insurance for your gear

i read a horror story about a guy that got his video gear (not just the camera, but everything) ripped off. i'm screwed if it ever happened to me as i'm not even sure if my renter's insurance covers my gear. so i'd like to get a separate policy for it. any of you do that? if so, which company did you go through and what's your rate like? i mostly bought through private party so no receipts. can those w/ no receipts still be covered?

thanks.

Joe-

You should "schedule" your gear... submit a complete inventory of equipment along with serial numbers, purchase dates, and replacement values to your gear insurance company. Backing up a step, though...I would DEFINITELY get a separate policy for your gear. Renter's insurance will exclude coverage under a lot of circumstances, leaving you high and dry. I'm insured through The Hartford...but another good company is Tom C Pickard (www.groupinsure.com). They specialize in photographers.

I've only made one claim on my insurance... I ended up going swimming in Carlsbad Lagoon with an EOS-1vHS, 24-70, and 70-200 on me. Later that day, I drove to Canon's Irvine service center and had them give me a repair estimate saying the gear was totaled. I faxed that into my insurance company, and they cut me a check the next day. Simple as that. Premiums didn't go up, either.

My premiums are a bit on the high side, but that's because I have full coverage on lots of gear (think equivalent price of Range Rover), $2mil liability insurance, $50k rental equip coverage, and various general business insurance. One thing I don't have is E&O / Professional Liability insurance...which covers the cost of re-doing a photo shoot if you fail to get the shot your client is paying you for...among other things. Wouldn't be bad to have though.

http://packagechoice.com/

I've been looking but not too seriously yet, considering it's not something I do for compensation.

Or you could become a member of NANPA

http://www.nanpa.org/insurance.html


(Message edited by phantom5815 on April 03, 2008)

I know Bess Marine has all of her things insured... She'll be shooting on a tube or something, the housing leaks, she is just says, "No worries, I'm not worried..."

I hope you read this bess, because that quote is dead on, and you know it

I am currently using State Farm for a camera gear itemized policy. Very reasonably priced. I have just seen in a magazine that Progressive is also offering this now for such gear.

Like Mike said you *need* to schedule your camera gear separately in order for it to be properly covered! This means you're going to pay an additional premium/year for this gear. I know... because I found out the hard way when one of my palm-sized camcorders took a swim 4 years ago.

Also note that "technically" those insurance Co's I listed above will not insure gear used in a "professionally" manner (business) and you will need to go with a company like Mike suggested.

There are a few companies that will insure equipment no matter what happens. They are used mostly by professional photographers and cover any type of loss including dropping in the water or leaky housing, run over by a car etc. Also available to be covered anywhere in the world.

Here's a guy in San Diego who sells this type of insurance. My brother in law is a photographer and knows this guy from a surf photographers forum.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/insuranceagent

ASMP.com join and then you can insurance through their carriers for a discount.

my buddy had good insurance on his camera and lenses and had them stolen and now he is screwed.. i duno if that happens to everyone? can anyone tell me of a time/insurance type that the opposite happened?

I'm a State Farm claim's adjuster and have all my gear on a personal articles policy through them. I don't have nearly as much as some of you guys do, but it would be worth checking in to. This policy is good for those who are not using their gear for business, and starts at $35 a year for full coverage and no deductible. If you're making money though, you'd have to look into an Inland Marine policy, I don't know what rates are on those.

just bumpin' this up for future reference.

True statement Nick, Joe, join PPA (Professional Photographers of America) or ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers), one of the professional photo associations, it will help you TREMENDOUSLY, it has helped us out a ton. I went through PPA and got $20,000 worth of gear covered for only... I think it was $400 something... for the WHOLE year! It covers everything, water damage, theft, studpidity... its pretty awesome. I'll also be getting my health insurance through PPA, awesome coverage for $135 a month... you can't beat it. PPA will definitely take good care of you, can't say enough good things about them. Also they will keep you up to date on everything happening within the photo industry and... well, long story short its pure greatness. I know ASMP is great too, although I haven't had any personal experience with them. letchworth is an ASMP member and got his insurance through ASMP and they've been great too. Definitely get in with one of those though, its worth the money!

Also, on that same note, slightly off topic... if you join PPA it is also totally worth it to go to Imaging USA. 3 days of classes and seminars about anything and everything photo from the biz to the tech, to the gear. They also have an expo floor where you can see the latest and greatest but the seminars alone are totally worth and also with the expo floor the vendors always have super deep discounts. For example at the Photoshop Shop world expo they were selling the D300 for $1600!!!!

also the first year your a PPA member IMaging USA is free. Also I think a membership is only like... I wanna say $150? Anyway... ok I'm done. I promise this time. But PPA is pure greatness.

awesome! thanks for the info bess!