Rental advice
 

I'm putting together a basic XDCAM package with an F350, a Vinten tripod, and 8 to 10 hours of batteries. Would anyone have suggestions on what a package like this should rent for?

How do you handle it when someone needs it to travel a couple of days for a one day shoot. Do you charge a partial day for travel?

Any advice is appreciated. I also have a Z1U that might travel with it as a B-Cam. I'd like to come up with a package price for that option as well.

Thanks!
Warren

How about lenses? You can easily spend more on HD lenses than the cost of the camera itself and if you do the math, this can affect the price of your package greatly. For travel, you have to gage it. For exemple, if someone needs the package for one day but adds two travel days to this, I would definelty charge 2 days. Now, if someone rents your package for 5 days + 2 travel days, the industry standard is to grant a 7day-for-four (our five) rate.

Thierry.

Thanks Thierry. I'm still considering lens options so I guess my question is slightly premature.

You're welcome. I'd say that depending on your lenses, you could expect to rent your package $350 to $500 a day. Which Vinten sticks are you looking at?

Thierry.

I already have two sets of Vinten sticks--a Vision 6 and Vision 100. I know the 100 would easily handle the camera. I'm not certain of the 6.

The basic package from facility company's here in holland:

- Camera
- Zoom lens
- Wide angle zoom lens
- Tripod
- Mattebox with filterset
- Light kit, Arri/readheads
- Field monitor
- Batteries (with charger if rented for more then 1 day)
- Field audio mixer (Sound Devices or comparable quality)
- Boom with mic
- 2x wireless mic
- 1 handheld mic
- headset

This all goes for 350 euros = 472 dollar ex VAT.

Hi Vincent,

I am not used to such low prices (full kit for 350 euros as mentioned).
We used to rent quite a lot SD equipment before we invested in our own equipment (was SD then). Here you can hardly get a DVCAM DSR-500/570 plus simple lighting kit, field monitor, audio equipment and tripod for that money. No wide angle lens included and I´m sure this dvcam set-up would still set you back minimum 350 euros. I once even paid 90 euros for a simple 1/2" SD canon standard lens incl. servo, which I needed very urgently. HD surely is more expensive (they don´t have xdcam hd to rent, just hdcam). However, a canon xl-h1 hdv (camera/lens/simple tripod/no sound) would be just over 200 euros per day.
BUT, ..... the rental market IS very competitive here (Munich area). There are lots of rental houses but prices seem to be higher than in The Netherlands:-)

I just saw this by the way ....
GBP 280, $ 556,- guidance price @ a big rental house in the U.K.
Price marked for Body Only excluding lens.

Yeah, I know. There's this huge competitor here in The Netherlands, United Broadcast Facilities, they're the biggest as well (from what I've heard the biggest of Europe since they're in The United Broadcast Facilities Group). There kind of trying to get the market prices down. If they decide to go lower, almost everybody has to follow.. One way good, one way bad.

Amazing rates. However, I wouldn´t rent my cam out to "anybody" for that price to be honest:-) There are many people out there who don´t treat equipment very nicely. So that´s definitely too risky for my baby:-)

NY Rental prices
 

Well to let you know that here in NY the PDW-F350 with standard HD Zoom lens cost you about 1,100 per 8 hours.
http://bexel.com
Batteries, legs, fiield monitor, lights etc are xtra money.

This is my setup::::::::: and I charge nothing compared to bexel guys

Sony Package:: $650.00 per day NY/NJ w/o operator

1 Sony XDCam HD PDW-F350 with a 2/3 SD Canon Zoom Lens J21ax7.8B

1 128MB Memory Stick (camera settings - Scene files)

1 Anton Bauer Intereactive 2000 Quad 2702 Battery Charger/Camera Power Supply

4 Anton Bauer Hytron 100 Camera Batteries

1 Sony PVM-8041Q 9' Field Monitor 4x3 - 16:9

1 Bogen 3181 Tripod and Dolly

1 Anton Bauer UL2-6 Ultralight-2 On-Camera Light, 6" PowerTap Cable

2 Tota lights W/stands

2 Omni Lights w/stands

1 Audio Technica wireless System, snap-on EV hand held and lavaliere Mic

1 Sennheiser Shotgun Mic

2 Sony Lavalier mics

1 Carbon Fiber Boom Pole

1 Shure FP-33 Stereo ENG Mixer

1 Sony Headphones

1 20ft Power Extension Cord with 6 outlets

2 6ft BNC Cables

Customer must supply camera disc media.

I will travel to location with equipment and drive back to office at the end of the day.
Price based on 8 hours production day.
Overtime $95 dollars per hour.
If you need a camera operator add $250 dollars to the total package

If you are interested in just the camera, price will be $450.00 per day.

J21ax7.8B
 

William, how does that lens work for you?

Warren I can't complaint about the lens, picture is sharp, it works fine for me, we have used the camrera in differet situations and the final product is great
here is alink of some footage::

http://footage.shutterstock.com/video.html?id=35266

That's Bexel's card rate. The largest rental houses (Bexel, Wexler, Plus8) have their "card rates", and then they have what they actually get away with charging. This is where having a producer that's been around the block comes in.

Typically, the card rates are 25% over the going market rate. But not always, depends on the item and demand. 350s are not exactly in demand like a Varicam or 900.