Polaroid22
Well-known member
Hello,
Is anybody here still renting out a arri alexa classic? Do they still get rented much?
Thanks!
Is anybody here still renting out a arri alexa classic? Do they still get rented much?
Thanks!
Arri alexa rental
- Thread starter Polaroid22
- Start date
thekreative
Veteran
I think every big town has a classic to rent somewhere. They seem to range from $300-$1000 per day and need a fair bit of support to build them out........ plus they weigh a bit! I almost bought one last month for $6k so you could look at used $8-10k.
Polaroid22
Well-known member
Yes I know they are available for renting, but just wondering if they rented out a lot. As I might want to buy a alexa classic for getting some of my money back. But I due want to rent it out, but Im not sure a lot of people are still interested in renting an alexa classic.
thekreative
Veteran
The one I was going to buy was from a rental house and they were selling it as it stopped renting out. Too big, power hungry and only shoots 1080 were the downsides. That said, the image is amazing and a lot of things are delivered still at 1080p.
David W. Jones
Veteran
You need to poll your clientele to see if it's an item they will rent.
It would be silly to spend the coin on something which just sits on a shelf.
I pretty much just rent the Mini now, and have stopped renting the Classic.
Jim Feeley
Veteran
At the two main camera rental houses around here (San Francisco Bay), I think the oldest Alexa the still rent is the Alexa EV. If you're looking to rent it out, don't forget to budget for (and calculate needed return on) all the extra gak even a "just body" package includes.
For example, here's what Chater Camera includes wit their Alexa EV body, which rate cards at $475/day:
https://chatercamera.com/content/arri-alexa-ev#undefined
Way back when, I regularly rented out my Betacam SP VTR. It was a pain. While I'll help out a pal who has a last-minute unexpected need, I'll leave rentals to those who do this full time.
OTOH, if I owned a currently hot camera, I might sub-rent it through an established rental house (as in: "We need five Venice bodies for this job" and then the rental house might include mine in the deal). But otherwise, nah.
HTH!
Run&Gun
Veteran
It’s insane what rental houses rent gear out for. Especially looking at the depth of inventory they must keep, responsibility & expectations(hey the camera just died, we need another here 5 minutes ago) and the even more ludicrous discounts they give for long term rentals, where they are all but giving the gear away for free, just to have it “working”. I honestly don’t understand how they all haven’t folded, yet.
$475/day for an Alexa. I rented my original C300 for $600/day, just a few weeks ago. And my F55 sure as heck doesn’t go out the door for $475. But I also don’t live in CA or NY...
$475/day for an Alexa. I rented my original C300 for $600/day, just a few weeks ago. And my F55 sure as heck doesn’t go out the door for $475. But I also don’t live in CA or NY...
Jim Feeley
Veteran
But R&G, Chater rents Venice and Amira Premium bodies for about $1,250/day.
They're a solid profitable house. And they're super good about figuring out what cameras can actually earn back their cost during the dozen(ish) months any camera is hot...
What a biz!
They're a solid profitable house. And they're super good about figuring out what cameras can actually earn back their cost during the dozen(ish) months any camera is hot...
What a biz!
JPNola
Veteran
The short of it is that the market for Arri Alexa classic rentals is all but dead. I wouldn't anticipate getting many rentals on one, even in a large market.
JPNola
Veteran
What is included for the $475? Is that the rate for the body only or for a complete camera package? Often the base rate is "low" but they make the money on all the little add-ons. A specialty cable that rents for $15.00 a day. Or wireless FF.
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
Its occured to me that we mortals think a camera might be $50k list price.. a rental house probably gets it for $35k.. or even doesnt buy it all.. because its some deal with arri to split the income and give it back after 36 months.
Got $100g rotting in the bank at 3%? Buy a set of cineprimes and slop em into a house.. if you get a return of 6% and they dont depreciate.. thats better than a bank!
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As for the Classic - Im not too sure.. your customers need PL glass - a big head and all the gubbins.. they probably can afford a mini.
On the other hand its a solid 200FPS? Thats better than 180FPS of blurro-slop on the FS7.. so id get one at $80 a day for some of my studio shoots!
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Run&Gun
Veteran
My comment wasn't specifically about that rental house, just rental houses in-general. I mean in that specific example, it's an old camera that doesn't get asked for much and I'm sure has been paid for and depreciated and anything it brings in now is gravy, but I was making a larger comment about the rental house industry, like "3-for-7"(and cheaper), etc. Maybe it's just because I don't work on "that side" of the industry(narrative/commercial), but it just doesn't make sense to me how you have millions of dollars worth of inventory and send it out, for sometimes months at a time, and you're only getting paid for days or maybe weeks, in total. It would be like if a client called me up and said I want you on this 21 day shoot, but we're only going to pay you for nine days.