Anyone use Kingdom Camera yet? ; What did you think? ; Exactly how did the delivery/return work? ; And do they include UV (protective) filters on the lenses?
A bunch of us used them at Pixelmania. ; I was happy with their service. When you place your order on-line, one of the last things you are asked is to pick a time range for delivery/pick-up (I believe it's morning/afternoon/evening). ; Closer to your trip, you can contact them via phone or email to set an exact time. ; They're pretty flexible (within reason). ; They met me in the lobby at Pop Century with the lens and case. ; There was a UV filter on the lens, but it wasn't multicoated, so I was sure to remove it when photographing anything at night with bright point sources (like fireworks). Returning the lens was a different situation. ; I was supposed to meet them at Pop the morning of my departure, but since the owner (Lenise) was participating in Pixelmania, I just gave her the lens the afternoon before. Give them a try. ; It sure beats renting from another company and having to carry the lens down with you.
Just booked a 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 for June. ; I wanted to go for a fisheye too, but then I realized I only have 7 days to shoot! ;
Rick, Click here for my review of Kingdom Camera Rentals. ; Please tell them that Tim sent you! http://www.themagicinpixels.com/2012/10 ... a-rentals/
Nice to see they have added more full frame lenses. ; Will definitely be trying out the Nikon 14-24 on my next trip down.
Will do, Tim! ; Thanks for pointing me to the review. ; I'm already looking forward to renting from these folks. Yep...as I am a wannabe enthusiast, I wanted the chance to shoot with pro glass while at the World without mortgaging the house! ; I'm shooting with a D7000...so it's cropped sensor territory for now. ; I'm not complaining--I'm looking forward to the near-300mm equivalent on the 70-200 (especially at AK).
I'm a little late, but I rented from them at Pixelmania as well and I can't recommend them highly enough. ; Lenise went out of her way to deliver the lens after I forgot to call her to nail down a more specific time. ; The delivery was quick and easy since they have a custom iphone app that takes care of the whole process including emailing you confirmation of the deliver and the receipt. ; For the return, like Dennis, I didn't actually schedule one since I just gave it back to Lenise at Pixelmania.
Kingdom Camera Goodness by rickenmartin78, on Flickr (Late) Update: My June rental experience with Kingdom Camera couldn't have gone any smoother. ; I had originally booked the lenses online to be delivered to AOA, then booked the tripod for Beach Club. ; One quick call (to Ron) was all it took to sort out my mistake quickly. ; Ron asked me which tripod I wanted to use. ; Ever the inexperienced gear head, I hesitated and started asking silly questions. ; Ron then said he wanted to bring BOTH tripods for me to look at in person--in order to make a better choice! I needed an early delivery at the Beach Club so we would be able to attend the opening of MK that morning. ; Ron said he could be there at 7am and that he would text me a few minutes earlier for convenience. ; KCR sent Ian to meet me at the Beach Club lobby promptly--we met just a few minutes before 7am. ; After some brief chit-chat, we laid all the equipment out for inspection: 1 Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8, 1 Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR (both with carrying cases), and several tripod/ballhead combos. ; The lenses were in great condition. ; The glass was perfect from what I could see. ; I selected the bigger carbon-fiber Manfrotto legs w/ballhead (MK293C4-A0RC2 combo). ; The lenses came with their own cases. ; Ian also offered several camera bag options--at no extra charge--if needed. ; I already had a backpack ready to receive my new goodies. ; I then signed for the gear and was asked if I had any questions. I lugged both lenses around all week (quite the workout). ; I used the 24-70 the majority of the time. ; The 24-70 gave me the most flexibility around the parks. ; The 70-200 was outstanding for shows, portraits, and especially at AK for animal close-ups. ; I only used the tripod a few days and only at the resorts. ; The one regret I have is that I didn't PLAN enough "tripod time" at the parks. Lenise met me, again at BC around 7am, for the gear return. ; As some of you have dealt with her in the past, it shouldn't be a surprise that she was extremely friendly and ever concerned about my experience with them and the gear. ; She gave the lenses and tripod a once-over and that was it--the rental was over. My overall impression with Kingdom Camera, from start to finish, was one of professionalism and top-notch service. ; The gear is also quite the deal compared to most lens rental sites. ; As long as Kingdom Camera is around and I'm going to the World, I'll be using them.
