IME, from huge agency and offices, nobody cared to consider or note the f# - nobody was into cameras enough to contemplate that - usually always a Zoom was necessary and included w the film kit (always in a soft manufacture camera bag, w flash and a prime and batteries, and instruction manual!). Signed out on your inventory from the photo unit, and sometimes turned in if demanded due to others demand. Sometimes numerous signed out to the supervisor and you informally signed the kit out from him/her. To the OP, no one rented anything - run w what you got. These were always middle-road Nikon. Not most expensive not least. Ask for X number of rolls of film from the photo unit, film is disposable stuff never signed for. Kits were passed about signed out as needed for an operation. For a specialty static surveillance need, could checkout a super long lens, as in a three foot long hard case and w a tripod. Once did from a condo unit on about the 15th floor shooting across the intracoastal far away. Film sent away out of state for processing by govt or contracted photo lab, on return all negatives and photos maintained in evidence but each photo had to be initialed by photographer on back. Negs, original and copies of each picture maintained for discovery. Don’t ask which is the “original”. - ok, it’s simply the one you chose and rest are copies of the same picture.
The objective was to photograph persons to compose up to at least 50% of the image. It’s funny how one could actually get such better photos. For overt work and searches etc., primes usually used. Call out the photo unit “pros” to do heavier search and studio work as needed for special evidence or significant case. Evidence recovery unit, specialized, used Mamiya 645’s. No longer of course once went digital. By around 2002, all went digital, including using video. Then maybe five years later, acceptably via cellphone w transfer of imaging to storage. Was actually issued a point-and-shoot film Nikon from graduation for “get-by” use in the field as an emergency. Signed out to use NVGs (or if on property inventory w you) for night work but no film/camera work unless there was sufficient light. Results from attempts always crap so everyone quickly learned - no one took night surv photos. Many tried.
Was never challenged in court about surveillance photos, no matter their quality, the official records (paper or files) went w them and were always stipulated to by defense. For video street surveillance work, there wasn’t any policy how-to, at least early on. Same w digital images from cellphone but since all was documented and in discovery about the process and not cropping/playing w it digitally all flowed through fine. Standardization, policy and documentation protect the LEO. However, I’m sure some cases led to slaughter on cross about something to do with the imaging.
By end, most all just used phones - and could share imaging contemporaneously across all surveillance members for intel. Nightmare for team leader to collect up all images taken by everyone who participated. Rarely saw anyone w a camera kit for surveillance anymore at end. Dude w a camera on his lap plain started to look funny.
Interestingly, did one case involving (overnight) theft of surveillance (digital) cameras from a surveillance car but that’s another story… (ok, guy had an earlier un-associated murder and the case got him located and in the can, thankfully).
and interestingly, only a few years back learned from two coworkers each from different major cities who I’ve worked w for many years who admitted were commercial photographers once prior. You guys are out there…