HD Camera Rental

To rent or to buy that is the question?  Going back a few years this was a much easier proposition.  Quality HD cameras were expensive, and unless you had a steady customer base with high quality HD camera needs, then HD camera rental was the obvious choice.  As time has gone on the cost of quality HD cameras has continued to come down.  The canon 5D Mark II seemed to herald in a new era of relatively easy and affordable access to high quality HD video.  Recently there has been the much ballyhooed Canon C300, and now the Blackmagic HD camera.  Though the Blackmagic has had some production problems, it will hit the streets soon enough, and possibly change the landscape once again.

With sub $3000 HD cameras it seems like the HD camera rental question is solved, it is better to buy then to rent.  But wait, not so fast.  There are a number of things to consider, and like many things that seem too good to be true, the idea of high quality HD image acquisition at very low price points, might indeed be one of those things.

First of all, it is not just the camera itself to consider.  All of the camera’s mentioned above need interchangeable lenses, and unless you already have high quality lenses for the body you are looking at, you might be faced with an even bigger investment then the camera itself.  Beyond that there are the issues of camera support, monitoring, audio recording, recording media, format outputs, camera ergonomics, and a whole host of other issues to consider.  When all is said and done, that sub $3000 HD camera may in fact end up costing closer to 15K, or more, to have everything you need to get the job done.

So while HD camera rental may seem like it is losing its appeal there are a number of factors that might make it the wise alternative.  First and foremost, buying into a technology and all the support gear that goes with it, locks you into that technology for years to come.  HD camera rental on the other hand gives you the flexibility to be using the most current technology.  With the tech cycle getting faster and faster, out right purchase of a given camera system, might make it prohibitive to get the next best greatest thing, thereby giving competitors an edge.

Another thing to consider with HD camera rental vs purchase is upkeep.  As gear gets more sophisticated the skills to keep in performing at peak ability become more time consuming and possibly expensive.  Also, the cost of transporting gear via airlines is becoming more and more expensive.  So for example if you shoot often in other cities, an advantage to renting locally as opposed to bringing your own gear, is that you can avoid having to bring back up gear, as a local shop will most likely provide free backup should anything go wrong. The logistics and expense of transporting HD cameras across large distances, makes local HD camera rental that much more attractive.

 Finally, HD camera rental might give you the opportunity to test out certain gear you might be interested in buying over an extended period of time.  Just like buying real estate in another city, it might be best to rent in a given area for a while before you dive in to make a purchase.  There are probably other reasons that make HD camera rental something to consider, but these few are certainly worth your attention. Each company and individual has their own needs to meet, but in many cases HD camera rental is a worthy alternative to outright purchasing.