Being interested in bringing back some 'tack sharp' images from Africa, upgrading my DSLR telephoto lens seemed like a good idea. We'll be visiting largely private game preserves that permit off-road travel for animal viewing. Thus, I anticipate that a super telephoto lens is not really necessary on this trip. Considering weight and needed distance range brought me to browsing the specifications of a Canon EF70-200mm "L" IS/USM 4.0 lens over at B&H's website. The sticking point was the price tag of a professional grade lens, a somewhat hefty $1,350.
Given that I don't really use a 200mm telephoto very often and I already own a less expensive Canon EF70-300 IS/USM 4.5 lens, I wasn't really excited about adding to my lens collection. After debating whether to make a new lens purchase or use what I already own, I stumbled on a couple of Internet based camera equipment rental sites. The two that caught my eye were Borrowlenses.com and Lensrentals.com.
The rental program at Borrowlenses was attractive. Signing up for the service is quick and easy. I can request a rental lens to be delivered to a local camera shop and pick-up and return the lens via the same store. The lens optics and operation are reportedly checked by Borrowlenses before shipping, so the chances of an operational problem seems to be limited. The rental cost of this lens was about $10 per day. Insurance for unintended damage is also available. The lens was shipped with a front and rear lens cap, UV filter and lens hood.
As a test run, I'm renting this lens for a five day trip to Hawaii. This will give me a chance to consider the weight, length and performance of a rental lens. If my experience is turns out OK, I will likely consider renting the same lens (or maybe the slightly heavier EF70-300mm L IS/USM lens) for my Africa trip. I picked up a polarizing filter for the EF70-200 lens to further add to my testing in Hawaii.
After comparing a number of images taken around the house today using the rented "L" lens and my personal (non-professional) 70-300mm lens via a tripod, I've found it is difficult to beat the sharpness of a Canon 'L' lens over 70mm, 135mm, and 200mm. I also noted this EF70-200mm lens has an internal zoom mechanism which could help reduce its vulnerability to dust. My DSLR and this lens just fits in my LowePro TopLoader 55 case.
Given that I don't really use a 200mm telephoto very often and I already own a less expensive Canon EF70-300 IS/USM 4.5 lens, I wasn't really excited about adding to my lens collection. After debating whether to make a new lens purchase or use what I already own, I stumbled on a couple of Internet based camera equipment rental sites. The two that caught my eye were Borrowlenses.com and Lensrentals.com.
The rental program at Borrowlenses was attractive. Signing up for the service is quick and easy. I can request a rental lens to be delivered to a local camera shop and pick-up and return the lens via the same store. The lens optics and operation are reportedly checked by Borrowlenses before shipping, so the chances of an operational problem seems to be limited. The rental cost of this lens was about $10 per day. Insurance for unintended damage is also available. The lens was shipped with a front and rear lens cap, UV filter and lens hood.As a test run, I'm renting this lens for a five day trip to Hawaii. This will give me a chance to consider the weight, length and performance of a rental lens. If my experience is turns out OK, I will likely consider renting the same lens (or maybe the slightly heavier EF70-300mm L IS/USM lens) for my Africa trip. I picked up a polarizing filter for the EF70-200 lens to further add to my testing in Hawaii.
After comparing a number of images taken around the house today using the rented "L" lens and my personal (non-professional) 70-300mm lens via a tripod, I've found it is difficult to beat the sharpness of a Canon 'L' lens over 70mm, 135mm, and 200mm. I also noted this EF70-200mm lens has an internal zoom mechanism which could help reduce its vulnerability to dust. My DSLR and this lens just fits in my LowePro TopLoader 55 case.
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