How It Works

The Concept

We rent some of the best tools in a minimum of two-week increments — a timeframe that makes it a fraction of the price of either buying or even renting the gear from a local shop, not to mention that a lot of this gear is impossible to find at a rental shop to begin with.

We take the shipping and return time into consideration when determining our rental prices. Cameras end up costing less than $2 per day on the low end to about $30 per day on the high end.

Our Process

CHOOSE CAMERA

Have photographer's insurance?

N

Y

Deposit required. We will call to collect additional payment information. Pay deposit at least 3 days before rental start to avoid shipping delays.

No deposit required. Just send us a Certificate of Insurance. Send Certificate of Insurance in Film Objektiv's name (contact us for address information) in lieu of deposit within 3 days of rental start to avoid shipping delays.

FIRST DAY OF RENTAL

Film Objektiv ships gear (according to shipping speed selected at checkout).

DURING RENTAL

1

Recieve gear 1-6 business days from rental start date.

2

TAKE ALL THE PICS!!!

3

Ship gear back.

Gear needs to be back with Film Objektiv by the last day

of the rental (usually the 15th or 30th/31st).

LAST DAY OF RENTAL

Film Objektiv receives gear. Full deposit refunded within one week if camera has no damage and is returned on time.

AFTER RENTAL

PROCESS FILM

100 WORDS

Write about your experience with film.

The Details

We know it’s long, but it’s important that you read and understand this section before renting!

One

Choose Camera and Select Rental Dates

Rental periods are inclusive of shipping times. Kits arrive roughly 1-6 business days after the first day of your rental period, depending on both your location and the shipping speed selected at checkout. Please keep this in mind when selecting your rental dates and shipping selections. Shipping charges at checkout are for the shipping speed chosen at checkout for both ways (do not select any options marked Products Only or NOT for Rentals). The same speed will be used for both directions of shipment (to you, and back to us). All shipping dates are not guaranteed, including express/expedited shipments. It is up to you to allow enough time for mishaps on the shipping company’s end. We will prorate lost days after the fifth business day into your rental period, but refunds are not possible (including if it didn’t arrive in time for you to take with you before a trip due to a shipping delay). If you are this tight on time, please do not rent or ensure you rent at least one entire period earlier so there’s plenty of time to receive your rental.

Please note: The single, two-week rental period is meant more as a method of providing greater scheduling flexibility and is generally not recommended alone. Of those that do rent for two weeks, 90% end up trying to extend their rentals. This is often not possible because another renter has already reserved this time. If you need the camera close to the start or end date of the rental, it’s always a better value to simply extend your rental accordingly with an additional period in order to take advantage of the long-term rental discount.

AGAIN (repeating all of this one more time): Shipping times are not guaranteed. Please also keep in mind some renters may, unfortunately, return cameras slightly late. We are a small service and cannot guarantee the availability of all rentals by certain dates, and your rental reservation with us includes confirmation of acceptance of these terms. We do still hope you to get at least a few days’ use out of even the shortest rental periods (unless ground shipping is selected for only a single-period, two-week rental, which makes this difficult or impossible), so we do provide prorated refunds (shipping costs not included) for any days after the fifth business day past the intended start date in the event that your camera arrives late to you. But cancellations or full refunds are not possible, even if the kit arrives beyond this time period. If you require guaranteed dates, please clear this with us first on a case-by-case basis. Most requiring certain rental start dates will need to rent the preceding period as well so they can ensure there is ample room for shipping inconsistencies. Any guarantees provided are always also at the mercy of and subject to change based upon any related changes in FedEx’s shipping guarantee policies (often at the whims of various weather, logistics, world health, and other unexpected circumstances).

Rentals will not be extended to compensate for weekends and holidays, so please keep this in mind when picking your rental dates. We often recommend extending rentals for rental periods with more non-business days than usual.

You may also wait until just before your rental ships to make the deposit payment, although it will still require a manual payment with phone verification. The deposit is always fully refundable pending the timely return and condition of the gear we receive back.

Two

Pay Deposit

Deposit amounts are based on the gear’s value and are listed on each kit’s product page. They are mandatory for all rentals and are fully refundable. By making a rental reservation, you are agreeing to this policy and all other policies in the terms and conditions agreed to upon checkout.

The deposit payment must be made at least three days before your rental start date for your order to not be delayed. We will call you to take this payment with phone verification. The standard refund policy still applies (generally only possible within 24 hours), so not placing a deposit by the time your camera ships will eventually mean forfeiture of the rental fee (we will still ship your camera a few days late if you're behind a bit, but your rental fee reserves the camera for your rental period, so we cannot refund orders lacking a deposit or compensate for lost time for this reason. Rental extensions may be made anytime on the site, but are still based on availability).

We also accept certificates from photography insurance companies in lieu of a deposit. Contact us for more details on this if you are unfamiliar with the process.

Three

Start Rental

We ship out the camera on the first day of your rental period or the first business day thereafter if the rental start date falls on a weekend (rental start dates are the 1st or 16th of the month depending on your date selections). You should receive your gear within 1-5 business days (often on the earlier side of this if you’re nearby or select expedited shipping at checkout). Once you get it, take all the pics!

Four

End Rental

All rental shipping is fully insured, so you just need to pack the camera, take a pic for good measure, and send it out up to five days before your rental period ends (this may be less if you live closer to the return point, depending on where weekends and holidays fall in toward the end of your rental, and/or the shipping speed selected at checkout). If the kit does not include a return label behind the lid of the case or in the box, which may happen due to various logistical reasons, let us know and we will send one for you to print out as your return date nears.

If the camera arrives in good condition and on time, we will return your deposit within one week. Shipping is not guaranteed, but it is generally quite reliable, and we offer expedited shipping options.

For your own protection, you must document the condition of your kit before you ship it. The best way to do this is to photograph its condition at the shipping point and to take a video of the shutter firing a few times. We do not require that you send this to us, but if there is a claim on the package, it will be necessary for you to provide proof you packed a kit in good condition.

For more information on topics such as returns, late charges, other fees, and more, see Shipping & Handling and Returns & Exchanges.

A final note on deposits:

Normal wear and tear is expected over the years (light seals, shutters breaking after so many actuations, etc.). But if a camera comes back abused, we reserve the right to withhold funds up to the repair costs or replacement of the gear if needed. As far as cosmetic damage goes, we do expect gear to come back in the same condition it left in. Scratches, dents, and more that cannot be rubbed out will incur incremental fees, as will gear that has signs of extreme dust or dirt. Deposits for damaged items will require more time to process to allow for a full assessment of the gear. While deposits usually cover the value of the camera, we reserve the right to charge additional fees that may exceed the original deposit amount when related to compensating for renter-caused issues, extreme delays in shipping, lost rental time, the difference in value of deposit and replacement cost, etc.

Five

After Rental

100 Words

This is perhaps the most important part of Film Objektiv. We're here to build a community around film. In exchange for the awesome deals on these long-term rentals that will help you complete your projects with great gear, we do not require, but highly recommend that you submit a selection of your images from your project along with at least 100 words (no limit) to describe what you accomplished with this opportunity. See previously submitted projects here.

Process Film

We also provide 35mm and 120 film processing and scanning services. Please feel free to read more about these services here.