NGYNCREATIVE Calculator

Buy or keep renting?

Plug in what a piece of gear costs to own and what you pay to rent it. The calculator finds the break-even point and scores the purchase.

The gear

Starting numbers are samples. Replace them with your real quotes.

Buying

$
Add any accessories you'd need to buy with it.
$
Only what this item adds to your premium. If your blanket policy doesn't change, enter 0.
% of price
years
% of price

Renting

$
Day rate plus damage waiver, fees, and tax: the total on the invoice per day.
$
Per rental: gas, parking, your time.
days / mo
Days you'd otherwise rent it for your own shoots.

Renting it out

days / mo
Days you'd rent it to other crews. Enter 0 if you won't.
$
What you'd take home per day after any platform fees.

The readout

Break-even––
Days to pay off–shoot + rent-out days
Rent spend / year––
Saved over life–incl. resale
Cumulative rental costCost to own, minus rent-out income

Purchase scorecard

    What makes a good gear purchase

    These are working rules of thumb based on standard payback-period thinking, not published industry standards. Adjust them to your own cash position and booking pace.

    Pays back within 12 monthsUnder a year is a strong buy. 12 to 24 months is fine for durable gear like lenses and grip. Past two years, keep renting.
    Comes out ahead after resaleOver the gear's life, owning should beat renting by at least a quarter of the purchase price once you sell it. A thin margin isn't worth the risk.
    Rental spend hits 30% of priceIf a year of rentals costs a third of the sticker price, ownership usually wins.