Insurance for C300, what do you guys do?

[Scott Gold]

Just bought a C300 and was wondering what you guys do for insurance?
Any tips would be great, thanks!

[David W. Jones]

Have you contacted your insurance agent who takes care of your home/auto insurance?

[Scott Gold]

No, not yet. Do you guys insure your equipment under your home policy or do you have a business insurance policy?

[Matt Davis]

If you're making money with kit, best to get a specific policy. However, you have to find the right broker as it's so easy to get a very silly quote indeed.

In the UK, I heard of TowerGate insurance through the UK professional body - so I get £20k of kit insured around the world (max 40 days abroad), in my car during transit, in hotel rooms, etc, for about £800 per year. That covers cameras, computers, gear, etc.

My household insurance wouldn't touch it. My business insurance quoted silly prices.

Insurance is a legitimate business expense, and needs to be factored into your business plan. I've just had an EX1 get squashed in checked-in baggage. The repair will be covered, I can just get on with business. That's because the insurer knows our industry and understands that I own kit where each item is usually a 4 figure amount. My household insurers blew a gasket when I pointed out that I have 4 laptops in my household (they were in la-la land when I added that I have four cameras all over £2k).

[Andy Wilkinson]

Another vote for Towergate here in the UK, just renewed with them. Before that I was using a specialist photography/video gear insurance company that cost me about the same - but for about £30K less cover! Like Matt said, its a necessary expense if you're in this as a business.

A squashed EX1 - ouch! Any pictures Matt?

[Scott Gold]

Thanks for the input guys.
Yep, was thinking of renting out the camera as well. Anyone have any insurance suggestions from the US?

[Chris Medico]

You are going to have to find people in your area that can help figure that out. Insurance is regulated by state and what I tell you that works here in NC won't work in CA.

One thing for certain is your homeowners policy won't cover it if you are doing it for hire. Another thing is that when you rent your gear you need to make sure the people on the receiving end have insurance to cover your gear. It is likely that your policy will not cover it if someone else is renting it from you. Policies that cover that kind of liability are quite expensive.

That is why I rent my gear via a broker that has that kind of insurance. It reduces my rate a bit but is worth it if things go wrong.

Insurance in NC on about $60k worth of video gear is about $260/mo.

[Barry Goyette]

You have to be careful, as photography equipment generally falls under "special" equipment circumstances, meaning there can be lots of surprising "exceptions" to your coverage. (like $ limits per incident well below the cost of a the camera, and "where" the equipment is located at the time of loss.

With State Farm in CA, they offer a "personal articles" policy, which when I bought it was approx $19 per 1000 in insured value(not sure what it is today). Covers loss from pretty much all incidents including accidental breakage. This is a "listed item" type of insurance, and it sounds like what you'd want.

Barry

[Chris Medico]

That is pretty much what I pay for my policy.

[Jack D. Hubbard]

Join the NPPA, the National Press Photographers Assn. They have very good insurance rates.

[Jim Michael]

Contact a local agent who specializes in commercial insurance and describe exactly the scenarios it will be transported and used. Most likely you'll need an inland marine policy to cover a loss like stolen from your rental car (just happened with a $500k camera being used in the Dumb and Dumber film, ironically). When the agent gives you a proposal, review all the scenarios in which a loss might occur and make sure you are covered in all cases - stolen from rental, stolen from luggage, stolen from set, rental never returned, etc.

[Jerry Mennenga]

I am a member of NPPA and Hays insurance by Travelers supplies the insurance. It is a good company and insures for replacement value, not like home insurance that might only give you a per cent of the value. ASMP also carries insurance for members.

Jerry

[Craig Chartier]

If its just for your, then the policy you can add to the canon financial lease program will cover quite a bid of work related damages. On the c300 only If you do get production insurance, then that's good for you and anything else you own upto the values set on the policy, so if our policy is for 30 k worth of stuff, it covers the camer or anything else you have listed as owning upto 30k payout, minus your deductible . If your renting it out, the policy will not cover you doing that. Your agent will void the claim.