WNYShooter Loc: WNY

Mine recently had a visit from Mr. Gravity and the result was a dented lens mount as well as non-operational AF & VR. The final bill from Nikon Service, $753 w/tax & Shipping. My insurance is picking up all but the $68 sales tax. My $185/year insurance premium doesn't seem so expensive now.

On the same note, lens works great and, since they replaced the whole lens mount, the only visible scar left is a small nick on the bipod mounting foot.

Dun1 Loc: Atlanta, GA

If you have you camera mounted on a mono pod, always lay it down with the camera and lens on a solid surface, with the mono pod collapsed. I learned the same lesson with a Sigma 50-500 lens mounted on a monopod, and Canon 7D.
The repairs were paid out of my pocket, and after about six weeks or so I wound up paying a few more dollars and receiving a replacement lens from Sigma

JoeB Loc: Mohawk Valley, NY

I have thought often about dropping my 70-200, but so far (knock on wood), the death grip I keep on it seems to be working. Just curious as to what type of insurance you have on your equipment, homeowners rider? separate coverage? I had an incident a few months ago with a kit lens, "Mr. Gravity", and I paid for the repairs out of my pocket, just over a $100.00. since then I have insured my equipment through my home owner's insurance. Sounds like you have some very good coverage.

jjestar Loc: Savannah GA

Ouch, If I ever dropped mine they would have to call an ambulance for me too!!

Gary Truchelut Loc: Coldspring, TX

A rule worth remembering: when you remove something from your backpack, always and I do mean always, zip it closed even if you plan to come back in a couple of minutes. I learned the hard way. I had removed something from my backpack and the next time I picked it up and slung it over my shoulder my camera and 70-200 f2.8 IS lens fell to the concrete. It made me sick to my stomach when I heard the sound. Luckily it landed on the tripod collar and didn't hurt the camera at all but the lens cracked in half at the joint just in front of the collar. Luckily none of the glass broke and $300.00 bucks later it worked perfectly again. A lesson learned.

barryb Loc: Kansas

I was taking soccer pictures on the side of the field with the monopod on, a young ball boy came right behind me, and I was watching through the viewfinder when a ball was kicked towards me so I moved, immediately going to the ground. My heart sank when I heard the sound in the lens, and nothing worked! To make matters worse, in 10 weeks we were leaving on a 2 week riverboat cruise in Europe. Adding the camera equipment to the homeowners policy on a rider was well worth it! My 18-200 lens was returned 3 days before departure, and I will always treasure several pictures I got, including an 8x12 I got of the Eifel tower at night.

Erv Loc: Medina Ohio

I too have my gear insured. But $185 sounds like a lot. You are not a Pro are you? Mine is through my house and car insurance. I have all my gear listed with them. They wanted a list of my gear and what it was worth along with pictures. Last year it was $38 a year.But it went up this year to $45. And I have a lot of gear. I almost fell off the chair when I hit the total button! Close to $50,000 . But don't tell the wife. :) My worst fear is, when I die she sells it for what I told her I paid for it. :mrgreen:
Erv

barryb Loc: Kansas

My premium is also very low, well worth the peace of mind. I go straight from the camera store to my agent's office with the receipt, and it's done! 185 sound very high to me, also.

JoeB Loc: Mohawk Valley, NY

Hi Erv
Seeing what you are paying and the coverage you have, I believe I am being taken. I pay an additional $123/yr for $10,000 coverage. Mind if I ask who you have for an insurance carrier? I might change mine. I wonder if the area of the country a person is from has an influence on the cost. If it make you feel better, I am in the same boat with my wife. However, I have put all my receipts in a folder, told my daughters that if anything happens to me, look in there before selling anything and that mum is the word.
:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

How do they determine value? Replacement cost? Original cost? Used value?

Erv Loc: Medina Ohio

Well I am in good hands. :) I lower my key board for that! All State. The thing I do is bundle everything I own. And I shop around every 2 years. I have 2 houses, 4 cars, a camper and other odds and ends all bundle in one package through them. They have beaten every company for the last 10 years when I go in shopping for a better price.
I think if you live in a big city it might effect the price. But we are 30 miles from Cleveland.
As far as getting a quote on the costs. All my AF and AFS lens are done on the new cost to replace. My older lenses were done on a used price to replace. I just used ebay. Now this is for complete replacement do to lose, and damage.
I find it is better to bundle all you can to get a good price. And go shopping every 2 years. They know I am coming in every 2 years and always laugh at me. But some years I do find a better deal. And this year they gave me a 10% senior discount :(
Erv

nolte1964 Loc: Des Moines, Iowa

My carrier will replace my equipment at the cost for new one and no deductible. They will even pay the tax I pay 60 a year but 12000 in equipment makes it worth it

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I'm with MetLife - house and cars - through a group plan at work, and I've never found anyone who could match their price. Their service has been excellent. We had a loss to a sailboat, and the agent made a retroactive change to get us better coverage for it.

JoeB Loc: Mohawk Valley, NY

I have MetLIfe as well. I have two vehicles and my home insured with them as well as my camera equipment. They say I am getting a discount for multiple vehicles and bundling it with my home owners insurance as well as a discount for an alarm system in my home. But, I am starting to wonder if I am a little to comfortable with them as I have had insurance with them for more years than I would like to count.

WNYShooter Loc: WNY

My drop was a fluke, kind of a Rube Goldberg event. The lens was in it's usual resting place, on a shelf in my basement workshop at home. We had a strong rain and my daughter ran down to close the windows down there. In doing so, she tripped over some stuff on the floor, fell into an office chair, which scooted across the floor and crashed into a tall stack of bankers boxes filled with clothes, which in turn fell over, the top one nailing the shelf that my lenses sleep on, only three of them fell off & only the 70-200 hit the concrete, the other two(50mm and 28-300mm) fell into one of the boxes unharmed.

My equipment, both photo and audio, is covered on my business insurance with Travelers and it is under an inland marine floater with no deductable. It also covers any rentals I might have with me and the coverage is "all risk" & "worldwide". The $185 I mentioned is the equipment portion of my biz insurance. I had to pay sales tax on the repair since the repair depot and I both reside in NY and the policy only covers tax on replacement. I just write it off anyways.

I don't insure any equipment I use for income under my homeowners because, if something does happen where I have to file a claim, and they decide it was too big of a loss, or the claim falls into a grey area due to commercial use, they can drop my homeowners policy. That is really bad as now there is a denial on the credit report, as well as the realestate, and will be considered "high risk". Once you have that label on you and your house, good luck getting any coverage other than very expensive "sub-prime" for 2-5 years. It's also dangerous to try and writeoff homeowner floaters as business expenses on taxes.

I always keep my business and personal finances very separate.