BorrowLenses.com
BorrowLenses.com was an online camera equipment rental-by-mail platform founded in 2007, serving professional and enthusiast photographers and videographers with camera bodies, lenses, and production gear. It has been acquired by and consolidated into Lensrentals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersSan Carlos, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What BorrowLenses.com does
BorrowLenses.com was a private, for-profit online rental-by-mail platform founded in 2007 that rented professional-grade camera bodies, lenses, and production/video equipment to photographers and videographers. The company operated a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model, generating revenue on a per-rental transaction basis, with its customer base spanning both professional and enthusiast segments requiring temporary or project-specific access to high-end gear. Its product catalog spanned brands including Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, and DJI, organized across camera rentals, lens rentals, production/video equipment, and secondary used-gear sales.
The company was headquartered in San Carlos, California, and employed 51-100 people at its operating scale. Mark Gurevich was identified as founder/owner. Pricing was not publicly disclosed; the business model relied on rental transaction fees rather than subscriptions or enterprise contracts. There are no disclosed patents, trademarks, certifications, or proprietary technology assets; the core platform functioned as a self-service online storefront with mail fulfillment.
As of 2024, BorrowLenses was acquired by and consolidated into Lensrentals, becoming part of the Lensrentals family of brands. Lensrentals now handles all reservations, returns, and customer support for former BorrowLenses customers from its Memphis, TN headquarters. Used-gear sales and legacy rental transactions (ended on or before March 8, 2024) are supported by Shutterfly under a separate customer-support arrangement. The BorrowLenses brand persists as a front-end redirect to Lensrentals rather than as an independently operating entity.
BorrowLenses.com firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BorrowLenses.com
- Website
- https://borrowlenses.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- BorrowLenses.com was an online camera equipment rental-by-mail platform founded in 2007, serving professional and enthusiast photographers and videographers with camera bodies, lenses, and production gear. It has been acquired by and consolidated into Lensrentals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BorrowLenses.com industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Camera Equipment Rental
- NAICS
- Consumer Electronics and Appliances Rental (532210), Consumer Goods Rental (5322)
- SIC
- Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861), Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Equipment & Tool Leasing (Consumer) (FSAKANAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Fixed-Lens Cameras (Compact, Bridge & 360 Cameras) (CRACAPAB)
Keywords
Where BorrowLenses.com is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Carlos
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
BorrowLenses.com business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Equipment Rental: Rental of camera bodies, lenses, and photography/videography equipment to professionals and enthusiasts on a per-rental basis.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
BorrowLenses.com product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BorrowLenses.com is an online rental service that rents professional-grade camera bodies, lenses, and production/video equipment to individual photographers and videographers via a self-service e-commerce platform with mail-order fulfillment. The company also sold used/pre-owned gear. Following the 2024 acquisition by Lensrentals, all reservations, returns, and customer support are now handled by Lensrentals.
Product overview
BorrowLenses is a camera and lens rental platform that has joined the Lensrentals family of brands. The company offers a unified platform providing photo and video equipment rentals through four core product lines: Camera Rentals (body-only equipment from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, DJI, and other brands), Lens Rentals (glass and optics across multiple focal lengths), Production/Video Equipment Rentals (video-specific gear for content creation), and Used Gear Sales (pre-owned equipment). Former BorrowLenses customers are now directed to the Lensrentals platform for all rentals and purchases.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Camera Rentals Rental service for camera bodies from major brands including Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, DJI, and others, targeting photographers and videographers needing temporary access to professional camera gear.
- Lens Rentals Rental service for camera lenses across multiple brands and focal lengths for photographers and videographers.
- Production/Video Equipment Rentals Rental service for video and production equipment including cameras, lights, and support gear, serving content creators and production professionals.
- Used Gear Sales Sales of pre-owned camera and video equipment. This offering was transitioned, with used gear sales support handled by Shutterfly for rentals ended on/before March 8, 2024.
Companies that use BorrowLenses.com
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
BorrowLenses.com technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
BorrowLenses.com partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- LensrentalscoreBorrowLenses has joined the Lensrentals family of brands. Lensrentals now fills all BorrowLenses reservations, receives returns, and provides customer support for BorrowLenses rental customers.
- ShutterflyminorShutterfly handles support for used gear sales and late orders/outstanding bills for rentals ended on or before March 8, 2024. Contact email: [email protected] for used gear, [email protected] for late orders.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights1 record
BorrowLenses.com competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- MPB: MPB is a used camera and lens marketplace that buys, sells, and trades pre-owned photo and video gear. It overlaps with BorrowLenses' (now-discontinued) used-gear sales line and addresses an adjacent customer need for affordable, inspected used equipment.
- KEH Camera: KEH is one of the largest US dealers of used photographic equipment, buying and selling cameras, lenses, and lighting. It is comparable to BorrowLenses' used-gear business, which was wound down in March 2024 and now handled by Shutterfly.
Direct peers
- ShareGrid: ShareGrid operates a peer-to-peer rental marketplace for cameras, lenses, and film/production gear. It directly competes with BorrowLenses for the same professional photographer and videographer customers via a different (marketplace) business model.
- KitSplit: KitSplit is a peer-to-peer rental marketplace for camera, lighting, and production gear that has merged with ShareGrid. It targets the same prosumer/professional production customer base as BorrowLenses with a comparable gear catalog.
- LensProToGo: LensProToGo is a US camera and lens rental house serving photographers and videographers with a mail-order rental model, directly comparable to BorrowLenses' original offering.
- Lensrentals: Lensrentals is the acquirer of BorrowLenses and now operates the brand. It is the closest direct competitor — same business (camera and lens rental), same D2C e-commerce model, same professional/enthusiast customer base, and broader inventory across camera, lens, video, and production gear.
Broad incumbents
- Adorama: Adorama is a large US photo/electronics retailer that operates a rental service alongside sales, trade-ins, and education. It overlaps with BorrowLenses' camera/lens rental offering but as part of a much broader retail and services portfolio.
- B&H Photo Video: B&H is a leading US photo and video retailer that also rents cameras, lenses, and production gear. It serves the same professional/enthusiast customer base as BorrowLenses but through a much larger retail platform rather than a rental-first model.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
BorrowLenses.com social profiles
Digital presenceBorrowLenses.com financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BorrowLenses.com leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
BorrowLenses.com funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BorrowLenses.com M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BorrowLenses.com
What does BorrowLenses.com do?
BorrowLenses.com is an online rental service that rents professional-grade camera bodies, lenses, and production/video equipment to individual photographers and videographers via a self-service e-commerce platform with mail-order fulfillment. The company also sold used/pre-owned gear. Following the 2024 acquisition by Lensrentals, all reservations, returns, and customer support are now handled by Lensrentals.
Is BorrowLenses.com a public or private company?
BorrowLenses.com is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was BorrowLenses.com founded?
BorrowLenses.com was founded in 2007. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is BorrowLenses.com based?
BorrowLenses.com is headquartered in San Carlos, United States, in the North America region.
How does BorrowLenses.com make money?
One revenue line is on record: equipment Rental.
Who are BorrowLenses.com's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are MPB and KEH Camera. Direct peers are ShareGrid, KitSplit, LensProToGo and Lensrentals. Broad incumbents are Adorama and B&H Photo Video.
Does BorrowLenses.com have an API?
No public API is recorded for BorrowLenses.com.
What industry is BorrowLenses.com in?
BorrowLenses.com's product category is Camera Equipment Rental. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKANAF, Equipment & Tool Leasing (Consumer), with a secondary code of CRACAPAB, Fixed-Lens Cameras (Compact, Bridge & 360 Cameras). Its NAICS code is 532210 and its SIC code is 3861.