Lensrentals’ annual rental data for 2025 has unveiled fascinating insights into the photography and videography equipment landscape, highlighting distinctive usage patterns for major camera brands.

Rental Trends: Specialized Platform Performance

The rental platform’s data suggests an intriguing specialization trend: photographers and videographers are gravitating towards specific brands for distinct purposes. Sony appears dominant in video-focused rentals, while Canon maintains a strong foothold in stills photography.

Key observations include the Sony FX3 video camera and Sony a7S III ranking prominently, indicating a preference for their video capabilities. Conversely, Canon’s EOS R6 Mark II and RF lens series dominated the stills photography rental market.

Emerging Equipment Preferences

The rental data also signals potential shifts in professional equipment ecosystems. Notable trends include:

• Declining DSLR system rentals
• Increasing mirrorless camera popularity
• Growing interest in high-capacity data storage solutions

Mirrorless camera shipments have dramatically outpaced DSLR units, with approximately 5 million mirrorless cameras shipped compared to just 580,000 DSLR units in the first ten months of 2025.

Battery and Accessory Insights

Interestingly, battery rentals provided additional context, with Sony’s NP-FZ100 and Canon’s LP-E6NH batteries featuring prominently. This suggests professionals are strategically renting equipment for specific project requirements.

The rental landscape continues to evolve, offering professionals flexible access to cutting-edge photographic and videographic technology without substantial upfront investment.