I had used Shoot Rentals before for a wedding and had a good experience, so I was happy to support a local business again for an editorial shoot.
Unfortunately, this rental was very different. When I picked up the camera, the items were in the bag camera looked good over all, but day of shoot I checked the settings it was still set from the previous rental. I was working under a tight deadline with two clients and didn't have the time to go through the camera and determine what had been changed or programmed. Because I needed to be confident that the equipment was properly set up and reliable, I ultimately wasn't able to use the camera for the shoot.
When I returned the equipment, I explained the situation and asked if they would consider a partial adjustment since the camera had been left with the previous user's settings. I was told no and that I should have called.
I understand that I could have called, but when you're in the middle of preparing for a professional shoot, you also expect rental equipment to be returned and prepared for the next customer.
What disappointed me most was the way the situation was handled. I had hoped to continue supporting a local business, but after this experience and the response I received, I'll be looking elsewhere for future rentals. read more