CameraLends camera sharing service goes nationwide

CameraLends has expanded their peer-to-peer camera and video equipment sharing service beyond major centers and is now nationwide. Their announcement explains that the company is growing beyond the 35 core cities they operated in until now, and will operate across the United States to allow anyone in the country to seek out and find reasonably priced camera and video equipment rentals. The company hopes the move to expand will allow those in smaller, less dense and rural communities the ability to find low cost, local renting.

The site has had to beef up to take on the task of nationwide access, and a new geolocation feature allows members to pick specific areas to attach to their listings, or multiple areas. Security comes in the form of leaving out exact addresses. The geolocation feature serves dual purpose, as those seeking out gear need only enter the zip code or area they are looking to rent from and they are connected with relevant listings.

Using the site has gotten easier as well, with the addition of a new list view where potential renters can scan a list of all available gear in an area, and send requests to local owners to accept or decline a reservation. CameraLends says that most lenders will accept requests within a few hours and they have the ability to accept same day rentals, if they so desire.[image:blog_post:56804]

The service is a necessary one, as many small filmmakers and photographers in smaller centers don't have access to large budget projects or even large enough retail vendors with which they could secure rental gear. The open marketplace will generally mean lower cost, and the expansion means that finding gear isn't limited to trekking to a local rental house and shelling out big bucks. With a low overhead model, lack of a storefront and absence of need to own any equipment means that people can rent for whatever someone is willing to accept for a period of time. If a Canon 5D Mark III is going to be collecting dust over the weekend, maybe it's better that it earns a hundred bucks instead.

Owners worried about theft or damage needn't fret: CameraLends offers peace of mind with a protection guarantee that they will cover any damage or loss of equipment.

To check out and join CameraLends for free, visit www.cameralends.com

Russ Fairley
Russ Fairleyhttp://www.productionworld.net
Russ Fairley is a producer, editor and motion graphic designer. He also writes for Videomaker and several other publications.

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