CameraLends, the listings website that has described itself as "AirBnB for camera gear," is getting into the studio business.
CameraLends has enabled person-to-person rentals of photo and video equipment since its launch in January 2013. Now, in addition to cameras, drones, lighting, audio, and other equipment, CameraLends is listing studio space. That means facilities with unused creative space can list rooms for rent to other creative types for a variety of time periods — daily, hourly, half-daily.
A quick perusal of listings in the New York City area turns up a 4,500-square-foot studio in Chelsea for $40/hour or $300/day, a 1,125-square-foot space on 29th Street with a green-screen backdrop for $150/hour or $1,195/day, and an "intimate and comfortable" 320-square-foot studio on 30th Street for $75/hour or $425/day.
Listing a space on CameraLends is free. If a user sends a request, the owner has the option of paying a one-time referral fee to receive that user's contact information. The actual transaction between lender and lendee takes place off-site, so the site's owner keeps the entirety of the rental fee.
It's an interesting strategy extension for a company in growth mode. CameraLends claims a fivefold increase in monthly active users over the last year, as well as in the number of rental listings posted. Gear has been available in more than 500 cities following the company's nationwide expansion earlier this year, but the company says its most active communities are in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle.
