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Photogrammetry Rig Finance

Photogrammetry camera rigs cost from around £5,000 for a single DSLR kit to £80,000+ for a full studio or volumetric capture rig, and camera and processing technology moving on quickly means leasing usually suits better than long ownership.

Can you finance a photogrammetry rig?

Yes, photogrammetry rigs are financed as a standard asset purchase, usually on hire purchase or a lease, with the machine itself acting as the security. UK prices typically run £5,000 to £80,000, and most deals are written over 12-36 months with a deposit of around 10-20%. Decisions typically take 24–48 hours. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.

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Typical Cost

£5k – £80k

Approval Speed

24–48 hours

Longer for a full studio capture rig

Rates From

5.8% APR

What would a photogrammetry rig cost per month?

£20,000
10%
60 months
9%
£0

Your estimate

Indicative only. Not a quote and not an offer of finance.

Pre-filled with a typical photogrammetry rig price. Indicative only, not a quote.

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Finance options

Hire Purchase (HP)

Rate
6.0% - 10.0% per annum
Term
12-36 months
Deposit
10-20%
Ownership
Yours at the end
Best for
Practices confident they will use this exact a photogrammetry rig specification for its full working life

Finance Lease

Rate
5.5% - 9.5% per annum
Term
12-36 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return or buy (balloon payment)
Best for
Firms wanting the equipment off balance sheet with fully deductible payments

Technology Refresh Lease

Rate
6.0% - 10.5% per annum
Term
24-36 months, refreshed at term end
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return, refresh to current model, or buy
Best for
Survey firms that want to move onto the current sensor generation every two to three years rather than run ageing hardware

Representative example

On a purchase price of £20,000: a 10% deposit of £2,000, then 48 monthly payments of £422 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £22,256, including the deposit. The rate you are offered depends on your business and the asset.

What buyers actually specify

Guide prices for sizing a finance agreement, not quotes. Manufacturers in this market mostly price on application, so where a current UK list price could not be confirmed the row describes a specification class rather than naming a model. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.

Machine or specification Guide price Type
Single DSLR Photogrammetry Kit £5,000 - £10,000 Single Camera Kit
Multi-Camera Ground Rig £12,000 - £25,000 Multi-Camera Ground Rig
Drone-Mounted Photogrammetry Payload £15,000 - £35,000 Drone-Mounted Payload
Full Studio or Volumetric Capture Rig £40,000 - £80,000 Studio Capture Rig

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Tax benefits

A photogrammetry rig is treated as plant and machinery for tax purposes, so it qualifies for the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA), letting a business deduct the full cost from taxable profits in the year of purchase, up to the current £1,000,000 annual limit. Companies buying new, unused equipment may also qualify for full expensing, a 100% first-year deduction against Corporation Tax. These allowances apply where you own the instrument, so they are available under a Hire Purchase agreement. Ongoing calibration and certification costs sit outside the finance agreement and are not part of the capital cost, so they are usually deducted as a running business expense in the year they are incurred rather than claimed as an allowance. Always confirm treatment with your accountant before committing to a structure.

Market context

Photogrammetry rigs, whether a ground-based multi-camera setup or a drone-mounted payload used purely for image capture rather than direct sensing, are bought by surveying practices, heritage recording specialists, visual effects studios and engineering consultancies producing detailed 3D models from photographs. Camera resolution, lens quality and the processing software used to reconstruct a model from a set of images all move forward quickly, so a rig depreciates on a technology cycle in much the same way as a laser scanner, and many practices prefer a lease or refresh agreement over long ownership to keep pace with what clients expect from a current capture and processing workflow. Replacement is generally driven by camera and processing capability falling behind current standards rather than the physical rig failing, and a secondhand market exists for camera bodies and rig frames, though buyers should check the processing software's continued support before relying on an older camera model.

Bad credit?

Several of our 200+ lenders specialise in businesses with imperfect credit histories. You may need a larger deposit or personal guarantee, but options exist. Checking your options here does not affect your credit score, because we do not run a credit search to match you. A lender will run their own checks only if you decide to apply.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a photogrammetry rig and a laser scanner for survey work?
A photogrammetry rig builds a 3D model from a set of overlapping photographs processed through specialist software, while a laser scanner measures distances directly using laser pulses to build a point cloud. Photogrammetry can be cheaper to set up and works well for detailed surface texture and colour, while laser scanning generally gives more consistent accuracy in challenging lighting. Many practices use both methods depending on the project, and each can be financed separately.
Can a photogrammetry rig be financed alongside processing software?
Some lenders will include software within the same agreement as the camera and rig hardware, particularly where it is a one-off licence bundled by the supplier, though ongoing subscription software is usually kept separate and budgeted as a running cost. Ask your broker to clarify how your specific supplier prices the software before assuming it can be financed alongside the hardware.
Why does a photogrammetry rig depreciate quickly?
Camera sensor resolution, lens quality and the processing software used to reconstruct a model from photographs all improve steadily, and a rig using an older camera generation can produce noticeably lower-quality models than current equipment even where the physical rig still functions perfectly. This is why refresh leasing is common for this equipment, in the same way it suits laser scanners and drone survey systems.
Can I finance a used photogrammetry rig?
Yes, though buyers should check that the camera model and any specialist mounting hardware are still supported by current processing software before committing, since an unsupported camera can limit which processing packages will accept its images. A specialist survey or visual effects equipment dealer can usually advise on this before a purchase. Buying used remains a sensible way to access a photogrammetry rig without the full cost of a new unit, provided the condition and history are clearly documented and shared with the lender before you commit to a purchase.
How quickly can photogrammetry rig finance be approved?
Most applications are approved within 24 to 48 hours for a single-camera or ground rig kit. A full studio or volumetric capture rig, given the scale of the purchase, may take a little longer while the lender reviews the full specification and intended use. Having your last set of accounts, bank statements and a clear supplier quote ready before you apply is the single biggest thing you can do to keep a photogrammetry rig application moving at that pace, since most delays come from a lender waiting on paperwork rather than from the credit decision itself.

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