Old School Cameras

What Old School Cameras does

Old School Cameras is a privately held, Southern California-based professional equipment rental company serving the film, television, and commercial production markets. Its inventory spans legacy motion picture equipment through to current-generation digital cinema: 35mm and 16mm vintage cameras (ARRI 435, Moviecam, Bolex Rex-5), specialty props, DSLR and broadcast bodies, and high-end digital systems including RED Epic/Dragon, ARRI Alexa XT, and Sony F65/F3. The lens library is a core asset, covering ARRI Master Primes, Cooke S4i, Zeiss Super Speed, Cooke S2 and Kowa Cine Prominar anamorphics, plus specialty optics. Surrounding the camera/lens core, the company rents support systems (OConnor/Sachtler fluid heads, MOVI and DJI Ronin gimbals, Easyrig, sliders, underwater housings), electronic accessories (Preston FIZ, Bartech, Cinetape), mechanical outfitting (ARRI matte boxes, follow focus), monitors and wireless video, audio gear (Sound Devices, Sennheiser), power solutions, and media/recording storage.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through daily, usage-based rental fees on equipment packages, with pricing quoted per day and the only concrete disclosed rate being $100/day for a test cable. Distribution is direct-to-production through two physical facilities — a Hollywood outpost inside the Alan Gordon Building on Melrose near Red Studios and Paramount Pictures, and an Oceanside, California complex that adds Cinematic Studios digital sound recording, prep lounges, conference rooms, and instructional classrooms. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales into production companies handling feature films, episodic series, commercials, and music videos, supplemented by an industry word-of-mouth channel reinforced by a credit list that includes titles such as Captain America, Watchmen, Wanted, Julie and Julia, Covert Affairs, Justified, and Top Gear. A co-located partnership with HollywoodCoop.com bundles grip/lighting and location services. No AI/ML capabilities, software products, APIs, or institutional funding have been disclosed.

Name

Old School Cameras

Legal name

Old School Cameras

Website

https://oldschoolcameras.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Old School Cameras is a Southern California-based professional equipment rental company serving film, television, and commercial productions from two facilities in Hollywood and Oceanside, offering cameras, lenses, support gear, and adjacent production services including sound recording.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Production Equipment Rental

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Sound Recording Studios (512240)

SIC

Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861)

akta.pro primary industry

Camera, Grip & Lighting Equipment Rental (MPADAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Production Equipment & Technical Services (Camera/Lighting/Grip, Virtual Production) (MPAAAMAH)

Keywords

• Camera equipment rental
• Lens rental services
• Film production equipment
• Digital cinema cameras
• Broadcast equipment rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Oceanside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rental: Daily rental of professional cameras, lenses, support equipment, audio gear, and accessories to film, television, and commercial productions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Professional camera, lens, and production support equipment rental for film, television, and commercial productions across Southern California. The company maintains a comprehensive inventory including digital cinema cameras (RED, ARRI, Sony, Canon), lenses, support rigs, lighting, audio gear, monitors, and accessories, complemented by in-house camera preparation, 24-hour technical support, technical training, and the Cinematic Studios digital sound recording facility in Oceanside.

Product overview

Old School Cameras operates as a professional camera rental network serving the Los Angeles film industry and San Diego/Orange County areas, with two locations in Hollywood and Oceanside, California. The company offers a comprehensive equipment rental portfolio organized into distinct service categories: camera rentals spanning digital cinema (RED, ARRI Alexa, Sony F65), high-definition, vintage motion picture, and specialty cameras; an extensive lens library including 35mm and 16mm spherical and anamorphic primes from manufacturers like Cooke, Zeiss, and ARRI; camera support systems including fluid heads, Steadicam, and sliders; electronic equipment such as Preston FIZ wireless focus systems and Cinetape; mechanical outfitting with matte boxes and follow focus; professional monitors and wireless video; audio equipment; digital media and recording solutions; and filters/lens accessories. The company also provides Cinematic Studios, a digital sound recording facility at their Oceanside location. Services are complemented by camera prep lounges, conference rooms, and instructional classrooms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cinematic Studios: Digital sound recording studios located in Oceanside, California

Products and services

• Digital Cinema Camera Rentals Rental of high-end digital cinema camera bodies (ARRI, RED, Sony, Canon) for professional film, TV, and commercial production crews needing production-ready digital acquisition systems.
• Lens Rentals Rental of prime, zoom, and anamorphic cinema lenses from manufacturers including Zeiss, Cooke, Angenieux, Fujinon, Leica, and Hawk for professional cinematography.
• Camera Support Systems Rental of camera support equipment such as remote heads, fluid heads, tripods, dollies, sliders, gimbals, stabilizers, and jibs for productions requiring controlled camera movement.
• Power Supply and Batteries Rental of Anton/Bauer batteries, chargers, AC power supplies, and power distribution equipment for production crews running cameras and lighting on location.
• Monitors and Wireless Video Rental of on-set production monitors, directors' monitors, focus pullers' monitors, and wireless video transmission systems for video village and remote monitoring.
• Audio Equipment Rentals Rental of production audio equipment including boom microphones, wireless lavalier systems, field mixers, and digital recorders for film and TV production sound.
• Media and Recording Rental of recording media such as camera cards, onboard recorders, and external storage drives compatible with digital cinema camera workflows.
• Filters and Lens Accessories Rental of lens filters, matte boxes, follow focus units, and related lens accessories to support cinematography on set.
• Cinematic Studios Digital Sound Recording Digital sound recording studio operating from the Oceanside, California facility, providing digital sound stages, sound design, music, and audio post-production services for film, TV, and commercial projects.
• Camera Prep and Technical Support Services In-house camera prep, equipment maintenance, 24-hour technical support, and technical training provided to production clients alongside rental gear.

Named customers12 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HollywoodCoop.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocated at same roof as OSC Hollywood location. Provides grip and lighting equipment, production supplies, location services, walkies/WiFi/base stations, truck and car rentals. Contact: 310-710-6525

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Clairmont Camera: Hollywood camera rental company with deep film and digital inventory serving features and episodic TV. Comparable customer roster and service model to OSC.
• ARRI Rental: ARRI's in-house rental arm offering Alexa and specialty large-format packages globally. Directly competes for the same digital cinema productions and shares ARRI ecosystem relationships with OSC.
• Keslow Camera: LA-headquartered camera, lens and digital rental house serving Hollywood features and episodic TV. Comparable scale and customer base to OSC, with broader depots and similar full-service prep offerings.
• Otto Nemenz: Long-standing Hollywood camera rental house specializing in ARRI and Panavision packages for features and commercials. Direct competitor in the same LA rental market.
• Abel Cine Tech: Cinema and broadcast equipment rental and sales company serving features, episodic, and commercial productions. Comparable breadth of camera, lens, audio and support inventory.
• Hand Held Films: Specialty camera rental house focused on high-end digital cinema, anamorphic, and large-format optics for features and commercials. Overlaps with OSC's premium lens and specialty camera offerings.
• Panavision: The dominant Hollywood camera and lens rental house, offering ARRI, RED and Panavision proprietary systems to the same feature film and high-end TV customer base that OSC serves. Direct competitor for premium rental packages.
• Cinequipt: Midwest-based cinema equipment rental and sales company serving commercial and independent film productions. Comparable in scale and equipment breadth to OSC, focused on a regional customer base.
• Band Pro Film & Digital: LA-based cinema equipment sales and rental company carrying high-end digital cameras and optics. Competes with OSC for premium camera body and lens rentals on Hollywood productions.

Broad incumbents

• RED Digital Cinema: Manufacturer of RED camera systems widely used in OSC's rental inventory. While not a direct rental competitor, RED's direct-sales relationships with productions and channel programs shape the competitive landscape OSC operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/old-school-cameras

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Old School Cameras