I've had all my gear stolen!

[AlbertZeroK]

Most of you who are not full time photographers make the mistake of thinking your gear is covered by your homeowners insurance policy. It is if it stolen from your house, but not from your car or anywhere else (ie. where you will actually be using it).

If you are in an apartment, you probably don't have any sort of policy whatsoever, and you need renter's insurance to cover it. For homeowner's you will probably need to add a rider. Neither of these is very expensive. Our studio has a professional policy with $2 Million in liability coverage and it's only $700 a year. For someone (non-professional) who needs just equipment coverage, you should be able to find something around $100 a year, maybe less.

Hopefully Ted's story will get you all to take action and get yourself insured.

And for those of us with home owner's insurance, their is typically a cap on all kinds of things including computers, photography equipment, even big screen tv's.

 

[Chan Tran]

Never consider that the thief was a poor budding photographer and couldn't resist your beautiful equipment? Many years from now may be you will hear about a famous photographer confessing of stealing cameras to start his art.....
I don't thinks so but just try to cheer you up

 

[bsdunek]

Can't say anything that hasn't been said. I'm sad for losing your gear, and do hope it is recovered.

 

[semi-ambivalent]

And for those of us with home owner's insurance, their is typically a cap on all kinds of things including computers, photography equipment, even big screen tv's.

A number of years ago I looked into getting my cameras insured and I learned that if I had a $10k turntable it would have been covered by our homeowner's insurance. But these were cameras so if they're over $x I "must" be a professional and would need a rider. So Albert is right here; caps and/or exclusions.

s-a

 

[MDR]

Sorry to hear that I hope they catch the culprit(s) before he/they sell your equipment.

Dominik

 

[Sirius Glass]

All my insurance covers the replacement costs. When the Home Owners Association would not listen to my warnings that there was a blockage in the common drain line, the kitchen sink overflowed and stained the carpet. Rather than bother with cleaning the stains, the insurance replaced the ten year old carpet with new carpet.

May cameras are insured under that policy with a separate rider. If my cameras get stole or damaged, the insurance pay the replacement cost of the cameras.

This insurance only cost a little more than the usual insurance.

Steve

 

[brianmquinn]

I had my whole set of high end gear take at my sisters’s wedding. My father, girlfriend at the time and others I knew were furious that someone would have done that. I was strangely content thinking it will all work out. After all it was a my sisters wedding and I was going to stay happy no matter what. I was lucky that I kept all of the exposed rolls in my jacket pockets or I also would have been pissed as hell. It turned out that it all ended up with the Pro she had hired to shot the wedding (Several people thought I was a hired photographer). Someone who did not know any better thought all this high end camera stuff must be his and helped him load it into his truck. He found it there a day later and all was well.

 

[Diapositivo]

As a general advice, in a sudden burst of paranoia some months ago I took not of all serial numbers of all photographic contraptions I have, lightmeters and flashes included. Cheap stuff included as well.

Without serial numbers the recovery of photographic gear will be, I presume, almost impossible, unless the police identifies the thief with investigative activities which are normally reserved to armed robberies and homicides.

With serial numbers, the police - or yourself - can have a look at a local second-hand shop or garage sale. Never underestimate the stupidity of a thief.

Sorry for what happened.

You can find comfort in your faith, and pray God to send the thief's ass a cancer :devil:

 

[derwent]

I started doing that and I will have to finish it...
For each camera I am taking a couple of digi shots including serial number and I will put them in a folder with description and serial and rough value.
I will print a hard copy too.

 

[ted_smith]

Thanks for all the support guys. It's good to hear that I am not alone, not that hearing of theft is every good. I agree with the earlier poster who said imagine his disappointment when he realises it's a film camera! That was one of the first things I thought. Shame about the lenses though. The 80-200mm Nikon zoom I got for the bargain price of £200 4 years ago. They still retail second hand at an average of £450 so I doubt I'll get a bargain like that again.

Re the insurance. The really gutting thing is that I WAS insured about 6 months ago for 3 years! I had full pro photography insurance for public liability, loss of anything anywhere. Was £16 a month. But because I was not getting enough pro work, I cancelled it because my cameras spent most of their life in my bag. So imagine my horror now?!

The circumstances were that I left the gear in the conference room while we (300 scientisits) went for our lunch. I was out the room for 30 minutes. Then it was gone. CCTV shows the guys face and shows him walking out 10 minutes before I got back. He spends about 20 minutes milling about the trade stands etc outside looking like any other attendee.

I do have the serial numbers of most of it in my old insurance documents and have and are checking eBay etc, just in case.

 

[OzJohn]

Yeah it's the lenses that are your biggest loss here - you have some fine glass and I agree that you would have to be lucky to get another 80-200 cheaply or a 20mm for that matter. The 50 & 60 are fairly common on eBay at sometimes good prices if you are inclined to go that way - as you probably know the 50/1.8D was just about Nikon's cheapest lens to buy new apart from a couple of crappy short zooms but that may have changed as I think they have replaced the D version with a G that has internal AF and no aperture ring. Cheers OzJohn

 

[ted_smith]

Just to let everyone know, justice has been done! The thief was found, sent to Crown Court by the Magistrates Court and has been sent down for 2.5 years!! I have some friends in high places that helped catch him and the sentence issued is substantial. I am happy(ish) now - the loss of my gear was painful but at least the guy who took it has been deprived of his liberty for a while.

 

[Kokoro]

The sentence should give some satisfaction. Shame about losing your gear though.

Just reading through this thread has prompted me to start a list of my own equipment and serial numbers.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

i hope you'll find a way to new equipment real fast

 

[Diapositivo]

Nice to know the thief was caught and condemned, although one can never know until the trial reaches a definitive stage (I suppose there will be an appeal).

Strange the stolen goods were not recovered, as you seem to imply. Normally one reaches proof of a theft through their possession. I suppose you can file a separate civil suit against the thief for the reimbursement, if the thief is economically "capacious" enough to justify the endeavour.

Fabrizio

 

[wy2l]

Just to let everyone know, justice has been done! The thief was found, sent to Crown Court by the Magistrates Court and has been sent down for 2.5 years!! I have some friends in high places that helped catch him and the sentence issued is substantial. I am happy(ish) now - the loss of my gear was painful but at least the guy who took it has been deprived of his liberty for a while.

In Massachusetts (USA) things are different. Years ago I would have doubted justice would prevail in our Commonwealth, but times have changed... they are handing out longer and longer suspended sentences!

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

I'm sorry about your equipment but am happy they caught and punished the guy.

Had that happened here I doubt authorities would even try to catch the perp let alone bother build a case to convict him. Even if they did convict him he probably wouldn't serve more than six months and his jail time would probably be suspended for parole and community service unless it was at least his third time.

Yes, I'm very jaded about our so-called justice system. And we have a lot of dishonest sociopaths here. And... I need to stop posting tonight.