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Posts Tagged ‘Rentals’

Lens Rentals celebrated Halloween by testing its rental gear for ghosts and good vibes

02 Nov

In the spirit of Halloween, the team over at Lens Rentals decided to do a little experiment to see if any of their gear was haunted. However just one item in, the plan took a very Roger-esque turn, pivoting from a ghost-hunting endeavor to tearing down the very pieces of gear he was originally using to look for paranormal activity.

After someone had remark that some of its photography gear was used to record various paranormal shows and another individual showed concern of whether or not any of Lens Rental’s gear was haunted, Cicala and his trusty sidekick Aaron decided to put their gear to the test unlike they’ve ever done before.

The array of paranormal-detecting devices Roger and Aaron purchased.

After hunting down an array of various paranormal-detecting devices (and purchasing a dozen 9-volt batteries), Roger and Aaron got to work setting up their testing area. At the suggestion of those more familiar with the paranormal, the duo set up what was supposed to be a pentagram (looks more like a random geometric shape in our book) with multiple ‘Ghost Detector’ modules around the perimeter and burned a candle in the middle to get the paranormal juju flowing.

Clearly someone used that mic pack under sketchy circumstances.

After letting the candle work its magic, the pair put a Sennheiser microphone in the center and used both the ‘Ghost Detectors’ and the EMF detectors to see which how it reacted. Sure enough, the wireless mic pack was haunted (according to the two detectors, at least). The pair also tested their microwave (definitely haunted), as well as their coffee maker (which was thankfully spared by the spirits). It was even discovered that Aaron was haunted too. As a result, it turned out their previous testings couldn’t hold up, as there’s the chance Aaron himself was causing the bad vibes.

So, Roger and Aaron decided to instead direct the various paranormal-detecting devices they purchased to test out the Lens Rentals gear. We’ll let you see the full teardown of the gadgets over on Lens Rentals’ blog post, but suffice to say the Ghost Detector Array, EMF Meter and Ghost Magnet were all relatively cheap pieces of tech that mostly consisted of random PCBs and (in the case of the Ghost Magnet) motors.

The inside of one of the EMF detectors Roger and Aaron purchased.

Considering all of the paranormal devices are now torn down, it’s safe to say Lens Rentals will no longer be offering a spirit-cleansing add-on for future rentals. So you might want to be careful and bring a Shaman along with you on your next photo shoot just in case.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Lens Rentals calls the Z7 the ‘best built mirrorless full-frame camera we’ve taken apart’

31 Oct

In case you were wondering what’s packed inside the Nikon Z7 and how well constructed it is, Lens Rentals has kindly cracked one open so you don’t have to, as promised in its EOS R teardown.

The camera equipment rental and repair business, famous for its camera teardowns, has documented the process of taking the Z7 apart, showing pictures of the weather sealing, electronic design, internal structure, and component layout of Nikon’s flagship full-frame mirrorless camera.

Roger Cicala, the man behind the teardown and founder of Lens Rentals, praises the extensive weathersealing protection from ingress of dust and moisture in the camera’s construction, and says the joints in the body are overlapped, screwed together and then covered by adhesive and rubber. He’s also impressed with the neatness of the electronics and the way the boards are packed into the body without leaving much space between them, especially with the in-body image stabilization.

“[The IBIS] noticeably more compact, has less travel than the Sony system, and seems more robust,” says Cicala. “From our focus on repair, we see this as a good thing – early Sony IBIS systems would sometimes move enough to jam and/or break. (To be clear, that’s not an issue with newer Sony cameras. I point this out just to show that the manufacturers have been watching each other.)”

Cicala’s only concerns seem to be that the diopter adjustment knob might not stand being pulled out and pushed in multiple times in rental models, and that the tripod screw isn’t as deep as some, so runs the slight risk of a long thread busting through it.

In conclusion Cicala says “I’m impressed by the very solid construction of the chassis and IBIS unit. I’m impressed with the neat, modern engineering of the electrical connections […] I’m not here to tell you which camera is best to use or has the best performance. I’m just here to say this is a damn well-built camera, the best built mirrorless full-frame camera we’ve taken apart.”

Go to the full teardown on Lens Rental’s website to see more photos and a more thorough take with all his comments. And remember, don’t try this at home!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Lens Rentals test shows all circular polarizing filters work great, price doesn’t matter

20 Sep
Photo: Roger Cicala/Lens Rentals

Our friend Roger Cicala over at Lens Rentals is at it again: buying up super expensive optical testing equipment because someone asked him why LR carries the circular polarizing filters they do. The answer, until now, was simple: make the expensive one on the market their high-end rental, and the cheapest one their “basic.” But is there really any difference?

That’s what Roger set out to figure out, and the answer might save you a little bit of cash.

You can read the full post and see all of the detailed results on the Lens Rentals blog, but the most surprising and positive conclusion was this:

All circular polarizers, regardless of price, are 99.9% effective at polarizing light.

Translation: if you’re looking for a circular polarizer because … well … you want to polarize light then save your money because the cheaper ones work just as well as the more expensive ones.

In addition to their ability to do what they say they do, Cicala and LR team tested CP filters for overall transmission (how much light to they let through) and transmission by wavelength so you can see what effect each filter has on the colors your camera sees. Check out the results here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Lens Rentals Canada closes its doors

05 Aug

Lens Rentals Canada is closing permanently, according to a statement issued by owner Craig Blair on Monday. He cites logistical issues and personal reasons, saying numerous problems with the business ‘didn’t make it a fun endeavor’. Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Lens Rentals Canada halts service citing ‘serious issues’ with Canada Post

01 Aug

Lens Rentals Canada has announced that it is temporarily not accepting new orders. A brief notice on lensrentalscanada.com cites ‘serious issues’ with Canada Post Corporation, and states that current orders will be shipped using Purolator Courier. An email that a reddit user claims was sent to him by Lens Rentals Canada is more to the point, stating that a Canada Post employee has stolen equipment in transit. No estimated timeframe has been given as to when orders will be accepted again. Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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