Video Equipment Hire: Pros and Cons

Video equipment hire : The big question is: Buying or Renting?

When it comes to camera equipment there is no right or wrong if purchasing is the right option, especially because video equipment hire has become immensely popular in the past few years. But what is the best option for your project and will benefit you most in the long run? To answer that question and many more read the Pros and Cons below to help with your decision of buying or renting:

Video Equipment Hire Pros  

Access to any gear; when it comes to renting you have the opportunity to get any equipment you want – From the most expensive video equipment to the best lenses and everything else you desire.

For some productions, it can be relevant having the best gear available so it makes sense renting it for a one off project rather than purchasing it.

Maintenance included; when having your own equipment you will need to worry about the maintenance and repairing costs yourself. By this, we don’t mean when you accidentally break it, but more issues from normal wear and frequently using it. It’s standard that gear will slow down or issues will arise after a few months or years and having rented gear will take away that extra pressure.

Lower cost up-front; when purchasing new gear it involves having to save up a big sum of money to purchase the wanted equipment. Whereas when renting it you only have to pay a small amount upfront and can use it for the time needed and then return it once you don’t need it anymore.

Video Equipment Rent Cons

Gear won’t be available all the time; the problem with rented gear is that you won’t have it at your home. In case you ever feel like being creative and going out for some filming or taking pictures, you will need to sort out the rental procedure beforehand and that would take at least a day or two. Whereas if you own the gear, you’ll have it at home and can use it whenever you wish too.


Availability can be limited; most renting companies don’t have a huge amount of the same cameras available which means once someone rented it you’ll have to wait which can be very inconvenient. Or they might not even sell the product you are after and end up settling for an alternative.

It’s expensive in the long run; renting a camera at first may seem like a more affordable option but once you start renting the camera more frequently during a year it will turn into a very expensive alternative. So it’s definitely beneficial to think beforehand if purchasing it might not be a cheaper option in the long run. 

Long answer short, it all depends on what you are shooting and what the project is. If for example you occasionally shoot events it can be a good alternative to rent gear instead of buying it, whereas if you like to shoot spontaneously or often get booked last minute you would benefit more from having your own gear.

If you are looking for a rental place in London, then please get in touch today to find out more or have a browse online to have a look at our available gear.