Camera Insurance?

May 28, 2005 7:35 PM

Just ordered a new digital camera. All those months of research and comparing are finally over! But now I'm thinking about the perils of theft or damage. If some thug takes my new toy while I'm on vacation, will my homeowner's insurance cover me?

It cost less than half-a-grand, but replacing it would still be economically painful. I've found some web insight into insuring a camera and equipment, but most of those posts are almost 5 years old. Any current and up-to-date information (or first-hand experiences or best practices) will be most welcome.

posted by grabbingsand to Work & Money (9 answers total)

Check out this thread from earlier today - includes discussion around theft and insurance as it relates to expensive digital cameras!
posted by Gortuk at 8:05 PM on May 28, 2005

Response by poster: Saw that one, Gortuk ... but it mainly dealt with defense against sketchiness and being generally cautious, and less with the practicalities of insurance (riders, perils covered, etc.). So ... I figured another, slightly different guestion might be merited.
posted by grabbingsand at 8:39 PM on May 28, 2005

Um, I have a question: If you're going on vacation, wouldn't you be taking your new digital camera with you?
posted by cerebus19 at 10:11 PM on May 28, 2005

Oh, wait, I get it. I shouldn't post when I'm this tired. Why would your homeowner's insurance cover you if your camera isn't in your home?
posted by cerebus19 at 10:13 PM on May 28, 2005

Short answer: Read your insurance policy.

[The standard HO policy does cover personal property while anywhere in the world, but there are lots of variations, exclusions, limitations, etc.]
posted by crythecry at 11:13 PM on May 28, 2005

Best answer: I asked my HO agent about this last year. He suggested I get a rider that specifically names the camera (requires an affidavit of the camera's value, which you can get from a camera shop). Cost was around $15/year. With that rider, he said, anything that happens to the camera is covered. ANYTHING. I asked him if I called him in six months, told him my five year old took the camera, and hurled it off the end of a dock, would that be covered? Absolutely.

Ask your agent about getting a rider on your HO policy.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 4:15 AM on May 29, 2005

What if your camera is confiscated by the police during a raid? That's what happend to my $500 digital camera :(
posted by delmoi at 11:39 AM on May 29, 2005

One wonders what you were doing with that camera, delmoi. Eh, one wonders.

Insurance varies with company, policy and location. Most cover things, against theft, that you take with you traveling, up to their limit. Some also cover accidental damage or even loss. Some companies are better at paying covered losses than others!

Its more costly to get separate insurance for such things as camera, but given what happens to your insurance rates if you have a loss, it might be better in the long run to carry separate policies.
posted by Goofyy at 5:31 AM on May 30, 2005

http://www.photo.net/learn/insurance

this should answer your questions.
posted by tumble at 1:56 PM on April 6, 2006