Guide to Camera Insurance

Whether you're a traditionalist or you're enjoying the new wave of high quality digital camera devices, the chances are you've got a fair amount of money tied up in your camera equipment. As with all forms of insurance, your camera insurance premium will be calculated on the basis of the likelihood of a claim being made and the potential value of that claim.

Camera insurance and home contents cover

Mainly for simplicity, some people decide to include their camera equipment on their contents insurance policy. Admittedly, this is an easy option as it's one less insurance policy to think about. However, there are downsides to this which a camera insurance policy can solve.

Initially, you should look at the limitation on the value of a single item in your contents insurance. Your camera equipment could exceed this quite easily. You should also think about what happens if you need to make a claim at any point. If you make a claim on a camera insurance policy, your premium may rise slightly but it shouldn't be anything disastrous. If you include your camera on your contents insurance, your premium is also likely to go up but it may be proportional to the total value of your contents and not just your camera equipment.

In addition to this, you should find that a specialist camera insurance policy is better equipped to handle claims whilst you're away from your home or if you suffer accidental damage.

What does camera insurance cover?

You can expect your camera insurance policy to cover you for theft, damage and accidental loss of your camera equipment. Be warned that the specifics of a camera insurance policy will vary slightly between each provider. For example, some camera insurance companies include new-for-old cover and others may extend their cover to include dark room equipment, projectors, screens, binoculars, camcorders, telescopes and so on. All covered by one manageable camera insurance policy.

Who will benefit from camera insurance?

Camera insurance is well suited for amateur and professional photographers alike. With varying levels of camera insurance and specific add-ons and extensions, you should be able to find a camera insurance policy which is tailored to your specific needs.

Camera Insurance Companies

If you decide it is better for you to insure your photographic equipment separately from your home contents insurance or if you require professional or liability cover for your photography work, here's a useful list of camera and photographic equipment insurance providers who sell policies for these specific requirements:

• Camera Insurance Comparison