How do you think about Camera Equipment Risk?

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Carmel Nikon

Carmel Nikon

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A recent thread inspired reflection on why I am keeping a D850 rig in a Z world. For me, it is a modest value (thanks to dropping resale prices)/high capability system ideal for more risky situations. Such as, going into a city or lonely place with clearly obvious $$, openly visible equipment (likely easily fence-able) while distracted - a classic target for theft. Or, being in a kayak/canoe that may tip over (damage risk). Or, bringing on a business trip and keeping in a rental car trunk during meetings (theft risk). I understand the chances of something bad happening are VERY low in any given situation, and one can mitigate by smart behavior. However, for me, having a lower cost setup in certain scenarios frees me from the worry I might have carrying a Z8 plus lenses - a rig that can easily top $10k.

Do you worry about equipment damage or theft risk? If so, how do you manage it? Or do you view the above as overly paranoid and self-limiting? Would love to hear your views on camera equipment risk, and what your solutions are to manage that risk (if you worry about it at all).
 
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When you are carrying thousands of dollars worth of equipment in your vehicle or even in your home it is always a risk to be stolen. If you shoot wildlife or sports there is always the chance of falling or dropping the cameras. You can go to certain lenghts to protect your equipment. I have good cases and bags to keep the equipent in the vehicle or at venues, I have a large gun safe at home with a security system and I make sure I have good straps. However as in most things there is always a risk of theft, damage and other things so I keep good insurance for my camera gear.
 
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Your concerns certainly have merit. If you are worried about becoming a street robbery victim and having gear taken…. you give it up. Your safety and that of companions or family are more important than your possessions. High risk to me is not about criminal acts. Canoeing, beaches with wind blow sand, news photography, et al. where the equipment is at risk for what you’re trying to accomplish is my point. I will keep using my DSLRs with lighter more compact lenses for these adventures. One other thing, Nikon, Canon, and Sony love to advertise their company in giant logo print on ridiculously wide camera straps…. Yup, the street thugs see this also. I personally don’t like their excessive width… I’ve been using 1” Domke gripper straps for years. The don’t draw attention….. They “wear in” and become supple…
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Appreciate the responses so far. Some have mentioned insurance - a new idea for me as I've never had a policy specific to photo equipment. Do folks that like this option have a rider on their home/renters policy, or is there photo-specific insurance out there that covers out-of-home loss risks (damage or theft) on high value gear? If the latter, any recommendations?
 
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Carmel Nikon said:
Appreciate the responses so far. Some have mentioned insurance - a new idea for me as I've never had a policy specific to photo equipment. Do folks that like this option have a rider on their home/renters policy, or is there photo-specific insurance out there that covers out-of-home loss risks (damage or theft) on high value gear? If the latter, any recommendations?
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I have a commercial policy, but my understanding is that many homeowners policies can have a rider attached. Just make sure it's not just for theft - you want breakage as well. I'v only had one time I used my policy for theft over the years, but quite a few times for breakage.
 
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Many years ago I was snapping hot air balloons lifting off. I had two F3 (early 1980's, Nikon's top camera). One was on the tailgate of my truck, me standing near by it with the other. The camera was stolen, right beside me, darn! I had a hard time convincing the claims that I actually had one stolen. It become apparent that they thought I was flat out lying. After a few years I stop that and have not bought it since.
 
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Its called a Personal Articles Policy for me (not part of homeowners). State Farm agent told me homeowners will cover anything related to the house (fire, theft, etc.) but wouldn't cover me while I'm out and about pretending to be a photographer. So I have a PAP that covers all my gear, no deductible. Cost was reasonable, relatively speaking. That was the first time I've actually added up all the equipment replacement costs....wow! I'm glad I have the insurance, don't have to worry about it anymore.
 
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kurtholz said:
Its called a Personal Articles Policy for me (not part of homeowners). State Farm agent told me homeowners will cover anything related to the house (fire, theft, etc.) but wouldn't cover me while I'm out and about pretending to be a photographer. So I have a PAP that covers all my gear, no deductible. Cost was reasonable, relatively speaking. That was the first time I've actually added up all the equipment replacement costs....wow! I'm glad I have the insurance, don't have to worry about it anymore.
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Our insurance is Allstate and they call it something different than PAP but I do have such a policy for my camera gear. I would like to get a totally separate policy but need to do more research. I have a separate policy for my guitars but the agent doesn't do non musician gear. Hartford is the underwriter but I couldn't find a stand alone policy with them for gear like cameras.
 
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My worry is more having a camera/lens fail while on a photography trip. Ginnie and I only do 3-4 trips a year and they are precious. The monetary loss is secondary.

That being said my current rig is replaceable for less than $3500 and I carry a complete backup.

Still, we never leave our camera gear in a car's trunk overnight.

Tom
 
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kurtholz said:
Its called a Personal Articles Policy for me (not part of homeowners). State Farm agent told me homeowners will cover anything related to the house (fire, theft, etc.) but wouldn't cover me while I'm out and about pretending to be a photographer. So I have a PAP that covers all my gear, no deductible. Cost was reasonable, relatively speaking. That was the first time I've actually added up all the equipment replacement costs....wow! I'm glad I have the insurance, don't have to worry about it anymore.
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I have the same policy with State Farm
 
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Carmel Nikon said:
Appreciate the responses so far. Some have mentioned insurance - a new idea for me as I've never had a policy specific to photo equipment. Do folks that like this option have a rider on their home/renters policy, or is there photo-specific insurance out there that covers out-of-home loss risks (damage or theft) on high value gear? If the latter, any recommendations?
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You should check you homeowners or renters policy whichever applies to you. For the standard risks(fire, flood, theft, etc) our homeowners policy covers up to $25k whether the equipment is in the home or not. We have additional coverage for "scheduled items" that covers replacement cost up to whatever limit you want to pay for. It requires a list of items and their current value. Cost of the policy is based on value. In addition to the standard risks the listed items are also covered for things like impact damage(dropping it), water damage due to weather, loss(e.g. dropping overboard from kayak), etc. The cost of our policy works out to be roughly one percent of the covered value with a $1000 deductible.
 
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I insure my gear with USAA on a Valuable Personal Property policy. I itemize all of the expensive items. Had my entire kit stolen in Bolivia back in 2003 including a D1X, 17-35, 28-70, 80-400, Powerbook, … they paid quickly and I got a new kit. Felt like crap though, losing everything just as our adventure was beginning. 😜
 
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Our gear is insured with Philadelphia Insurance through Hill and Usher. Covers everything for replacement cost, lenses, cameras, tripods etc. We’ve had one claim in probably 15 years wife dropped her D4, 300 2.8 and 1.4 tc. Paid cost of repairs minus deductible. After return from Nikon that combination was the sharpest combination I’ve seen. She still has the D4 still shoots it along with the Z9. Now for the downside, for what we’ve paid for the insurance we could probably replaced most our gear. But as a full time RVer there is no home owners insurance.
 
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Carmel …

If I were in your position, here are the two scenarios I would ponder:

Scenario #1
  • Loss : D850
  • Replacement : Z8
Scenario #2
  • Loss : Z8
  • Replacement : Z8
Either way, disaster recovery is the same.

… David
 
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Honestly, I don't think about it. I have been photographing for over three decades and nothing too bad has happened so far. I have had a couple drops that required taking it to a repair shop. If I made my living full time at photography I might be more concerned.
 
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I keep my kit with me as much as possible and when inside a restaurant I bring my bag inside with me. The risk is greatest in the USA at a trailhead or in a parking garage where thieves are going to wait for a good target and know that the owner will not be back for awhile.

I replaced my SUV with a pickup truck that has a metal box with two metal drawers for this reason. When loaded into the truck it would be very difficult to break inside and very time consuming to remove and very heavy to put in another vehicle - truck or van.

My primary concern is not the cost to replace the equipment but rather having a trip spoiled and losing my considerable investment in travel and lodging expense.

If I wanted a less expensive kit I would build it around the Olympus OM-1 camera and the Olympus lenses. Less than half the cost and with a much smaller bag it would be easier to manage. My Z9 based kit fits inside a 32L backpack while my wife's Olympus MFT kit fits inside a 18L backpack and her kit weighs half as much.
 
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I have a rider on my AAA Homeowner's policy. It is pretty reasonably priced and is an "all perils" policy. HOWEVER, it reimburses on a depreciated basis, so there would be some loss. I guess I should look and see what the depreciation schedule is.
 
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Although I have AllState, I recently bought a camera specific policy from RVNA for $167/year with $10,000 coverage (replacement cost) and $500 deductible. https://www.rvnuccio.com/specialty-insurance-products/photographer-insurance/

They focus on professional photogs but I just got the property insurance portion.

My Allstate homeowner's policy covers fire, water damage originating within the home, smoke damage, theft (anywhere in the world), and damage due to falling objects. But not accidental loss like dropping your camera, leaving it in an Uber, etc.

If you join Professional Photographer's of America for $341.04/year, you get $15K of included camera insurance, plus all the other member benefits.
 
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What has changed things quite a bit is the scarcity of replacement Z camera lenses like the Nikon 600mm PF, 600mm TC, and 800mm PF which could take months to replace if stolen or damaged. Even my Bataflae 32L backpack could only be replaced with the purchase of a used one on ebay. At least the Z8 and Z9 are readily available.
 
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