Hasselblad has just launched its own in-house ‘Rent a Hasselblad‘ service, allowing photographers to shoot with the brand’s medium-format cameras for much, much less than the thousands it costs to actually own it.

The service has been designed to make life a little easier for those on the fence about investing in a Hasselblad camera kit. By being able to rent the camera and accompanying lenses for a shoot, Hasselblad is offering users a chance to “try before they buy” at “reasonable rates.”

Should you rent a camera and then decide you wish to purchase one (provided it is within 14 days of your rental) you can have the rental fee go toward the purchase cost.

At the moment the service only works with the Hasselblad X1D-50c medium format mirrorless camera, but the company is already looking to include other models.

A Hasselblad X1D-50c currently costs $9,000 to buy and compatible Hasselblad lenses also cost four-figure sums. For example, the XCD 90mm f/3.2 retails for $3,200.

“Owning a Hasselblad medium format camera system is a significant investment even for a successful high-paid photographer,” says Bronius Rudnickas, Hasselblad Marketing Manager. “Consequently, many professional photographers and enthusiasts haven’t had the opportunity to see what they’re able to create with Hasselblad’s medium format technology.

“The ‘Rent a Hasselblad’ program is designed to change that and we’re looking forward to seeing what photographers are able to produce having easier access to our photographic tools.”

Rent a Hasselblad is a global, online service. You can choose the period of time you wish to use a camera and then the service will give you an appropriate price. For those in the US, it will cost $110 per day to rent the camera and $30 a day to rent the lenses.

You can see pricing and availability details on the Hasselblad website.