Virtual Lens Library?

[Bill Burk]

I was thinking about borrowing an 8.5cm Protar, because I wanted to experiment with some Bill Brandt looks, but don't plan on it being long-term enough to justify outright buying.

And I have no qualms recommending myself, trustworthiness-wise. I'd just be overly concerned about shipping damage. It would devastate me to get the lens in great condition, finish my project and then find out the return voyage ruined the lens.

So I don't know if lending lenses would be a good idea.

[brucetaylor]

I rented out my motion picture equipment for a number of years, mostly to students and people working on personal projects. I almost never had a problem (nothing was unresolved), and the gear was returned promptly. Of course I required insurance, but for a lens library a credit card deposit should suffice and there would surely be a vetting process of some kind. To prevent shipping damage a proper case (pelican or similar) would need to be supplied with the lens. If someone wanted to volunteer to administrate it would probably work.

[Paul Cunningham]

I think it's a lovely idea and proposed something similar in my home area Seattle/Portland for Nikon (SLR) lenses. I was dismayed at how quickly people rushed in to shoot the idea down. I didn't press the matter, but it seemed like an interesting idea.

[cyrus]

I was dismayed at how quickly people rushed in to shoot the idea down.

Well it is always easy to come up with reasons why something won't work, the point is to think of ways of making things DO work.

Many years ago we LF members got together -- virtually -- and published a book of our works. Frank Petrino was kind enough to take care of the technical stuff, which was a challenge, and I simply collected and forwarded the works via email. It turned out great. There were naysayers but we decided right off the bat that we would only discuss how it could be done, not why it can't. And we did it.

[cyrus]

I'd just be overly concerned about shipping damage. I

The risk of shipping damage can be managed with insurance. Surely in this day and age when people are shipping things all over, this cannot be the biggest hurdle?

In any case if people start out with less expensive/heavy/delicate lenses, they can choose to risk more expensive ones, or not.

We don't really have to limit this to lenses either.

[cyrus]

SO, how about "Lend/Borrow" forum next to the Buy/Sell forum? Let the parties then decide their own deposit etc arrangements. Maybe Bill Burk would find someone willing to lend him a Protar that way much more efficiently. I'm sure there are a few things we'd all like to borrow if we could, and people willing to lend them. Laser aligners?

[Jim C.]

Didn't Richard Rankin do this a while back ?
I can't seem to find the thread in the for sale section, maybe I'm looking in the wrong place.
I don't know how it all worked out.

[Jim Galli]

Didn't Richard Rankin do this a while back ?
I can't seem to find the thread in the for sale section, maybe I'm looking in the wrong place.
I don't know how it all worked out.

Yes, and I never heard anything but positive comments. He also sold some of the lenses to folks who got them and decided they couldn't live without such a lens.

[David R Munson]

The practical considerations are the big obstacle, but in principle I'm all for this.

[goamules]

Yes, libraries loan books, and jet-ski and snow ski shops rent equipment. Hollywood companies rent movie cameras. The difference is they own the items that are loaned. Libraries pay for their inventory through benefactors or taxes. Rental companies through private enterprise. Who would pay for the lenses to be inventoried to loan?