Renting gear
Going rental
With technology changing all the time and a professional shooting set-up requiring a second mortgage, hiring equipment rather than buying can make sound financial sense
Keeping up to speed with the latest equipment makes sense for any photographer, particularly those whose commercial clients demand that they are shooting on the biggest and best gear available. But choosing to own it outright doesn’t always pay. Why spend £20,000+ on a Hasselblad H3D when you can hire it for under £300 per day?
Similarly, while a photographer who works mainly in the studio might choose to own a selection of lighting gear, there will be times when a couple of extra heads are needed, or a location shoot is booked that requires portable power packs or an HMI.
In each of these cases, whether you’re looking to get your hands on a PhaseOne back or the latest must-have bulb from Briese (available via Sola Lights in the UK) the hire route offers a clear advantage. And luckily there are plenty of rental firms out there offering professional photographers the latest kit, expertise and even system operators for extremely competitive rates.
What’s more, many will refund part of the hire cost if you decide to buy the equipment later, providing the best of both worlds and the opportunity to try before you buy, which can save a lot of money on a costly mistake. As well as the financial incentives, there’s the added peace of mind that renting gives: knowing that the kit has been serviced and checked properly before a shoot and, should the worst happen and something breaks, a replacement is only a quick call away.
Shock to the system
Because many photographers are making the switch to high-end digital capture without being completely up-to-speed, many non-equipment focused companies are moving into the equipment hire arena. One such example is Metro whose all-encompassing digital hire bureau, The Horsemen, and lighting arm, Direct Lighting, are flourishing.
The Horsemen not only provides digital backs but also system operators to go out with the gear, checking files on screen and acting as another pair of eyes for the photographer. Such a set-up can really speed things up as the photographer doesn’t have to keep pausing to check finer details on screen.
Peartree is another specialist hire firm providing such a peace-of-mind service, offering medium and large-format backs plus system operator for £700 per day, all in.
“We take care of everything”, nods Peartree’s marketing manager Darius Gelich. “Photographers need only bring their talent to the shoot. Our team will come along to make sure everything goes smoothly and afterwards process the images and send them off to the client. Although we don’t do lighting, we can source that from our sister companies.”
Gelich reveals that Peartree’s most popular rental kit is the Leaf Aptus 75 back, followed by the Hasselblad H1 and the large-format Lindhof for people shooting and still life. He also notes that its ‘wet hire’ service (hardware plus flesh and blood operator) is popular with photographers arriving at shoots from abroad.
“They know they are going to be under pressure, and don’t want the feeling that something could go wrong. With our assistant there, if the worst happens and there’s a hardware problem, it can be taken care of.” Bear in mind also, that the longer you hire the cheaper it gets. Most companies offer a reduced rate if you’re hiring for a week or more. “If you hire from us for a five-day shoot, the last couple of days’ hire is reduced by 40 per cent,” says Gelich, adding that regular clients do get preferential rates.
