Episodes

  • It's the season finale of The Lensrentals Podcast! This week we're keeping it very informal. Joey, Roger, and Ryan are each bringing in a topic we haven't yet had time to cover in depth on the podcast before.

    The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

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  • Nathan Armstrong and Will Evans are co-workers at NLA Projects, a Memphis-area production company that specializes in both photography and videography. Nahan started as a concert photographer before Will joined as his Production Manager and helped guide their work more toward commercial video. Here, they discuss how they went about making that transition and what skills they're able to apply to both types of work. Check out examples of their work here.

    The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

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  • We’ve all had it happen before, you just wrapped a great photoshoot, and you get home, excited to look through the photos, only to find that all the images are a hair soft. This can be for a number of reasons, but one of the first things to diagnose will likely be to see if your lens is suddenly back focusing or front focusing a bit.

    Fortunately, with recent iterations of digital cameras, you no longer need to send this gear to the manufacturer and can do a lot of these tests at home. While of course, for serious issues with your camera or lens, we always recommend sending out your gear to an authorized repair center, but for some smaller issues, you can do a lot at home. Today on The Lensrentals Podcast, Ryan, Roger, and Joey sit down to talk about how to properly test your gear at home. From focusing charts to systems that can help micro-adjust your lenses to your camera, the team sits down and talks about all your options when it comes to testing, and correcting your gear.

    Learn how to perform autofocus microadjustment here The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

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  • In this week's episode, we sit down with Roger and Joey as they answer some of our listener's questions. And they cover a lot, from how Speedboosters work, to the benefits of various lens filters, and even touch on what the inspection process is when we receive a lens returned from a rental.Roger and Joey are among the most knowledgable on staff when it comes to optics, and the Lensrentals process, so we're excited to have them back in the studio to answer your questions.

    The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

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  • Much like the ongoing production error at the Captain Crunch factory, causing them to overproduce berries, this episode is entitled 'Oops! All Video'. Enjoy as video experts Ryan, Ally, and Dom sit down and answer all of your video-centric questions, from the importance of reliable memory, to whether you should even bother shooting in RAW.

    The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

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  • In this week's episode of the Lensrentals Podcast, Ryan is joined by Roger and Joey as they go through all you need to know when buying a used camera system. From craigslist, to KEH, to even Lensrental's own storefront, there are plenty of places to find used gear at a discounted price, but the process of buying can be overwhelming. The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

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  • On today's episode of the Lensrentals Podcast, we're doing something a little different and talking about a single piece of gear - the Canon RF 5.2 Dual Fisheye lens for VR applications. We've decided to give a full episode on this lens for a couple of different reasons - one, there is a lot to cover in both the lens itself as well as the VR workflow associated with it. Secondly, it's a groundbreaking product in a new and emerging market, and we want to highlight the innovation and gusto needed to create such a product. Try out an R5 and a 5.2mm Dual Fisheye for yourself. Watch Dom's video review of the 5.2mm Dual Fisheye. Browse The New York Times' selection of great VR documentaries.

    The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

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  • This week on the Lensrentals podcast, we touch on a topic that Roger has discussed for a number of years here on the blog - Why You Can't Trust Weather Sealing. And to help bring the point home, we're joined with The Phoblographer's own, Chris Gampat. Check out the great gear reviews and features at The Phoblographer. The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

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  • The Lensrentals Podcast is finally back, and today we're tackling questions that many people have been wondering about - comparing the three latest flagships from the Canon, Nikon, and Sony. Join Ryan Hill, Joey Miller, and Zach Sutton as they walk through all the features of each camera, to determine which one is best for each use case. Though the Canon R3 was released in late November, the Nikon Z9 was released in December, and the Sony A1 was released in early 2021, supply has been incredibly limited on all three systems. As such, many people haven't had the opportunity to get the cameras in their hands, leaving us with a lot of questions. In this episode of the Lensrentals Podcast, listen in as we try to answer all your questions, and share our opinions on which one is our personal favorite.



    Rent the R3, Z9, or A1 and try them out for yourself. The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

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  • In 2006 Roger went on an Alaskan cruise and had to pay big bucks for a lens he knew wouldn’t be very useful to him after he came home. Thus an idea was born, and now 13 years later Lensrentals has fulfilled over 1 million orders!

    Watch our video celebrating our millionth order.

    The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

    Facebook YouTube Instagram TikTok Twitter Pinterest
  • Jem Schofield is a producer, DP and educator and the founder of theC47, a full-service production company that focuses on video production, filmmaking, consulting & education. Jem spends most of his time producing content, educating others and joins Ryan to discuss how to prepare for small to no crew productions, the essential roles that need to be filled, and when to hire out for specialists.

    Check out Jem’s YouTube channel, LinkedIn Group, and website theC47.com.

    The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question, or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

    Facebook YouTube Instagram TikTok Twitter Pinterest
  • David Carson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Carson’s images are featured extensively in the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography that was awarded to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch photo staff. In 2008, his multimedia project “Reporting for Duty” won a regional Emmy award for Advanced Media – Interactivity. We talk with David about his experience covering Ferguson, and how much of his team’s previous work prepared them to better understanding the issues that were front and center. David shares his take on newsrooms that have lost photojournalist, the future of staff photographers and why they matter even in our current visual age.
    The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question, or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

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  • Zach Sutton is a Los Angeles Photographer specializing in headshot, beauty, and portrait photography. He is also our blog editor! Sarah and Joey talk with Zach about how he built his brand, grew his network, and has become a thriving photographer. He shares why he thinks you should always test shoot, SEO tips, and addresses the ever difficult issue of how to price yourself.

    Follow Zach on
    Website
    Instagram
    Facebook

    Equipment mentioned: Alien Bees
    Innovativ Production Cart
    Profoto

    The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question, or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

    Facebook YouTube Instagram TikTok Twitter Pinterest
  • Ally is joined by Katrina Medoff and Tracy Sayre who are the executive co-directors of the Women's Weekend Film Challenge which is a women-in-film initiative that places professional filmmakers on crews that write, shoot and edit a short film in just one weekend. Through the WWFC, they have produced 24 films to date with more than 500 professional female filmmakers in New York City. These films have already been selected for 60 film festivals and counting, including the HBO Women in Comedy Festival and Fantasia Film Festival.

    Women's Weekend Film Challenge Website WWFC Instagram WWFC Twitter WWFC Facebook
    WWFC LinkedIn
    WWFC YouTube

    The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question, or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

    Facebook YouTube Instagram TikTok Twitter Pinterest
  • Impact damage, sensor scratches, and shutter failure, oh my! Lensrentals Founder Roger Cicala is once again joined by Repair Manager Aaron Cloz and Senior Photo Tech Joey Miller and this time they’re talking about all the ways you can break a camera, what can be fixed, and what is always a kiss of death.

    Resources Mentioned: Video on how to clean your camera sensor Blog post on how to clean your camera sensor


    The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson. Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question, or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

    Facebook YouTube Instagram TikTok Twitter Pinterest
  • Roger is joined by our Repair Manager Aaron and Senior Photo Tech Joey to discuss broken lenses, the types of repairs they’ve encountered, what they think can be attempted at home, and how to prevent repairs from being needed in the first place! They dish on which repair center takes the longest to get the gear back from, what environments they can count on to break a lens and advise the best gear for shooting in the rain. In this talk, they reference PhotoTech which is an authorized service center for Sony and Nikon they enjoy working with.

    The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson. Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question, or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

    Facebook YouTube Instagram TikTok Twitter Pinterest
  • It’s our year-end review of photography. Host Ryan Hill is talking with Lensrentals Quality Control Manager Joey Miller and Blog Editor Zach Sutton about their favorite gear of the year, what they’re looking forward to next year, and what photographers inspired them. Before first, Lensrentals Founder Roger Cicala wasn’t able to join for the full conversation so he recorded a kind of annual report sharing his insights on the year in optics.

    Mentioned in this episode: Fuji GFX 100S Medium Format Mirrorless Fuji X-T4 Fotodiox Pro Fusion Smart Autofocus Canon EF to Fuji GFX Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye 3D VR Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L DS How Lens Adapters Work & Why You Should Try Them

    The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

    Facebook YouTube Instagram TikTok Twitter Pinterest
  • This week we’re wrapping up the year from a video perspective. Lensrentals Product Development Supervisor Ally Aycock Patterson and LensProToGo Video Producer Dom Boisvert join host Ryan Hill to discuss their favorite products of the year, the state of the industry today, and what each person hopes to see in the future.

    Mentioned in the episode: Sony FE C 16-35mm T/3.1 G Deity Deluxe 2-Person Wireless Omni Lavalier Mic System Tentacle Sync E Timecode Generator DJI Ronin 4D ARRI Orbiter ARRI L5-C LED Fresnel 3-Light Studio Kit Canon EOS R3 Nikon Z 9 Canon EOS R5 Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye 3D VR

    Resources: DPReview article on the Nikon Z9 initial review
    The New York Times VR articles Memoria Summer of Soul Dune

    The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

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  • Yeehaw, it’s a photo gear rodeo y’all! Ryan, Joey, and Zach host our first return guest, Barney Britton, Senior Editor at DPReview. We're talking about several new and upcoming releases from Canon, Sony, Fuji, and yes, Nikon too!

    Mentioned in this episode:
    Canon 5.2mm f/2.8 dual fisheye Canon 8-15mm f/4L
    Canon 85mm f/1.2L DS
    Fuji GFX 50S II
    Fuji GFX 100S
    Canon EOS R3
    Canon 1DX Mark III
    Sony A9 Mark II
    Sony A1
    Nikon Z9

    Resources:
    Canon Official 5.2mm Dual Fisheye Sample Footage DPR GFX 50S II Review DPR Canon R3 Preview DPR on the Canon R3’s Eye-Tracking AF DPR Nikon Z9 Preview

    The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

    Facebook YouTube Instagram TikTok Twitter Pinterest
  • Welcome back to one of our favorite types of episodes where we’re answering more of your questions about all things relating to photography and cinematography. Ryan is joined by Joey, who will be answering photo questions and for all things video we’ve got one of our video producers here too, Dom is back! We’ll cover everything from the history of Lensrentals, to why it’s so hard to find a decent video camera that shoots decent stills.

    Resources mentioned Indie Film Lab Firefly Electric Lensrentals Podcast episode: How Indie Film Lab Keeps Film Alive Lensrentals Podcast episode: How Lensrentals Reached A Million Orders Gear Sony PXW-FS7
    Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG Sigma 50mm f/1.4 HSM Art DG Sigma HSM Art 85mm f/1.2 DG Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM

    Canon 50mm f/1.2 Canon CN-E Cine Lenses
    Canon EOS C300 Mark III Canon 5D MK III Canon 5D MK IV

    Rokinon Zeen Cine Lenses

    Zeiss CP2 Cine Lenses
    Zeiss CP3 Cine Lenses

    Apature LS C300d II

    Kessler Shuttle Dolly System
    Kessler Shuttle Dolly Kwik Rail Kit

    C-Stands The Lensrentals Podcast is a production of Lensrentals, founded by Roger Cicala. Our production staff includes Drew Cicala, Ryan Hill, Sarah McAlexander, SJ Smith, Julian Harper, John Tucker, and Zach Sutton. Other contributors include Roger Cicala, Joey Miller, Ally Aycock Patterson, Joshua Richardson, and Philip Robertson.

    Thanks to Jacques Granger for our theme song.

    Submit a topic idea, question or comment, leave us a voicemail at 901-609-LENS, or send us an email at [email protected].

    Facebook YouTube Instagram TikTok Twitter Pinterest