Rent out my EX1?
 

Not only no but hell no... Well maybe.

I am deciding if I should or not. Wanted to hear some input from others about insurance against theft or damage and securing a deposit.

I currently have the Sagemax insurance from B&H. Not having called them, will they cover damage if I get the EX1 rained on, or drop it accidentally off a ski lift? I don't think they cover it if I rent it and it gets damaged.

Thanks
chuck

I rented my HVX and I intend to rent my EX-3 as well.

Insurance is what is most significant. I do not know anything about the Sagemax product.

I carry insurance through Travelers through the NPPA. It covers any equipment I rent up to $10K in value (with higher premiums for higher rental limits) less a deductible of $500 damage/$1000 theft. It, like most policies, does NOT cover renting the camera to others.

Thus, it is most important to obtain a signed contract from renter assuming liability as well as to request a certificate of insurance. Go over the camera in the presence of the renter. Make certain it works. Note any dings, etc. Just like when renting a car. Check the camera when renter returns it.

There is definite risk in renting your gear. I rent either to people I know, people who are referred to me or people who give off "good vibes".

As a value-added to rental, you could accompany the camera and add a daily rate either as shooter or as settings consultant.

Another value added is to accessorize the camera. I would rent mine, for example, with a Pelican case, sound kit, several SxS cards, tripod or DV MultiRig.

Weigh the alternatives of monetizing your investment by rental against the potential of wear and tear, damage or even total loss. Yes, insurance will cover but your renter may very well say "I can't come up with the deductible." You're then out the deductible or you're spending 2 years in small claims court collecting it.

Bottom line-- my answer is "selective rental" and minimize risks by a good rental agreement.

Ned,

Thanks for this post - I've been thinking about this myself. My cameras end up sitting 75% of the time, and so renting could seem like a nice way to get them to pay for themselves.

But then again, who is really going to care for your camera like you are? Perhaps someone that has real money riding on the line and is one of those "good vibe" people. Still a dilemma.


Charles,

When I have rented cameras from a rental company before (Like Du-All Camera), the rental company provided insurance that I had to pay for on top of the daily rate. So, it must be possible to carry insurance for that. However, if you get the insurance yourself, you pay for it whether you rent it or not. Requiring the renter to obtain the insurance, as Ned described, would be ideal if you only rent a small amount of gear and rent it infrequently.

I think Du-All's insurance was optional, now that I think about it, but without insurance they required a credit card upon which they would charge for any damages, up to the full cost of the camera. Ouch!

Someone who is commercially in the rental business could potentially have an arrangement with their carrier to write rental policies. Other rental houses I have seen do not have that kind of arrangement and require you to provide proof of insurance. As I said with my policy and when many similar policies, rental protection is included. You just need to inform the rental company of that.

I'll pile more on.... rental cameras often return with all kinds of weird settings. You will need to restore the camera to its defaults and then reset your personal prefs-- unless you have stored the settings to an SxS card. The EX does not have a SD or MemoryStick option for settings files like even the HVX200.

If they want to rent my camera, I make sure they rent me as well. Camera and operator for the same price.

kj

I rent out my EX1 to the production company I worked for and still work for on occasional freelance basis. I know these people and more importantely they know me. Otherwise I'd go with the complete camera/operator package.

In May I rented my cam out to a friend who was shooting on a golf course for a few days. When I went to pick up the cam she asked for some advice on the footage.

I watched with horror at one clip where it started with some small rain drops on the cam lens (I was thinking... that's fine there is a filter on the lens) but then it turned to a downpour - and then I realized, this is my camera out in this rain!!

It's a risky business even with friends.

hell no, unless you are with it!

What a nightmare! Of course, it's got me thinking of some great practical jokes that I can play! (With a really cheap camera, of course)

I think, all things considered, I'll stick to the camera/operator package concept. Much safer and the only way to really know your eqpt. is being taken care of.