Lens Rental
Good morning all,
Going on a trip to Alaska in Sept and while I have a telephoto lens the glass is just OK. I really want a good quality lens for this trip so I was considering renting one. Can anyone recommend a good, reliable rental website? I've found a few on the net but was wondering if anyone has any experience with any in particular they could recommend.
This is the lens I am looking to rent:
http://www.borrowlenses.com/product/olympus_super_telephoto/olympus_300mm
MSRP for that lens is 6999.00 so not in my budget.
Input?
Thanks in advance.
Reb
Going on a trip to Alaska in Sept and while I have a telephoto lens the glass is just OK. I really want a good quality lens for this trip so I was considering renting one. Can anyone recommend a good, reliable rental website? I've found a few on the net but was wondering if anyone has any experience with any in particular they could recommend.
This is the lens I am looking to rent:
http://www.borrowlenses.com/product/olympus_super_telephoto/olympus_300mm
MSRP for that lens is 6999.00 so not in my budget.
Input?
Thanks in advance.
Reb
0
Comments
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
BorrowLenses is certainly one vendor that people use a lot, but there are others at the linked thread.
The Olympus 300mm, f2.8 ED is a wonderful lens, but not every rental shop carries the Olympus brand, of course.
Wishing you good shooting in Alaska.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
I missed the sticky. I will check that out.
I'm so excited for this trip. I wish it was longer than a week. After that we are heading down to Crater and Diamond Lakes in Oregon.
I lived in Alaska for four years when I was younger. Its a truly amazing place. Have a great trip!
Oh, and when you said "Maybe one day I'll graduate over to Canon", you really meant Nikon right?
Lenses: Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 VR II | Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 | Nikon 50mm f/1.4
Lighting: SB-910 | SU-800
We are doing a one week cruise. I wish we were doing a road trip instead but this fits our schedule better. It will be nice to get a taste of each location. I've always wanted to see Alaska.
Oh sorry....you know how auto corret is. Yes, I meant Nikon Silly MacBook!
As a side note, if you're going through Seattle on your way in and out of Alaska, there is a Glazer's Camera Rental not far from the port that you depart Seattle from. I'm not sure if they have Olympus gear, though. Make sure you have a wide angle too! I rented the Canon 10-22 and it was wonderful for glacial shots and such.
Be advised, if you happen to be on a cruise like we were, and your flights are early in the day, be very careful about the timing of returning your rental.
Sorry about the specificity, but since I've had the experience I thought I'd share.
I have a 9-18mm wide and a beautiful 8mm Fisheye. Both will be with me. My fisheye is better glass than the wide but the wide still gives me some beautiful shots.
Appreciate the advice. Everything helps.
One note: They won't ship to the hotel. I tried that once. It's understandable; too many opportunities for the equipment to stray before it actually gets into your hands, and too many people could sign for it.
They will however, ship to a nearby FedEx office to be held there for you to pick up.
Have a wonderuful trip!
Side note: I always opt for the insurance on the equipment I rent. You just never know what could happen while the gear is in your care.
I used lens rentals and rented a 70-200 2.8 for a volleyball tournament. When i pressed the shutter button, the lens elements kept jumping while the IS was not on, but the photos still came out ok. I called them and told them the lens only did it in non-is mode, and i would continue to use it. When the day came, the elements jumped even with IS on. When i returned the lens i told them this; several days later they called me and said their techs were able to replicate the issue, so they would be sending it to Canon for repair. They refunded my $85 for my trouble!
Now as for Alaska, we went last August, left out of Vancouver. Of the seven days on the trip, it rained probably four or five. You will definitely need a rain cover (check out those that look like large clear bags with ties on each end, you can get two for around $7-i think they are made by optitech??). Also remember that the excursions may or may not get you wildlife, especially bears. If you are going to Juneau, use Harv n Marvs whale watching service. Good people, only 6 on a trip at a time.
I just came back from a business trip there, and they said the SE panhandle was setting records for rain. Make sure you dress in a baselayer and wear good rain gear. We basically lived in our fleece and base layers. Otherwise have fun. Love that State!
I'll definitely echo the rain comments. Be prepared for that. I had the 7D and my 24-70 L, so I just went gung ho for about two hours worth of whale watching in a solid drizzle.