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Why You Should Rent Camera Gear for Travel (+ Exactly How to Do It!)

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Note: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a commission at no additional cost to you. More details are  here .

camera rental travel

Ever wished you had a particular camera or lens but haven’t been ready to drop the cash to purchase it? Maybe you just want to try it out in real life settings–while traveling, at your kids’ sports games, or at a special event–to see how it performs.

I’ve definitely been there. (Let’s be real–there is  always a new piece of camera gear I’m eyeing. Glass is a girl’s best friend.)

Sometimes the answer to this dilemma is to be content with the gear you have and see the restrictions it imposes as a creative challenge in your photography game. But there are times when–for practical or creative reasons–renting camera gear is an option you should consider.

I’ve rented cameras and lenses many times over the years, and in this article I’m sharing the lowdown on when you should rent gear, when you shouldn’t, and exactly how (and where) to do it. I’m also sharing a few of my inside tips to make the rental experience smoother.

ⓘ LensRentals is currently running a giveaway with some insanely awesome photography gear! Check out the details at the bottom of this post, or head directly there .

Reasons to rent camera gear

1. to test it out before a purchase.

This is the top reason I would recommend renting a camera or lens. When you’re ready to upgrade your camera and have narrowed down your options, it may be worth it to rent before buying. Dropping $1K – $2K on a purchase is a big deal for most of us, and renting helps ensure the gear is a good fit for your needs.

I recommend lining the rental period up with a short trip or event where you  know  you’ll be using your camera. This gives you the chance to use it in a variety of lighting situations and for different types of subjects, as well as to get a feel for what it’s like to carry it around with you all day.

2. Specialty lenses

There are times when you might want to use a specialty lens that you don’t need on a regular basis, so it wouldn’t be worth purchasing. For example, if you’re going on a once in a lifetime wildlife safari, it is probably wiser to rent a super telephoto lens than to spend thousands of dollars on one.  Although it might not come up often, renting is a great solution for a time like this.

3. To play with new gear!

I find that renting a lens that’s very different from the way I usually shoot is a fun creative challenge. Recently I rented a 14mm lens , which is way out of the norm for me (I love details, close-ups, and the compression of longer lenses). If I’m already renting a camera for a trip, wedding, or event, I might add on something “fun” to play with.

Reasons not to rent camera gear

1. to play with new gear.

Everyone has a different budget so renting just for the sake of it may be an option for some people out there, but for most of us it’s necessary to be conscious of cost. Renting is not as cost effective as purchasing in the long run, so I want to emphasize that you don’t always need the latest and greatest camera gear in order to improve your photography. The temptation is real –but I don’t want to encourage you to waste money by renting just to rent , and to get caught in a cycle of renting over saving up to invest in a new piece of gear.

(But keep reading…there’s a way to rent that’s more cost effective!)

How (and where) can you rent cameras and lenses?

If you’re lucky enough to have a reputable local camera store near you, there’s a chance that they have gear for rent. The main benefits to renting locally are that you won’t have to pay shipping, it’s easier to get a last-minute or single day rental, and you’re supporting a local business in your community (something I always encourage!).

However, many of us don’t have that option, and online rentals make it easy to get access to a variety of gear. Over the years of shooting weddings and events as a side gig, I’ve tried out several of the big online camera rental stores, and the one that has stood out from the pack is Lensrentals.com (US-based). I have rented from them more than a dozen times in the last seven years, so I have a firm handle on what they do well and how to get the most out of your camera or lens rental experience.

Keep reading for my Lensrentals review and tips for renting from anywhere in the United States!

Things I love about Lensrentals.com

1. great customer service.

Forgot to send that owner’s manual or lens cap back? It shouldn’t be a problem–just shoot them an email and you can get it back to them ASAP in a separate shipment!

Realized you want an extra day to use the gear and need to extend the rental period? No problem, just look up your order in your account to extend it. As long as they have stock to fulfill their other orders, this should go through without a hitch and you’ll see how much it will cost to extend it, and pay with the click of a button. I’ve also had the experience of a delayed flight home and wasn’t able to ship my gear back on time. I emailed about what would be cheaper–to extend the rental or change the shipping to one-day–and they went above and beyond to give me a courtesy extension.

I’ve had nothing but good experiences with Lensrentals over the years and have found them to be super helpful when I made a mistake on my end or had any questions.

2. You can travel with the gear!

If you purchase rental insurance, it covers you worldwide .

3. They’re funny.

Bonus points–I absolutely can’t resist a bit of cheeky humor. I love it when a brand can be playful, especially with otherwise boring packing instructions or little details.

4. Mini reviews

Many of the item listings have a section called “Roger’s Take” with a mini review from the Founder and CEO. It often compares the item to an alternative (like the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 and Canon 35mm f/1.4 ), and I find it to be really helpful when comparing items.

5. High quality and professional

From their web presence to packaging to the aforementioned customer service, I have found everything to be really high quality with a consistent experience over many years. And every piece of gear is cleaned and inspected optically and physically to guarantee orders arrive with compatible, working equipment.

6. Quick and on-time

I have placed an order after the shipping cutoff and it still went out that day (although I don’t recommend doing this on a regular basis). And I’ve never had a package arrive late (keep reading in the “tips” section for a bit of advice on this!).

7. Great selection of camera gear

Even (on the super rare occasion..ahem) when I procrastinate, they usually have what I want in stock. In fact, they’ve got the largest rental inventory in the U.S.

8. Lensrentals makes it super easy to send everything back.

It’s literally just packing it back up, adding the return shipping label they send, and taping it up (with tape they provide–because who wants to get the side eye from a FedEx associate when you pester them for packing tape?).

9. Purchasing options!

Love the gear you rented so much that you don’t want to send it back? Lensrentals has a program called Keeper that lets you purchase your current rental (as long as it’s an eligible item) and get credit for a portion of the rental fees applied to your purchase. This is a great option if you are renting an item that you’re thinking about buying anyway.

They also have a sister site with used gear available for purchase–much of which was a rental in a former life. So if you’re interested in purchasing used gear, it’s nice to know it’s coming from a trustworthy source.

10. Comes with a case

Depending on the size of your camera gear rental, these will vary from a small bag to a hard case (which may come in handy for travel). Plus the lenses come packed in bubble wrap and a cushioned lens case, which I sometimes use if I don’t have room in the lens compartments of my camera bag and need to keep the lens safe elsewhere.

>>  Browse featured rentals at Lensrentals. <<

Tips for renting camera gear for travel (or anytime), 1. don’t forget the accessories.

Your rental should come with a battery and charger, but if you’re traveling it’s likely that you will use your camera for long periods of time without being able to charge the battery. Get an extra (or more–some mirrorless cameras EAT batteries like it’s their job), and don’t forget memory cards if it uses something different than what you own. Also ask yourself if you’ll need any lens filters, lighting, tripods, or anything else. Thankfully, Lensrentals makes this really easy with a list of compatible accessories on the left side of the screen.

2. Format memory cards

Speaking of memory cards, if you are using a different camera but already have compatible memory cards, don’t forget to format them (once you have all the photos off them!) in the rental camera before using them. There can be compatibility issues if you don’t do this.

3. Take pictures of the inside of the package so you remember how to pack it back up.

Trust me, you will not remember.

I’m pretty spatially aware but it’s amazing how I completely forget after a few days or a week of shooting. While you don’t have to repackage it perfectly, I like to aim for doing it the same way they did since they’ve got the packing process down!

4. Get the insurance!

Okay, it’s a personal decision, but I think it’s so nice to have some peace of mind about this expensive equipment you’re renting. You have 3 insurance options: no insurance, damage only, or damage + theft. I always get the damage insurance on cameras and lenses, but not always on accessories. I get the theft insurance based on where I will be using the gear–usually if I’m traveling abroad, there is more risk so I add it on. Get more details on the Lensrentals insurance options here.

5. Have it arrive at least a day before you actually need it to.

If your flight leaves on Saturday morning and you schedule it to arrive on Friday, what happens if the wrong gear comes or something causes a delay? While I’ve never had those things happen, it’s certainly possible and there will be nothing you can do–you’ll have to leave without your gear.

If you have a deadline or scheduled trip, order your gear with at least one buffer day.

Lensrentals — TL / DR

Lensrentals makes the camera rental process as easy as possible, but I hope getting an “inside look” gave you a good idea of what it’s like renting from them. They have been my trusted source for many years, and I wholeheartedly recommend them for anyone in the U.S. looking to rent camera gear.

Find the best gear for your next photography adventure here !

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Travel Photographer | FAA Certified Drone Pilot

Naomi is the coffee-loving, crazy-about-Latin-America writer and photographer behind everything here. She's guided by curiosity and a belief that every place has a story to tell–whether it’s through the intricate details of nature, history that has shaped a culture, or the people who call a place home. Learn More

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Camera Rental Guide: Where to Rent Camera Equipment

Home | Photography | Photography Gear | Camera Rental Guide: Where to Rent Camera Equipment

Camera rental is a topic not nearly enough photographers consider when planning their next photography trip. Why not expand your capabilities by picking up new, temporary options for your interchangeable lens camera?

Whether you’re taking a once in a lifetime trip to Iceland or in need of a specialized portrait lens for a model shoot, photography gear rental should be on your radar. That way, you come back with the precise images you envisioned, rather than feeling as if you need to head back a second or third time.

Where to rent camera gear

Aerial photo taken with a 24-70 f/2.8 rental lens

If you’re looking at picking up new gear for keeps, camera rental companies can help save you money as well. New gear may not be all its cracked up to be – and gear you thought you only needed once may be far better than expected! Photo gear rentals are a much smarter way of adding to your kit than buying gear blind.

We’ll be breaking down the rental process as well here, including what to look for in a rental company, where to rent photography equipment , supporting local vs online businesses, the costs involved, and much more! Let’s explore how to rent photography gear together!

Why you should rent camera gear?

Where to rent camera gear, how to rent camera gear.

  • How much do camera rental cost?

Photo gear rental is not always on the minds of even professional photographers. We often assume we should have exactly the right tools for the job at all times. Even if that tool sits on the shelf 80% of the time.

There are many benefits of camera rental services, including saving money, testing out new equipment, access to specialized gear, and having the right tool for the job! Expanding your repertoire is never a bad thing!

Photography gear rental is a good way to save money

One reason to rent a camera lens is for occasional projects that need kit not part of your normal workflow. Say you’re a portrait photographer who decides to pick up a sports gig.

Perhaps you’re unsure if sports photography will become part of your normal workflow or not. By renting photography gear instead of buying it, you can test the waters, rather than feeling committed since you now own a $1500 f/2.8 telephoto zoom lens.

Camera rental save money

Camera gear rental is a good way to save money

You can rent Camera gear to test it out before your purchase

Camera gear is expensive so it’s a good idea to test it out before investing. While gear reviewers give us plenty of details on the latest camera accessories, it’s hard to really know how well a piece of kit will work until you have it in hand to test.

If you’re looking at an upgrade but unsure how useful it will be, you can rent a professional camera like the Sony A7R IV. While 61 megapixels sounds like fun, you might find the gigantic files it creates more bother than you expected!

Camera lens rentals offer similar value. If you find a widely acclaimed zoom lens isn’t as sharp or versatile as you expected, a weekend rental will save you the trouble of a return or resell, often at reduced value.

Renting camera equipment in the US

Renting new equipment is the best way to try it out before your purchase

Camera lens rental make special lenses accessible

Sometimes you’ll need equipment that just isn’t affordable under normal circumstances. The AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E is an eye-watering $12,299.95 brand new. 4 kilograms of image-stabilized, full-frame glass, perfect for high-quality images of distant wildlife.

At first glance, this seems like a purposeless luxury lens that’s only affordable for professional wildlife and sports photographers.

However, this lens is widely available through camera rental companies in the USA, and for much less than $12,299.95. If you need a premium quality, highly specialized lens for a specific project, photography gear rental agencies can expand your toolkit dramatically.

Where to rent lens in the USA

Camera lens rental make some special lenses accessible, like this Nikkor 400mm f/2.8 (+$10,000 cost)

You can rent a professional camera for a specific event

Event photographers, in particular, can make good use of knowing where to rent photography equipment . As a generalist event photographer, you may be called on to shoot a dark nightclub one day and high school sports the day after.

Do you happen to own both a fast, wide zoom or prime and a fast telephoto zoom? If so, great! But you can save yourself the trouble of agonizing over your ever-expanding kit through photo gear rental .

Rental costs can also be passed onto the client through billing, allowing you to select the best gear for a job, regardless of the circumstances .

Camera gear rental best company

You can rent camera gear for a specific event

Working with camera rental companies  is easier than ever in today’s world of internet commerce. While the largest companies are based in the USA, we’ve collected details on several other international companies that provide similar services. Both local pickup and online delivery options are available as well as flexible rental policies that provide maximum benefit for minimal fuss.

  • Where to rent cameras and lenses in the USA
  • Where to rent camera equipment in the UK
  • Camera gear rental in Canada
  • Camera and lens rental in Australia

There are two main companies that rent photography gear in the USA : LensRental and BorrowLenses.

LensRentals

LensRentals is currently the largest photography gear rental agency in the USA. If you’re looking for the largest selection, premium customer service, and flexible rental policies, LensRental is just right for you. I have been renting camera gear with them for two years now, and they are fast, cheap, reliable and the support service exceeded my expectations.

lensrentals the best camera rental company in the USA

The Keeper program is perfect for photographers looking to try a piece of equipment out before purchase. Up to 7 days of rental fees can be credited towards purchasing the photography equipment rental !

LensRentals has streamlined their service enough that they offer $99/year free standard shipping and 50% off overnight shipping for all rentals through their LensRentals HD program.

Their LensCap+ insurance policies are top-class as well. If you choose to forgo, you’re potentially liable for 100% of the replacement costs. LensCap+ covers drops, liquid spills, and bear attacks (seriously), and limits your liability to the cost of repair or 10% replacement value, whichever is less. LensCap++ expands the protection to include theft and natural disasters.

We rent most of the time with them and you can get a 15% off when booking from this link .

photography gear camera and lenses rental

We have written a in-depth Lensrentals Review here.

BorrowLenses

BorrowLenses has an especially large Canon and Nikon selection, unsurprising given they are the two largest brands. But other brands are merely respectable in choice compared to LensRentals.

borrow lenses good company where to rent camera gear and lenses

As the smaller of the two major companies for camera rentals in the USA , BorrowLenses offers a more straightforward rental experience. You don’t have the Keeper options but you do have insurance in the form of GearGuard and GearGuard Pro. In case disaster strikes, GearGuard ensures you’re only liable for 12% of the replacement value, with GearGuard Pro expanding the range of covered incidents.

BorrowLenses   also has a small but respectable selection of used cameras and lenses for shoppers looking to save money on new purchases. Lastly, they offers multiple pickup locations nation-wide, concentrated in coastal CA, WA, and the Philadelphia-Boston corridor.

HireACamera and LensPimp are two of the best camera rental companies in the UK.

HireACamera

When an order is placed online through HireACamera , you have the choice to have it shipped by courier, arriving next day by 12:00 pm., or picking it up locally at select London Camera Exchange locations across the country.

hire a camera best company to camera rental equipment in uk

HireACamera offers a loyalty program series of discounts based on the amount of orders over time. Their tiers include 5% Blue and 10% off Gold Tier member discounts, as well as smaller deposits required for gear rentals.

HireACamera ‘s insurance policies are tied into optional Damage Waiver Deposits, which are less than the security deposit on gear with a total replacement cost of £5,000 or below. Note also that the Damage Waiver Deposit does not include theft or accidental loss; you’re still liable for the full cost of the rental gear.

LensPimp is another competitive choice, offering next day shipping for orders placed as late as 3 pm the previous day. LensPimp also doesn’t require a deposit in most cases, save higher priced or especially unique gear, which will be mentioned before the order is placed. New users are required to have ID and proof of address, however.

lenspimp where to hire a camera and lenses rental

Like other camera rental companies , LensPimp has an expansive Canon/Nikon collection, with selections focused on professional level choices in Fujifilm X, Sony E, and other smaller manufacturers.

GearBASE and OntarioCamera are two of the best camera rental companies in Canada.

Vancouver-based camera rental company GearBASE is a good choice for gear rentals if you’re located in Western Canada or Seattle, WA. Rentals are required to be returned by noon the day after your last rental day lest you incur a late fee for the day.

camera gear rental in canada vancouver

GearBASSE offers not just photography equipment, but lighting, drones, tripods, and other accessories. They offer competitive rates on high-end videography equipment like the Arri Alexa and Red Monstro.

Deposits aren’t required with GearBASE unless renting high end photography and videography equipment. Or unless trying to reserve equipment more than 14 days before the date of pickup.

OntarioCamera

On the other end of Canada is OntarioCamera . Newly launched in 2015, they specialize in videography gear rentals ranging from complete camera rigs to fully equipped Sprinter vans!

ontario camera best equipment rental in canada

As a one-stop shop for both consumer and professional level motion picture needs, OntarioCamera has a small selection of cinema-quality interchangeable lens cameras like the Sony A7S II but photographers should look elsewhere.

We find two camera lens rental companies in Australia : Ted’s Cameras and CameraHire.

Ted’s Cameras

Ted’s Cameras , partnering with Studio 19 Rentals, offers a long-term photo gear rental service in addition to their robust new and used selection of equipment.

ted cameras rental australia

Gear rentals have a minimum time period of 6 months, which isn’t nearly as flexible or practical as other agencies. But if you have unique requirements, such as long term trip abroad or a motion picture, this may work in your favor. Ted’s also offers the option to purchase rental gear, with remaining time debited towards the total cost of the gear in question.

Sydney-based camera rental company CameraHire is more traditional its approach. Pickup and drop-off options, as well as same day delivery, is available for customers in the Sydney metro area and overnight delivery available across Australia.

where to rent a camera in australia

Insurance on rental gear is simply 9% of the rental fee. This covers accidental loss and damage, theft, and covers equipment while in transit within Australia.

Unlike Ted’s Cameras, CameraHire is strongly videography-centric. Their selection includes mostly cinema lenses and camera bodies like the Panasonic GH5 and Z Cam E2 4K.

Let’s get into how to rent photography gear . While choosing new pieces of equipment is fairly subjective, there are some specifics to the photography gear rental process worth learning about. We’ll explore several questions and mental notes that should be part of your decision-making process below!

1. Local vs. online Camera rental?

Local photo gear rentals have several advantages over online rentals. For one, you’re able to save on shipping fees by picking up your camera rental in person. You’re also able to avoid shipping mishaps, like lost or stolen packages, and don’t need to be present to sign for a package delivery. Lastly, you’re helping to support local brick and mortar businesses, which desperately need the help in the Amazon era.

Online camera gear rentals are hard to ignore, however. By renting through the internet, you can expand your selection if your local camera rental companies don’t own certain equipment. If you don’t live near a major city, having packages delivered straight to your door is far more convenient than hours driving to and from the rental company. Lastly, online camera gear rental companies have lower prices because many don’t maintain a physical storefront. In the end, I always rent at online camera rental companies. When I am in the USA, LensRentals is the company I use.

2. Choose a Camera rental company with great customer service

When renting for the first time, set your mind at ease by searching for customer feedback about the company in question. Look for reviews on websites like TrustPilot, Google Maps, and Yelp to get a feel for how satisfied their customers tend to be.

Great customer service in the form of good selection, rapid shipping, fast responses, and few major issues are hallmarks of a perfect camera rental company . No company is perfect. But if issues like late arrivals or the wrong camera lens rental received to come up consistently, they are probably a company to avoid.

3. Make sure they offer Camera rental insurance

Rental insurance is tremendously important because you can’t control all circumstances. A rogue wave at the beach, a bicyclist not paying attention, or a careless child could easily do irreparable damage to your rented camera or lens.

Nearly all camera rental companies offer it as an add-on for additional fees. While it may stretch your budget, we strongly recommend picking up rental insurance. Otherwise, an accident beyond your control may leave you on the hook for thousands of dollars.

Camera rental company insurance

Make sure the camera rental company offers some type of insurance

4. Check if the photography gear rental is available for your dates

Choosing your dates well in advance is important. Even with large camera rental companies like LensRentals , there is tremendous turnover. A popular, versatile lens like a 70-200mm f/2.8 may be booked for weeks in advance by several people at once.

Keep in mind rental agencies also block out dates to ensure time for the lens to arrive and depart from the photographer’s locations. A 3 day rental by one photographer on the other side of the country may actually take up a week or more of rental calendar space!

5. Place your Camera gear rental order

When placing your camera gear rental order , you want to give yourself as much time as possible for the equipment to arrive. Not only because of people ahead of you but in case of delays due to the Postal Service or other unforeseeable instances. If you schedule for your package arriving on the day of the trip and a delivery delay occurs, you may find yourself with a major dilemma. Also, having your photo gear rental in hand the day before ensures you can properly test your temporary gear for any issues and follow up instantly with the camera rental company if necessary.

Don’t forget accessories to go along with your photo gear rental . If you decide to pick up a wide-angle landscape lens for your backcountry trip, you’ll probably need an appropriately sized polarizing or neutral density filter!

6. Enjoy your Camera rental!

Now that you’re armed with a shiny new piece of technology, it’s time to make the most of your camera lens rental and head out for your planned photoshoot! Make sure to take extra good care of it while you have fun and if you fall in love with it, maybe you’ll be looking at a purchase in the near future!

Camera rental equipment

Make the most of your camera rental equipment!

7. Ship your photo gear rental back

When returning your photography gear rental , you’ll want to be as precise as possible. Packaging often doesn’t reform quite the way you expect; taking a photograph of how the camera or lens is arranged can ease returning it to the camera rental company.

It’s also essential you save the shipping package; most rental gear comes with a pre-addressed return label meant to be attached to the box. Many companies, like LensRentals, also work through FedEx, UPS, and other private shipping companies. By scanning the label and attaching it to the provided box, you can return the rental gear with minimal effort .

How can I rent camera rental

Pack and ship your camera equipment rental

How much does camera rental cost?

Let’s look at a few test scenarios through LensRentals , to get an idea for the costs involved.

where to rent a camera for a trip to the Canadian Rockies wildlife

Grizzly bears in the Canadian Rockies shot with a rental Telephoto lens

For our first scenario, let’s say I want to try my first photography gear rental for a landscape trip to the Canadian Rockies. I might choose the tried and true Nikon D810 and Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 combination for 7 days.

Scenario 2 involves a once-in-a-lifetime safari trip to Africa, where I’ll need the reach of the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS, a $2000 lens.

And our last plausible scenario involves picking up an additional A9 body as a backup for 2 days of wedding or sports event photography coverage.

How do the prices break down?

Photo Gear Rental Fees

  • 7-day Landscape Kit (Nikon D810 + Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8:): $104 for D810, $71 for Sigma 14-24mm
  • 15-day Safari Lens (Sony FE 200-600mm) : $105
  • 2-day Event Camera (Sony A9): $221

Camera Rental Insurance Fees

  • 7-day Landscape Kit (Nikon D810 + Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8:): $16 LensCap/$24 LensCap+ for D810, $12 LensCap/$18 LensCap+ for 14-24mm f/2.8
  • 15-day Safari Lens (Sony FE 200-600mm): $16 LensCap/$24 LensCap+
  • 2-day Event Camera (Sony A9): $34 LensCap/$51 LensCap+

Camera Rental Shipping Fees

  • 7-day Landscape Kit (Nikon D810 + Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8:): FedEx Standard Shipping: $30, UPS Standard Shipping $36
  • 15-day Safari Lens (Sony FE 200-600mm): $25 Fedex Standard Shipping/$30 UPS Standard Shipping
  • 2-day Event Camera (Sony A9): $25 Fedex Standard Shipping/$30 UPS Standard Shipping

Total price: How much is camera rental?

Total Rental Fee Breakdown with LensCap+ coverage:

  • 7-day Landscape Kit (Nikon D810 + Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8:): $247
  • 15-day Safari Lens (Sony FE 200-600mm): $154
  • 2-day Event Camera (Sony A9): $297

In all three scenarios, you’re looking at substantial savings compared to owning these speciality cameras and bodies outright. Remember that you can also use a 15% discount in LensRentals when booking through our link and code:

Conclusion: Is Camera rental worth it?

Thanks to the connectivity of the internet, camera gear rentals have never been easier and more affordable. Renting camera gear in the USA is particularly easy, given the large selection and reach of companies like BorrowLenses and LensRentals . But other countries have comparable services that allow you to expand your selection when needed, including the UK’s LensPimp and Australia’s CameraHire.

Since we’re all concerned about unforeseen circumstances putting us on the hook for additional money, camera rental insurance provides peace of mind as well as coverage. Testing a lens or camera body before purchasing allows you to take your time by taking the equipment out on a real trial run. And many agencies also offer discounts if purchased after the rental period. Regardless of whether you prefer local pickup or online deliveries to your door, there’s a photography equipment rental agency out there that’s just right for you!

camera rental travel

4 replies on “ Camera Rental Guide: Where to Rent Camera Equipment ”

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An FYI that I learned on a trip to Canada. I received the lens at my home and rather than pack it in my luggage (and hoping to save a day or two) I decided to drop it at a Fed-Ex in Canada. No Dice. The company was great about it, but I had to pay an additional fee to get it going. So plan to ship back from where you received it.

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Thanks for your tip! I always ship it back from my home. It could make sense to do it from another location if it’s a long trip and you need the gear for a specific date but for general trips I always recommend to ship back from where you received it.

Happy shooting, Dan

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I imagine you already know that your lensrental 15% promo has expired- not sure how much of a hassle it is to take it down from your site. Regards

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Please apologize for this, apparently there was a technical issue and the coupon was shown as expired. We fixed this with the guys from Lensrentals and it’s available again.

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Best Places to Rent Camera Gear in the US (Online and In-Store)

Paul Skidmore

Did you know that you can rent camera gear like bodies, lenses, and lighting equipment? This has numerous benefits.

You can test out new gear without making a purchase, save on expensive one-off purchase prices, and rent gear for specific purposes, like a photo shoot. If this sounds beneficial, we have found nine of the best places to rent camera gear in the US .

We have scoured the web and found an excellent array of rental companies. This includes a mix of online-only companies and rental businesses that also have physical stores. The companies also cover most States in the US.

Man on laptop browsing online with camera in a coffee shop.

Best Places to Rent a Camera or Lens:

When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. We evaluate products independently . Commissions do not affect our evaluations.

1. BorrowLenses

BorrowLenses

Borrowlenses.com has a great choice of lenses, bodies, tripods, accessories and more at reasonable rates and with flexible rental conditions.

BorrowLenses is one of the best-known online rental companies for US customers. They have a thriving business and have store locations in both San Francisco and Boston.

For obtaining your rental gear, they offer several options. This includes store pickup, pickup from partner stores, UPS store pickup, or nationwide delivery. Delivery is free for 2-day rentals over a value of $149. If you want a quicker delivery, there is an additional charge.

Borrowlens.com website

The rental terms are flexible, and they have a maximum rental period of 90 days. We also like the packaging that the gear is delivered in. They use branded security boxes that have foam padding to make sure the gear arrives in perfect condition.

Identification may be required for new customers and/or expensive rentals. Also, you can buy the GearGuard or GearGuardPro waivers that cover for unintentional damage, and additional protection.

The main rental categories available include cameras, lenses, production, and used gear. Within the production section, you can find lighting, stands, tripods, heads, gimbals, memory cards, and more. They also have a superb range of camera bodies and lenses from a wide variety of popular manufacturers.

2. Lensrentals

Lensrentals

Lensrentals.com offers rental packages for specific purposes like weddings, wildlife photo shoots, and portrait photoshoots.

One of the best places to rent camera gear for photographers in or around Tennessee is Lensrentals . This company has its headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee and also has a satellite office in Nashville. They also offer delivery to all 50 US States or in-person collections.

Lensrentals.com website

We love the excellent range of brands available to rent. Lensrentals.com has items from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Sigma, Leica, Panasonic, Olympus, and more. This includes camera bodies and lenses. Aside from this, they also rent an extensive collection of accessories and gear. This includes lighting, flashes, stands, batteries, tripod kits, monopods, and more.

To rent, a deposit may be required. You can select the day you want the item(s) to arrive, and also the length of the rental agreement. A box is provided, which you then use to return the items on the agreed return date. Late returns are penalized with a 25% charge of the total rental fee per day.

A unique feature that Lensrentals.com offers is its packages. These are specialized packages for different purposes. For example, you can rent a Canon Wildlife kit. This includes a camera, two telephoto lenses, memory cards, batteries, and a lens support stack.

3. Rentglass

Rentglass

Rentglass.com has a pickup service in Kansas City but also delivers nationwide. They rent Canon, Nikon, and Sony lenses and camera bodies.

Rentglass is a specialist rental company that offers exclusively Canon, Nikon, and Sony gear and equipment. The company is based in Kansas City, Kansas in the US, and has an excellent reputation. Rentals are available for pickup in Overland Park, Kansas City (KS), or for delivery anywhere in the United States.

The website is easy to use, and the rental section is split into the three main manufacturers. For each manufacturer, there are subcategories including wide, standard, telephoto, and bodies. They also have specialist sections for RF lenses, lighting, Nikon Z lenses, and Sony FE lenses.

Rentglass.com website

The rental term is for a minimum of 7 days. You can also get discounts on longer rental terms. In most instances, no initial deposit is required. As they have a limited stock, rentals are available on a first-come-first-served basis and you cannot reserve an item.

All rental items are kept in excellent condition and are in good working order. We also like that there is a damage waiver. This covers you for any damage to the item while in transit. This does not cover lost or stolen equipment, however. It also doesn’t cover any damage you have caused while using the gear.

4. Pro Photo Rental

Pro Photo Rental

ProphotoRental.com has an extensive range of rental equipment including studio lighting, microphones, tripods, and flashes.

Pro Photo Rental has an experienced team who all have knowledge in photography and/or cinematography. They use this experience to provide an excellent rental service to US customers. The company is based in Boulder, Colorado, and they offer both a pickup service and delivery to anywhere in the States.

Prophotorental.com is one of the best places to rent camera gear for several reasons. Orders can be tracked, which gives you greater flexibility. Also, their site uses a real-time calendar so you can see exactly when the different gear is available to rent. Their prices are also flexible to reflect current market situations and trends.

From Prophotorental.com you can rent camera bodies, lenses, grip & production equipment, lighting, and audio equipment. Unlike some rental companies, they provide gear from other brands too (Not just Sony, Canon, and Nikon) including Black Magic, DJI, GoPro, Hoya, Rokinon, and Sigma.

Prophotorental.com website

The rental terms are flexible and providing the item is available, you can choose the rental period. You can also select delivery or collection. We also like that you are not charged until the order is shipped, or you have picked it up. There is also an additional damage waiver that can be purchased with each rental.

5. Aperturent

Aperturent.com

Aperturent.com has a store in Atlanta and Washington, which gives great rental coverage for those wanting to pick up on the East Coast.

Aperturent.com is an excellent rental company that has several stores spread throughout the USA. This includes stores in Atlanta (Georgia), Dallas (Texas), and Washington (Washington DC).

As a result, they offer a flexible delivery service and collections from these three store locations.

Aperturent.com homepage

The rental terms can be chosen from 3 to 90 days. You can also select exactly which date you need the gear. For delivery, the standard delivery period is 2 days via FedEx. It is important to note that all deliveries require a signature on acceptance. Alternatively, you can simply select to collect from one of the three stores.

In terms of rental gear, Aperturent.com has a good selection. They rent lenses, camera bodies, lighting, video equipment, and accessories.

Lenses include Canon EF and RF, Nikon F and Z, Sony E, Fujifilm X and G, Micro 4/3 (Olympus/Panasonic), and Leica L. The range of camera bodies is also excellent and includes DSLR, mirrorless, cine, compact, and action.

You can also get a superb range of accessories to accompany your gear. For example, you can rent filters, teleconverters, adapters, batteries, tripods, and storage cards.

6. Adorama Rentals

Adorama Rental Company

Adorama has two store locations based in New York and has flexible rental terms and a straightforward rental policy

Adorama is a renowned supplier of photography gear and they also have a dedicated rental business too – Adorama Rentals . The rental side of the business has stores in Manhattan and Brooklyn, which is perfect if you want to collect from the greater New York area. You can also get nationwide deliveries.

The online rental process is easy. First, select your desired rental period and time, and the delivery/collection method. You can then browse their online catalog to find the gear you would like to rent. If the price is available, you can process the rental, however, some items may require a tailored quote.

Adorama Rentals

Alternatively, you can contact their sales team and get a quote, or even fill out their quotation request form. This makes it flexible and also makes it easy for complex rental requests.

We like that Adorama Rentals has a diverse range of rental rate periods. This includes a single-day rate, full-week rates, and 3-day weekend rates, for example. Adorama Rentals has a large range of products including camera bodies, lenses, lighting, computers, audio, grip, and electric. They also feature products from popular brands including Canon, Sony, Nikon, Hasselblad, Leica, and GoPro.

7. LensProToGo

LensProToGo

Lensprotogo.com offers a collection service from their office in Concord, MA, or nationwide delivery on hundreds of lenses, cameras, and gear

LensProToGo is another fantastic rental company based in Concord, Massachusetts. The team is composed of photographers, both professional and hobbyists. This makes the rental process easier as they have a telephone line that you can ring for support and advice.

The rental process is relatively simple and, in some instances, a fully refundable security deposit may be required. The rental period starts when you received the gear, and you have full flexibility to choose your rental period. For payments, the card you used to confirm the rental order is typically charged two business days before shipping.

Lens pro to Go website

Lensprotogo.com offers one of the most extensive ranges of gear available. This makes it one of the best places to rent camera gear. This includes camera, lenses, tripods, stabilization, lighting, video gear, audio, and accessories.

We also like that they have gear from numerous manufacturers. For example, they rent lenses from Canon, Sony, Nikon, Sigma, Tamron, Fuji, and Leica. The prices are also reasonable, although there is generally a minimum rental period on most items.

Lastly, you can have the item(s) delivered, pick up from their Concord office, or even pick up at a FedEx or UPS collection point.

8. ShareGrid

ShareGrid

Sharegrid.com is a P2P rental/selling site that has excellent flexibility and allows you to easily search for rentals on camera gear, lighting, and more.

Aside from rental companies, there are also platforms like ShareGrid that offer a different rental process. This is one of the best places to rent camera gear due to its unique setup and flexibility.

Sharegrid.com is essentially a peer-to-peer sharing community. This includes gear rentals, gear buying & selling, project hiring, and location hire. Instead of renting from the company, you are instead renting from other people.

Sharegrid P2P camera gear rentals

For example, person A wants to earn a little extra cash and posts their Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L lens for rent. Person B wishes to use this lens for a project and thus makes an offer on the rental listing. When both parties are happy, the rental takes place.

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The site has hundreds of categories including cinema cameras, photography lenses, audio equipment, lighting equipment, and more. You can check the profiles of the people you are renting from and see their previous history.

This makes sure that you are getting a quality deal and rental items. It is an interesting concept and also great if you want to hire people for help on projects such as studio work.

9. Kitsplit

KitSplit

KitSplit an excellent platform for those who only want to rent camera gear and accessories from local renters.

KitSplit is dubbed as the “Airbnb of cameras”. It operates similarly to ShareGrid and is a community marketplace for camera gear rentals and camera lenses. This makes it one of the best places to rent camera gear for flexibility.

On this website, you can look for cameras, lenses, lighting, audio equipment, tripods, support rigs, and accessory rentals. Once you click on a category such as “mirrorless lenses” you are shown a US map with your current location.

It also shows the available lenses for rent in this area. There are different filters you can change, and you can search for specific items. The process is simple and it allows you to easily find local rental opportunities.

KitSplit homepage

Each renter has a rating and you can check their profile and read customer reviews. You also get a convenient overview of how many items they have rented on the platform, and if they have any special tags like being a “super renter”.

The concept is fantastic and we feel it gives greater flexibility than a traditional online rental company. The website essentially acts as a middleman and deals with the payment processing and rental agreement. The renter and yourself are then responsible for the exchange of the equipment.

Use these Rental Companies to Save on Expensive Gear Purchases

We hope you have found this guide on the best places to rent camera gear useful. We understand that buying new camera bodies, lenses, and gear is expensive. You can spend thousands instantly and still not have everything you need. This is why gear rental is a viable option.

If you have a specific need for a project, renting the gear could be cost-effective. Also, renting is an excellent way to test new equipment. For example, you could rent a new lens or camera body to see if it meets your expectations.

Rent camera equipment to save on costs

Any of the above camera gear rental companies offer an excellent service. Companies like BorrowLenses , Lensrentals , and Adorama Rentals all offer delivery services across the US and have a wide range of lenses, cameras, and equipment.

Alternatively, for specialized rentals, you could use P2P rental services like ShareGrid and KitSplit .

The options are varied, and this guide should have given you a clear idea of how and where you can rent camera equipment.

A seasoned content creator at PhotoWorkout, Paul merges his love for traveling and photography to craft insightful articles. With a solid grasp of Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, he enjoys testing new photo software, apps, and gear. His background in web development further enriches his photography endeavors. Connect with him on LinkedIn .

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Frugal Frolicker

Renting Camera Gear For Travel: Save Money, Save Memories

This post is brought to you by Ted’s Cameras. Please note that I was already a happy customer of Ted’s before they approached me about sponsoring this post.

So you’ve booked your next big holiday adventure, road trip , or weekend getaways from Sydney – and you can’t wait to shoot some stunning travel photos to be proud of. But before you jet off – do you have the right camera gear for your trip?

Many people aren’t aware that renting a camera and lenses for travel can be the better choice. From getting top quality camera gear to traveling light and saving money, here are 5 reasons why renting camera gear for travel is a smart, affordable, and convenient option.

1. After paying for your holiday, you might be feeling the pinch

Holidays are often costly, even if you opt for budget accommodation and flights. Renting your travel camera gear saves you from spending extra cash before your trip, and gives you the option of making monthly payments instead of paying for it all upfront.

By renting, you’ll have more money in your pocket to spend on extra tours, experiences, or tasty local delicacies.

travel camera

2. You won’t waste money on gear you don’t need for long

Many of us are quite happy using a smartphone for everyday snaps, but would probably prefer to use something a little more substantial for once-in-a-lifetime holiday, such as a compact digital camera, action cam, or SLR camera.

Ted’s short-term rental period (just 6-months minimum) will help you get the highest quality photographs, without needing to spend huge amounts on items that you only need for the duration of your trip. After 6 months, if you’re done, you can easily return your gear and stop paying. You’ll have spent much less on renting your gear than you would have, had you purchased all of your items to keep. 

Here’s an example of pricing for a few items you might be interested in renting for a holiday (prices are AUD per week):

  • Canon 5d Mark IV – $44.08
  • Canon 70-200mm f/4 lens – $21.93
  • Manfrotto MK290XT Tripod – $2.08
  • SanDisk Extreme 128GB SDXC Card – $0.93

For me, as someone who already owns an expensive camera kit and uses it frequently, I can see one really compelling use for renting additional gear: to have an ultra-zoom lens to take on safari. In my everyday shooting and my typical trips, I have no use for any lens beyond 200mm; however, to capture wildlife from afar, I’d definitely want to have a camera lens that goes up to at least 400mm. It just wouldn’t make sense for me to buy a lens like this because I’d never use it outside of this trip… so if I have the option to rent it instead from Ted’s, that’s going to save me heaps of money.

rent camera for travel

3. Certain camera gear is better suited to travel

While your smartphone can take great selfies for Instagram , a dedicated camera is necessary if you want to create prints, posters, or high-quality images for photo books, portfolios, or professional websites.

A digital camera will usually feature an optical zoom which can get you right up close to distant subjects without reducing the quality of the end product – perfect for shooting landscape or wildlife photography on your travels.

If you’re very serious about getting the best photos possible on your trip and are keen to learn a bit about manual photography settings before you take off, an SLR or mirrorless camera is going to yield the best quality images. I’d recommend going for a camera body and one walkaround lens (i.e. a lens with a focal length range that will cover most anything you’ll want to shoot). My go-to setup is the Canon 5d mark IV and Canon 24-105mm lens, and I’ve done plenty of trips where I’ve not had to change to a different lens at all.

If you are traveling to somewhere in the world that you are not likely to be returning to soon, if at all, you owe yourself the chance to preserve these memories in the best way possible – and that calls for a real camera.

camera rental

4. Even accessories can be costly

When we’re researching new cameras we often forget to add accessories into our budget. Once you factor in things like protective cases, memory cards, and tripods, it becomes dangerously easy to blow your budget.

Renting allows you to create your entire travel kit and have it all ready to go right away, for small monthly payments. Certain accessories are very cheap to rent at a monthly rate, so you can piece together a complete kit which is capable of capturing all your adventures – compared to simply making do with the gear you can afford when making an outright purchase, which might be lower quality.

5. If you fall in love with your camera, you don’t have to part ways

If you are hesitant to start a rental agreement because you feel like you’ll be ready to buy soon, this shouldn’t hold you back. If you love your new gear, you can always ask to keep it!

You can apply to purchase your camera at any time during your rental period with Ted’s Cameras – letting you enjoy your dream camera right away, and make the application to purchase when you’ve saved up enough money. The cost of your purchase is reduced as your rental continues, so you won’t end up paying full price when it comes time to buy it outright – these values can be viewed when you are making your initial rental agreement.

This saves you from missing out on capturing the best possible travel snaps with the camera of your choice, for fear of wasting money.

rent camera gear

What’s the best travel camera for your needs?

For budget-friendly travel cameras: If you’re a photography novice, try a compact digital camera that is pocket-friendly with a versatile feature set, including a long zoom range.

For adventure-ready cameras: If on your travels you are likely to find yourself surfing, diving, skiing or cycling, water and shock-proof action cameras such as GoPros are the perfect option.

For image quality: If you place a greater emphasis on image quality and you don’t mind interchangeable lenses, mirrorless cameras provide similar quality and usability to Digital SLR cameras , in a more portable package.

Want more inspiration?

Check out Ted’s guide on How to Choose the Best Lens and the Best Digital Cameras in 2019 .

I’ve also got a blog post where I spill all of my Lightroom editing secrets , which might be handy for when you want to edit the photos from your trip.

drone travel photography

Ready to start making memories?

Traveling is a special experience that should be embraced wholeheartedly. Why not make the most of your next trip and return with a collection of high quality photographs you’ll cherish forever?

Ted’s Cameras has partnered with Studio19 so you can rent the best gear at the best prices. With low monthly payments and maintenance and repairs included, their rental plan has given well over 250,000 happy customers access to some of the best gear on the market.

For more information, check out Ted’s Cameras rental page or visit your local Ted’s Cameras store for more advice!

Thank you to Ted’s Cameras for sponsoring this post. Note that all opinions expressed here and elsewhere on this blog are my unbiased own, and are uninfluenced by any gifts or incentives I may receive.

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camera rental travel

Renting Camera Gear For Safari – 15 Things To First Consider

DSLR Camera

You’re going on an African Safari and you want great photos but don’t want to spend thousands on a new camera or lens. Renting camera gear may be the best option for you. Renting a camera when going on your safari will allow you to take amazing safari pictures and save the money you would have used to get a new camera on something else like extending your safari by a few days. Let’s talk about a few things you should consider before renting a camera for Safari .

I’d first like to give a disclaimer that I’ve never had to rent safari gear before so I had to do a lot of research to find the most accurate information around this subject. I would use this article as a starting point in helping you make your decision but you should also do a bit more research on your own as well. 

1. Is renting for you?

The first thing you may need to ask yourself is whether renting that camera is something you should actually do. 

To figure this out need to think about what you plan on photographing and whether what you already have is suitable for it. 

Renting camera gear is a great way of keeping your toes into the photography industry without having to spend a large amount of money required to get started. 

By renting that camera, you will have the opportunity to take awesome photos as a beginner and there’s no better place to find awesome subjects to photograph than an African safari. 

Renting camera gear is NOT for you if

  • You already have a DSLR camera and a decent lens that is above 100mm. These are essentially the two things that you need to be able to take decent safari photos and if you already have them, there’s no need for you to rent.
  • Photos are not your priority but you just like to take a few for memory sake. For this you can just use your cell phone camera. it won’t be that awesome but you will have photos that will capture the memories of your time in Africa.
  • You are clumsy and may break any of the equipment. The fact that you are renting is a Ferrari gear means that if anything goes wrong you will need to pay for any damage. With the cost of average camera gear going into the thousands of dollars, you cannot afford to damage it because it’s as good as bought if you do. 

2. When is buying a safari camera a better option?

you may want to take the plunge and just buy your camera before starting your African safari. 

Buying instead of renting your camera safari gear is a great option for you if:

  • You already know what kind of photography you want to do and have a long-term plan for how you will use your camera equipment after you return from your Safari. 
  • If you would like to get started in photography and want to use your own camera from the get-go instead of someone else’s. 
  • If you plan to use your camera in risky situations like climbing Kilimanjaro and don’t want to have the stress of thinking about what will happen if you drop one of the lenses

3. The kind of camera you should rent

There are a number of considerations you need to think about when choosing the kind of camera you take on a safari. 

  • Weight: The camera needs to be lightweight since having equipment that is too heavy may mean that you cannot fly on local safari airlines that use small planes that have strict luggage weight restrictions. There are times where flying using these planes is the only way of getting to the National Park. 
  • Ease-of-use. unless you are already a professional photographer that knows how to use a complex DSLR camera, you need to pick a camera that will be easy to use and whose point-and-shoot settings are good enough for you to take decent safari photos. 

The camera you should use

Based on these factors I found the following Cameras to be best suited for renting when going on an African Safari.

camera rental travel

I would advise that you get the Wildlife Kit for Canon offered by Lensrentals.com

This kit contains the following gear: 

  • Professional general use Lens : Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II
  • Professional Telephoto Zoom Lens : Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II
  • Professional Mid-Range DSLR Camera : Canon 5D Mark IV
  • Bean Bag to Stabilize your Camera on Bumpy Safari Roads : LensCoat LensSack Jr.
  • A Spare Battery for the camera :  Spare Canon LP-E6N Battery
  • 2 high-capacity Memory Card s: (2) SanDisk SDXC 128GB Extreme Pro 170MB/s UHS-1 U3

4. The kind of lenses you should rent

The kind of lens you carry to an African safari will significantly impact the kind of photos you will be able to take. 

here are a few factors you should consider when choosing a lens to rent for your African Safari.

  • Zoom Capabilities : When going on safari you will be in vehicles most of the time and will need to take photographs of animals that are not always very near. Having a zoom lens, not above 100 mm will allow you to take photos of animals that are a few hundred feet away. 
  • Versatility : on some occasions, you will get the opportunity to go into the city or have a landscape that is an incredible photo opportunity. You will need to rent a lens that will allow you to easily switch modes and take good photos of all of these scenarios but still take great wildlife photography. You need to get a lens or lenses that will allow you to take photos in these two scenarios easily and without struggling. 
  • Weight : as I mentioned earlier how heavy your gear is will impact the kind of transport that you can use when on your safari so you want to keep your lenses as light as possible.

How many lenses do you need?

Since weight is one of the big factors you need to put into consideration, carrying a lot of lenses is not an option.

However, you should have at least have two lenses: 

  • One Telephoto lens that will allow you to take photos of animals that are a bit of a distance away. 
  • One wide-angle lens that can be used for all other scenarios like landscapes, portraits, etc.

The lenses you should choose

Based on these factors, I found the following lenses to be most suited to rent when going on an African safari

5. How long should you rent your Camera Gear for?

If you are going on a 10 Day Safari, you might want to rent your camera equipment for about 21 days. This is because the 10-day safari does not include your travel time from home and back. 

Having additional days will allow you to have enough time to try out the camera and lenses before you go and a few spare days after you return to ship your equipment back to the renting company

6. Cost of renting camera gear for an African safari

So how much does it actually cost to rent camera equipment if you’re going on safari?

The cost will be determined by two things: 

  • The kind of equipment you will be using (use the recommendations described on number 4&5)
  • How long you’ll be renting the equipment for: Give yourself a few days before you travel to use the rented gear and figure out its basic settings.

For a 10 day safari, you expect to spend about $880 USD. This price will give you access to the following equipment.

7. When should you rent

As I have advised earlier, you want to ensure that you get the camera you will use for your safari a few days before you travel for Africa. The reason for this is the fact that you don’t want to be completely unfamiliar with your equipment when you arrive. 

Best case, you will lose valuable shots at the beginning of your safari as you try to learn how to take the photos on your safari. 

Worst case, you may end up with unusable photos for the whole of your safari since the settings you used were wrong.

8. Rent it from Africa or home?

I would advise that you rent from your home country and travel with your gear instead of trying to rent it when you come to Africa. First, you may have delays in getting your gear if you are lucky enough to find a company that will rent the equipment to you as a foreigner.

Rental companies avoid shipping internationally because of the taxes and duties such items attract.

You also don’t get the chance to test out your equipment ahead of the trip and this will work to your disadvantage.

9. Is there insurance for the equipment rented?

Lensrentals offers a type of insurance for their camera equipment called Lenscap

It protects you as the person renting the gear from full liability if something happens to the lens when you are on safari.

10. Should you rent the memory cards as well?

Even though the camera pack described above comes with high capacity memory cards, I don’t think renting the memory cards will be a great idea. 

The cost of a memory card is really low and I think keeping it after your safari is worth it. You will have a backup location to store your safari photos and the memory card may become useful in the future.

11. How to Rent Safari Camera Gear

The process for renting camera gear for your safari can be ordered in the steps below:

  • Figure out what type of camera and lenses you need: Doing a  lot of research online on the type of lenses professionals typically on a safari
  • Find a lens rental company near you & check whether they are legit and that they have a stock of the latest high-quality equipment.
  • Make your order : some camera renting companies will start counting your rental period when they ship the gear to you.
  • Confirm that the gear you had requested is what has been delivered

12. How to return a rented safari camera

Once you have come back from your safari, you will need to ensure that you have safely stored away all your pictures and cleared the memory cards you were using before returning the gear. 

You will also need to ensure that the gear is in good working condition just as you received it before shipping it back.

Lensrentals will give you a prepaid return shipping sticker with your camera gear when you receive it. All you will need to ship back the camera will be to put the items back to the box they came in, seal the box and put the return shipping sticker with the 

13. Traveling with a rented camera

It will be important to remember that the camera you are traveling with is not your own and you will need to pay greater consideration for the safety of the gear you are carrying.

camera rental travel

Here are a few tips I found to travel with your rented camera gear.

  • Put everything together. This will help you not to forget anything at home. It will help you also to keep your equipment within a single point and prevent you from losing anything along the way.
  • Carry the camera as carry-on luggag e: Since cameras are fragile, you need to pack your gear as carry-on luggage that you will bring you to the plane. You also minimize the chances of the gear being lost with your luggage if you carry it with you instead of checking it in.
  • Use a padded bag : when traveling to Africa, you will inadvertently bump into things. Either on the plane or on your safari drives. You want to prevent any damage to your equipment by using a bag that is padded and if you can, use a camera-bag.

14. Cleaning. Should you do it?

My general feeling about this is that you avoid cleaning your rented camera equipment if you do not have experience in these things. You risk damaging the camera or lenses if you clean them inappropriately and you would rather leave this to a professional.

With this, I am assuming that you are taking good care of your camera and that the only things that need cleaning after you come back from your safari are dust and a few smudges on the screen from you touching it when viewing photos.

The companies offering camera gear rentals will deliver your camera gear clean and will professionally clean the gear when you return it.

15. What happens if you damage it

Damaging rented camera gear on your African safari is something you may want to be worried about and you may be wondering what happens when your rented gear is damaged.

You would be liable to replace the item if it is damaged or stolen and you will need to take precautions when handling your gear. 

The companies may offer a cover that limits your liability when damage occurs but you will still need to pay a portion of the repair cost.

You need to report immediately to the rental company that there has been damage or loss for them to advise you on the next steps .

Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Antony Njoroge

Hi, I'm Antony & I'm from Kenya. I love traveling around Kenya when I get off from work and this website is a great way for me to share my local knowledge and tips that will help you travel well in East Africa. Having lived in East Africa my whole life, I share my personal experiences and knowledge with the goal of helping you optimize your East African Safari and make it an unforgettable expereince.

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Best Lens Rental Services to Borrow Camera Lenses in 2024

Looking for a great lens rental service? Discover all the most popular options for renting camera lenses in our updated guide for photographers.

Camera Gear Guides | Lens Guides | By Ana Mireles

Renting camera lenses is a great way to get that expensive and exotic piece of glass you’ve always lusted after!

Maybe you want to try a lens before you buy it, or perhaps you need one for a specific job or trip.

Whatever the case, camera lens rentals are a great way to get your hands on some gear you don’t already own.

To rent a lens, you usually need to pre-pay for the rental period and shipping – although some services do offer free shipping over a certain sum.

In this guide, you’ll discover six popular options for renting lenses in the US.

(Feel free to leave your recommendations for lens rental services elsewhere in the world in the comments below.)

You may also enjoy our guide to cheap photo studio rental locations .

Table of Contents

6 Popular Options for Camera Lens Rentals

1. borrow lenses.

BorrowLenses rental site

Borrow Lenses is one of the most popular lens rental services because you can pick up and drop off the gear at any 300+ UPS locations in the United States. They also offer camera rentals on their website.

You can also have cameras or lenses delivered to your address, including same-day delivery in SNF and NYC, or do a free local pick-up at their location in California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, or Washington.

They have a wide selection of lenses, both in brands and in focal lengths, and they also have extenders and adapters. If you’re not sure what gear you need, they offer guidance and support.

In 99% of the cases, they don’t require a deposit, and they only charge your credit card after shipping.

They offer two types of coverage – one for accidental damage and one that’s more inclusive.

If you change your mind about the rental period, you can extend it or return the lens early and get the credit back if you had it for more than four days.

They also offer great service for buying used lenses and other camera gear.

2. Lensrentals

LensRentals website

Despite the name, at Lensrentals , you can rent camera gear of any kind – not just lenses. It’s great for lenses though, as they have a wide selection of brands, mounts and adapters. They offer a convenient way to rent camera lenses as well as other equipment.

A good part of their catalogue is available for direct purchase, so if you fall in love with the lens you rented, you can keep it. You can also have a 7-day rental period to test out a lens you want to buy, which will be deducted from the final price if you decide to go ahead with the purchase.

Shipping is available within the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska.

The company is based in Tennessee, and local pick-up is possible in either of their locations in Nashville or Memphis. However, only Memphis offers same-day pickups.

You’ll get a pre-paid return label on your package to return the lens at the end of the rental period.

Two types of protection plans are available as add-ons to reduce your liability, and they have worldwide coverage. There isn’t a deposit fee, and the charge is made after shipping.

Live chat is available on the website if you need any assistance before, during or after the rental. It’s possible to extend the rentals and lease for up to six months.

3. ProPhoto Rental

ProPhoto Rental

ProPhoto Rental is based in Colorado. One of the best things about them is their pricing system – especially if you’re thinking about long periods.

They don’t do day rates. Instead, they have a particular system where the fee slowly increases. You can see the pricing for the first few days underneath the lens you want, but you can also input a custom period on the booking calendar and get a quote.

Another pricing perk is that you don’t get charged an extra fee if you want to extend the rental period, and you notify before the last day – you only pay the difference. However, if you wait until the last day, or once the rental is overdue, then it’s charged as a new rental – hence, it’s more expensive.

You don’t get charged until after the shipping, and they also accept cancellations without penalty fees if you cancel before the lens gets shipped.

There’s a free ground shipping option on orders over $75 – however, Hawaii and Alaska are unfortunately not included in this offer.

ProPhoto Rental do ship to hotels, which is not common and greatly appreciated, and you can also do local pickup.

They don’t have as many lenses as the previous options, but it’s well assorted for all the leading brands like Canon, Nikon, Leica and Sony, as well as Sigma Art lenses . They also have an array of filters and accessories.

You can purchase a damage waiver for the gear – the cost is the same regardless of how long you’re keeping the lens.

4. Adorama Rental

Adorama rentals website

Adorama Rental mainly caters to video gear, but they also carry photographic cameras, lenses, accessories and lighting.

They have two locations in NYC, and they have one of the broadest ranges of equipment available for rent. They also have some stricter rules when compared to other rental services.

To rent camera equipment from them, you need to create an account. New customers need to book at least one day in advance for a verification process. On the plus side, returning customers can book with only two hours for prep time.

They also require a deposit or for you to provide a certificate of insurance – please check their requirements before getting insurance to make sure it will suffice. This depends on the total replacement cost.

You’ll need a non-debit credit card where that can hold the replacement value of your rental or the deductible from the insurance. After returning the equipment, the rental price is charged, and the hold is released within 72 hours.

They ship across the US and offer local pick-up, including curbside. There’s a customer support chat on the website for any issues and enquiries.

5. Lens Pro To Go

Lens Pro To Go online

Lens Pro To Go is based in Massachusetts, but thanks to its partnership with FedEx and Hunts, you can pick up or drop off your rental gear at over 4,000 locations in the US.

They also ship to all of the US, including hotels (as long as you or someone else is there to sign for the delivery). UPS services are also available for shipping, but not for pick up.

You can easily extend the rental period right from the website. Once you’re done, put the gear back in the Pelican Case and use the pre-paid return label that came with it.

Most of the time, there’s no need for a security deposit. You’ll be charged from one week to two days before the shipping of the equipment – except for same-day orders, of course, when you’re charged almost immediately.

They offer two types of protection plans: one basic for accidental damage and another that’s more inclusive. However, you’re not obliged to purchase a protection plan or present an insurance policy – the risk is on you.

If you decide to go with third-party insurance, you’ll be responsible for the communication and payment – they don’t deal with the insurance company.

If you rent lenses (or other equipment) often, this is a great company for you because they have a Rental Rewards program. It allows you to get credits every time you use it – then you’ll see the credit on your account page, and it will be available as a payment method at checkout.

The assortment of lens types and brands is quite extensive, so you’re likely to find whatever you need. Also, if you’re not sure what you need, they can help you out as everyone is a photographer or videographer.

6. Aperturent

camera rental travel

Aperturent is located in Washington, but they have locations in Atlanta , GA and Dallas, TX. They have a wide variety of lenses and accessories such as filters, adapters, and teleconverters.

Most orders don’t require a deposit, but you need to create an account and go through the verification process, which can take up to three business hours.

They offer local pickup or shipping all across the US. You can ask for same-day shipping if you place your order before 3:00 PM – the default delivery service is the 2-day FedEx, but you can order an overnight delivery for an extra cost.

You’ll get a pre-paid return shipping label to send back the equipment at the end of your rent.

It is possible to extend or shorten the time of your order. However, if you’re returning the lens earlier, you’ll only get a refund for the unused time starting on the fourth day of rental. This is because the minimum rent is three days, so even if you use it only for one day, you have to pay for three.

They have a free cancellation policy if you notify them before they ship the equipment.

They offer basic damage insurance. If you need a more comprehensive option, you should buy it from a third-party provider.

They also have a frequent renter discount, which is excellent if you need to rent equipment an average of 10 to 20 times per year.

Camera Gear & Lens Rental: Final Words

Renting lenses is a great solution when you don’t have the budget to buy or you want to try one out before investing in it.

However, if you’re renting for a specific shoot, make sure you consider enough time for them to process your order and for any delays in the shipping. While most rental services can guarantee their processing time, once the package is in the courier’s hands they don’t have control over it.

So, these are the best lens rental services we know of in the US. Are there any in your area that you can recommend? What about other countries? Is this a service you can find? Let us know in the comments!

You'll Also Like These:

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Ana Mireles is a Mexican researcher that specializes in photography and communications for the arts and culture sector.

If you’re ever in Phoenix or Los Angeles, I suggest going to cinevo.com, a local camera rental house, than going with these options that could potentially put your project out of timeline.

Another option is just to look in your local area for camera stores. I rented a long lens from my favorite local business for wildlife photography and the process was awesome. No worries about shipping delays, I was able to put the lens on my camera before I left the store to test it, and got a few extra days on my week rental (11 days) because of the weekends. The local business may have what you need with great benefits.

Thank you for reading my article – let me know if you have any questions.

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Taking Your Ring Camera on Vacation: What You Need to Know

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Traveling is great – but, it can come with its own set of concerns. Leaving your belongings unattended in an unfamiliar place like a hotel room or Air BnB can leave some people on edge – especially if you have expensive valuables. To that end, you may want to find a way to keep an eye on things. But how?

Some have thought about taking their smart cameras and doorbells, such as their Ring devices, with them. But is this possible? And if so, how?

  • Ring’s battery-powered and plug-in devices are best for vacations.
  • However some hotels and AirBnBs don’t allow you to install recording devices.
  • For temporary installs, using command strips or 3M double-sided tape is easiest.
  • You can easily connect your Ring device to a new Wi-Fi network, or use a mobile hotspot.

Recap: What is Ring?

Ring is a manufacturer of smart home devices with millions of customers worldwide. Their most popular products are their smart security cameras and doorbells. These cameras come in several different versions. Some are designed to be used indoors only, such as the Ring Indoor Cam . Others can be used outdoors, such as the Ring Stick-Up Cam.

The Ring Stick Up Cam installed outdoors.

Some cameras can be plugged in, some are battery-powered, and yet others need to be hardwired into an existing electrical system .

Ring’s devices work via the settings in the Ring app. The Ring app is where you configure the cameras’ different settings to your liking. For example, you can create Motion Zones (some devices also have 3D maps for this ). This dictates where your camera will detect motion .

Configure Motion Zones in the Ring App

When it detects motion, the app then sends you a Motion Alert. You can also set Motion Sensitivity, which is how sensitive your camera is to motion.

Most Ring cameras use Wi-Fi to connect to the internet via the Ring app . The only exceptions are the Ring Doorbell Elite and the Ring Stick-Up Cam Elite. These use a wired Ethernet connection by which they receive power and internet. 

Many people use Ring smart cameras to keep an eye on their homes and businesses – but what about when traveling? Of course, having Ring cameras at home helps you keep an eye on things while you’re away, but what about taking a couple of cameras with you when you travel?

Can You Take Your Ring Camera (Or Doorbell) on Vacation?

Some keys and money alongside a map and Airbnb app

If you use Ring cameras, you know that they’re great for keeping an eye on things at home while you’re away. You can even speak to delivery personnel or any visitors via the speakers on the Video Doorbells or Cameras . But what if while you’re traveling you want to take a couple of your cameras with you?

When staying at a hotel, AirBnB , or even a rental home, things can happen. While normally these places are secure, there’s always a slight chance that someone could come in and try to steal. To that end, the thought of bringing a Ring camera on vacation may be appealing.

Depending on the camera you bring, they can be out in the open, plainly visible to deter any nefarious individuals. Or they can be more hidden , ready to catch someone red-handed with them being none the wiser!

Now, it’s to be noted, some places don’t allow video recording devices on the premises. This is especially the case with certain AirBnBs . Some states and regions even have laws prohibiting the recording of someone if they’re not aware they’re being recorded. It’s important, therefore, to check local guidelines on recording devices. Check your hotel or AirBnB’s fine print as well to make sure that this is legal.

If all is good, then you’re good to go! Now that you know you can take your cameras, you may have a few questions as to how exactly this is going to work.

Tips For Taking Your Ring Device on Vacation

So you’ve decided you want to bring your Ring camera or doorbell on vacation. Great! It can give you a greater sense of security . Of course, you may have some concerns.

Which camera should you take? How will you connect them to the internet? These are all valid concerns. Fortunately, these concerns are easily addressed.

Best Ring Cameras For Travel

When traveling, whether you’re staying at a hotel, AirBnB, or a rental home, hardwiring anything is out of the question – not like you could easily pack those for travel anyway !

Now let’s say you want a way for any guests to let you know they’ve arrived, or you want to know who’s at the door. This is most useful if say, the AirBnB you’re staying at is a house. For this purpose, you can take along any of Ring’s battery-powered Video Doorbells , like the Ring Doorbell 2020 release, as well as Ring Video Doorbell versions 3 and 4.

Ring Video Doorbell 2020 release

You’ll of course want to avoid putting holes in walls to mount your Video Doorbell . To that end, you can use double-sided adhesive strips like Command Strips or 3M Double-Sided tape , to mount your doorbell.

Double sided adhesive tape

Another set of camera options is the Ring Indoor Cam and the Ring Stick-Up Cam:

  • The Ring Indoor Cam will need to be plugged in for power.
  • But the Ring Stick-Up Cam, since it has a battery option, doesn’t need to be plugged in. And if you charge it fully before you leave, depending on how long you’re vacationing, you may not have to charge it at all until you get back home!

Placing either the Ring Indoor Cam or Ring Stick-Up Cam is mostly a matter of preference. Again, since this is temporary, you want to avoid putting holes anywhere. Both of these cameras can be placed on tabletops or any other flat surface . Some have even purchased suction cup mounts to keep cameras in place.

Plugging a Ring Indoor Cam into my Kasa energy monitoring smart plug

If you want a higher vantage point, you can make use of Command Strips in order to place them on walls . Be very careful not to strip paint or you could be responsible for some hefty fees and bad ratings!

Getting Internet for Your Ring Cameras

Of course, your Ring cameras and/or Video Doorbells are going to need internet. If you’re staying somewhere where you can use the Wi-Fi, you can go that route . Just use the Wi-Fi provided by your hotel, AirBnB, or wherever you happen to be. 

Another option is to use a mobile hotspot . Most cell phones have this ability and it’s relatively easy to set up. The only downside to using your mobile device’s hotspot is that if you take your phone out with you, there’s no internet, and your cameras aren’t going to record. Alternatively, you can use a separate mobile hotspot device that stays in your room and keeps the internet going even when you’re not there.

Regardless of which option you use, you’ll have to reconnect your cameras to Wi-Fi. To do this, go to the Ring app, and select the camera you want to connect to Wi-Fi.

Hit the gear icon in the top right-hand corner to go to Settings. From there, go to Device Health. Scroll down the page and you’ll see an option to Change Wi-Fi Network .

Where to Change the Wi Fi Network in the Ring App

A prompt will appear telling you that the camera will be unavailable during the switch. Click Change Wi-Fi Network to Continue. The next screen will prompt you to enable location on your smart device. This will help the Ring app locate available Wi-Fi networks to connect your camera to.  Follow the rest of the prompts, and you’ll have your camera connected to Wi-Fi in no time!

Now, you’ve placed your cameras in their respective spots and connected them to Wi-Fi. Then you realize, wait, I’m in a different location! Do I have to change that in the app?

Address/Location Issues

Of course, since you’re not home, the address that your devices are registered at is going to be different than where you are. Not to worry! Even if you don’t change the location in your Ring app , you can still use your cameras . The cameras will simply be assigned to the location in your Ring app, and still function as normal.

If, however, you’re worried about this causing an issue, you can add in a temporary location, then set your camera(s) up there. 

To do this, in your Ring app, first, add a new location. On your Ring Dashboard, go to the top of the screen where it shows your current location, and tap the arrow. A drop-down menu appears where it shows your current location, as well as the option to Add a Location.

Location in the Ring App

Tap on Add a Location to begin the process. It will ask you first what kind of location you’re at.

Adding a Location in the Ring App

The following screen will then ask for the address. Once you set up the address, you can then assign whichever camera to that location.

You’ll do this by going to the specific camera you want to change the location for, then going to that camera’s settings. Go to Device Settings, then to General Settings. In General Settings, you’ll see where it says Location. Tap the arrow next to it.

Device Location in the Ring App

On the next screen, you’re then given the option to change which location the camera is assigned to.

Where to Change Device Location in the Ring App

Assign your cameras as you like, and you’re all set. Then, when you’re leaving, reassign your cameras back to your home, and delete the extra location. 

However, the simplest option would be to just leave your cameras as is location-wise and just change the Wi-fi.

Ring On-The-Go

Ring cameras are incredibly convenient, and fortunately, they can even travel with you! Whether you’re keeping an eye on precious belongings, or making sure your vacation home is safe from intruders, Ring is able to keep your home away from home, safe.

About Yvette Griffith

Yvette is a freelance writer who also happens to be a smart home enthusiast! She owns several smart home gadgets like strip lights, smart bulbs, cameras, and more! With a knack for troubleshooting device issues, she’s been the go-to for family and friends for all kinds of tech-related issues - dating back to VCR’s! Here on Smart Home Point, she shares her knowledge with the world in hopes it’ll help you create and maintain your smart home.

If you have any questions, feedback or suggestions about this article, please leave a comment below. Please note that all comments go into a moderation queue (to prevent blog spam). Your comment will be manually reviewed and approved by Tristan in less than a week. Thanks!

2 thoughts on “Taking Your Ring Camera on Vacation: What You Need to Know”

Can I bring a Ring device on a plane?

I wouldn’t want to say for sure, because every airline and country has their own regulations. However usually cameras are fine. Both disposable cameras and DSLRs are usually allowed, and many phones and tablets contain camera features too. So Ring cameras should also be allowed – in theory. But as I say, every country had their own regulations so I can’t say for sure.

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Nikkor 200-500mm f5.6 Zoom Lens

Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 l series is lens, canon ef-s 55-250mm is lens, canon 50mm 1.8 stm, nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 vr lens, canon 50mm f/1.4 usm prime lens, tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3 di vc g2 usd lens for nikon, nikkor 70-300mm af-s f4.5-5.6 vr zoom lens, sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3 contemporary lens for canon, canon telephoto lens ef 70-200mm f2.8 is ii, tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3 di vc g2 usd lens for canon, canon 24-70mm f2.8 l usm lens, canon 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 is stm lens, canon ef-s 10-22mm wide angle lens, tokina 11-16 f2.8 wide angle lens for nikon cameras, sigma 85mm f1.4 dg hsm art lens for canon, nikkor 50mm f/1.4 prime lens, tamron 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 zoom lens, tamron 70-300 f4-5.6 zoom lens, canon ef 100mm f 2.8 macro lens, nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens, canon 70-300mm is lens, nikkor 12-24mm f4 g ed, tokina 11-20 f2.8 wide angle lens, canon ef 28-135mm lens, tokina 16-28mm f2.9 fx lens for canon, canon ef 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6l is ii usm lens, tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 lens for canon, canon rf 100-400mm f/5.6-8 is usm lens, sony 24-105mm f4 g oss lens, nikkor 18-140mm vr zoom lens, nikkor 35mm 1.8 g ed fx lens, sony e mount 18-105 mm f4.0 zoom g lens, waterproof camera lens bean bag, rain & dust cover for superzoom lenses, manfrotto super clamp 035rl with stud, gopro hero 9 black, gopro max 360 action camera, sandisk 128gb extreme pro microsd card with sd adapter, gopro hero 10 black, gopro hero 11 black, gopro underwater dome cover, insta360 x3 action camera, gopro battery for hero 9, ulanzi mt-11 vlogging tripod, triple slot charger for gopro hero 9 on rent, ulanzi shorty tripod cum selfie stick for gopro, mini tripod for phone, gopro, compact cameras, gopro and accessories carry case – small, sandisk 64gb extreme pro microsd card with sd adapter, basic gopro mounts, 15 in 1 gopro accessories kit, chin strap mount for gopro, gopro suction cup mount, sandisk 32gb extreme pro microsd card with sd adapter, hero 9 telesin set of nd 4 filters on rent, enduro battery for hero 9/10 – 40% more power, triple slot charger for gopro hero 9, telesin gopro hero 9 waterproof case, chest strap mount for gopro, gopro and accessories carry case – medium size, gopro hero 11 black- 2 year extended warranty, ulanzi vl49 rgb led light, 360° rotatable j hook mount for gopro, gopro hero 9 silicone cover by ulanzi, 40 in 1 gopro accessories kit, head strap mount for gopro, gopro hero 8 waterproof case, tenikle portable tripod & mount, gopro 36 inch extendable monopod selfie stick, dual slot charger for gopro hero 9/10/11/12, gopro hero 10 black- 2 year extended warranty, insta360 one x2 premium lens guards, gopro media mod for hero 9 / hero 10 action camera, telesin chin mount for gopro – 2nd generation, enduro battery for gopro hero 9 / 10, gopro hero 10 travel bundle (with selfie stick + head mount + chest mount + accessory carry case), underwater kit for gopro hero 9 /10, gopro multipurpose tripod stand, telesin chin strap mount with multifunctional j hook, suction mount for gopro (indoors), gopro bike bicycle handlebar mount, gopro volta (external battery grip / tripod / remote), dual slot charger for gopro hero 5/6/7/8 on rent, 3-way monopod grip arm tripod foldable selfie stick, gopro hero 10 ready to go bundle (with 15 in 1 gopro accessories kit), gopro hero 8 silicone cover, insta360 go2 action camera, gopro max 360 action camera – 2 year extended warranty, gopro hero 8 black media mod, gopro hero 12 black- with 2 year warranty, flex helmet mount set, gopro light mod, curve type helmet mount, gopro front & side helmet extension chin mount, 12 inch flexipod with ball head, movo dive rig for gopro, hero 9 telesin set of nd 4 filters.

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Nikon D 5600 DSLR

Nikon D 5600 DSLR

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Canon EOS 1500D On Rent

Canon EOS 1500D On Rent

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Nikon D3500

Nikon D3500

Canon 80D camera

Canon 80D camera

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Hero Go Pro 9

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Nikon D 3400 camera

Nikon D 3400 camera

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Canon 200D M-II DSLR

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Hero Go Pro 10

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Canon M50 Mark-II

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Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens

Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G Lens

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Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens

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Go Pro Fusion

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GO Pro Head Mount on Rent

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Zhiyun-Tech Smooth-Q Smartphone Gimbal on rent

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The best travel camera in 2024: compact and portable cameras to take anywhere

The best travel cameras are small, lightweight, easy to use and offer a range of features – here are the ones to look at

The best travel camera, woman in a hat holding a camera and smiling

Best travel camera: Our top picks

Best overall, best for most people, best for vintage styling, best budget, best for vloggers, best waterproof camera, best for reach, best action camera, best 360 action camera.

The best travel cameras have to do one crucial thing: be better than your phone. After all, your phone is almost certainly going to be in your pocket anyway – and it's almost certainly got a great camera. 

That means the best travel cameras need to combine compactness with image quality, advanced features with simple operation, and ideally the ability to get your files onto your phone, tablet or laptop quickly, to share your holiday photos and vacation videos. Having a camera that's safe to take on the beach, in the snow or even in the sea could be another key consideration!

1. Best overall 2. Best for most people 3. Best for vintage styling 4. Best budget 5. Best for vloggers 6. Best waterproof camera 7. Best for reach 8. Best action camera 9. Best 360 action camera

Even though the best camera phones can produce great images, you just don't get the same quality as you would if shooting with one of the best point-and-shoots or best mirrorless cameras . Smartphones are restricted by smaller sensors offering lower still and video quality, reduced low light performance and minimal control over depth of field (for those blurry backgrounds). 

The type of camera you pick comes down to personal preference and budget. To help you decide which is best, we've split the guide into two sections. First, we'll look at mirrorless cameras that offer better image quality and more versatility than compact systems but at the cost of increased size and weight. 

Secondly, we'll look at compact cameras that are pretty much pocket-sized, perfect for keeping on you at all times, won't weigh you down, and are really simple to use – although they have smaller sensors and fixed lenses.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

When picking the best travel camera, we're focusing on portability, and the dinky but mighty Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is one of the best portable cameras around. Read more below

Fujifilm X-S10 body

The Fujifilm X-S10 is one of the best all-around APS-C cameras you can buy right now. It's got a fully-articulated screen and generally handles very well (despite having fewer external control compared to the Fujifilm X-T4 and Fujifilm X-T30 II ) Read more below

Nikon Z fc

If you're looking for a camera that has modern tech but vintage styling then the Nikon Z fc is the king of style, sporting a design from precious film cameras. Read more below

Panasonic Lumix G100

If you want a small camera that shoots great stills and video, and cost cost the earth the Panasonic Lumix G100 is the best budget option out there for travel. Read more below

Sony ZV-E10

If you want to start a travel vlogging channel on YouTube then you need something compact, but mighty on specs and the Sony ZV-E10 is the perfect choice for wannabe travel vloggers. Read more below

OM System Tough TG-7

If you're planning on a coastal adventure then you need a camera that is fully waterproof and rugged enough to take on the most challenging adventures, the Tough TG-7 is for you. Read more below

The best travel camera in 2024

Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.

Best mirrorless travel cameras

Mirrorless cameras might be a little heavier and larger than compacts, but they deliver better quality (through larger sensors) and the option to change your lenses. The best lenses for travel give you the ability to capture ultra-wide-angle photos of famous landmarks and also zoom in on the beautiful details in the distance. You'll also find that they perform better in low light.

Hands holding the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV best travel camera

1. Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

When picking the best travel camera, we're focusing on portability, and the dinky but mighty Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is one of the best portable cameras around. Not only does it have an incredibly lightweight body, with tactile dial-led controls, but it also uses the smaller-but-still-powerful Micro Four Thirds sensor.

While this has some slight disadvantages in terms of low-light capabilities, it effectively doubles the focal length of any lens mounted to the camera; so a 50mm will behave like a 100mm. And the best Olympus lenses include positively tiny lenses that go a long way for travel photography, helping you keep your kit and weight size down. We haven't even talked about everything else that's great about the E-M10 Mark IV: its snappy burst shooting, its accurate autofocus, and its impressive 4K video. It's a terrific all-around camera. 

Read our full Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV review .

Fujifilm X-S10 best travel camera sitting on a marble table

2. Fujifilm X-S10

The Fujifilm X-S10 is one of the best all-around APS-C camera you can buy right now.  It's got a fully-articulated screen and generally handles very well, despite having fewer external control dials and buttons compared to the Fujifilm X-T4 and Fujifilm X-T30 II . Having in-body stabilization is also a huge bonus, making it easier to shoot handheld with slower shutter speeds – which is hugely useful for low-light work and using longer lenses. 

As with all Fujifilm X bodies, the JPG are stunning straight out of camera and it features a variety of different film simulation modes if you want to add a little something to your pictures. In terms of APS-C cameras, we're hard-pressed to think of one that offers a better balance of features, performance, and price than the Fujifilm X-S10, and that's why it's one of our top picks. 

Read our full Fujifilm X-S10 review .

man looking through the viewfinder of the best travel camera Nikon Z fc

3. Nikon Z fc

If how your camera looks is really important to you, you can't go wrong with the Nikon Z fc. It comes in a choice of vibrant colors including mint green, coral pink, and dark orange so, no matter what your preference is, there will be one you love. 

When this camera was first released, it was so popular that Nikon struggled to keep up with demand . And no wonder; this compact camera isn't just a beauty on the outside, as its 20.9MP APS-C (DX) sensor delivers super high-quality images that you can transfer on the go thanks to built-in Bluetooth and WiFi. 

One of the biggest downsides to the Z fc is the lack of native DX lenses available, however. Nikon and other third-party brands are slowly bringing out more, but you might need to use much heftier full-frame glass to tide you over until then.

Read our full Nikon Z fc review .

A hand holding the best travel camera Panasonic Lumix G100

4. Panasonic Lumix G100

Travelers don't just shoot stills any more! For many of us video is just as important as still images, if not more so, and it's these vloggers and content creators that the Lumix G100 is aimed at. It makes it easy to capture high-quality video and stills with its approachable button layout. 

But even if you are uninterested in the technicalities of capturing great-looking videos, you will be able to get still images with this camera. There’s an inherent risk of dumbing things down too much when creating a camera for social media creatives, but Panasonic has avoided that pitfall with the Lumix G100.

This is a great camera to start with if you're just as interested in vlogging as you are in regular photography. It's also a super-small, super-cute camera with a wide range of Micro Four Thirds lenses available – though its autofocus uses Panasonic's cruder contrast-detect technology, which is notorious for "pulsing" and "hunting" during video.

Read our full Panasonic Lumix G100 review .

The best travel camera the Sony ZV-E10 sitting on a wall behind some leaves

5. Sony ZV-E10

The Sony ZV-E10 is one of the cheapest vlogging cameras yet, and combined with its slim dimensions this makes it a perfect choice for travelers who want to shoot a little video. It comes with sophisticated built-in mics and a clip-on windshield for noise reduction, making it much easier to get clean audio on your vlogs even outdoors, and the 4K UHD video it produces is of excellent quality. 

As we've come to expect from Sony, the autofocus is best in class, whether shooting video or stills. And a point worth mentioning is that, while the ZV-E10 may be optimized for vlogging, it's still a capable stills camera with 11fps burst shooting in the tank, so don't worry about restricting yourself with it. The ZV-E10 makes for an excellent traveler's camera.

Read our full Sony ZV-E10 review .

A red OM System Tough TG-7

6. OM System Tough TG-7

Following the aquisition of Olympus's camera divistion, the OM System TG-7 is essentially an update to the much-loved Olympus Tough TG-6 . It might have relatively conservative 12MP resolution, but it makes up for this by packing a sensor that's back-side illuminated. This means that a) there are less pixels, but each one is larger to capture more light, and b) the sensor design is more efficient at gathering light in challenging conditions. 

This is important because the TG-7 is a camera that can take pictures and video underwater – where there is obviously less ambient light. It can also take pictures and video in the dust, sand, snow, and heat – and it's drop-proof, crush-proof and freeze-proof. No more having to baby your camera, or not take it with you to the places where you're going to get the best photos! 

Even if you're not going to be hiking, climbing, swimming or otherwise putting your camera in danger, the Tough can capture RAW photos and capture 4K video, and has brilliant built-in macro and microscope modes for ultra close-up shooting. And since it's near indestructible, it's one of the best cameras for kids , too!  

Read our full OM System Tough TG-7 review .

A hand holding the best travel camera the Panasonic Lumix ZS200

7. Panasonic Lumix TZ200/ZS200

The Panasonic TZ200 / ZS200 benefits from a larger 1-inch sensor and it also has a 15x zoom, which zooms all the way to 360mm on a full-frame sensor. You can shoot in JPG if you want to use the images straight out of the camera or RAW if you prefer to edit your images first. For those who love documenting holidays through video, it can shoot in 4K and it also has a 4K Photo Mode that can extract 8MP still images from a burst sequence. 

If you're looking for versatility, portability, and advanced features without the fuss of interchangeable lenses, look no further.

Read our full Panasonic Lumix TZ200 / ZS200 review .

DJI Osmo Action 4

8. DJI Osmo Action 4

For most adventurer-creators, the Osmo Action 4 is the perfect balance of quality and price. Stabilized 4K video looks great and the camera can take a lot – not just rough and tumble but temperature extremes and it's waterproof to 16m without a case. Best of all, it has a larger image sensor than any other camera on the list, so it is better in lower light, making it more flexible.

DJI did have an interesting experiment with modular design, now seemingly abandoned, with the Action 2, but they do retain powerful magnetic mounts which can even partially survive the heat of an oven (we tried accidentally – see our full review). 

Like the more famous competition, DJI has high-quality horizon balancing and image stabilization, which has improved on the Action 3. The resolution limit is 4K, but in practice, this is the ideal resolution for action (and the limit of almost all TVs). More useful is the 120fps capability (or 240fps at 1080P).

The fact that Action 4’s isn’t interwoven with subscription software is one we wholeheartedly appreciate, too, but GoPro seem to finally growing out of this.

Read our full DJI Osmo Action 4 review for more depth.

Insta360 X3

9. Insta360 X3

There are times when handling even an action camera's wide-angle lens becomes a problem, and that's where a 360-degree action camera can step in. With two back-to-back lenses and enough smarts to eliminate a selfie stick from the footage, this almost magic camera can capture an image from a point within reach looking any direction you see fit.

I tried it with the bike attachment – which holds the camera a little way in front of the bike, over the front wheel – and was amazed at the footage which makes it look like I'm cycling toward a perfectly controlled drone. Better still, by syncing with my phone I could draw GPS data and have it overlaid, in the form of a speedometer, by the Insta360 app before sharing.

The only real worry is how naked those glass lenses are when the camera is in use; the joy of re-positioning the camera angle after the fact can be hours of fun. 5.7K is good enough for sharing, but more resolution would help pro work.

Read our full Insta 360 X3 review for more details

How to choose the right travel camera

These are five key things to look out for when choosing the right travel camera for your needs.

1) Image quality: Ask yourself how you will use any photos or videos you capture. If you only plan to share content online on social media then any of the above cameras will be suitable. If you plan to print your pictures, though, then mirrorless cameras with larger sensors and higher megapixel counts will produce better-quality results.

2) Focal range: What kind of range do you need for your traveling activities? Compact cameras can have impressive zoom ranges, but to achieve their tiny size they often lack quality compared to mirrorless cameras. For mirrorless cameras, what lenses are available? So-called standard zooms are a great option for all types of travel, but they can also be large and heavy. A wide-angle lens might be best for capturing cities and landscapes, or if you are going to see wildlife or a sporting event then a compact telephoto lens might be best.

3) Size and weight: If you're going on vacation then the last thing you want to take is a heavy kit – especially given things like baggage restrictions when traveling. With that in mind, both your camera and lens(es) need to be small and light. If you want something that can fit in your pocket, get a compact camera – but if you don't mind taking a bag, a mirrorless system with one or two lenses could be more versatile. 

4) Simplicity: Don't want to get bogged down with camera settings? Most modern cameras have a range of auto modes – especially compact cameras, which take away the stress. Advanced modes and complicated controls don't usually mix with spur-of-the- moment snaps, so decide what is important to you and pick your camera based on that.

5) Price: The cameras in our list have a range of prices, and we try to include cameras that suit every budget. The price of a camera usually reflects its capabilities, although all the options listed here will take great images and video – so try to strike the right balance between what you need in a camera and what you can afford.

How we test travel cameras 

Want to find out how we test and review DSLR and mirrorless cameras? We trial cameras both in real-world shooting scenarios and in carefully controlled lab conditions. Our lab tests will generally measure resolution, dynamic range, and signal-to-noise ratio, which gives us a benchmark by which to compare cameras. 

Resolution is measured using ISO resolution charts, dynamic range is measured using DxO Analyzer test equipment and DxO Analyzer is also used for noise analysis across the camera's ISO range. Our compact camera evaluations are based on real-world testing alone.

For our real-world testing, our reviewers spend time with each camera, testing it in a variety of shooting situations and providing their qualitative thoughts on how the camera was to use and evaluating the images and video it produced. Here's an example of how we literally take a camera on vacation to evaluate it!

How we choose the best travel cameras

When we are reviewing cameras, we carefully think about what scenarios each camera could be used for. When considering which cameras would make ideal travel cameras, we judge each camera on how small and lightweight it is for easy packing and transport, as well as carrying for long periods of the day while out exploring. 

We also consider the technical capabilities of each camera, and how suitable they are specifically for travel photography scenarios from beach vacations to safaris, to city breaks. Finally, we consider the price of the cameras to select options that cover a range of budgets and requirements.

We use our real-world experience with each camera and our in-depth camera knowledge to determine a final selection of top cameras that we would recommend as the ideal camera traveling companions.

Is it better to use phone or camera for travel?

We covered this a little bit at the start of the article, but the answer is that it is always better to use a camera for stills or video when possible. So the question really becomes, "Do your travel plans make using a camera possible?" Phones are so small and quick to use that they go where cameras are too bulky and slow to shoot. A great compromise is a compact camera – or the Olympus Tough TG-6 , which is a weather-proof camera that goes the places that you wouldn't dare to use your phone! 

Is a DSLR or mirrorless camera better for travel photography?

As a travel camera, mirrorless cameras are usually the better choice for most people. They are much small and lighter than DSLRs, and also usually have a selection of smaller and lighter lenses to match. This makes traveling easier as it takes up less space and weight in increasingly restricted carry-on bags. Mirrorless cameras also are generally newer than DSLRs and most likely have more modern technology, making photography and video easier to capture and of better quality.

What size camera lens is best for travel?

Again, this comes down to what your travel plans entail and what you plan to shoot. The kit lens that comes bundled with many cameras will cover the most commonly used focal ranges, so that's a good place to start (though kit lenses do not deliver the best image quality). We recommend checking out the best lenses for travel photography to see what's right for you.

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Gareth Bevan

Gareth is a photographer based in London, working as a freelance photographer and videographer for the past several years, having the privilege to shoot for some household names. With work focusing on fashion, portrait and lifestyle content creation, he has developed a range of skills covering everything from editorial shoots to social media videos. Outside of work, he has a personal passion for travel and nature photography, with a devotion to sustainability and environmental causes.

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Saja, who asked to be identified only by her first and middle names because of the nature of the incident, alerted a crew member outside the bathroom who came inside and knocked on the stall door, along with another passenger she had met onboard. Saja also began filming on her phone so she'd have evidence, and she posted the video on  TikTok . When the door opened, a male crew member walked out.

Check first: How to spot hidden surveillance cameras in your Airbnb, VRBO, or vacation rentals

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Saja and her husband had a couple days left, including a sea day, before arriving back at Florida's Port Canaveral. "And after that, I just felt so violated that I needed to go back to my room ... and for the next two days (on) the ship I was kind of just in my room," she said.

Saja is among a number of travelers who say they have been filmed or spied on while traveling, whether by a covert culprit or via a hidden camera in their accommodations.

"We are aware of the incident on board MSC Meraviglia and our security team fully cooperated with authorities on this investigation," an MSC spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "We took immediate action to terminate employment of (the) crew member involved and support the impacted guests. The safety and comfort of our guests and crew is our top priority, and we have a zero-tolerance policy for any misconduct on board our ships."

Saja filed a report both with MSC and the Brevard County Sheriff's Office in Florida. A spokesperson for the sheriff's office said in an email that based on information from the draft report, it has not been finalized.

"The suspect did not admit to filming the victim and a search of the suspect’s phone did not locate any video or photos of the victim," the spokesperson added.

Cruise ships are subject to the laws of the place where the vessel is flagged, said Michael Winkleman, a maritime attorney with Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. 

"More often than not, these foreign countries have invasion of privacy laws that are similar to the US.," he said in an email. "As such, it is similarly illegal to have hidden cameras on cruise ships."

How often are people spied on while traveling?

The exact number of incidents is "hard to quantify," because many people do not know they are being filmed or do not report it, said Carrie Pasquarello, CEO and co-founder of Global Secure Resources Inc., a company focused on risk mitigation and threat assessment planning.

Voyeurism, sextortion, extortion and blackmail are among the most common reasons travelers may be filmed without their knowledge or consent, according to Pasquarello. In some cases, those filming may livestream the video to viewers or threaten to expose the footage if those filmed do not give them money or participate in making more sexually explicit content, she said. A 2018 lawsuit claimed a woman was secretly filmed in the shower at a Hilton hotel and extorted for money. The case is still active. 

Generally, it is illegal to have cameras in private spaces like bedrooms and bathrooms in hotels or other lodging the U.S., according to Pasquarello, though exact laws may vary by state. 

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"The location of the cameras, their purpose, and the distribution or publishing of the video are the key factors in these cases," said Lawrence J. Buckfire, attorney for and president of Buckfire Law , a Michigan-based personal injury law firm. His firm has handled several cases where guests found hidden cameras in their hotel rooms and vacation rental properties. "A hidden camera at a main entrance area for security purposes or basic monitoring is generally not actionable in a lawsuit, but a hidden camera in a bedroom or bathroom to capture can provide a basis for a lawsuit."

Does Airbnb allow cameras on rental properties?

Airbnb allows cameras to offer "peace of mind" for security, but they must be disclosed prior to booking, installed in a visible manner and not infringe on anyone's privacy.

Cameras are allowed only in "public spaces and common spaces," not including a living room that has a sofa bed, according to Airbnb's community policies. However, "disconnected devices are allowed as long as they are turned off and proactively disclosed to guests."

Fellow rental platform Vrbo allows "reasonable monitoring outside of the property" and bans any surveillance devices inside.

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What happens if you encounter a camera at your rental?

Last year, Alyssa Casamento booked an Airbnb in Poughkeepsie, New York, for a reunion trip with her college friends. She said the reviews for the rental were good, although once booked, "things were just very odd from the start." 

When her friend arrived first at the Airbnb, the door code Casamento was given wasn't working. Suddenly, a man started talking to her over the camera doorbell and gave a different code, Casamento said.

Her friend went inside and the host started texting her friend to take her sneakers off when in the house.

"The specificity of sneakers is a red flag," Casamento said. "That just gave me chills."

Her friend walked around the rental and saw a camera in the corner of a bedroom facing directly at the bed. She started to search for more cameras and found one "very conveniently placed" behind a curtain in the living room facing the couches. 

"Once I heard that, I was like you need to leave. She's there by herself, I'm obviously terrified for her," Casamento said. The group ended up booking a different hotel, and Casamento called the incident "very unsettling." 

Casamento filed a complaint to Airbnb and said she was dismissed at first since the listing disclosed cameras.

"No, it says they're outdoor cameras not cameras facing where I'm going to sleep tonight," she said. The company called her the next day to apologize, investigated the property and refunded her for the booking and hotel in about a month. 

"We removed this listing from the platform last year following our investigation due to the violations of our strict camera policy," Airbnb spokesperson Ben Breit said.

"I'm fairly confident, just based on the comments I saw on my TikTok , that it was a one-off thing, but make no mistake, every Airbnb, hotel, I'm booking from now on, I'm scouring floor to ceiling," she said.

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Pasquarello recommended guests do research via Google on what spy cameras look like before their trip. "You have to know the risks to avoid the risks," she said, noting that cameras can be hidden in a range of items, including lamps and smoke detectors.

Once you're in your room, consider doing a "quick sweep," Pasquarello added, and unplug and stash or cover any items not needed.

"If I'm in a hotel, and there's a radio clock that I'm not using, I'm putting all the electronics I'm not using into a closet," she said.

Buckfire recommended guests inspect air vents and look for any small holes in the walls or ceilings. You can also turn off the lights and use a cellphone flashlight to look for any lens reflections. 

What to do if you are spied on while traveling

► If you find a hidden camera in your accommodation or that you are being filmed, Buckfire said to take photos or videos for evidence and then contact the owner of the Airbnb, cruise ship or hotel management.

"An owner that is using cameras for lawful security and property safety purposes should be truthful and acknowledge the presence of the cameras," he said. 

► Both Buckfire and Pasquarello recommended reporting the incident to law enforcement.

"If you're in the States, that would be your non-emergency police number," Pasquarello said. On a cruise ship or in a hotel, guests can report the incident to security. If travelers are overseas at the time, she said, they can also call the nearest U.S. embassy.

► Pasquarello also urged travelers to ask for a copy of the police report, both for insurance purposes and so they understand how the crime was documented.

Are theme park rides safe?: What you should know if you're worried about accidents

What are cruise ship overboard detection systems: And why doesn't every ship have them?

► If a traveler encounters someone spying on them in real time, she said they should get to safety and find someone to help them. "There's a lot of escalation that can happen in a situation like this," Pasquarello said.

► When crimes like those occur, Winkleman said, travelers "can press charges against the perpetrator and then the matter is in the hands of the prosecuting authority." Travelers can seek to hold the perpetrator and the hotel, cruise line or other company civilly responsible and pursue monetary damages, as well, he said. 

"Any person who was the subject of non-consented videotaping in a hotel room or vacation rental may be able to file a civil lawsuit against the property owner," Buckfire said. "Damages in these cases include money compensation for mental anguish and psychological trauma resulting from the invasion of privacy. These damages include embarrassment, humiliation, mortification, anxiety and PTSD.

"People should act in these situations to hold property owners and others accountable for their unlawful conduct," he added. "Without such accountability, other guests in the future will be subject to having their privacy invaded."

For Saja, who is a frequent traveler, the experience soured her on cruising a bit, though perhaps only temporarily. "I mean, it just puts a bad taste in my mouth right now," she said. "But I'm sure with time, I'll be fine."

Have you been spied on during a vacation?

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What to do if you find a hidden camera while traveling

MSC Meraviglia, right, is docked with other ships at PortMiami, Sunday, March 15, 2020, in Miami Beach, Fla.

11 Best Travel Cameras, According to Experts and Amateurs Alike

By Alex Erdekian

Image may contain Person Teen Beachwear Clothing Sitting Camera and Electronics

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

If you’re debating whether to spring for one of the best travel cameras before an upcoming trip, consider this: Yes, a smartphone is perfectly capable of serving the average traveler’s photography goals, but a dedicated camera is required for capturing high-quality memories. The wide angle lens of a smartphone camera can only take its images so far; in spite of technology’s advancements over the years, its zoom feature still degrades photo quality, making them too grainy—in our opinion—to be worth taking. When it comes to travel photography, many of us want to get close and fill the frame with exciting faraway shots like skylines and canyons. A good travel camera also allows the photographer to shoot exciting, fleeting scenes from their trips, like bicycles blurring through a charming street, low-light landscapes like a starry sky, or a city strip flashing with neon lights. Lastly, we’ll leave you with this: In an era when we’re glued to our phones every minute of the day, documenting a trip with a camera allows us to be present in the here and now, and actually connect with the place we’ve traveled so far to experience .

To guide your search for the perfect new device, we’ve tapped experts, editors, and frequent travelers to weigh in on their most-loved cameras. Below, 11 travel cameras to consider bringing on your next adventure.

Find the best travel cameras:

For taking your interest to the next level, for capturing video footage, for emulating the experts, for unserious fun with film.

Larry Guo, a Brooklyn-based reader who studied fine art photography as an undergraduate, loves Fujifilm’s ecosystem of cameras when it comes to taking travel photos. His particular camera of choice is the Fujifilm xT10, a mirrorless digital camera that is significantly more lightweight and portable than a DSLR. “You have all of the abilities of a raw digital camera, but it’s less bulky,” Guo says.

Guo’s recent travels have taken him and his partner Rob to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and throughout Japan . His partner, who has an affinity for landscape photography, uses the Fujifilm XT3, which is a more semi-professional model.

“[Rob] really likes the process of coming home and editing. He enjoys landscape photography, so he brought an extra lens. He took really beautiful shots in Puerto Vallarta of the mist. In Japan, he took beautiful photos all over the place. We had them printed at Griffin Editions in Gowanus [Brooklyn].”

Pallavi Kumar , Condé Nast Traveler’s senior visuals director, is loyal to Fujifilm as well. “Fuji’s image quality and colors are unmatched,” Kumar says. “Sony is supposedly advanced, but Fuji's image quality is something else.” She shoots with the Fujifilm x100V.

Guo added that he has heard terrific things about the point-and-shoot cameras by Ricoh. These high-end point-and-shoots make snapping high-caliber photos on the move easy and seamless, requiring little to no steps before hitting the shutter. “It’s a really well-made point-and-shoot,” he says. “There’s no interchanging lenses. And for most people, that's really what you need. Most people don’t want to travel with multiple lenses.”

Image may contain: Camera, Electronics, and Digital Camera

Filmmaker and writer Leslye Davis—who is a co-director of the documentary Father Soldier Son and has worked as a visual journalist at the New York Times —has been taking a camcorder with her on her personal travels. “It keeps me off my cell phone and it makes it easier to keep track of footage but also to edit while you shoot, so it’s fun to watch the shots back-to-back,” she says. For photos, she’s been shooting with the Canon R6. “It’s light and has a silent shutter and the images are high-res.”

Image may contain: Camera, Electronics, Video Camera, Computer Hardware, Hardware, Monitor, and Screen

National Geographic underwater wildlife photographer Cristina Mittenmeier previously told Traveler that she shoots with a Sony a7R III . Given the subject matter she captures, she uses it for its extraordinarily high-resolution images and low-light capabilities.

In a previous version of this article, legend Steve McCurry recommended the Leica SL2 and White House photographer Pete Souza recommended the Fujifilm X‑Pro3.

McCurry is famous for his iconic photograph “Afghan Girl,” which was featured on the cover of National Geographic in June 1985. The SL2’s lenses, he said, were the best he’s used, and he praised the camera’s incredible durability. The camera has extremely crisp 5K and 4K recording capabilities, so for users who are traveling in rogue conditions—like windy deserts or beaches with massive waves—the camera’s weather sealing, which keeps out the elements, is key.

The Fujifilm X‑Pro3 is Souza’s favorite walking around camera. It's lightweight and quiet. Souza, who photographed Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama throughout their terms, recommends planning your travel shots with this camera for the “first two hours of light in the morning, the last two hours of light in the evening, or when the weather is really bad (think fog, rain, or snow).”

Image may contain: Camera, Digital Camera, and Electronics

Growing in popularity lately has been Kodak’s new film cameras. Mercedes Bleth , Traveler’s g lobal associate director of social, has been loving the Kodak Ektar H35, a 35mm point-and-shoot film camera that shoots half-frame—which means you get twice as many photos for each roll of film. (A major plus considering film is so expensive.)

“I love taking this little film camera with me on trips,” Bleth says. “It is very compact, lightweight, and easy to use (point-and-shoot at its finest). I find that it's a more present way to capture memories while traveling—it allows you to stay in the moment because you don't spend as much time with your phone in hand, taking too many photos to get the perfect shot. Film is precious (even at half-frame), so what you get is what you get, which in my opinion, makes the memories that much more tangible, and fun to look back on once it's developed.”

I also own this camera in mint green and love how paper-light, affordable, and cute it is. For an even lower stakes experience shooting film, Traveler contributor Lydia Mansel loves her colorful Kodak M35 35mm film camera , a $25 option that is great for those into disposable cameras who want to upgrade to something reusable so they can stop shelling out and throwing away new ones after each trip.

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Travel | Travel Troubleshooter: I was charged an extra…

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Travel | Travel Troubleshooter: I was charged an extra $250 for a mistaken car rental upgrade

Rental car woes can be tough to iron out. (Illustration by Christopher Elliott)

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I recently rented a car from Thrifty in Los Angeles. The car I had reserved was not available when I arrived, which I only learned after waiting over an hour in line! Thankfully, a kind agent found an available car for me, and I was able to get on my way. Unfortunately, it looks like Thrifty also increased the price of my rental by $250.

Christopher Elliott, the Travel Troubleshooter ...

Each time I ask about the charge, I get a different response. When I originally signed the rental contract, the agent advised me to contact Thrifty’s main office during my rental to correct the overcharge. When I contacted Thrifty during my rental, they told me to wait until after the contract was complete. Now I’m being told that I should have ensured this issue was addressed at the time of signing the contract.

I never asked for an upgrade. The Thrifty agent was just attempting to honor the original reservation. I’ve written to Thrifty and have asked for a refund, but it refuses. Can you help me?

— Leah Page, Portland, Oregon

ANSWER: Thrifty shouldn’t have made you wait more than an hour, and it shouldn’t have charged you an extra $250 without your consent. The industry’s standard practice when a location runs out of cars is to upgrade a customer to the next available class of car at no additional charge.

The kind agent should have been clearer about the additional expense of an upgrade or urged you to wait until the Thrifty location had a car in your class (which might have been a longer wait).

Even if you’ve already agreed to the rental, you still have a decent case. Make sure that you keep the original reservation; then send a copy of the confirmation, along with the new invoice, to the car rental company and politely ask it to adjust your rate. If that doesn’t work, you can appeal to one of the executive contacts for the rental company — Hertz, Thrifty’s parent company, in this case. (I list them on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org .)

You kept a great paper trail of correspondence between yourself and Thrifty. But the responses were predictable, stating that you signed the contract, so you have to pay. There were “sincere” apologies for the way you felt about your rental, but Thrifty would not budge.

That’s troubling. You trusted the Thrifty agent to do the right thing, and instead, the company stuck you with a $250 bill. Maybe you’re renting from the wrong company.

You told me that you were so exasperated that you felt like dropping the matter. But I had a better idea — I contacted Thrifty on your behalf. The company refunded your $250.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy , a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at [email protected] or get help by contacting him at elliottadvocacy.org/help/ . (c) 2024 Christopher Elliott Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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HP is in the rent-a-printer business now

You already barely own your printer, anyway, but is renting it better.

By Wes Davis , a weekend editor who covers the latest in tech and entertainment. He has written news, reviews, and more as a tech journalist since 2020.

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An HP Envy 6055e.

HP has a new proposition in a time when (companies like it have made sure) you don’t really control much about your computer anyway: why don’t you just let HP rent you one? The company debuted a subscription service today — just like CEO Enrique Lores said it would last month — called the HP All-In Plan . It’s essentially an extension of HP’s Instant Ink, and like that plan, you’ll have ink sent to you as you approach empty, but unlike it, your monthly fee also covers the printer itself.

Which printer you get depends on the plan you choose. They start at $6.99 per month for 20 pages’ worth of prints and whatever the current HP Envy model is, and go all the way up to a $35.99-a-month affair that gets you an OfficeJet Pro and 700 pages. If you go over your page allotment, HP will add more for a dollar per block of 10–15 pages.

  • HP has found an exciting new way to DRM your printer!

But each plan is a two-year rental, not a lease-to-own situation. So if you decide HP All-In isn’t for you after all, you’ll have to return the printer and go back to rubbing elbows with everyone else at FedEx whenever the need to print arises. And if you cancel after an initial 30-day trial or before two years, you’ll pay a fee as high as $270, depending on the plan and when you cancel.

The subscription, like HP’s recent ad campaign promoting its printers as “made to be less hated,” trades on the idea that printers are frustrating commodities. The company’s configurator page mentions bonuses like “continuous printer coverage” and “next-business-day printer replacement,” for instance. That way, if a firmware upgrade blue-screens your printer , at least you have some recourse that doesn’t involve driving to a store to buy a whole new one.

There are people this plan will undoubtedly appeal to. Not everybody cares that deeply about feeling like they own their printer. And receiving ink before you run out is great if you are, like me, the kind of person who ignores the “low ink” warning all the way until I’m fully out and am actually printing something critical, rather than coloring pages for your kid, for once.

But those are mostly functions of the fact that I don’t really print that often and rarely encounter the annoyances of printer ownership. For those who do, companies can take two paths. One is HP’s plan, which appeals to the frustration of user-hostile experiences like scanners that don’t work because you bought third-party ink and printers that become unusable without some serious effort because you moved overseas. The other approach is making printers that mostly just do the thing you want them for.

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Rent a car with points, miles to get best deal

Although many analysts predicted that post-COVID “revenge travel” would peak in 2022, ongoing research suggests consumers are still prioritizing spending money on travel.

According to a 2023 Bankrate survey, planned leisure travel was up from 2022 — even as many Americans still had less than three months of emergency savings in the bank.

This demand has led to record-breaking revenue for the U.S. car-rental industry, according to Auto Rental News data. Although rental car companies were hit hard in 2020, total revenue soared to $36.1 billion in 2022 and $38.3 billion in 2023. But while this is great news for the industry, it often means higher prices and lower availability for travelers.

I almost never recommend using rewards for rental car bookings, because you can almost always find a deal through AutoSlash, Hotwire, Kayak or Priceline if you don’t care what company you’re renting from. When these kinds of deals don’t exist, however, here’s how to book a car rental with miles or points.

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  • Airline miles and points: Nearly every airline has a frequent flyer program that has the option to redeem your points or miles for rental car bookings. The exchange value of airline miles for rental cars typically isn’t as good as using miles for booking flights, but it is an option. It might also be worthwhile if you’re earning more miles than you can spend on flights through a co-branded airline credit card.
  • Flexible credit card rewards: If you have a card that is part of a flexible credit card rewards program, like American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can book a rental car through the travel portal just like you would for booking a flight or hotel. Redemptions are still tied to the cost of the rental but will vary based on the rewards redemption value of your particular card.
  • Car rental loyalty programs: If you frequently rent cars through any of the major car rental companies like Hertz, Avis or National, you should be earning rewards in the company’s own loyalty program. Just like airline or hotel loyalty programs, these programs are free to join.

For example, if you join the Avis Preferred program, you’ll earn 1X points per dollar spent on rentals and 2X points per dollar spent on accessories (with a minimum of 100 points per booking), and you can redeem your points for free rental days starting at 700 points. Accessories can be redeemed for 250 points each, and additional points may be available through promotions — such as those that earn you an extra 100 points for booking within the first three months of joining — or through the company’s higher-tier Preferred Plus and President’s Club programs.

  • When should you rent a car with points or miles? If you’re the kind of rewards collector who likes to maximize the cents per mile you get when redeeming rewards, car-rental redemptions might not be for you. Rental redemptions are almost always linked to rental prices, so if prices are high, you’ll have to pay a lot of rewards.

Value, however, isn’t only about the numbers. If you really need a rental car and can’t afford to pay a higher rate, using points or miles may still be a good value to you.

  • Tips for booking a car rental with points and miles: Alternatives like Turo or locally owned rental companies may offer more favorable rates, but if you’re looking to book a car for upcoming travel, my top tip is to make your plans sooner rather than later. If you decide to pay for a car rental, most companies don’t require a deposit and have liberal cancellation rules.

It doesn’t hurt to book a paid reservation as far in advance as possible, then cancel or change the booking as you get your flights and accommodation sorted. If you’re booking with points or miles, you’ll still want to book as far in advance as possible, but make sure you know the company’s rules, as some rewards programs won’t reinstate your rewards if you have to cancel your rental.

You’ll also want to double-check the rules of your credit card rental insurance if you’re planning on using the primary or secondary rental car coverage that’s offered with many cards. Most credit cards provide this insurance benefit only when you use the corresponding card to pay for the rental. Do some research in advance to see what your credit card offers.

  • The bottom line: Booking car rentals with your points or miles may be worth considering when rental rates are high. Though using credit card rewards for car rental bookings isn’t always the best way to maximize redemption value for your points and miles, redeeming rewards for a rental may still be of great value to you if covering the cost of a car makes your trip possible.

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    Built-in WiFi and Bluetooth enables camera control, GPS, and image sharing when paired with the Canon camera Connect app. The EOS R provides incredible possibilities with its vast customization options to accommodate Canon's advanced features. It is a unique multimedia tool that is ideal for events, vlogging, travel, portraits, wildlife, and more.

  10. Rent Cameras

    Rent Cameras, Lenses, and Lighting Safely and Easily. Rent the latest, top cameras like the Canon EOS R5 C , Nikon Z9 , Panasonic GH6, and RED Komodo , plus our full range of lighting and production equipment with no or low deposit. Get the gear you need for events, gigs, personal projects, and more.

  11. Renting Camera Gear For Safari

    A Spare Battery for the camera : Spare Canon LP-E6N Battery. 2 high-capacity Memory Card s: (2) SanDisk SDXC 128GB Extreme Pro 170MB/s UHS-1 U3. 4. The kind of lenses you should rent. The kind of lens you carry to an African safari will significantly impact the kind of photos you will be able to take.

  12. Best Lens Rental Services to Borrow Camera Lenses in 2024

    4. Adorama Rental. Adorama Rental mainly caters to video gear, but they also carry photographic cameras, lenses, accessories and lighting. They have two locations in NYC, and they have one of the broadest ranges of equipment available for rent. They also have some stricter rules when compared to other rental services.

  13. Taking Your Ring Camera on Vacation: What You Need to Know

    To do this, go to the Ring app, and select the camera you want to connect to Wi-Fi. Hit the gear icon in the top right-hand corner to go to Settings. From there, go to Device Health. Scroll down the page and you'll see an option to Change Wi-Fi Network. Where to Change the Wi Fi Network in the Ring App.

  14. BorrowLenses

    AquaTech EDGE Pro Leica Q3 Underwater Housing. $500.00 7 Day Rental. Add To Rental. New. Sony. Sony a7CR. $140.00 7 Day Rental. Add To Rental. New.

  15. Rent the latest Cameras & Lenses from just Rs 175/day

    Choose from over 100 cameras, lenses & photography gear. Bragpacker makes it Easy & Affordable! ... Essential Travel Camera Kit. Rated 4.00 out of 5. Rent from Rs 1200 (1 day). Reduces to Rs 297/d (>15 days) Add to Cart. ... Sony DSC-RX10 Mark III Super Zoom Camera Rent from Rs 1000 (1 day). Reduces to Rs 400/d (20 days) Add to Cart.

  16. Camera Rental: Video & Photo

    In addition to video and photography equipment rental services, we also carry lighting equipment for rent, including strobes, continuous lights, and modifiers. Samy's Camera rental services are available at four of our convenient California locations. With competitive pricing and a knowledgeable team, we make it easy for you to find the camera ...

  17. Rent Cameras, Lenses, GoPros, Gimbals, Drones

    Over 100 photography gear to choose from to Rent! Bragpacker makes Renting Easy & Affordable. Order Online|Get Doorstep Delivery! ... Share a picture with a bragpacker product at your travel destination and get 10% cashback* ... Sony DSC-RX10 Mark III Super Zoom Camera Rent from Rs 1000 (1 day). Reduces to Rs 400/d (20 days) Add to Cart.

  18. DSLR Camera on rent starts @ 350/day

    Zhiyun-Tech Smooth-Q Smartphone Gimbal on rent. 0-1 Day Rs. 500/day. Items 17 total. Planning a Trip! Save money for your trip & get Dslr Camera on rent with 2 lenses & accessories. All types of Travel Photography DSLR available with a wide range of lenses.

  19. The best travel camera in 2024

    Sharpness falls at full zoom. The Panasonic TZ200 / ZS200 benefits from a larger 1-inch sensor and it also has a 15x zoom, which zooms all the way to 360mm on a full-frame sensor. You can shoot in JPG if you want to use the images straight out of the camera or RAW if you prefer to edit your images first.

  20. What to do if you find a hidden camera while traveling

    His firm has handled several cases where guests found hidden cameras in their hotel rooms and vacation rental properties. "A hidden camera at a main entrance area for security purposes or basic ...

  21. 11 Best Travel Cameras, According to Experts and Amateurs Alike

    Larry Guo, a Brooklyn-based reader who studied fine art photography as an undergraduate, loves Fujifilm's ecosystem of cameras when it comes to taking travel photos. His particular camera of ...

  22. 9 BEST Photo Spots and Things to Do in Moscow, Russia

    Car Rental: DiscoverCars.com is a great and reliable platform to find rental cars in Moscow, Russia. ... Camera: Sony a7R V, the highest resolution full-frame camera out there, is my go-to camera when I travel. All of my recent photos and videos are all from this beast. All-Around Travel Lens: ...

  23. Guide to airline, hotel and rental car elite status matches

    Airline, hotel and rental car elite status can make your travel experience more enjoyable. Between upgrades, waived fees and other perks, your loyalty to a travel company can pay off if you spend ...

  24. Travel Troubleshooter: I was charged an extra $250 for a mistaken car

    Spring Break travel: What to expect — and how to keep costs down — in 2024 Even if you've already agreed to the rental, you still have a decent case.

  25. [4K] Walking Streets Moscow. Moscow-City

    Walking tour around Moscow-City.Thanks for watching!MY GEAR THAT I USEMinimalist Handheld SetupiPhone 11 128GB https://amzn.to/3zfqbboMic for Street https://...

  26. HP is in the rent-a-printer business now

    Which printer you get depends on the plan you choose. They start at $6.99 per month for 20 pages' worth of prints and whatever the current HP Envy model is, and go all the way up to a $35.99-a ...

  27. Moscow Live Cameras

    Moscow (Москва́), Russia's capital and most populated urban area, is considered a federal city. It is the country's main economic, political, scientific and cultural centre, being internationally famous not only for its museums and theatres, but also for its rich architecture (as you may see on the live streaming webcams), particularly notorious in the metro stations and historic ...

  28. 10 Best Airbnb Vacation Rentals In Moscow, Russia

    Moscow Center Aparthotel. Show all photos. The Moscow Center Aparthotel is a uniquely designed service apartment that can sleep up to four guests. It is situated within a 2-km (1.2-mi) radius of the State Historical Museum and Lenin Mausoleum, so you can plan on visiting these famous sites while you are here.

  29. Rent a car with points, miles to get best deal

    The bottom line: Booking car rentals with your points or miles may be worth considering when rental rates are high. Though using credit card rewards for car rental bookings isn't always the best ...