Equipment Insurance

js98367 · Jan 9, 2017

Have you insured your LF lenses, cameras and accessories? If so, did you have to have your items individually appraised?

I called my home insurance agent and she said that the value of my mostly used equipment would first need to have its value established. She did not know where or how I could do that.

John near Seattle

Sirius Glass · Jan 9, 2017

For a while I had replacement cost coverage, but given today's supply and declining prices I have let the insurance policy lapse.

Doremus Scudder · Jan 11, 2017

Keep in mind that if you sell any of your work, your homeowner's policy will not cover your photo equipment. You will need "small business" insurance, which is often more than it's worth.

Doremus

benjiboy · Jan 11, 2017

My equipment isn't insured, you are better off instead of paying insurance premiums to save your money in a piggy bank , because if your equipment gets damaged, lost, or stolen pay to repair or replace it yourself because the insurance company will tell you "film equipment is obsolete" and pay out a fraction of the true worth.

Sirius Glass · Jan 11, 2017

If you put the insurance premium in a jar, at the end of the year you would have plenty of money for replacement cameras.

removed account4 · Jan 11, 2017

ebay completed auctions and places like b+h are relacement costs
don't forget homeowner policies might have deductibles that may exceed
the value of some largeformat equipment ( cameras and lenses ) and if you go the commercial agent route
make sure you get a marine-floater so your cameras &c will be insured outside your home.
state farm and the hartford and utica and others offer commerical policies at competitive prices.
good luck!

Neil Poulsen · Jan 22, 2017

Consider Tom Pickard Insurance in Ca. I think they operate out of Pacific City.

They can give you policy for pro photographers. Rates for equipment coverage are better than what's offered on home-owners' policies.

Keith Pitman · Jan 23, 2017

Your homeowners insurance probably limits coverage for photographic equipment. Read the policy. I think you would need to itemize the items your want additional insurance for and declare a value and expect to pay for it as scheduled property. I've done this before, but don't have anything scheduled now. You would need to document value if you have a claim, but probably not to schedule items.

Old-N-Feeble · Jan 23, 2017

I don't even have property insurance. I have vehicle insurance so I can drive to town once per week to buy groceries and take care of business.

Patrick Robert James · Jan 23, 2017

I let my policy go a few years ago, but I had a State Farm policy, which I think was a personal articles policy IIRC. I think the cost was around 3% of declared value and it covered loss anywhere anytime any reason. There was no deductible either.

Personally I think insurance is useful to cover losses you can't cover yourself, so if your equipment is worth tens of thousands and you can't just go out and buy the stuff again then you need insurance and it is worth it. If you just have some used gear that you cobbled together it probably isn't worth the hassle.

RalphLambrecht · Jan 24, 2017

js98367 said:
Have you insured your LF lenses, cameras and accessories? If so, did you have to have your items individually appraised?

I called my home insurance agent and she said that the value of my mostly used equipment would first need to have its value established. She did not know where or how I could do that.

John near Seattle

save your money.Insurances make money on the odds that no claims are made.

removed account4 · Jan 24, 2017

OP are you doing work for hire? i'd agree with what ralph suggested unless you are doing assignments .
some clients REQUIRE that you have a certain amount of insurance or they won't allow you on-site.
i didn't have insurance until one job required me to, and they i kept it until a few years back, and then
i took an assignment recently and had to get it again. i'll probably renew it in the summer.
often times replacing large format equipment isn't too expensive, especially since no one wants film gear anymore, and you might be able to replace your wollensak optar
with a schneider app-symmar for what you originally paid for the optar. and if it is vintage glass you are hoping to insure
like a pinkham smith visual #4 knuckler, good luck, it will probably be harder to find the lens than paying the deductible and getting the check.

paul ron · Jan 24, 2017

Sirius Glass said:
If you put the insurance premium in a jar, at the end of the year you would have plenty of money for replacement cameras.

this is so true. the premiums saved can buy relacements considering how relatively cheap film equipment is these days.

if you are doing professional work, cover yourself n clients with liability insurance since that can land you in the poor house.

Equipment Insurance

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