"Josh, the owner, goes out of his way to make sure you get what you need. He's very accommodating, even if you're just an amateur. Professionals will appreciate the ability to reserve gear up to one year in advance, and everyone should check out the new online booking system; it'll save you a lot of time. A calender shows you instantly when something you want is available. If you're not sure about what you want, give Josh a call; he's very easy to talk to.
The return process is rather painless. As long as you're upfront about any damage to the gear, he's a reasonable guy. If you want, you can hang around for the formal inspection. I was in a hurry, so I just dropped the gear off and got a signed paper saying I returned everything.
One thing you need to keep in mind is the store doesn't provide insurance. You'll want to consider getting it through your credit card, home owners insurance, or professional insurance. Talk with Josh if you have any concerns; he's done his homework.
Doing business with Josh has been a positive experience. I plan on renting more gear this week, to shoot a rare performance at the Hawaii State Art Museum. It's comforting to know you have access to quality glass for those special occasions. This is especially important for out-of-state photographers, who don't want the stress of dragging expensive, heavy gear through airport security.
A bonus to doing business with Josh is you can spoil yourself by renting a rare lens, such as the Canon 50mm f/1.0L. It's like giving yourself a fantasy vacation ;_)"
"Hawaii Photo Rental was a great place to rent from! Josh was very helpful, quick to respond, and didn't make it hard to get in and get out so I could use the Nikon dSLR I rented! Received a nice follow up email asking how my week with the camera was going, which was unexpected, but made the experience more personal. I will totally recommend to traveling photographers, as well as photographers like myself, just dabbling with different cameras."
"Just found out about Hawaii Photo Rental. They have a good selection of camera equipment at a reasonable rate. Would recommend them to anyone wanting to rent some photographic equipment. Next time I need to try out a new lens, they are the first place for me to go."
"Fantastic service!
My camera broke the day before a wedding that I had flown from LA to document. Being the day before 4th of July, not a single other repair or rental store was open. I thought I'd have to purchase a new camera on the spot since there was no repair service, but luckily Josh's Hawaii Photo Rental was based out of the one photo store that was open and that I happened to go into. As it turns out, I was able to rent everything I needed within 1/2 hour, and make special drop-off arrangements so I could catch my plane back-- all for an incredibly reasonable price. I walked into the store a complete mess and walked out smiling from ear to ear. This was by far the best service I've ever gotten at a camera store or rental. Highly, highly recommended!!!"
"Hawaii Photo Rental has proven to be such a worthwhile addition to Hawaii's photography community. Josh provides photographers with amazing equipment, excellent rates and amazing customer service. They are organized, efficient and always willing to help customers in any way possible."
"I'm a local photographer on Oahu and I rented a Canon lens from Hawaii Photo Rental, to help decide about a future purchase. I was very pleased with my whole experience. Joshua, the owner, was very helpful and friendly. The lens was in great condition and available at a very reasonable price. I'll be renting from them again!-Elissa"
"Great communication and a pleasure to deal with. I will us Josh and Hawaii Photo Rental again."
"Service is excellent and Josh is a pleasure to deal with. Their equipment is in great condition and works flawlessly. Price is competitive and being able to pick up rentals locally instead of having to ship from the mainland is a huge plus."