Jacksonville NC Photographer | Behind the Scenes | Renting Lenses: Review of BorrowLenses.com

I’ll start this post off by saying that BorrowLenses.com had nothing to do with this review! I know several friends, colleagues, and family members have asked me to keep them posted on my experience with renting lenses over the internet…so I knew a blog post would be in order!

I set up my rental from BorrowLenses.com up about a month in advance. There are options for renting lenses in increments for 3 days to 4 weeks. I chose 4 weeks to not only have the lens on hand for the Swim for the Warriors, but also to play with for the rest of the month!

The online process almost seemed too painless to be true…click a lens, click a date, fill out the address and credit card information…and that’s it! Now the anxious anticipation could begin!

Confirmation emails found their way to my inbox, and then a shipping notification. The package arrived at my doorstep exactly on time!

I appreciate that BorrowLenses.com (BL from here on out in the post) re-uses their shipping material. You can tell this box has been well-loved, but still serves the purpose!

Opening the box, I found the lens I reserved in a lens case, and carefully cushioned with some industrial-strength foam. It doesn’t look like a whole lot, but there was no wiggle room and the foam was definitely enough to protect from quite a bit of rough handling.

And there it was, the lens I truly hope to own some day soon!

This beast of a lens was in great condition (you could tell it’s been used, but nothing major) and came with everything I needed to use it. Lens cap, hood, tripod mount, and UV filter (AWESOME that this is included and fantastic to know for future reference…since this protects the lens!) were all included inside the case.

Meet my (ok…at least for a month anyway) Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS USM lens! Fellow Canon users will appreciate the red ring at the end that represents the luxury line of lenses. Luxury means weather sealing (on the right body), ALL glass inside, and metal mounting to the camera body. It weighs about 3 pounds, 4 ounces…yes, it is heavy…and awesome! The only thing that gave the lens away as a rental is the little BL sticker on it. Not very conspicuous when you’re using it!

Pulling it straight out of the box, I had to look at all that magnificent glass. Do you see all the individual window reflections? I was already super excited about this lens even before I took the first picture!

So which is faster, Lightning McQueen, or this lens?

Ok, just kidding…that was more of a comparison for size with the hood. But 2.8 aperture IS very fast for a zoom lens like this. Definitely fast enough for a lot of action purposes. And sharp…even opened all the way up! Ok, forgive my techie-camera talk. It will definitely be worth the investment one day.

Back to my BL experience (that is what the post was about before I started rambling on and on about how cool this lens is, hehe). I rented two items from BL at the same time. The other was a waterproof point and shoot camera which has already been returned effortlessly.

When I have to send this lens back (sniff, sniff), I just put it back in the box and on the front porch again.

BL uses FedEx to ship their packages, and I set up an account with them (input address, provide phone number…done!). Now all I have to do is set up a package pick-up, use the enclosed pre-paid shipping label and put it outside at the right time. SO EASY. And beyond all bonus points imaginable, it eliminates having to go to the post office with 3 kids!

That brings to mind the only con of renting from BL…the shipping was a little on the pricey side.  BUT, keep in mind that the package has to be insured for the equipment and it is pre-paid BOTH ways.  Considering I didn’t even need to use any gas to return the lens, I think it was well worth this expense.

I highly recommend BorrowLenses.com to anyone who needs to rent a lens. It truly couldn’t be any easier to rent exactly the camera equipment you’d need for whatever your purposes. Unsure about a future purchase? Needing some extra zoom for a big event? Just want to treat yourself to something fun? Borrow it!

It truly is as seamless and effortless as a few clicks from the comfort of your own home!

If you’ve got any questions or input, I’d love to hear from you! And I’ll be sharing some more of the amazing photos I’ve taken with this great lens soon.

Oh, and P.S. Ian thought the lens was a spy scope when it arrived. Arrrgh! I had to have a little fun with that one! 😉

*Julie

I am a Jacksonville NC photographer with a passion for photographing real life memories. Renting this lens from BorrowLenses.com is just one way I make use of the best resources out there for delivering the perfect shots to my clients. Whether you are looking for newborn or maternity portraits, family or children’s portraits, military homecomings, or other family events, I will be sure to have the right equipment for the job…and have fun with it! Contact me for more information on booking your session in 2012 in the Jacksonville NC area including New Bern, Wilmington, and surrounding towns.