Lens Rental - A bit of a disappointment

[TheBigE]

In lew of my forthcoming trip to Rome I wanted to rent the Nikon 70-200mm lens f/4.0. I found only one store in Germany to rent this lens. Total price for the period was 160 Euros and this did not include a pre paid label to return to rental company. In the end close to 180 Euros or 20% the total cost of the lens for 7 days.

I did some research on Stores in US and it seems that this price is very expensive, moreover most rental companies charges from the date of first attempted delivery to the date in which it is placed back in the mail. The company I worked with was going to charge the minute it left its office until it was returned. In other words I was going to pay rental days for while it was in transit.

This is my first attempt at lens rental and it has been a bit of a disappointment. This may just seem to not be a very viable option for me in Germany. It is a bit frustrating but certainly not the end of the world.

Thanks for listening.

[Shadowman]

Does seem a bit much, plus there is the consideration of insurance for the lens. Perhaps part of the price includes insurance, did you check?

[NorthernFocus]

That is a bit pricey. I checked borrowlenses.com whom I have used previously. 7 days plus insurance and shipping is $109US which currently comes to almost exactly 100 euro. The shipping time does not detract from the 7 days.

That is a shame. It's a wonderful lens.

[Mike Buckley]

Consider renting the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED AF-S VR. It should be less expensive, partly because it costs less for the rental companies to buy and partly because it should be rented by more than one company, resulting in competitive pricing. It's often considered to be the best value (quality for price) in the Nikon lineup of lenses.

[inkista]

Googling around found zoomyrentals.de. Doesn't look like they have the 70-200/4, but they do have the 70-200/2.8, and your rental starts at delivery.

[TheBigE]

Does seem a bit much, plus there is the consideration of insurance for the lens. Perhaps part of the price includes insurance, did you check?

John - Yes, it does not cover insurance...that is extra. It is really frustrating to be paying for the days that it is being shipped.

[TheBigE]

That is a bit pricey. I checked borrowlenses.com whom I have used previously. 7 days plus insurance and shipping is $109US which currently comes to almost exactly 100 euro. The shipping time does not detract from the 7 days.

That is a shame. It's a wonderful lens.

Dan - Yes that was what I was expecting to pay, at least what I felt was reasonable in my mind. I really want to give the lens a try and see if it works as a travel partner.

[TheBigE]

Consider renting the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED AF-S VR. It should be less expensive, partly because it costs less for the rental companies to buy and partly because it should be rented by more than one company, resulting in competitive pricing. It's often considered to be the best value (quality for price) in the Nikon lineup of lenses.

Mike, I did see that one and was interesting to me to get the extra focal length. I have considered it, what was driving me towards the 70-200mm lens, was the extra stop in Aperture. Given that some of the trip will be inside, I was hoping to get the extra stop on the 70-200mm lens at f4 to get my Shutter Speed up a bit.

[TheBigE]

Googling around found zoomyrentals.de. Doesn't look like they have the 70-200/4, but they do have the 70-200/2.8, and your rental starts at delivery.

Kathy - yes I look at zoomyrentals.de and saw the F/2.8 lens. I was concerned that this lens would be too heavy to lug around Rome during my visit. Moreover, I do no see me investing in this lens in the future...I did not want to get the sweet taste of sugar from this lens only to realize it would not end up in my coffee.

Also, as you have indicated their rental starts with delivery. So it seems to me that the company in which I was dealing was an exception to the rule in Germany.

[mrinmoyvk]

same is the case with rental shops in Mumbai India here. Few of those have a policy to pickup the lens after 10:30 PM of previous day and return before 10:30 PM of the last day. How on the earth one would pickup the lens after 10:30 PM if he wants to leave for the trip next day early morning? These guys charge extra for soft case and lens hood !!!!

[rpcrowe]

I don't know if this relates to persons in the E.U. or to U.K. but. for persons in the USA often the LEAST EXPENSIVE way to get a lens for a period of time is to RENT IT FROM EBAY?

What's this, am I crazy

Actually if a person in the U.S. wanted a top-line lens for a week or more, that person can often find one used on eBay, shoot with the lens and then resell it on eBay. This can really save money when the lens is needed for a relatively long term such as for an African Safari...

Top-line lenses do not depreciate to any degree and the buyer/renter will, in every likelihood, get as much as he/she paid for the lens when selling it.

Do I do this? No! I have all the glass I need and then some, and additionally, I may fall in love with the lens and have trouble selling it after I have used it for a while