A Renting Experience with ATS Rentals
It's not uncommon for a photographer to rent a lens for an upcoming photo shoot. Sometimes it's to replace a broken (or stolen) lens, and sometimes it's simply to try out a lens we've been thinking of purchasing. For me, I was itching for an upgrade. I had grown to love my Canon 35mm f/2.0 lens, but it wasn't very reliable. It was noisy when focusing, and just wasn't tack-sharp once it finally 'focused'. As a wedding photographer, that's not something I can risk.
Because I'm a Canon girl, I had my eyes set on the Canon brand. But when was I going to be able to afford a new $1500 lens? I had heard so much about the Sigma ART 35mm f/1.4 lens, but was hesitant to even try out an off-brand lens. It was half the price of the Canon brand, which also made me skeptical! But after much research and word-of-mouth praises, I considered renting it to see what it could actually do. A friend suggested that I rent online, but I figured it would just be easier to go somewhere in person. I made my way to the local camera rental store, and what do you know... they didn't have the Sigma brand. Great. Just my luck.
Along comes ATS Rentals. My friend had rented through this online rental company in the past, and vouched for their legitimacy. They carried the Sigma brand, and I had a weekend full of 3 weddings coming up! I figured it was as good a time as any to try this beast out. The online process was super simple, and very user-friendly. I selected the time-frame of when I needed the lens in-hand, and I was assured that it would arrive at least a day earlier- WIN. The next day, I received an email from ATS stating that if I wanted the lens TWO days early, they had enough in stock and could send it to me sooner- free of charge. Music to my ears. Another WIN.
The day finally came that I received my package! I was excited to play with this new lens (TWO days early), and couldn't wait to see if it was worth the praise I had heard. The packaging was on-point and the lens was very secure inside. Not only did ATS send me the lens, but they sent me two small bags of Jelly Bellys (after my own heart) and a small roll of shipping tape for when I mailed the lens back to them! How considerate?! I don't know about you, but I ALWAYS seem to be out of tape when it comes to shipping things through the mail. So yeah, kudos to ATS for including enough packaging tape so that I didn't have to use my own or going out to the store to buy some.
That lens turned out to be a game-changer for me. I've used it several times since, and am now officially a proud owner! Any future gear that I rent will definitely be through ATS. Their customer service, fast shipping, and overall consideration to the creative community did not go unnoticed!
Check 'em out! http://www.atsrentals.com/rent-lenses.html
Here are a few images that I'm proud to say were taken with the Sigma ;)
