting in close.

The 70-300mm is bad in even a little dim light, and in general is slow and crappy.

So what would be a good lens to buy or rent for someone not yet an experience event photographer?

Is there any other equipment that would be useful to have? (for example, is a battery grip beneficial, or is a pair of charged spare batteries sufficient?)

Answer

I would think at least one external flash that you will be able to bounce off of walls etc is not only a "nice to have" , but probably a requirement for event photography.

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What are the pros and cons of renting equipment?

Question

I have just started out and am learning so have limited kit at this time.

I wondered if renting gear like additional lenses worked for anyone or is it always better to buy?

Answer

The short answer: It really depends on what you're shooting. If you do infrequent big events then renting can be a great way to shoot with top of the range gear. On the other hand if you mostly shoot spontaneously, or spend your spare time experimenting then you'll probably want to own your lenses. The type of photography you do comes into the equation too, as certain things such as sports/wildlife really benefit from expensive glass. In other areas knowing how to use your existing gear and how to use light is more important.

The obvious advantage to owning is that you have the gear available all the time and you're free to experiment whenever you feel like it, and you know it's reliable and been well looked after (assuming you've looked after it well!)

The obvious advantage to renting is that you get access to extremely expensive glass for a relatively small fee. If you occasionally shoot wildlife you can rent a 600 f/4 without ever being able to buy it.

The great thing about lenses is that the learning curve is extremely shallow - you can just pick up a lens and go, which is great if there's a lens you only need a few times a year. It's a totally different case with camera bodies, as it pays to know you camera inside out. I would only consider renting a body that I had used extensively before. Control systems vary even with manufacturers, a Canon 5D mkII shooter using a 1Ds for the first time would be totally lost! Plus you don't know how the camera has been set up by the person before you.

Another advantage of renting is that you can try a lens to see if it works for you before buying. You can find out if it has problems with flare, is slow to focus or is simply the wrong focal length. This can be especially helpful if you're new to photography and don't have a handle on what a 400mm lens is like to live with.

For rental places, if you're in or near London Fixation are very good. Otherwise lensesforhire.co.uk will post lenses, that are very cheap but I've had problems with them claiming to have lenses in stock but then letting me down at the last minute, so be careful if renting for an assignment!

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Where can I rent a camera and lens online within the US?

Question

I'm considering buying a Canon 5D Mark II camera with Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM Lens. But before I buy, I would like to rent it to try it out.

Where can I rent camera gear online, and have it shipped to me without me putting down a large deposit? This would be within the US of course, and I'm hoping it's not too expensive either. I've seen local shops that rent it for $100+ US dollars per day!

Answer

Two big ones I'm aware of :

• Borrowlenses.com
• Lensrentals.com

Both feel reasonably priced to me, have good reputations (that I'm aware of), and have large selections (esp for Canon). If you're close to one of their physical locations, you may be able to avoid shipping costs.

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