Cameras and their accessories can be costly to replace if they break or are stolen, so it is critical to choose a camera and camera equipment insurance policy that provides you with the necessary coverage. Here’s a guide to the cost of camera insurance and what it can cover while you are in the UK or travelling abroad.
What is Camera Insurance?
Camera insurance can help cover your camera (including DSLR and SLR cameras), action camera, or camcorder from damage, electrical or mechanical breakdown, theft, and loss. It can also cover any camera accessories or equipment you own. A third-party insurer can provide camera insurance as an alternative to obtaining manufacturer’s insurance.
What is Camera Insurance supposed to Cover?
Insurance can contain the following benefits, depending on the level of coverage you obtain:
- Unintentional damage
Assume you drop your camera in a puddle and it sustains liquid damage.
- Mechanical failure
This could help cover the cost of repairing your camera if it is no longer working properly. For example, if the zoom function becomes stuck or the capture button stops working.
- Theft
If your camera is stolen, you’ll be able to fix or replace it. There would most likely be exclusions if your camera was stolen while unattended or not in a safe location.
- Loss
If your camera is lost, this insurance might help cover the replacement cost. This is usually only applicable if it is misplaced outside your home. In addition, insurers will expect you to have adopted loss-prevention measures.
- Travel cover
If you take your camera abroad, you will be covered. The cover is often for a set number of days per trip and/or a set number of trips per year.
- Instant Cover
This is where your insurance kicks in and covers your camera right away. Some policies will not cover your gadget for a certain number of days after the policy begins, which means you will be unable to file a claim during this period.
- Accessories
Camera insurance can also cover accessories up to a certain dollar amount. Basic plans will cover unintentional damage to accessories. However, a more comprehensive cover may also encompass accessory theft or loss.
What Camera Insurance Does not Cover
Your camera will not be covered for the following reasons:
- Deterioration
As your camera ages, it will no longer perform as well as it did when it was new. As a result, wear and tear refers to the deterioration of your camera as a result of age and prolonged use.
- Cosmetic damage
For example, scuffs and dents. Anything that does not interfere with the camera’s functionality.
- Commercial cameras
If you use your camera for work, you’ll need business insurance as well as specialised gadget insurance.
- Old Cameras
Some insurers may not cover cameras older than a year. Others raise the maximum to 36 months.
- Secondhand Cameras
Your gadget must have been purchased through a manufacturer, network provider, retail store, or online retailer.
What kind of Camera Insurance Cover do you require?
You can acquire the following types of camera covers:
- Accidental damage covers the cost of repairing or replacing your camera if you or someone else inadvertently break it. For instance, suppose you drop or spill liquid on it.
- Breakdown, which protects your camera after it has passed its warranty period. It covers repairs and replacements if your camera breaks down.
- Theft, which covers your camera if you are burgled or if it is stolen while you are away from home.
- Loss, which covers misplacing your camera. You may have to pay an additional fee to incorporate loss cover, and claims resulting from carelessness will not be reimbursed.
- Worldwide cover, which protects your camera for 90 days anywhere on the globe.
When you get camera insurance in the UK, most providers will also cover your accessories, such as:
- Lenses
- Filters
- Tripod
- Bags
- Equipment for dark rooms
Check the maximum coverage contained in each policy to ensure you have the appropriate level of replacement coverage if you require a new camera.
What if you’re a seasoned photographer?
Most insurers provide cover for both amateur and professional photographers, and you may add additional cover if you use your camera for business purposes:
- Hire of equipment: This camera insurance provides you with a new camera if yours is lost or destroyed. For example, suppose you’re scheduled to film an event and your camera breaks.
- Personal accident: If you suffer an injury that leads to your death or permanent disability, such as the loss of a limb, this camera insurance policy will pay you a fixed cover.
- Public liability insurance protects you if you injure or damage someone else’s property as a result of your photography. For instance, tripping over your camera equipment.
Camera Travel Insurance
When you travel, most ordinary camera insurance packages cover accidental damage, loss, and theft of your gear. Before purchasing the camera travel insurance cover, examine the policy documentation to see if there is a restriction to the number of days you are covered when using your camera overseas.
You’ll still need to take the same precautions as you would in the UK to ensure your safety. This can involve locking your camera in a hotel room and using any accessible safety equipment, such as a secured safe.
Some insurance companies may state that they would only deliver a replacement camera to UK locations, so bear this in mind if you’re a travel photographer who needs their camera while on the road.
Read Also: PHOTOGRAPHER INSURANCE: Public Liability Insurance for Photographers
Your travel insurance policy may also provide some amount of cover for your camera.
Some things that your camera insurance may not cover
Most providers will include clauses in their policy document stating that they will not give coverage for things like:
- Commercial cameras or camcorders – you may need to obtain business insurance for business equipment to cover this.
- Wear and tear induced by product ageing on the camera or camcorder
- Any intentional damage to the camera caused by you rather than a third party
- Non-manufacturer-approved accessory and equipment repairs, as well as damage caused by failure to follow manufacturer instructions
- Defects or recalls by the manufacturer of the camera model and make
- Cosmetic damage that does not impair the camera’s performance or safety — for example, cosmetic damage may be a dent or a scratch.
An insurer may additionally stipulate that a camera or camcorder must be under a specific age in order to be covered.
Before taking out cover with a camera insurance provider, you should always read the policy wording and policy summary materials carefully so you know what is and isn’t covered.
What is the Cost of Camera Insurance?
The cost of camera insurance is determined by the degree of protection selected.
Most providers include incidental damage, theft cover, and accidental damage as part of a typical policy. Mechanical breakdown cover is also included in the majority of regular gadget insurance policies.
Loss cover is often provided as an add-on to your policy, raising the cost of the camera insurance.
Should you purchase camera insurance?
Camera insurance is an excellent choice if you:
- You’ve spent a lot of money on a camera or camcorder and equipment, and you’d be hard-pressed to replace them if something went wrong.
- You believe there is a chance your camera or camcorder will be destroyed during a photoshoot or extreme sport, especially if you have an action camera.
- You believe there is a chance your camera or camcorder will be lost or stolen.
- If something were to happen to your camera or camcorder, you’d need a replacement gadget quickly. Some insurance companies will provide a replacement camera within 24 hours.
Third-party camera insurance policies are occasionally less expensive than the insurance coverage offered by the equipment maker or network provider.
During the manufacturer’s warranty period, your camera will be protected from mechanical or electrical breakdown, but it will not be covered for accidental damage, theft, or loss.
Tips to Make Sure You’re Protected by Your Camera Insurance
Before you get camera insurance, check with your provider to see if:
- Whether you purchased your camera or camcorder from a manufacturer or a certified shop. Camera insurance usually does not cover used cameras and camcorders.
- Whether or not your device has already been harmed
- The age of the camera or camcorder
- Whether or not you have purchase proof
If you offer the insurance provider inaccurate information when enrolling for a policy, they may opt not to pay out if you file a claim.
How to File a Claim with Your Camera Insurance
You can file a claim online or by phone with your camera insurance provider. Your provider will be able to inform you what to do next, including any evidence needed and how long any repairs will take. When filing a claim, you must provide proof of the device’s purchase date.
Most providers require you to notify them within 48 hours of detecting a problem with your camera or camcorder if it has been damaged. If your device is lost or stolen, you should notify your insurance provider as soon as possible.
Is your home insurance going to cover your camera?
You may have limited device coverage under an existing insurance policy, such as contents insurance, but you should check to see if it covers your camera or camcorder adequately.
Some house insurance coverage will not always cover unintentional damage to your electronics.
If you make a claim on your house insurance policy for your gadget, you will still have to pay an excess fee, which can be significantly more than on a gadget policy. A claim on your house insurance policy will also raise the cost of your future home insurance plans.
Insurance for several gadgets
You may also insure your camera or camcorder as part of a package with gadget insurance. If you own a camera, a laptop, and a smartphone, you might consider insuring all of your devices under one policy and receiving a multi-gadget discount.
You’ll be given the allowance of a claim per device, and policies can cover each device for accidental damage, mechanical breakdown, and theft.
Photographers’ business insurance alternatives
If you intend to use your camera or camcorder for commercial purposes, you should consider purchasing additional insurance: In the event that a member of the public sustains harm or has their property damaged while you are conducting a photo shoot and your equipment is to blame, public liability insurance will protect your photography business.
Professional indemnity insurance: protects your company in the event that a dissatisfied customer files a claim against you and your company. For instance, if you misplace any images for a client and they demand recompense.
Camera Insurance FAQs
Is it worth getting insurance for a camera?
Camera insurance is required. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a committed hobbyist photographer. At the very least, camera insurance will cover the cost of replacing a cracked lens. You will also be protected from potential lawsuits if you have photography insurance.
What insurance covers photography equipment?
Equipment insurance covers the cameras, lenses, computers, and other tools used by photographers.
