What lens would be most rentable ( LA CA area, 10-25k price new or used)

[Alain Lumina]

I'm thinking of starting a small business by getting a high quality lens or set of lenses for 10-25K, I

am guessing PL mount or changeable. I can use it, rent bodies when I'm shooting, or rent lens out.

 

I will start with just this one product and compete by underpricing established houses.

 

For my personal use a short zoom would be most practical.

 

Angeniuex Optimo DP 16-42 might be in my price range,

ARRI / Fujinon Alura 15.5-45mm T2.8 Zoom also

 

but I don't know what midrange shoots are using as I'm a little fish.

 

I figure it's likely to last a lot longer than a camera if taken care of.

 

Maybe there's a prime set that would be more marketable.

 

[Dom Jaeger]

Renting only one product Isn't much of a business model.

 

A lot of owner/operators leave their gear with a rental house, where the business of renting, checking in and out, insurance etc is already worked out. Productions generally need more than just one lens, so it makes more sense to have your item as one of a range of products. It might help to be a lens that the rental house doesn't already own, to fill out their inventory. Maybe ring around some smaller houses and see if they have a demand for one of the zooms you'd like to invest in?

 

You may have to split or reduce your rental fee, but chances are you'll get more rentals than you would as an unknown rental company with only one lens.

[Alain Lumina]

Good suggestion, thanks- I figured I'd have to offer reduced prices any way.

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Reduced prices won't help you much once you actually figure out how much money you're loosing to administrative things and other overhead. Highly recommend to cosign it to a rental house as well. Unless you have a super coveted set of gear, like a full Anamorphic Set (which is the rage now) then you'll find quickly that the item is collecting dust. This doesn't get into all the needs to keep it serviced, be able to run an inventory system, take time to book clients, deal with insurance, and look for new business- or the fact that you're limited to just those shoots who want/need a zoom lens only (and aren't going to just rent one for a few days from the house they got the camera from).

 

the other option is sharegrid-- it provides a nice back-end so you can just list your gear and you can see what rates other things are going for. Of course, if you drop your rate, there's nothing stopping everyone else who has already paid off their gear with rentals from also undercutting you.

[Phil Rhodes]

The Zeiss 21-100 lightweight zoom here at IBC is surrounded by a crowd of drooling Ursa Mini owners, and is in the price range you mention.

[Robin R Probyn]

Yes I wonder.. for this market anyway.. there seems to be a positive tsunami of new lenses out this IBC.. a couple of years behind the demand from users of course .. this Zeiss zoo,the Canon zoom,2 new Angie zooms.. and stills lens makers moving into the mid/ lower end cine lens market.. a huge market now beginning to be filled.. albeit with the physical to cost limitations for the zooms.. i.e. range, esp wide end.. and T stop..

 

But as far as i can see.. these lenses are aimed at people moving up from Stills lenses and all the hassle of using them.. and also to be bought by camera op,s.. not rental company territory.. the high end wont use these lenses and will always go to the big rental houses for complete packages.. so I wouldn't bet the farm on a business renting out a couple of lenses.. or just keep it to mates as a side business .. alot of the people who are having to rent Cabrio,s/Alura,(think that zoom is being discontinued ?) CN7,s.. for certain shoots will be actually buying their own cine zooms from this "affordable" range..