Insurance for camera equipment

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jasonsim
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p.1 #1 · Insurance for camera equipment

Hi folks,

This may be an odd question, but wanted to get some options from fellow photogs that might know of a good company to buy insurance for camera equipment. At the moment I have my stuff under a personal property policy with StateFarm. It is okay, but perhaps a better and cheaper option exists.

Thanks,
Jason

Feb 01, 2013 at 02:54 PM

robbymack
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p.1 #2 · Insurance for camera equipment

Jason I sell insurance for a living, albeit commercial not personal. There are a couple of specialty brokers and carriers to the photography industry, google photo equipment insurance or something along those lines and it will spit out a couple of options. That being said I assume st farm is either your auto or homeowners carrier. There is something to be said for keeping it simple. If you have had good experiences with them I'd say keep it there, there is always the risk of bad service but if they have proven to be good your best off staying put unless pricing is so out of whack it makes no sense anymore. Either way you should shop your personal insurance every 3-4 years just ot be sure youre still getting a good deal. If your current guys have been good (taken care of a claim with no issues etc) then give them the benefit of the doubt and make anyone beat them by at least 10%. There several carriers IMHO that are much more competitively priced than st farm (depending where you live) For both your auto and home. When your policy comes up for renewal get your st farm renewal and then call a local independent broker (one who can shop all the markets) then lastly I'd also call your local liberty mutual rep (especially if you are married and college educated, they really like that). You'd cover most of the market that way and be able to make the best decision on coverage and pricing.

Feb 01, 2013 at 03:09 PM

jasonsim
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p.1 #3 · Insurance for camera equipment

Thanks Robby. All very sound advice.

Feb 01, 2013 at 03:15 PM

ISO1600
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p.1 #4 · Insurance for camera equipment

Be careful having gear listed as (valuable) personal property with your regular insurance provider.
A few years back, I had my Canon gear under my USAA renter's policy. One of my lenses (16-35L) got heavily damaged in an accident. USAA refused to cover it because when investigating the claim they found my flickr and thought I was a professional photograher.
At the time, I was a Senior Airman (E-4, USAF) living in a dorm room at Kunsan AB, South Korea. I was not and had not been receiving any income of any sort via my photography, but they didn't believe me.
They even sent an agent out (he lived in Seoul) to interview/audit me, and he said HE believed me, and would try to convice the adjusters- but I guess it didn't work.

That was a little long-winded, but I think it is info you should keep in mind.

7DAC9836 by Chris.jpg, on Flickr

Feb 01, 2013 at 03:15 PM

Will Patterson
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p.1 #5 · Insurance for camera equipment

I use Hill Usher. Nice company to work with.

Feb 01, 2013 at 03:22 PM

gnagel
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p.1 #6 · Insurance for camera equipment

jasonsim wrote:
Hi folks,

This may be an odd question, but wanted to get some options from fellow photogs that might know of a good company to buy insurance for camera equipment. At the moment I have my stuff under a personal property policy with StateFarm. It is okay, but perhaps a better and cheaper option exists.

Thanks,
Jason

I use The Travelers. After I watched my Nikon 24-70 tumble hundreds of feet down in to a valley at Glacier National Park, I was pleased that The Travelers reimbursed me for 100% of what I paid for the lens.
http://www.nagelphotography.com/blog/2012/8/i-left-my-lens-not-my-heart-in-glacier-not-in-san-francisco

Glenn

Feb 01, 2013 at 03:25 PM

Bruce Sawle
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p.1 #7 · Insurance for camera equipment

If you sign up for professional photographers of America you can elect to have the free insurance. It covers up to 15,000. The cost to join is somewhere around $300 and you can do a one time payment or mostly installments.

Feb 01, 2013 at 03:40 PM

Jim Cowsert
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p.1 #8 · Insurance for camera equipment

( I must have typed this the same time as Bruce)
If this is a hobby and you're not needing liability insurance then check out the insurance that come's with PPA membership: About $250 a year if you are insuring under $15,000 in gear.
If you're a business then you should check out Hill & Usher or Tom Pickard Ins. that caters to the professional photographer.
Here's the link for PPA: http://www.ppa.com/insurance

Feb 01, 2013 at 03:45 PM

gazzaf1
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p.1 #9 · Insurance for camera equipment

I use Hill and Usher, a bit more than PPA to cover 20K in gear.

Even if you are a hobby shooter. If you are setting up lights it is best to have liability insurance. You never know what might happen. Inattentive parents are a nightmare, children will play on anything and trip over everything!

Feb 01, 2013 at 03:52 PM

acoll123
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p.1 #10 · Insurance for camera equipment

Something you should consider . . . I have a rider on my homeowners with State Farm. If you are working as a professional (making money) photographer then this policy does not cover your equipment. It is for personal use only. I am working occasionally for money and I realize that I am at risk when doing so. . . I may soon change to a (more expensive) separate policy to cover everything when I am working as a pro or not.

Feb 01, 2013 at 04:06 PM

goosemang
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p.1 #11 · Insurance for camera equipment

i'd like to mention insurance available to students. i'm not a full time student (it's been a while!) but i take classes in my spare time. as a result i'm eligible for a policy from these folks: http://www.collegestudentinsurance.com/

cost me about $120 or something to insure all my gear for the year. figured i'd mention it in case you took any part time classes. (it'll also cover most of my other property.)

Feb 01, 2013 at 04:13 PM

goosemang
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p.1 #12 · Insurance for camera equipment

i also have a rider on my homeowners, but i suspect allstate would try to weasel out of a claim by any means available, thus the additional policy :P

Feb 01, 2013 at 04:15 PM

retrofocus
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p.1 #13 · Insurance for camera equipment

If you are not professional, I think it is not worth it to insure your gear. I had such kind of insurance 5 years ago and realized that I just don't need it. The money which I have saved annually since I cancelled the insurance, I can now easily spend for a needed repair if something should happen.
The insurance I had would have only reimbursed me at max. for the current gear value not for what I had paid originally (this is normal practice). I always had to list my insured gear to the insurance and keep the list updated.
If you are professional, then I would definitely recommend an insurance.

Feb 01, 2013 at 04:24 PM

goosemang
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p.1 #14 · Insurance for camera equipment

what if you're an amateur with $10,000 worth of stuff and someone steals it out of your trunk?

Feb 01, 2013 at 04:38 PM

NCAndy
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p.1 #15 · Insurance for camera equipment

goosemang wrote:
what if you're an amateur with $10,000 worth of stuff and someone steals it out of your trunk?

At today's prices, $10K is a camera body and lens. I too need to look into covering my gear.

Feb 01, 2013 at 05:03 PM

ISO1600
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p.1 #16 · Insurance for camera equipment

Theft alone i think warrants having SOME kind of insurance on a bunch of gear.

Feb 01, 2013 at 05:08 PM

Tenn.Jer
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p.1 #17 · Insurance for camera equipment

I have a "personal Items" policy through State Farm, which has my home, auto, life, etc. insurance; it's remarkably cheap, about $300 a year for $20,000 in gear. But, it covers full replacement for theft or damage, even if I drop it into the river from my kayak. I could probably find it for less, but I live in a small town and have a good personal relationship with my agent, so I'm confident I'll be treated well if I need to use it. BTW, I'm a non-professional, and I know it's a different insurance world for pros...
Jerry

Feb 01, 2013 at 05:15 PM

retrofocus
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p.1 #18 · Insurance for camera equipment

goosemang wrote:
what if you're an amateur with $10,000 worth of stuff and someone steals it out of your trunk?

One reason why I NEVER leave any of my gear other than the tripod in my trunk, never. I am very cautious not to leave any of my gear or photo bags unobserved even for a short moment. But I would agree that it also depends on your personal attitude if you can or want to control your gear so well. If not, yes, an insurance might be the much better option.

Feb 01, 2013 at 06:00 PM

jasonsim
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p.1 #19 · Insurance for camera equipment

Thanks for all the links and advice folks! I'm not a working professional. Just a hobby at the moment. I've got more than the 15k for the PPA coverage, but it's good to know in the event that I drop to that level.

I mainly do this for piece of mind when I am out with my gear. Even though I'm careful with my equipment, I don't need to worry quite as much. And if I ever get robbed, I'll be covered, which is of particular concern when I travel to Rio de Janerio, Brazil each year.

Feb 02, 2013 at 02:57 PM

matt4626
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p.1 #20 · Insurance for camera equipment

I'm with State Farm too. I guess I've got the insurance as much for $$ protection as I do for "No Worrys" out in the ice, snow, dust...etc..

Feb 02, 2013 at 03:45 PM

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