8 Places to Find Camera Equipment Rentals in New York City

New York City is the epicenter for a lot of the world’s most compelling art, fashion, design, and events. If you’re planning a production, chances are you’ll occasionally need some additional gear to get the job done. Therefore, we’ve put together a useful list of reliable and comprehensive vendors for camera equipment rentals in New York City.

These pro services can get you geared up for your production, whether you’re shooting at a Peerspace venue or a different location. Luckily, if you have chosen to book a Peerspace venue for your shoot, you’ll have the full support of your venue’s local host at your fingertips. Whether you’re booking a private space, like a home, loft, or gallery, or a professional production studio, our hosts strive to make your shoot everything you need it to be.

Throughout this article, we’ll share information about real Peerspace studios in New York City that you can book and use today. Combine the perfect venue with the top-notch equipment from a vendor below and you’re sure to have a professional (and exciting!) experience.

Whether you need additional soft lights to blanket a cyclorama for a car, or you want high-speed lenses for shooting on a rooftop at night, the following vendors will be able to help you get it. They offer the top camera equipment rentals in New York City and beyond.

1. Adorama Rental Company

370 19th St. Brooklyn, NY 11215

Adorama operates out of an 18,000-square-foot shop in Prospect Park, Brooklyn and is an industry go-to for professional gear and services. In fact, ARC rents a full range of still and motion cameras, lighting, and grip equipment, making it a one-stop destination for all sorts of shoots.

So what type of gear can you get from ARC? It offers you digital cinema rentals from Arri, Red, Canon, and Sony. You also get a custom quote and bespoke rental package from a dedicated account manager. They also offer additional services, from tech packages to lens repair.

Rentals are generally due back by 9:30 a.m. One of their specials, however, is that if you rent on Thursday after 4:30 p.m. (or on Friday) and return by noon on Sunday, they’ll only charge you for one day. Please note that they close at 2 p.m. on Friday, and they’re closed on Saturdays. Talk to ARC about their delivery solutions if needed.

2. Scheimpflug Rentals

Manhattan: 546 West 48th St. New York, NY 10036

162 West 21st Street, 6th Floor

Queens: 43-10 21st St. Long Island City, NY 11101

Like Adorama, Scheimpflug has a location in Queens outside of its two Manhattan stores. “Flug,” as they’re known in the industry, is probably the biggest rental shop in New York and tends to get out in front of technology, so they may give you ideas for doing things on your shoot that you hadn’t thought of.

In addition to cameras and lighting gear, they rent trucks, vans, pop-up tents, heaters, and generators. They have everything for still camera shoots as well as film and video productions. For convenience, they’re open seven days a week.

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3. CSI Rentals

Manhattan: 133 West 19 St. New York NY 10011  

Brooklyn: 154 Bogart St. Brooklyn NY 11206

CSI has two convenient locations, one in Manhattan’s Flat Iron District and a second location in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They have tons of gear, including computers, iPads, specialized gear for shooting on the beach, and more. Their camera equipment rental discounts go beyond the standard, lower weekend rate.

You can get 25% off the day rate if you rent for less than four hours and you can get a single-day rate if you pick up after 3:30 p.m. and return by 9:30 a.m. two days later.

Like many rental shops, CSI sells their used gear, so if you get attached to what you’re working with, be sure to ask how much they’d charge to keep it! Beware that they close at 1 p.m. on Fridays, and they’re closed on Saturdays. Their Manhattan location is open on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

4. FotoCare

41 West 22nd St. New York, NY 10010

FotoCare is a smaller shop, with more of a focus on still photography, where you’re less likely to be dwarfed by the full-scale film and TV production rentals going on around you. They’ve been around for 50 years though, so you can be sure they know what they’re doing. The service is outstanding — always willing to answer questions — and they have hundreds of different cameras to ask about.

They offer a number of rental options including daily, weekly, and weekend rates. On weekends, if you check out on Friday after 3 p.m. and return by 10 a.m. on Monday, they just charge you for a one-day rental.

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5. K & M Rentals

Manhattan: 54 Orchard Street, NY, NY 10002

Brooklyn: 325 38^th St. Brooklyn, NY 11232

K&M is packed tight with gear, both for sale and rent. Like FotoCare, they’ve been open for decades, and their staff has character. So much so, that regular customers get attached to them. Pros for analog cameras come in just to talk shop. And, what people are learning about them is that they just opened a large rental warehouse in Brooklyn.

Like with other camera equipment rental companies, the fact that K&M has two locations is ultra-convenient to just about any production. Their weekend special is one billing day for Friday after 3 p.m. through Monday at 10 a.m. Best of all, if you rent for a month, they’ll just charge you for nine days.

6. Hello World Communications

118 West 22nd St, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10011

If you’re an indie video production looking for some camaraderie, then you might want to try Hello World Communications. In addition to renting gear, they’re an active production and post-production house, producing local TV spots, commercials, event videos, and more.

And while they don’t have as much gear as other vendors, you’ll find they’re more affordable than the larger rental houses. They’re also open seven days a week, and you can get a weekend rental for a single-day rate if you return by Monday at noon.

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7. Soundhouse

117 Banker Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222

Similar to Hello World, Soundhouse specializes in customer service and lower prices for smaller, independent video productions. They have dozens of cameras and related gear, including a wide variety of grip and lighting equipment. Sony video cameras, Canon digital cameras, and Mevo streaming cameras are some of Soundhouse’s most popular rentals.

They offer weekly rental rates that are 3x that of the listed daily rate, a discount that just about everyone can appreciate. Soundhouse is also open seven days a week and has a two-hour grace window for returns.

8. Production Junction

266 E 10th St (btw 1st Ave and Ave A)

Production Junction is a full-service camera equipment rental company that offers you access to dozens of professional cameras. In fact, their inventory includes DSLR, broadcast, and cinema camera rentals as well as lighting, grip, audio, and even laptop rentals. They carry gear by Sony, Arri, Canon, Red, Panasonic, and more, with a generous rental policy that video production companies of any size can appreciate.

If you find yourself needing more gear on shooting day, Production Junction has you covered there, too. Their Rush Prep service means they can gather what you need and deliver it to you onsite.

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Bonus: Peerspace for camera equipment rentals

Peerspace doesn’t offer gear itself, but many of the spaces listed on it include camera equipment rentals. If you’re already booking through Peerspace, check with your host to see if they have the gear you need. Or, if you’re searching, check the descriptions for a space that offers it. You’ll save time and stress by avoiding transportation, parking, and late fees.

Here are some of our favorite production locations in NYC that include camera rentals on-site:

• This NoMad photo/video studio in Midtown Manhattan (pictured above) that includes studio equipment, a lounge, a kitchen, and salon booths
• This Tribeca photo and video studio in Lower Manhattan that’s fully equipped with a green screen, backdrops, video lighting kits, and more
• This Midtown production studio with lighting equipment, reflectors, color gels, beauty dishes, backdrops, and more included
• This Midtown studio with stunning views of Manhattan with C-stands, lights, props, and other equipment included with your rental
• This natural light video production studio in Gowanus, Brooklyn with backdrops, lighting equipment, tripods, sandbags, and more on-site
• This Midtown cyclorama studio with some equipment included as well as a full equipment rental library and a rooftop rental option

You get the idea! With Peerspace, you can book the perfect production location that also comes with an array of gear that you need for your production. If you have any questions, reach out to your Peerspace host to double-check what’s available to you. Since most of them are in the production industry, they know exactly what you’re going through and understand the type of equipment you may need.

Using Peerspace is a smart way to tick several tasks off your checklist so you can get back to focusing on your production.

Camera equipment rentals New York City: conclusion

We hope this list of the top vendors that offer camera equipment rentals in New York City proves helpful for your production. Make your quest for camera equipment rentals and perfect shooting locations easy by booking a Peerspace venue. No matter where you’re located, it’s easy to book a professional shooting space that has the equipment you need, either included with your rental or for an additional discounted rate.

Plus, when you book a space that doesn’t include the gear you need, you can simply consult your chosen venue’s local host and have them arrange it.

Beginners tip: plan your shoot a week or two in advance if possible and call around. Most stores with camera equipment rentals encourage their customers to get insurance, so you’re not on the hook for completely replacing damaged or lost gear. With an abundance of time, you can find good deals on insurance without worry.

Find production spaces in New York, NY on Peerspace