Loaning photographic gear? What's your policy?

Depends who is wanting to borrow!!

My son and I both have Canon gear. It doesn't happen very often these days but when we go out together we do pool our gear - especially lenses. I remember times when I have used his 17-40 all afternoon while he used my 10-20 for example. Another time his flashgun failed and I loaned him mine. I have a couple of 35mm film cameras and if he asked to borrow them I wouldn't think twice.

I have a colleague at work who has Canon gear. Situation has never arisen but would I loan him a lens for a weekend? Hmmm.... Maybe I would.

I can't think of a situation though where I would loan my whole collection in one go! Except maybe my son. Can't think of a situation where it would arise but if he asked I probably would.

I can think of several people (including very close family members) to whom I would NEVER loan ANYTHING !!

So in summary - for me it isn't black and white. I'm not a pro so my livelihood doesn't depend on my gear. It depends very much on the level of trust I have in the person doing the borrowing.

Generally I am reluctant to loan stuff, way to many times have I lent out tools that were like new, perhaps 90%+ life remaining the have them returned worn out, perhaps 20% remaining. Did they abuse it (because they don't know better)? Yes. Did they break it? No. So do they replace it/offer to pay something towards it? No.

With Photography Equipment I would tend to be a bit more strict, just think of the dust/ fingerprints on lenses that they wouldn't care in the least about.

On the other hand I don't hesitate to borrow my SLR to my Mom (and sister who is responsible), but A: I still live at home, B: she is careful and responsible with it, and C: even though she doesn't spend the money on an expensive camera she does have enough to replace it and I know she would if she did break it. And D, I know she isn't going to make off with it, (and if she does I know where she lives, LOL).

Maybe B and C and D are good questions to ask yourself about an individual before deciding whether to borrow.

Also, are they renting of borrowing? If they are renting you defiantly need to make clear to them your terms regarding dirty parts, broken parts, return date, etc.

NoNoNoNoNo! Sorry. My son uses my #2 body and a lens, but that's it.

I HAVE on a couple of occasions swapped lenses with a friend on a job for a few minutes. I mean, as long as I'm right there and I have his lens as a hostage, what could go wrong?

Otherwise, there is just too much that can go wrong. I mean, this is how you put bread on your table. Stuff can break in YOUR hands just as easily, but then it's on you. If it was going to break, it could just as easily break in their hands. Why put them in a position where they can have it break in their hands?

My brother and I sometimes "test drive" each other's car. The "wreck it and buy it" provision always applies. If a friend is in a REAL jam, I might loan them some lighting for one day for one job or something, but they can get that stuff overnight and you can live without it for a day. If it's broken, it's probably obvious. You could drop a lens or something and it wouldn't be obvious.

I would NEVER rent it out. If you even consider rent, the person isn't close enough a friend to use your stuff.

Heres what I do. Between my friend and myself we have some rather different specialist kit. I have 20mm, 50mm, 70-200mm, 135 and 400mm, plus medium format studio camera my friend has 24-105, 28mm, 85mm, 100mm, plus he has APS-C so we pool equipment to get better coverage, with an understanding that if one of us breaks something it gets replaced with something of equal value (although not identical). The interesting thing is we each have our own lights. As I mentioned, it's not loaning of kit, more pooling of resources, which means there is an equal responsibility. This is more of a business partnership so it's different.

I do however keep a large selection of older gear which is a collection of interest, but is of little actual value and can be loaned out to needy students.

My main gear?

Only one person gets to borrow that, my sometimes assisstant. For example, she currently has my 24-70 f2.8 L.

My backup gear and my junk lenses?

I'm not too worried about and have loaned them out to other friends no problem. who cares if they wreak my Rebel XSi ... they'll replace it with a much better T3 for next to nothing.

That's really a 'social' question, since the same might apply to the loan of your car or sports kit. But I echo your reluctance - who pays to fix it if broken? I've just lent an older DSLR to my daughter! I think she will look after it (I hope). In general not a good idea to lend small, valuable, fragile items.

I was like you I came up with these

If they can afford to replace it they can't have it

No experience they can't have it

One damage means they replace it no its just a small scratch

Good reason for use

Pay a set fee a day £20 every day late

hi, each and each time i stumble on myself in sticky (and usually unfair) situations like this, i flow on the instant to the voters advise Bureau. they're great at helping people out of subject in such situations. in the event that they dont have a legal consultant on the premises, they could provide you a quantity for a solicitor who will grant the 1st hours for loose and could clarify the fundamentals to you approximately a thank you to make certain the subject. in simple terms make certain you're taking each and all the documentation with you once you flow to voters advise superb of luck

Never loan expensive gear. Just the extra use alone is damaging.

I wouldn't. They're your personal tools. It's like a painter lending out their paintbrushes. People will never buy their own tools if they can borrow someone else's.