HIRING ADVICE
FIVE RED-HOT RENTAL ITEMS
1. Arri Alexa 35 It’s the latest camera from the manufacturer that has won more Oscars than any other. Hideously expensive to purchase outright, but rental is an option.
2. DJI Ronin 4D This specialist machine marries a full- frame cinema camera to a four-axis gimbal. Amazing tech to give smooth handheld shots.
The company stocks everything from GoPro action cameras to the latest cinema cameras like the Sony FX6, Canon C500 Mark II, Red Komodo or DJI Ronin 4D, as well as hybrid and mirrorless cams such as the Canon EOS R5 C, Sony FX30, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro or Sony A7S III. And there are lots of the latest lenses, from AF zooms and primes to cinema glass. Find options from camera manufacturers like Canon, Sony and Nikon, but also top-quality glass from the likes of Zeiss, Sigma and Samyang. If you want to try a set of Canon Sumire Cine primes or a Laowa Macro probe lens, for example, this is the place to go. You can rent just about anything you’d need for a small or medium-sized shoot. Memory cards, tripods, filters, gimbals, bags and cables, all the audio kit you could want and lots of lighting and grip options. If you don’t own any, it’s a massive resource to get hold of quickly – and in many cases, pass the bill on to your clients. With escalating costs of new equipment along with ever-tightening client budgets, it makes sense to streamline your business outgoings to maintain cash flow. Renting kit is an obvious way to do it.
A filmmaker with surplus gear can sign up to rent kit out, backed by the promise that the hirer will be checked out and gear comprehensively insured. Those looking to rent, though, have the chance to get a keen price and potentially a little more in the way of flexibility. This might be a good way for students or beginners to get hold of the kit they need, but it involves some risk as you are at the mercy of the person who owns it. It might not be fully working or have the latest firmware, for example. And you have to arrange pick-up and drop-off, which can be time-consuming and often scary. For a business that needs kit to work on demand, hiring from established rental specialists has its advantages, as you get calibrated equipment that you know will work every time. Mid-sized rental houses are ideal for independent production companies. As well as cinema cameras and prime lenses, they often stock mirrorless or DSLR bodies, lenses, camcorders, audio kit, tripods and lighting gear. One of the UK’s top rental houses is Hireacamera, winner of the rental house of the year category in last year’s Pro Moviemaker Gear of the Year Awards.
3. Panasonic Lumix S5 II The latest Lumix now has phase detection autofocus as well as a full-frame sensor and loads of high-end codec choices.
4. Sigma Cine lenses A matched set of cinema prime lenses is a massive investment. But renting the full suite of Sigma’s fast optics is a more affordable option.
5. Litepanels Gemini 2x1 Hard Lighting can make such a difference to your production, so hiring a top-quality LED panel is sensible.
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