Phuket Island Camera Rental: Others' Equipment and Your Experience

Coming once again to Phuket with stunning blue skies and oceans, I no longer feel the rush and panic of travel as I did during my first beach vacation. From booking boat tickets, hotels and airport pick-up service online, I’m sure I have prepared everything I needed, saving me both time and money. I came to Phuket this time mainly to learn how to dive, in order to get that scuba-diving permit I put off for so long and to have another chance to get up-close watching of those bright little fish in the clear blue sea. It was when I was browsing online through diving lessons that I discovered the “Shared Camera Rentals” platform. The cameras available for rental were mostly underwater and dynamic image-shooting ones that aren’t commonly used.

A quick search on e-commerce sites revealed a variety of platforms for camera rentals. I hadn’t been on an island tour for so long, so I hadn’t noticed the rapid growth of this in the market. Camera rentals are usually grouped by location, because cross-regional mailing or self-pick-up carries a significant amount of risk and cost in terms of time. So at the time, I chose a shop that provided

local delivery service within Beijing. I went in and took my pick among a wide selection including the Olympus Stylus TG-4, GoPro HERO 5, SWEBO 500/6.3-32 with telephoto lens, Nikon D90 and many more models of all different shapes and functions.

These camera rental platforms allow a single camera to be used by multiple individuals. Rentals are calculated by day, and customers are required to pay a deposit. These platforms are a boon for tourists, satisfying their need for photography on the road as well as saving cost.

After all, the average tourist has no need to make a big investment on an underwater camera. Moreover, the evolution of electronic devices, and especially cameras, far outpaces the rate at which people can afford them. With a scuba-diving permit finally in my possession, I set off with my underwater camera to frolic with those underwater beauties. In the depths of the sea, there are variouslife-forms living in ways unfamiliar to us. To capture every one of those scenes and to record every moment of joy is a way of solidifying the wonderful memories of our youth.