The largest camera and video rental company in the U.S. is going airborne. On Thursday, Lensrentals announced the addition of drone and virtual reality cameras to its equipment list. Photographers and filmmakers can now rent drones as well as VR cameras and accessories.
Lensrentals is testing the service nationwide after a successful local test. As users request the new drones and virtual reality equipment, Lensrentals will continue to improve the packaging, maintenance, and supply, the company says.
“With any new photo and video rental categories, we need ensure we’re maintaining our high standards for providing ‘like new’ equipment to enable our customers to capture the best quality imagery,” said Lensrentals co-owner Drew Cicala.
“As drone technology has improved, especially stability control reducing the chances of accidental landings, and VR gear quality has increased, we’re more confident that we can maintain an inventory of professional equipment that can be rented repeatedly throughout the U.S.”
Lensrentals now includes the DJI Mavic Pro, Phantom 4 Pro, and DJI Inspire 2, as well as a number of accessories. The Orah 4i 360 VR camera, a 4K 30fps VR camera capable of live streaming, has also been added to the inventory, as well as the more consumer-oriented Nikon KeyMission 360 action camera along with several mounting options.
The drones and 360 gear are also part of the Lensrentals Keeper program, through which users can buy the equipment they rent and apply the rental fees toward the purchase. For those who aren’t sure exactly which gear they’d like to buy, the program offers a try-before-you-buy option.
Users who rent drones will be directed toward the pilot airman certification at checkout, in order to comply with FAA guidelines, Lensrentals says.
The new drone and VR inventory also comes with a website refresh. Lensrentals says their platform now offers a better layout and a smarter shopping cart. Navigation is also improved to help photographers find what they are looking for quickly, despite the expanded inventory.
Providing gear rentals through all 50 states, Lensrentals is the largest photography rental company in the nation. After launching in 2006, Lensrentals now has over 150,000 photo and video items in its inventory.
