Baracuda Loc: Kentucky

I have a State Farm policy on my home and auto, but when I asked for a rider of specific pieces of photo equipment, it got really expensive! Does anyone have good experience with relatively inexpensive photo insurance - but I want to be covered in case of a loss. I have a large deductible on my Homeowner's policy, so if I were to claim a $1,500 loss of a lens for instance, that would not meet my deductible.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

These are the links I have on insurance. I don't have specific camera insurance for a number of reasons, mainly because I would have to pay for it. Also, there are the loopholes. Someone recently posted a story about a man who rented a car and had insurance to cover theft from the car. When his gear was stolen from the trunk, the company wouldn't pay because there was no sign of a break-in.

http://www.popphoto.com/how-to/2013/05/how-to-insure-your-camera-gear
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Photography-Tips/insurance.aspx
https://www.usaa.com/inet/ent_logon/Logon?adid=icgsch49277486-VQ16-c-VQ6-71054850852

legion3 Loc: Deer Park Long Island

I have a policy with State Farm that cover my equipment it's a personal articals policy about $1.70 per hundred it covers lost stolen broken etc.

Gitchigumi Loc: Wake Forest, NC

I have homeowners policy through Amica. They issued a rider that covers my camera gear for "all perils" with no deductible. I had to provide make, model & serial number of the cameras and lenses, along with declared value (purchase price). I do not have coverage on accessories, tripod, flashes, etc.. Cost is minimal ($50/yr) for about $5000 in coverage and is added to the overall homeowners policy.

If this same equipment were to be used for a photography business, however, it would not be covered. At least not by Amica. If you are a pro, you will have to get a policy elsewhere. And, that means finding coverage through an organization or specialist.

Hope this helps.

wj cody Loc: springfield illinois

i've used liberty mutual since the early 70's. my gear is insured for fire, water, theft, damage and conflict zone loss. it is a little pricey but they are great to deal with. over the years, they've replaced 2 of my leicas and never raised the premiums.

ejrmaine Loc: South Carolina

I have a separate USAA policy, it covers all me gear. And it's affordable.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

I USED to have a State Farm policy like that. It was not expensive. However, most of the major insurers no longer offer homeowner's or renter's insurance in Florida, and so - no more personal property rider! Some of the independent insurance policies I have found are outrageously expensive, and I do not want to spend $300 to join the Professional Photographer's Association so that I can then get their insurance.... So I will be following this thread to see if anyone has any ideas...

wj cody Loc: springfield illinois

the PPA is an excellent organisation. the initial fee is well worth it, as there are many advantages other than just the group's insurance policy. given the (perhaps) cost of your equipment the initial fee may be the way to go. but, as you state, there may be other insurance companies out there which may be of benefit to you, also.

nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ

Likewise. My gear is covered under a VPP (Valuable Personal Property) policy through USAA. My gear (just over $5,000 worth), my wife's jewelry, & our computers are covered for about $100.00/year. It sounds like your insurance company is taking you for a lot more than they should be.

There's a reason State Farm is know as Snake Farm.

cactuspic Loc: Dallas, TX

I have State Farm. In Texas (with some notable exceptions, insurance coverage tends to vary from state to state due to state regulation) the homeowners policy has a very low cap on "property used in business" (photographic equipment), if you are a pro. Essentially it is not covered. So if you are a pro in Texas, your homeowners will not cover your equipment. Expect your adjuster to google you, look for your website and any other indication that you are selling your photography to determine whether it's a hobby or business.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

I use AAA for home and car insurance and have a rider through the them for my photographic equipment and jewelry.

djlouden Loc: Ocala, Florida

I've just been through the process of finding a policy and I can tell you there are all types of gotchas to watch out for.

I have Allstate insurance and wanted to add a rider to my existing homeowners policy. I was quickly discouraged from doing this by my agent. In fact after I asked them to come up with some other plan, they never did return my calls.

My agent that handles most of our commercial lines agreed to take on the task. It took months to find a company that would write a policy. It cost $457 to insure $26,000 worth of gear. No provision for covering anything not specifically listed on the declarations page. So none of the peripheral gear gets covered.... cables, chargers, batteries etc. No coverage for theft from an unoccupied motel room, no coverage for breakage. They will pay replacement cost not depreciated value. I found that the PPA policy will only pay depreciated value.

I'm still not happy with the plan and will likely replace this policy again before renewal time.

Happy Shooting

lngroller

For photographers, one of the best plans (one I am not happy with at the moment) is the Package Choice policy through Hill and Usher, reasonable and I found it to be much less expensive than the policy through PPA. things to ask/watch out for with all policies. some only cover equipt at your place of business/home. Some cover it at your location or on the job site but not in transit. most also throw in errors and omissions coverage. (most important for wedding photogs). now here is why I am currently not happy with my Package Choice ins. several months ago my van was stolen while at a job site in Chicago. approx $20,000 in equipt was in it at the time. I made it through the job, returned home to VA and started researching. through my own work I recovered all but a go pro3 black, case, accessories and my back up laptop. I changed a $20,000 claim to a 3,000 claim. I incurred $169 in gas/food/hotel to recover that. I had to Fight get Hill and Usher involved and make numerous phone calls just to get the 169 I spent to lower their claim $17,000. what ever coverage you have if you need to file a claim expect some hassle. they will pay, but their job is to pay out as little as possible. Hill and Usher offers this package through I believe 3 different carriers, so no telling which carrier you would end up with. Edit; this policy also includes 1 million liability ins/2 million aggravate.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

I believe you are confusing the types of insurance on camera's. let me explain. When I shot professionally, I had high risk insurance that insured me for loss and if my camera's caused damage to individuals, and it was expensive. I currently have home owners insurance, my representative has a list of all of my equipment which is extensive, I am covered under the home owners policy without the need for a rider. The same deductible applies to my equipment as the items in my home, I believe it is $500.00. If you would work with your home owners insurance representative, you will find them easy to work with, if not, check out All State Insurance.

SonyBug

I have a personal articles policy from State Farm (in Tn) and covers loss, damage, etc. No deductible. Over 18,000 cameras and guns. $235.00 So it depends on your viewpoint if you think that is cheap or expensive. It does not cover me for business use, not does my homeowners cover business use, so I don't sell anything, nor do I take a penny for ever taking a picture even though I have people offer all the time.