Ziplens.com - Canon SLR Lens Rental - Great Service and Great Price!
While entry-level digital SLR cameras have become much more affordable recently, professional lenses for the same can often cost more than a camera body. Many large photo stores have longstanding equipment rental programs, but these are generally found in large metro areas and average costs are easily $20-$40 per day for pro grade glass. Fortunately, mail-order lens rental at very reasonable prices is starting to be a reality.
We needed some extra pro glass to support a recent event photo shoot. Our search led to Ziplens.com a newly formed business which rents Canon and Nikon lenses via the internet. Compared to traditional rental pricing, theirs is a steal. Standard grade Canon and ’slow’ L’s rent for $20-40 per week while in-demand, fast L class long telephotos tend to be in the $40-$50 range. These prices are even more impressive given that their very fair shipping charges include pre-paid return labels
The Order
Ordering is a simple manner of browsing Ziplens’ selection and dropping the desired lenses into your shopping cart. Their website clearly indicates which lenses are in stock for immediate shipment. Out-of-stock lenses can be backordered as part of the order. They do a good job of estimating shipping charges up front so you get a clear idea of the total cost.
Lenses can be rented for 1 to 3 weeks. The rental period starts when your lenses arrive (per USPS tracking info) and ends when the lenses are postmarked for return. This means you get the full rental period to use the lenses and don’t loose days in shpping!
In-stock lenses normally ship within 48 hours. Ours where shipped within 24 hours and arrived in 2 days. In you backorder a lens, Ziplens will e-mail an ‘in-stock’ estimate with your order. They will also e-mail prior to shipping backordered lenses and you can cancel these at no cost if needs have changed.
The Goods
Our EF 135 f/2 L and EF 400 f/5.6 L arrived in custom cardboard packaging. Both were well wrapped in bubble wrap and encased in foam. Each lens included a prepaid return shipping label, return instructions, and a new mailing bag for each box. The EF 135 included a lens hood and the EF 400 had its tripod collar. Both lenses appeared new and they were very clean. We’ve posted a small album of sample shots we took with these lenses. A significant number of the Crab Trap Triathlon pictures were also taken with these lenses.
The Return
The return was a simple matter of packaging everything back as delivered, wrapping in the new shipping bags, affixing lables, and dropping at the nearest location that accepts USPS packages. Ziplens e-mailed when the they received the glass and confirmed that they were in good condition.
Save $5 on Your First Order
For a limited time, Ziplens is offering $5 off your order by entering ‘FIVE’ as a coupon code at checkout. Don’t forget to tell them you heard it at DestinSharks.com!
