The Kit Rental Market in 2026 Round Table

Experts from two leading equipment hire companies share their views on the state of the sector and how to maximise your relationships with rental partners

The panel

Matt Beard

Sales director, Hireacamera, which provides UK-wide camera and lens rental

Dan Edmonds

Accounts manager for TV and Film, Universal Pixels, a company that offers LED screen hire and video rental equipment for productions

Definition: How would you describe the current state of the production kit rental sector in 2026?

Dan Edmonds: We have had a strong start to 2026. We are aware of many productions coming online over the summer making it look like things are back to normal industry-wide. I know from speaking to crew in other departments there has been some uncertainty over their next jobs as many have ended or are coming to an end. It seems there is potentially a short break for some at the end of this quarter, but I am sure things will be more positive for everyone at the end of July or August.

Matt Beard: Production budgets are tighter than ever and timelines are squeezed. While the sheer volume of content being made from streaming to high-end corporate means the demand for kit is still there, the landscape is relentlessly competitive. The days of talking through set-ups are largely gone as the market has shifted to: ‘I need this cheap, and I need it now.’ We get one shot to secure the deal on price and availability; we have to be sharper, faster and more aggressive commercially than everyone else to stay in the running.

Def: Where are you seeing the strongest demand right now?

MB: Compact multicamera set-ups continue to be the main focus. Independent and corporate productions are operating with much smaller crews – often a single filmmaker or a skeleton team – so the demand is entirely for lightweight, run-and-gun gear that doesn’t sacrifice production value. Full-frame workhorses like the Sony FX3, FX6 and Canon EOS C70 are out constantly, alongside versatile, fast zoom lenses (like 24-70mm and 70-200mm glass). Clients want kit that slots seamlessly into a tight corporate schedule or a fast-paced indie shoot, allowing them to capture top-tier cinematic quality without the massive footprint of a traditional cinema rig.

DE: We have been busy on larger feature films this year. We don’t do much in the way of commercials very often – however I know this area has been strong for many people in the last few months.

Def: What are the biggest pressures rental companies are facing?

DE: Our biggest challenge is getting people to commit to rentals in time. We are seeing productions confirm orders closer and closer to the required delivery time. This isn’t something new, as there have often been close lead times, but as we have always delivered on those, the lead time seems to be getting tighter and tighter. If this continues, there will be a point where we have to turn away work as we won’t be able to deliver a system safely with the quality of kit or crew we are happy with.

MB: The biggest pressure comes from being squeezed on all sides. We are battling massive inflation across our entire operational supply chain, with surging overheads across staffing costs, couriers, insurance and utilities, yet we are restricted in passing those costs on. Downstream, production budgets are being aggressively cut. Creators and corporate production teams are demanding rock-bottom rates, resulting in a tough, transactional market where deals are won or lost on razor-thin margins. We have to maintain a flawless, premium service and absorb escalating business costs internally, all while making sure to keep our rental prices fiercely competitive.

Def: What do you think makes a great rental partner in 2026? Where can rental companies add the most value now?

MB: Flexibility is key. We are constantly dealing with last-minute approvals, changing budgets, shifting locations and altered kit lists. At Hireacamera, we take this in our stride, removing as much of the stress as we can for our clients to free them up to manage their shoots. But above all, it comes down to reliability. When the gear lands, it needs to be ready to shoot instantly so the crew does not have to think about anything other than capturing their content.

DE: As always, our strongest value add is our experience. We have people in our team that have worked in many departments on-set: lighting, VFX, art, to name a few. This experience means we can help productions in the early stages by designing a cost-effective solution that works on-set. There are also occasions where we help design a solution that doesn’t need our equipment, as it wouldn’t benefit production. This value add is where rental companies can be a massive benefit. It’s well worth dropping in for a coffee with them for a chat every now and then.

Def: What technological developments are having the biggest real-world impact on the rental sector?

MB: For us, it comes down to advanced hybrid autofocus and intelligent tracking tech. Independent and corporate crews have shrunk over the last few years; a lot of people are shooting completely solo or with a skeleton team. They rely on features like real-time eye tracking and subject detection on systems like the Sony FX series, which were previously scoffed at by purists although are now an absolute necessity.

DE: From our LED screen and image-based lighting side, the technology continues to improve as new equipment is constantly arriving. But it is a gradual evolution over new, exciting, boundary-changing milestones. I would say the side we are seeing the most developments on is on-set playback – and it’s a side productions don’t really see. We have new playback solutions; some with greater colour control, others with better workflows. Over the next few years, this is where most of our internal teams will spend time researching and evaluating.

Def: Do you see AI having a meaningful influence operationally?

DE: AI is something that will make a meaningful influence and, I think, from talks I have been to, people are starting to be less worried about how it will fit into production. It can be a very good tool and something that can help rental companies make systems talk to each other efficiently, or to improve automated equipment testing.

MB: For us, the absolute core of the business is direct, real-world contact and human communication. We use the tech strictly as a backroom tool to handle the repetitive administrative clutter and clear it out of the way. This frees up our staff to do what they do best: pick up the phone, talk to people and find solutions. AI just gives us a shortcut to get to those conversations quicker.

Def: Sustainability is increasingly part of the conversation for productions and across the whole supply chain. How is your business responding to that?

DE: This is something we have been working on since pre-Covid as it is at the heart of our business. We have become a B Corp, which means we have gone through rigorous verification, looking at our entire supply chain and how the whole business works. It’s taken a lot of work over the years for us to get to this stage, as it is not just about the environment, but the people that work for us, how we operate in our community and much more.

MB: We are actively eliminating waste by cutting out single-use plastics, using electric couriers where practical and consolidating shipments to reduce mileage. The issue is, as margins are squeezed, going the extra mile becomes more difficult. Solar power is absolutely on our radar, but the upfront costs mean it requires strategic budgeting.

Def: What gives you optimism about the future of the rental sector?

DE: We are seeing the film industry stabilise after the challenges of the last few years. This, along with productions having tighter budgets, means rental companies are in the perfect position to help the production team by scaling the equipment requirements up and down weekly to save unnecessary costs.

MB: In the past, a production company could buy a camera system and sweat that asset for five to seven years before it felt obsolete. Today, technology moves so fast; processing power, autofocus and resolution demands change every year. For an independent creator or a corporate department, spending £6k to £12k upfront on a single set-up is a massive hit to cash flow that doesn’t make sense any more. Corporate and independent video work is also very varied. One week, you’re shooting a talking-head interview inside a tight office where you just need a Sony FX3 on a gimbal. The next week, you’re covering a fast-paced commercial that requires a complex three-camera set-up. No one can afford to personally own the perfect kit for every single scenario. Renting is the only way to scale up or scale down instantly based on the creative brief, and that practical reality is what makes our sector essential.

Def: What needs to change across the wider production ecosystem to ensure the long-term health of the rental sector?

DE: I go back to our biggest issue, which is lead times. Talking to us early and committing as far in advance as possible helps everyone. It also saves additional costs and stress by bringing in extra equipment and crew, and allows rental companies to make calculated decisions on equipment purchases in advance. For us, ordering in a new VP-capable LED screen is a six-month process, from placing the order to it being delivered without needing air freight. We also have the impact AI is putting on the supply chain – at a component level, things like RAM and other chips are in short supply, which then delays our own orders.

MB: The industry isn’t going to magically change its last-minute habits overnight, but this culture of locking down corporate budgets and kit lists days before a shoot really needs a rethink. It forces the whole supply chain into panic mode. It puts an unnecessary strain on tech teams who are trying to meticulously prep and test every single piece of gear, and it makes life a nightmare for couriers trying to guarantee a next-day delivery slot.
A bit of extra breathing room in the planning stages would just make life a lot healthier for everyone involved. Plus, it actually benefits the productions themselves. When we aren’t all going hell for leather to hit a deadline, we actually have the time to suggest a better way of doing things and deliver a much better service.

For more insights into the industry, read Round table: Colour, control and the future of film lighting

This story appears in the June/July 2026 issue of Definition