Rent vs. Buy Camera Gear

Market is flooded with photography equipments and every second day there is new equipment making waves. However, it is tempting to buy the latest equipment but in few cases, renting equipment is also an excellent solution. Especially people who are passionate about photography and are on a tight budget can consider renting latest equipments without breaking bank. Here are few situations wherein renting an equipment can be a wise choice.

             

Tight Budget - Professional photography equipment is highly expensive and calls for an investment. Depending upon its usage one can determine whether spending lot of money on getting the latest gear is their best bet or not. An average consumer or beginning photographer cannot always afford to buy most advanced equipment. If your shoot calls for specific equipment that is presently out of your budget, renting that equipment can be an ideal choice. By renting, you don’t have to make a compromise on your equipment choice that too within your budget.

Try Before you Buy - Shoppers generally spend hours researching before making a purchase decision. If you decide to rent the equipment first before spending lot of money on same, then you can test that equipment yourself. Getting hands-on-experience is much better than reading reviews and once you are sure about its usefulness and explored its features, you can finally invest you money on equipment.

As a back-up gear - When you are attending some important events like wedding, professional photo shoot, any other ceremony, there can be times when your main gear faces a technical problem, or breaks down due to any reason. Having a back up gear is a good solution, as it allows you to continue shoot without causing any delays. If shoot demands involvement of some other shooter as well, you can equip him with rental gear. 

Travelling - Renting a gear is a good option in case you are travelling for some outdoor shoots. Your equipments are expensive and carrying them along in a plane or shipping them is not a wise decision as even a minor negligence can cost you fortune. Instead, renting out equipment at your shoot destination is a better idea as you do not have to worry about extra luggage and maintenance. 

Frequency of use - Renting gear is economically a better option when you realize that equipment is not a necessary item of your photography kit. You might need it to experiment with your shoots. In such scenario, it is better to use rented equipment rather than spending a whopping amount on it.

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