About a year ago a few friends and I began serious discussing insuring our gear. I don’t have nearly as much equipment as many pros, but between my camera, lenses, and assorted accessories, the equipment would cost several thousand dollars to replace.
I looked at a few options and ended up getting a personal article policy through State Farm. It turns out the insurance was quite affordable. I was able to cover all of my gear against theft, loss, and damage for around $45 a year.
$45 a year. That’s less than I spend on gas for a weekend railfan trip. The policy essentially covers anything that could happen, from a bag being swiped at an airport, to me just being clumsy and dropping my 300mm off a cliff in the gorge. I quickly signed up for the policy. I figure at that rate, if I have just one expensive piece of equipment damaged in 20 years, the policy will have more than paid for itself.
I recently saw a blog post about a program called NikSecure which starts at $150/year for coverage for Nikon equipment. It’s more expensive than my State Farm policy, but it’s an option.
