7d ii

[Sean Setters]

I'd sure like it if TDP developed a partnership with LensRentals.com such that one (or more) of LR's orders is auto-rented (and potentially direct drop-shipped) to TDP, so that the additional copies needed for consistency turn into rental stock after a reasonable period.

Coincidentally enough, that's kind of what Bryan does with some lenses – especially the super-telephotos. He orders a couple of them, tests them, then sells one of them to LensRentals because they can always use the stock. Plus they're usually happy knowing the lens has been pre-vetted and they won't have any initial problems with it.

Typically speaking, Bryan preorders one camera/lens for review purposes. If his test results indicate a problem, that's when he orders additional units to either validate his results or confirm abnormalities. For reviews he feels are greatly anticipated, he may preorder two lenses just in case there is an issue with one (there rarely is) and to also ensure he gets the lens as soon as possible (assuming he orders from two separate retailers, one may arrive before the other).

In the case of the 7D II, Bryan is preordering one for testing purposes and I'm preordering one for personal use.