Blog
Blog 2012
Cleveland Camera Rental Looks Forward to 2012
We would like to thank all of our renters for making 2011 a great year! We added both the Panasonic AF100 and the HPX250 to our camera rental lineup and they have both proven to be very popular. They are versatile video cameras, which work great for different types of shoots. The HPX250 is great for ENG style shoots, where as the AF100 will give you that shallow depth of field, but in a video camera form factor with ergonomics that no DSLR comes close to matching.
2012 may prove to be equally as exciting as we are adding the Red Scarlet X and the Canon C300 to our rental inventory. Indie filmmakers will be rejoicing at all the new exciting tools they’ll have at their disposal.
Cleveland has a film industry that is starting to blossom and we hope to grow along with it. We want to be the premiere rental house in northeast Ohio, but that doesn’t mean we’re forgetting about all of our renters all over the US. Whether your a a freelancer, wedding videographer, production house, or indie filmmaker, we’ll continue to provide you with that personal customer service we’ve become known for. So stay in touch with us via Facebook, Linkedin, or Youtube as we continue to update and expand.
Renting Versus Buying Video Equipment
Whether you're shooting a short film or starting a business as a videographer, you'll have to make a decision on whether to rent your gear.
An AF100 rental would cost you $400 for a week from us, plus shipping (shameless plug). It's even better if you're local to Cleveland as you save on shipping and get a tripod at no additional charge for a local rental.
To buy the same equipment package would cost you well over $6000. So if you're only using it for a week this year, it's a no brainer, as the equipment would devalue over 10% the day you buy it.
But what if you're going to do many video projects over the year, then how do you decide if renting is a better option than buying?
A good place to start is to ask yourself the following questions:
- How often am I going to use this equipment?
- What are my opportunity cost by tying up money in this equipment?
- How much will this equipment devalue over time?
- How soon with something new come out that I would rather use?
- What is the rental cost actually going to be?
Obviously, the last question is a very key one, and you won't know the answer to that unless you talk to the rental house, you're using. Don't just multiply their posted day rate by the number of days you need the equipment. Most rental houses will have 2 or 3 day weeks. Meaning for the cost of two rental days, you get to use the gear for seven days.
We started our rental business because as hobbyists and later professionals, there just weren't very many options in the Cleveland area. Whether you're a student, hobbyist, professional, or a video production company, we've kept you in mind to make rental an affordable option that can fit your needs. If you're outside of the Cleveland area, it won't hurt to ask your local rental house to work with you, so you can get the gear you need at a price that makes sense for renting.
Obviously, you have to take everything into consideration when renting gear versus owning it, but one other important factor should be the customer service, you'll get with a rental. If you have a question about a piece of gear, often you'll be able to get an answer from someone with experience with it from a rental company.