I just arranged to rent the Nikon 600mm TC lens for my Churchill trip with Glenn Bartley in June. Considering the eye-popping price for buying the lens (which now is readily available for purchase), this seemed like a no-brainer. I bought the all-inclusive insurance and accounted for an extra day at the front end. If I only "need" this lens for a few big ticket long trips over the next couple of years, I will do well to rent instead of putting out the immense amount of money for purchase and having the lens sit around unused for months at a time in between. I have plenty of other gear for "everyday" use or for shorter, less glamorous longer distance trips.