On Lightyshare, a €6,000 camera regularly goes out for a few dozen euros a day. That's the whole point: you get your hands on genuinely good gear for the length of a shoot, without having to amortize it over three years.
Still, there's no magic "average price," and I'm wary of anyone who claims to give you one. The rate shifts depending on the model, the package, the duration, the city, and the owner themselves. Since I spend my days inside the platform's listings, here are the ranges I actually see come up.
Average prices by camera type
What follows are ballpark daily figures, deposit aside. Nothing set in stone: the camera's condition, the accessories included and the owner's pricing mood all move the lines.
Hybrid cameras and photo-video bodies
A hybrid like a Sony A7S III, Canon R5 or Panasonic S5 rents for between €35 and €70 per day.
For light shooting, the value is hard to beat. A music video, an interview, social content, a small short film: a good hybrid handles all of it without breaking a sweat.
The classic trap is imagining that a beautiful image necessarily demands a five-figure cinema camera. In practice, a decent hybrid mounted on a good lens already gives gear three times the price a run for its money.
Compact cinema cameras
A Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K, a Sony FX3 or a Canon C70 tend to sit around €60 to €120 per day.
This is the playground of small productions, music videos, docs and indie projects, those after the "cinematic" look without hauling a feature-film setup.
At this rate, the real issue isn't the listed price but what's in the box. Batteries, cards, cage, monitor, power supply, lenses: two listings at €90 can hide two completely different realities.
Professional cinema cameras
A Sony FX6, a RED Komodo or a Canon C300 generally fall between €150 and €350 per day.
Here we move on to shoots that don't forgive sloppiness: commercials, premium documentary, fiction, high-end interview, capture with serious technical demands.
Above that, it climbs with no real ceiling. A well-equipped ARRI Alexa Mini can ask for €400 to €900 per day, even more when the package is complete.
Cameras to rent right now
A few of the most popular models on Lightyshare, with their real starting price.
What really makes the price vary
The model matters, obviously. It's far from the only thing at play. In real life, it's very down-to-earth details that decide the final bill.
Rental duration
For a single day, you always pay the top rate, proportionally. Spread the same rental over three days or a week and the daily cost melts away.
Most owners taper their rate: a weekend almost never bills like two full days, and a week even less like seven.
Practical takeaway for a multi-day shoot: forget the dumb day-rate-times-number-of-days multiplication. Ask for an all-in price. Nine times out of ten, the owner makes a gesture.
What's in the package
A bare body shows a softer price. That doesn't mean it's the good deal.
The moment you add the lens, the batteries, the cards, the cage, the monitor then the mic, the invisible bill wakes up and catches you out.
A package that's pricier upfront but already complete often ends up cheaper overall. And on the morning of the shoot, you get up without the fear of having forgotten a cable somewhere.
The lenses included
Here's the item that often tips the budget, one way or the other.
A €50 body with an entry-level lens doesn't play in the same league as a €70 body shipped with a fast optic. On some listings, the lens weighs almost as much as the camera itself, and nobody tells you in the headline.
The reflex to keep: compare whole packages, never two prices listed side by side.
Location
In Paris, Lyon, Marseille or Bordeaux, supply is dense, so choice is wide and competition sometimes pulls prices down.
Elsewhere, where gear is scarce, you'll inevitably have fewer options on hand. In return, renting ten minutes from home spares you the transport, the painful round trip or the delivery fees, and that too adds up.
The deposit
The deposit isn't part of the rental price, yet it weighs on your budget: it freezes a sum on your account for the duration of the operation.
On Lightyshare, every rental is covered by built-in insurance, so you don't have to sort this out scrappily between individuals. Still, read the conditions case by case, and keep some margin if a deposit is required.
Concrete budget examples
For a music video over a weekend
Aim for a Blackmagic Pocket 6K or a Sony FX3, a lens, two or three accessories, and you're set.
Realistic budget: €120 to €250 for the weekend, with the package making all the difference.
Tight budget? Head for a ready-to-shoot package rather than a bare body. You gain time, and most often money.
For a corporate interview over a day
A Sony A7S III, a fast lens, a tripod and an audio kit easily do the job.
Realistic budget: €90 to €150 a day for a simple but clean setup.
Above all, don't skimp on sound. A gorgeous image dragged down by a bad mic reeks of amateur from ten metres away.
For a short film over a week
Over a full week, you can reach for a Sony FX6, a Canon C70, a RED Komodo or a package of the same calibre.
Realistic budget: €800 to €1,500 for the week, depending on the camera, the lenses and the accessories on board.
Same reflex here: negotiate an all-in deal with the owner instead of thinking in day rates.
How to pay less for your camera rental?
My best advice comes down to one sentence: write to the owner before booking. Lay out your project, your dates, your level, what you actually need. An owner you talk to clearly will happily adjust their rate over several days, or slip an extra accessory into the package. People do favours for those who play fair.
A few useful reflexes:
- rent several days rather than by the day;
- choose a complete package rather than a body alone;
- compare the accessories included;
- look around your area to avoid travel;
- avoid oversizing the gear if your project doesn't call for it.
You don't always need the most expensive camera. You need the camera suited to your shoot.
Frequently asked questions
What's the average price to rent a camera?
A hybrid or a compact runs between €35 and €120 a day. A pro cinema camera climbs to €150-350, and the very high end no longer really has a ceiling.
Is the deposit included in the price?
No, it's separate. The deposit secures the gear for the rental period: the sum is frozen, then released on return if everything comes back in good condition.
Is it better to rent a camera alone or a complete package?
The complete package wins almost every time. The body alone looks cheaper, except that by adding lenses, batteries, cards and accessories separately, you often end up higher.
Can you negotiate the price of a long rental?
Yes, very often. Over a weekend, three days or a week, a tapered rate is almost the norm. Write to the owner with your dates and your project, that's the simplest.
Which camera to rent on a small budget?
Go for a good video hybrid, Sony A7S III, Panasonic S5 or equivalent. With a decent lens and a bit of light, the result already holds up very well, without the extra cost of a cinema camera.