I'm a freelance videographer and photographer, I've been a Magnanimous customer for almost 2 years now. The gear selection is top notch and super affordable. Time after time, I've had great customer service from the rental department--these guys know their gear well, and know how to troubleshoot issues quickly. For my last rental, someone set up my gimbal rig after I placed my order and sent me pictures to illustrate where wireless receiver should go. I've never been helped like that before. Also, Magnanimous has created many "how-to" videos to explain their gear selection to anyone browsing their website. Those videos are super-helpful when selected gear you've never used before. One of the only issues I have with Magnanimous is their online checkout process. For some reason, I cannot get my credit card to process correctly on their website, even though my information is saved through my account wth them. Therefore, I usually call in my order and have someone send me an email confirmation right away. Not ideal, but it works. They also offer one (now two!!) impressive rental studios for hourly or day rates. And there's a 10% gear discount when you shoot in one of the studios. vvCool. I'll be coming back here for years to come! read more

Simple AV - Magnanimous sent me this photo before my pickup to illustrate how the wireless receiver should be mounted on the gimbal rig. Very helpful. - Audio/Visual Equipment Rental Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Best and my go to for any and all rental needs in Chicago. Over 4 years of projects, big and small.

The product worked great for my needs and the service was excellent. Delivery was seamless and timely. Highly recommended.

I've worked with Magnanimous for many years for professional camera gear rentals. I recently worked with the A/V team and it was a seamless experience. The team was early to the venue, worked through several challenging aspects of the space and helped us to have a successful screening for our film. Our clients were very pleased with the presentation and the professionalism of the crew. If you want a responsive, capable team to handle the AV requirements for an event or meeting, I recommend Craig and the folks at Magnanimous Media. read more

I have been renting from this company for almost two years now and they always go above and beyond. They meet my needs every-time and always exceed my expectations. They are quick to respond and always answer any questions that I may have. I've never had an issue with them and they're my go to rental spot in Chicago. Can't get much better than magnanimous. The way they do their business emulates customer first, and they are kind and personable too. I'd give them 10 stars if I could ! read more

ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS RENTAL HOUSE!!! Been getting gear from them since 2012. They always take care of my media needs...check them out!!!

I can't express just how amazing these guys are. With outstanding equipment, courteous and friendly staff, this is my one and only go to camera rental shop. I have been renting with them for just under a year now and they have gone above and beyond each time, even at last minute rental needs. Their stock is ever growing and impressive. I just learned that they acquired a Stead--Cam Pilot and I am anxious to get back there and rent it for the weekend. You can't beat their prices, you can't stand up to their professionalism, and no one comes near to their friendliness. read more

Love this place. I'm based in LA, but usually have several Chicago gigs a year, for which I need a good amount of gear including multiple cameras. Sean and Craig always work with me to make sure I have all the equipment I need (last time they literally went the extra mile to personally drop off a spare battery the morning of my shoot). Can't recommend these guys enough. read more

I've been renting from Magnanimous for the last year and half and can only offer positive feedback for them. Every dealing has been professional and prompt. Last minute requests, after hours, even on weekends they have always come through. The fact that they deliver and pick up at almost any time of the day, and for a super affordable fee, makes me not even bother with the competition. In a pinch, Craig even helped me find a PA to help on a shoot (as in within a couple hours). Now that's awesome. It's acts like this of going above and beyond meeting your client's requests and expectations that gets my 5 stars. Prompt, professional, extremely affordable rates, and courteous client service is the norm here. read more

I've only rented once from them, however I have nothing bad to say about my experience. I found these guys on Facebook, actually, and decided to give 'em a go. Rental rates were reasonable and they followed up with my inquiry immediately. I spoke with a few representatives and they all were on the same page and offered a simple way to rent high quality equipment. It was ready when I arrived and they were grateful when I returned the item. No issues whatsoever. Aside from finding their location the first time, ha ha! I will rent from them again. Especially during this upcoming wedding season. Erin D. Jacobs Photography www.erindjacobs.com erin@erindjacobs.com read more

Wonderful business, very helpful staff. Quality equipment and simple process. I will continue to work with this company, happily.

I have rented from Magnanimous countless times in the past both for freelance work and for the company I work for. These guys are the REAL DEAL. Affordable, reliable gear. Always accommodating - much more than any other rental house I've dealt with not only locally but anywhere in the states. Knowledgeable workers who are ready and willing to help you get the right and highest quality gear for your project. I honestly cannot think of one negative thing to say about this company in my many experiences over the past 3 years working with them. Rent from these guys! Do it! read more

I have rented here and there from Magnanimous throughout the years and I've had good experiences, but yesterday's customer service was so outstanding that I had to come by and show some love with a 5 star review. You made my life so much easier after a really long day on set. You guys rock! read more

Found these guys on google when I was looking to rent for a last minute shoot, totally recommending it to others. Great people, quick response, the only place open until 10pm in Chicago, reasonable rate. read more

Never rated a rental house before but felt I should since Magnanimous has changed the game of video equipment rentals in Chicago. SERVICE - They get shit right. They're knowledgeable and quick to respond to emails. And the few times I thought they got something wrong I was quick to discover it was my mistake. They always get the order right. CONVENIENCE - They deliver. They fucking deliver! Holy shit what a great service to offer. Game changer. PRICE - I never feel like I'm paying too much. They're prices are very competitive and not needing insurance for many of the gear rentals saves you that much more money. Once again - game changer. In only a few years they have become the go to place for all of my filmmaking friends. They just do so much right. read more

I've rented numerous pieces of gear from Magnanimous. Cameras, lenses and lights. Their customer service is always top notch and they go out of their way in making sure I'm renting the right gear for the shoot. I can't recommend them enough read more

This place is amazing!! Affordable rental for great gear. Great customer service. Nice location. I rented the Canon 5d Mark III along with the 24-70mm 2.8 lens and the equipment was in good condition. I will be back to try out new gear. I highly recommend them!!! read more

My husband and I rented equipment here recently for a film shoot he did of a gradation. They were helpful and the prices were good. Another thing that was good for us was that there was no hold on a credit card required, as we just don't have that kind of capital. read more

These Guys are PHENOMS!!! They were able to be available for me on a holiday and stretched their hours so I could pick up the gear early. Top-notch customer service and great up-to-date gear. read more

Magnanimous is the only rental company we use for our photography business. They always have what we want and great prices too. We also love their production space, fantastic size, great natural light (which can be blocked out) and they include a light kit with rental. read more

Knowledgeable service with high quality equipment. Great combo for a wonderful experience. I'll be renting all of my gear from Magnanimous.

Because they're working professionals, the guys at Magnanimous really appreciate what's important to me. They're open later than any other rental house in town and even on the weekends and that really makes a difference when you need something last minute. Their rates are often a bit lower than everyone else in town. They're easy to deal with (no attitude like I've gotten other places) and although they don't always have a great breadth of gear, they're always adding new stuff. At first, because of their location, I thought'd be a challenge to get there, quickly. But that turned out to be untrue and parking's not an issue. I expect they'll be competing with the major houses in a couple of years time. read more

I rented from Magnanimous recently. The service was outstanding! The gear is in great shape! A foreign client added a TelePrompter at the last minute. BUT didn't want an operator. The magnanimous instructional video saved the day. (I'm a DP.) Thanks again! read more

I rent from Magnanimous frequently. Their rental staff are extremely knowledgeable and always have great advice. Most of importantly, they're easy going and love to talk shop. Other rental houses in the Chicago area seem to have an attitude, Magnanimous doesn't. Their other major benefit over other rental places (other than their very reasonable rates), are their fantastic hours. I have on many occasions stopped by at 9:45pm to pick up something last minute for the next day. If you need anything for your production whether your local or out of town, Magnanimous should be your first choice. read more

The folks at Magnanimous make renting gear easy and stress free. I rented a Sony FS100 from them about 2 weeks ago and I was kind of surprised that there wasn't more hassle involved. They were even cool with the fact that I forgot to return a cable with the camera. (They asked that I just bring it by when I had a chance) But maybe the best thing about magnanimous is their location. I have been to their offices a few times now and every time I am able to park right in front of their door. When you're carrying a ton of equipment, it's nice to be able to walk outside and be just a few feet from your car. read more

Very friendly owners that are very helpful and understanding. They are definitely my first choice when looking for gear. Good prices and selections, especially the different bundles they rent out. I've never had an issue and will definitely continue to rent from them. read more

My first time rental with Magnanimous and it was a terrific experience. Hard to use high tech equipment with five thumbs on each hand, but their instructional run through was clear and the gear worked flawlessly. They couldn't have been more accommodating and friendly. Will definitely rent gear there again. read more

I was recommended this business through local talent hired for a production in Chicago. Be weary of this rental house. All sales are final, you will not be prorated or credited for early returns. This is not something that is common, especially if you rent and work primarily in Los Angeles. I did lose a thumb screw but I am not pleased that I've waited over 5 business days to find out the replacement cost for a screw. While I understand that rental prices will be inflated in comparison to LA, next time I would strongly consider shipping more of my own gear to Chicago. I will not be renting from them again. read more

Poor customer service. I attempted to rent a shotgun mic for 3 days from them, and the online rental process was fairly easy. The professional verification requirement was a pain in the ass however since I don't have my name on any of my work (just the name of my companies media brand). When I attempted to submit a recently uploaded video with my name in the credits, the service representative said he or she could not approve content that was uploaded on the same day it was submitted. I never saw that written anywhere on the website, or in any previously sent emails from the company. When I asked where this was in the policy, the rep ignored my questions and concerns, and simply reiterated that I could either 'submit a video with my name in the credits or a portfolio website with my name on it'. Dealing with this rep was completely frustrating and was similar to talking to an automated response generator or to someone with a mental disability. After one or two more exchanges I no longer wished to work with the company due to the lack of quality in customer service. I requested a refund, and the response I received was a simple "your order has been cancelled", without any further information regarding my partial refund. In summary, my experience with this company was poor, they need better customer service training. There should also be a way to track and cancel orders via their website but I did not see one. Lastly, I still have yet to see where, in their professional verification policy, it says you cannot submit content that was uploaded or edited on the same day. read more

Easily my favorite rental house in Chicago. A great selection of affordable camera packages, all very well maintained, and handled with exceptional customer service. Magnanimous also has a terrific web presence that keeps you up-to-date with new acquisitions and deals, as well as some demo videos that show off new gear - there's an FS-700 rental in my future thanks to one of their demos. Their selection is limited compared to a "full-service" rental house, but if that's really a complaint, your budget is so big you shouldn't be browsing Yelp reviews anyway. Five stars and a big thumbs up. read more

POSITIVES: Fantastic customer support from the fellows at Magnanimous. Their delivery service has been a huge help over the past few months. Their prices are really the only ones I look at because they're so darn low. When I'm shooting with multiple clients over the course of a week-long rental, Magnanimous will draft separate invoices for each client, which saves me on admin costs. Incredibly responsive. I emailed them days before a shoot about renting the FS100. Their in-house FS100 was already booked, but they sub-rented one out and made it available -- totally didn't expect that kind of problem-solving from a rental house. Their hours are pretty exhaustive, which makes pickups and returns very flexible. Highly recommended. NEGATIVES: Sometimes I think Magnanimous is too good to be true. Is Magnanimous real? Is it a state of mind? Perchance. ANOTHER THOUGHT: When renting video/audio equipment, I'll occasionally encounter arrogant nerds more interested in asserting their knowledge of the equipment than troubleshooting with the customer. I very much appreciate Magnanimous's helpful staff -- humble and helpful. read more

Really great rental house. My rental experience here was quick, easy and pleasant all around. Not much more to say than that! Fair prices on top of it - theres no reason not to rent from here :) read more

I've been renting from MM for a few months now and I have been consistently happy with their service, prices and flexibility. Their prices cannot be beat in the city and they even go out of their way to get you the gear you need. They have been flexible about when you pick up and drop off gear and quickly respond to emails and phone calls. Location is great for pick up and drop off, right off expressway. read more

Great customer service, friendly staff. They always help me carry larger production rentals to my car. Pick up and returns are quick and easy, and there's plenty of parking around the building. Also, their rates are affordable and very competitive! Highly recommend for freelancers and studio productions. read more

We have rented from them regularly in the last 3 years and have always gotten attentive service, quick responses, and great prices on good equipment. Even as they have grown, all of these have remained true. I appreciate working with them and would highly recommend them to people looking for solid gear rentals. read more