renting film equipment

[rphenning]

Hi everyone,

Just a quick stop to ask for a great place to rent, preferably with an online presence, film cameras and lenses? If there is such a place? I see plenty of places to rent digital cameras and lenses but no where that stocks legitimate film camera gear. I have a mamiya 7 and am interested in trying the 50 and the 150 lenses, along with maybe renting a hassy someday just to see what I am missing. Anyone? Thanks.

 

[AgX]

Calumet in Germany had a range of analog gear for rent. So you might look at their US-shops.

 

[Brian Legge]

If you visit Seattle, you could rent the 150mm at Glazers. They have some MF/LF gear for rent but I don't know if they do remote/mail order rentals.

 

[bdial]

Calumet rents gear at various locations details are on their web site. In your neighborhood (more or less), there is Samy's.

 

[hpulley]

The stuff is quite cheap used, I'm not sure it is worth it to rent. Just buy it used and try it, resell it if you don't like it.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

In your location, Samy's and Calumet are your best bets. In New York, Calumet and Lens and Repro.

 

[2F/2F]

Call Samy's Santa Barbara and see what they have. There happens to be a photography trade school there, so they may have more film equipment than most current pro photo shops.

They also have the best quality color processing at the best price out of any lab I've ever found. They use the same color processing equipment as A and I in Los Angeles, but their processing charges are about half as much. It is such a huge savings with color sheet film that I would venture to say it is worth most people''s while to send the film to them (for those in the U.S.A., anyhow). I save my color processing till I have large batches, and I take a day or a weekend trip up there. I drop it off on the way through Sana Barbara, then head up to El Capitan or Gaviota, maybe camp a night or two, and pick up the film on the way back to L.A.

 

[rphenning]

Thanks everyone! I'll give them (Samys SB) a shout tomorrow and see what's up.

@2f - I've considered using their mail service but I can't convince myself to trust any courier service with my film. Fingers crossed my "local" lab doesn't close anytime soon. Going up there is always fun though, they have some cool film gear for sure.

 

[David Brown]

Obviously, you need something in the LA area, but such things do exist.

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