We’ve seen some pretty cool new companies and products throughout the history of the industry. With a record number of photographers and constant technological advancements of new equipment, rental companies have boomed with the curiosity of growing photographers. And personally, I’m grateful for the services these rental companies provide the industry in allowing artists to keep their pocket book in check with the ability to “rent” rather than buy.

But now the Tennessee based rental company, LensRentals, has added a new “Keeper” rental program where you can apply your rental purchase to the price of actually keeping the product. This a program that’s been in the works for a long time, and today, they finally have announced it to the public. But that’s not it, with over a year of building this program with a customized gear calculator, they will give you a starting purchase price based on the age of the copy they send you along with a credit for a portion of the rental fees. Not only is the team there in Memphis and Nashville leading the photography industry in rentals and product moved, but they are really forging an exemplar path that all other rentals companies might want to be aware of. Because this is a game changer.

“Saying goodbye can be the hardest part of any rental,” says Chase Reynolds. “With our new Keeper program, you can try it, then buy it. You can handle the entire transaction with just a few clicks on our website, although wed be more than happy to handle it over the phone.”

I’ve personally rented, Lecias, Nikons, Sigmas and Fujis from the LensRentals team and it’s taken every fiber in my photography being to have to give it back to the FedEx man. This is a perfect scenario for the photographer and the ability to “try before you buy”.

So how much of your rental price actually goes towards your purchase?

“Well give you back 100% of the rental fees for up to a 7 day rental as a credit towards purchase. If your rental was longer than 7 days, well give you the 7 day rental price as a credit, and 30% of the remaining rental fees you paid, as well,” says Chase Reynolds. “Lastly, we want to be clear this is a try-and-buy program; its not a rent-to-own program in the traditional sense. The price, after any credit for rental fees, will never dip much below 50% of the retail price of the equipment, so please don’t expect to extend a rental over and over again until the item is completely paid-off.”

All in all, this is an exciting day for the LensRentals team but even more exciting for you as a photographer to have a fair opportunity to try and own a piece of gear that you’ve been dying to get your hands on.

For more information, read more about the Keeper Program here.