General Insurance

Video Camera Equipment Insurance: Why you need it

Dustin Lemick

Author

Dustin Lemick

Whether you just do wedding photography on the weekends, or you’re in the film industry, or you’re a multimedia journalist — if you work with photography and videography equipment regularly, then you need video camera equipment insurance.

Professional video equipment insurance can keep you covered, whether you own your equipment or you’re working with rented equipment, and will ensure you don’t lose your entire project budget in the event something goes wrong. 

Here’s what you need to know.

What You Will Learn

What is Video Camera Equipment Insurance?

Video camera equipment insurance covers your videography and photography equipment from a range of potential problems, including…

infoAdditionally, since the film and photography industries can sometimes mean encounters with dangerous situations that you might not normally encounter otherwise, you’ll also find that some policies cover special situations like damage that occurs as a result of acts of terrorism or loss of equipment during transit. 
Video camera equipment insurance also covers far more than just cameras. Other pieces of photography and videography equipment that might fall underneath your policy’s purview include…

  • Lighting equipment
  • Sound and audio equipment 
  • Production equipment and software
  • Editing computers 
  • And more!

There’s a lot of equipment that goes into making a film or photography business successful, and a comprehensive insurance policy will cover quite a lot. 

Of course, though, there are still things that a video or camera insurance policy might not cover. Typically, these policies won’t cover damage, loss or theft that occurs due to your own willful actions. Sometimes, even truly accidental damage won’t be considered “accidental” enough to be covered by the insurance company, if you could have prevented the damage by being a little more thoughtful or responsible (like if you forgot a piece of equipment out in the rain, or if you lent your camera to a friend and then they disappeared off the face of the planet with your pricey camera in tow).

Quote1

How Does Video Camera Equipment Insurance Differ From Other Insurance?

If you use your video and camera equipment as part of a business, you might have other business insurance. So do you need both? 

How does video camera equipment insurance differ from other types of business-related insurance coverage, like professional liability insurance or general liability insurance

Put simply, video camera equipment insurance covers the actual equipment itself — nothing else. The rest of your business is left unprotected unless you have some sort of other business insurance.

General liability insurance in action

For example, let’s imagine you’re running a wedding photography business. You’re snapping photos of the bride and groom while the mother of the bride is adjusting some of the decorations in the reception venue. She’s standing on a ladder, you’re backing up trying to get the perfect angle … and you can probably guess where this is going. If you topple Mom over and she breaks her leg and wants to sue, you’ll be in deep water. That’s where general liability insurance will come in handy. 

However, if, during the scuffle with Mom, you happen to drop your camera and the lens shatters, the general liability coverage won’t help you all that much. You’ll need to call on your video camera equipment insurance for a replacement.

Professional liability insurance in action

Similarly, let’s pretend you’re a photojournalist and you snap a photo of a political protest. You turn that photo in to one of your freelance clients and they publish it. But then, someone spots themselves in your photo and claims you took it without their permission and that their reputation has suffered due to your photo. If they try to sue you, you’d want to have some professional liability insurance. If, though, someone at that political protest steals your camera, you’ll want video camera equipment insurance

All of the above are important and you’ll likely want a mixture of insurances if you plan on running a video or photography business.

camera

 

Will Homeowners Insurance or Renters Insurance Cover Photography and Videography Equipment?

In some cases, yes, and in other cases, no. 

Quote 2

Do note that personal property insurance coverage does come with its limitations, both in terms of what kind of incidents it will cover and what dollar amount it will cover. That’s why some homeowners with pricey computers and other electronics will opt to buy supplementary electronic device insurance, specifically tailored to their tech needs.

However, if you use your photography and videography equipment outside the home, still just as a hobby, and something happens, you may find that your personal property coverage does not apply, as the damage or theft occurred away from your home.

Likewise, if you use your equipment for business purposes at all, that could void your right to coverage underneath your homeowner insurance or renters insurance policy.

 

Video Camera Equipment Insurance FAQs

  • Who needs video camera equipment insurance?

If you’re making money as a business owner in the photography or film industry, then you need some sort of film equipment insurance or photography business insurance. This insurance coverage will ensure you’re not instantly out thousands of dollars when a camera breaks due to bad weather or your mic is snatched out of your bag on the subway. 

  • Is camera insurance and film gear insurance expensive? 

Both are likely more affordable than you think. You can usually buy annual policies starting at just a few hundred dollars. 

  • Do I still need video camera equipment insurance if I’m renting equipment?

Yes, you do still need video camera equipment insurance even if you’re just renting equipment from another business. If you’re uninsured and you rent the equipment, and then break or lose a piece of that equipment, the vendor could charge you for the full cost of the items, as well as additional fees. 

  • Where can I buy video camera equipment insurance?

Thankfully, in the age of the internet, buying video camera equipment insurance is pretty easy and quick. You can find policies available online through both specialty, industry-specific providers, as well as through well-known general insurance providers.

 

Insurance Can Be Complex — Make Sure You’re Covered

Whether you’re a hobby photographer or business owner, finding the right type of insurance can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. 

Take BriteCo, for example. We offer easy, affordable insurance to protect your fine jewelry, engagement rings and luxury watches from theft, loss, damage and mysterious disappearance, and there’s zero deductible and worldwide coverage.

See why our 5-star jewelry insurance policies are better than the rest and get your quote today.

Also Check:

How to Photograph Jewelry for Insurance Purposes?
How To Shoot A Jewelry Video | BriteCo Jewelry Insurance
How Do I Insure My Camera Equipment? | BriteCo Jewelry Insurance

Get a Quote:

The Easy Way to Insure Your Jewelry - and Save Money!

GET YOUR FREE QUOTE TODAY

Share

UP NEXT: Understanding Wedding Cancellation Insurance

Dustin Lemick

Author

Dustin Lemick

Dustin Lemick is the Founder and CEO of BriteCo and a third-generation jeweler with over thirteen years of retail jewelry experience. He holds a Graduate Gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and has in-depth knowledge and expertise in appraisal systems, diamond and gemstone markets, retail pricing models, insurance replacement models, and jewelry quotation pricing systems.