Do you insure your photography equipment?

TomTextura · 06-08-2012, 01:10 PM

I'm curious to know how people feel about insuring their photography gear.

If you do insure your gear, can you share your experience? Has it been good or bad?

Any other insights on this topic are welcome.

*If you selected Other, please add a comment saying what it is. Thanks!

BTW: The strobes option can double for continuous lights.

Last edited by TomTextura; 06-08-2012 at 02:01 PM. Reason: Clarify that the strobes option can double for continuous lights.

jaywes · 06-08-2012, 01:22 PM

Interesting topic. I'd also like to know. I'm no pro therefore I do not have any of my gear insured.

**Kerrowdown** · 06-08-2012, 01:32 PM

I picked camera, lenses, strobes and others.

In my case the others category is for the public liability insurance element, which is just essential when working as a photographer.

TomTextura · 06-08-2012, 02:04 PM

Originally posted by kerrowdown

I picked camera, lenses, strobes and others. In my case the others category is for the public liability insurance element, which is just essential when working as a photographer.

Thanks for sharing! I overlooked liability; glad you included it. Do you think you get a good deal with your insurance package or is it a bit on the pricey side?

Medium FormatPro · 06-08-2012, 03:36 PM

There can be a lot of waivers in insurance if one operates a legit photography business.

For instance if you have a certain make, model, and perhaps most importantly specifications of a camera - make sure it's included in the policy that they'll need to cover up to those exact specs. I've seen in the past - as an example... Oh I see you have a full frame 20mp Nikon you bought one year ago at 3k in price. We'll give you this amount to either but the 20mp or that same dollar amount towards full frame - which naturally won't cover it

So in other words; make sure they give you full replacement value.

And then there are different types of insurance to cover different locations. For instance for those people that have a laptop computer... Is your laptop covered in a car or bus crash? Covered while traveling or in a hotel room? Or here's one of the best ones for people that rarely if ever back up properly - covered for cost to retrieve data - and guess how much that cost is per GB?

Bob from Aus · 06-08-2012, 03:51 PM

Mine is an addition to my house insurance AAMI. They paid for a new K5 after my wife accidentally spilled sprite lemonade on it and didn't know. The next day the dials had almost seized and the settings and colour had gone crazy. I have each item of equipment insured plus an additional $5,000 of unspecified gear. They won't do notebooks. They only cover 4 weeks over seas so I might change as I am going to Africa for five weeks, however the last week is pretty safe.

**LaurenOE** · 06-08-2012, 04:17 PM

We just finished insuring everything through State Farm. With all the gear we have, they had a hard time believing I am an 'Amateur'.

TomTextura · 06-08-2012, 07:18 PM

Originally posted by Medium FormatPro

So in other words; make sure they give you full replacement value.

That'd definitely be a serious concern. I'd guess it's safe to assume that the devil is in the details, and the details are in the small print.

Originally posted by Bob from Aus

They only cover 4 weeks over seas so I might change as I am going to Africa for five weeks, however the last week is pretty safe.

I would need to figure out something along those lines but for a much longer duration as I'm in Argentina for at least several more months. I'm doubtful there'd even be an option for me that doesn't involve paying a staggering premium.

**Kerrowdown** · 06-10-2012, 07:37 AM

Originally posted by TomTextura

Do you think you get a good deal with your insurance package or is it a bit on the pricey side?

I'm afraid for me it's a necessary evil, really at almost any price, I can't afford not to have equipment covered if it all goes wrong.

The public liability cover element is a prerequisite for most jobs, without it you don't work.

Just shop around and get the best deal you can from a reputable company and get the cover you need and read the small print.

**Lowell Goudge** · 06-16-2012, 05:21 AM

I used to insure my gear, but here is the issue.

As insured contents of my house or car, the gear , after deductible, is covered for replacement cost, of comparable models

Therefore let's say someone got my whole kit. My qricoh xr2s and Pentax KX would get replaced with K30's and my PZ1 and 4 DSLR bodies would all be replaced with K5s because they were all the flagship model at the time

If I insure them, I need to put a value on them, which I may or may not be able to replace them for, but I am covered for everything from accidental brakage etc,

As an armature I don't see the point in insuring them, as a pro, I would

If it all got stolen, the insured under existing policies even after deductible would far exceed a realistic replace with same type of value.

The only thing that might make me change this approach is some collectors pieces which I would really like to have replaced with exact models. My *istD is one of these because it can do TTL flash as well as P-TTL.

View Poll Results: What photography gear do you insure?
Cameras	14	56.00%
Lenses	14	56.00%
Strobes	9	36.00%
Other*	8	32.00%
None	11	44.00%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 25. You may not vote on this poll

06-08-2012, 01:10 PM	#1
TomTextura Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Denver Photos: Albums Posts: 570	Do you insure your photography equipment? I'm curious to know how people feel about insuring their photography gear. If you do insure your gear, can you share your experience? Has it been good or bad? Any other insights on this topic are welcome. If you selected Other, please add a comment saying what it is. Thanks! BTW: The strobes option can double for continuous lights. Last edited by TomTextura; 06-08-2012 at 02:01 PM. Reason: Clarify that the strobes option can double for continuous lights.*

06-10-2012, 07:37 AM	#9
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,835	Originally posted by TomTextura Do you think you get a good deal with your insurance package or is it a bit on the pricey side? I'm afraid for me it's a necessary evil, really at almost any price, I can't afford not to have equipment covered if it all goes wrong. The public liability cover element is a prerequisite for most jobs, without it you don't work. Just shop around and get the best deal you can from a reputable company and get the cover you need and read the small print. Last edited by Kerrowdown; 06-10-2012 at 02:37 PM.

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06-08-2012, 01:22 PM	#2
jaywes Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: New York, USA Posts: 235	Interesting topic. I'd also like to know. I'm no pro therefore I do not have any of my gear insured.

06-08-2012, 01:32 PM	#3
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,835	I picked camera, lenses, strobes and others. In my case the others category is for the public liability insurance element, which is just essential when working as a photographer.

06-08-2012, 02:04 PM	#4
TomTextura Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Denver Photos: Albums Posts: 570 Original Poster	Originally posted by kerrowdown I picked camera, lenses, strobes and others. In my case the others category is for the public liability insurance element, which is just essential when working as a photographer. Thanks for sharing! I overlooked liability; glad you included it. Do you think you get a good deal with your insurance package or is it a bit on the pricey side?

06-08-2012, 03:36 PM	#5
Medium FormatPro Banned Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Charleston & Pittsburgh Photos: Albums Posts: 1,668	There can be a lot of waivers in insurance if one operates a legit photography business. For instance if you have a certain make, model, and perhaps most importantly specifications of a camera - make sure it's included in the policy that they'll need to cover up to those exact specs. I've seen in the past - as an example... Oh I see you have a full frame 20mp Nikon you bought one year ago at 3k in price. We'll give you this amount to either but the 20mp or that same dollar amount towards full frame - which naturally won't cover it So in other words; make sure they give you full replacement value. And then there are different types of insurance to cover different locations. For instance for those people that have a laptop computer... Is your laptop covered in a car or bus crash? Covered while traveling or in a hotel room? Or here's one of the best ones for people that rarely if ever back up properly - covered for cost to retrieve data - and guess how much that cost is per GB?

06-08-2012, 03:51 PM	#6
Bob from Aus Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,094	Mine is an addition to my house insurance AAMI. They paid for a new K5 after my wife accidentally spilled sprite lemonade on it and didn't know. The next day the dials had almost seized and the settings and colour had gone crazy. I have each item of equipment insured plus an additional $5,000 of unspecified gear. They won't do notebooks. They only cover 4 weeks over seas so I might change as I am going to Africa for five weeks, however the last week is pretty safe.

06-08-2012, 04:17 PM	#7
LaurenOE Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Back in Florida, but worldwide gigs! Photos: Albums Posts: 3,690	We just finished insuring everything through State Farm. With all the gear we have, they had a hard time believing I am an 'Amateur'.

06-08-2012, 07:18 PM	#8
TomTextura Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Denver Photos: Albums Posts: 570 Original Poster	Originally posted by Medium FormatPro So in other words; make sure they give you full replacement value. That'd definitely be a serious concern. I'd guess it's safe to assume that the devil is in the details, and the details are in the small print. Originally posted by Bob from Aus They only cover 4 weeks over seas so I might change as I am going to Africa for five weeks, however the last week is pretty safe. I would need to figure out something along those lines but for a much longer duration as I'm in Argentina for at least several more months. I'm doubtful there'd even be an option for me that doesn't involve paying a staggering premium.

06-16-2012, 05:21 AM	#10
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,891	I used to insure my gear, but here is the issue. As insured contents of my house or car, the gear , after deductible, is covered for replacement cost, of comparable models Therefore let's say someone got my whole kit. My qricoh xr2s and Pentax KX would get replaced with K30's and my PZ1 and 4 DSLR bodies would all be replaced with K5s because they were all the flagship model at the time If I insure them, I need to put a value on them, which I may or may not be able to replace them for, but I am covered for everything from accidental brakage etc, As an armature I don't see the point in insuring them, as a pro, I would If it all got stolen, the insured under existing policies even after deductible would far exceed a realistic replace with same type of value. The only thing that might make me change this approach is some collectors pieces which I would really like to have replaced with exact models. My *istD is one of these because it can do TTL flash as well as P-TTL.