# Travel insurance - worth it for old camera?



## toutou (Apr 16, 2015)

Hi,

I'm going on holiday in Ethiopia for 2 weeks in a week and I'm taking my 600D, the kit 18-55 and the 75-300 lens (canon). They're all in good condition but I've had the 600D for I think 3 years now (don't remember the exact purchase date at the moment). I know this isn't an expensive kit, but if it got lost/stolen/etc. it would be rather annoying and it would be good to get at least some kind help towards buying a new kit.

So I wonder if it's worth getting an insurance for this or if that's even possible. I've seen various policies were your item can't be older than 3 years (my camera might be, not 100% sure and can't check right now) and you need proof of purchase in your country of residence. I live in the UK but the equipment was bought new on Amazon in another EU country where I'm from and I think they might have been bought with my dad's card. So well, not so easy. 

Does anyone have experience with this? Is it worth it in my case?

Thanks!


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## scotia (Apr 16, 2015)

If you have house contents insurance, check whether your insurer will cover your camera and lenses. I have my camera gear insured this way and it is covered when it is away from my home, including for travel. There are some restrictions (notably that if the camera is left in a car it must be hidden from view) but doing it this way is much cheaper than having separate cover - when I was insuring a 500D and 100-400L there was no additional cost.


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## toutou (Apr 16, 2015)

scotia said:


> If you have house contents insurance, check whether your insurer will cover your camera and lenses. I have my camera gear insured this way and it is covered when it is away from my home, including for travel. There are some restrictions (notably that if the camera is left in a car it must be hidden from view) but doing it this way is much cheaper than having separate cover - when I was insuring a 500D and 100-400L there was no additional cost.



I don't actually have a home content insurance. So I was thinking of taking out an insurance just for this trip because I think the risk is somewhat higher than normal. I've got a normal travel insurance to cover medical stuff, etc. but it doesn't really cover gadgets.


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## zim (Apr 16, 2015)

toutou said:


> scotia said:
> 
> 
> > If you have house contents insurance, check whether your insurer will cover your camera and lenses. I have my camera gear insured this way and it is covered when it is away from my home, including for travel. There are some restrictions (notably that if the camera is left in a car it must be hidden from view) but doing it this way is much cheaper than having separate cover - when I was insuring a 500D and 100-400L there was no additional cost.
> ...



I hope you mean that it's not your house rather than your not insured!
If not then I'm not sure it's your camera that should be your concern whilst away.

I believe that some credit cards also have insurance against items, worth a check.

Regards


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## toutou (Apr 16, 2015)

zim said:


> toutou said:
> 
> 
> > scotia said:
> ...



Yes I'm insured of course!

I'l look into some more policies...


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## mrzero (Apr 16, 2015)

In the US your gear could be repurchased used for about $500. I've never been to Ethiopia, but I doubt that you will face that much likelihood of theft. You would be better served to invest in a discrete bag that will allow you to carry your gear with you everywhere without screaming "camera inside." Then just be practical. Don't take off the bag anywhere, except inside your hotel room, where you lock it inside your suitcase before you leave.


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## scotia (Apr 16, 2015)

Can you afford the insurance premium but not the cost of replacing your gear? If so, I would consider paying the insurance premium for peace of mind, though I would look very carefully at what it does and does not cover. Many premiums, for example, will not cover a bag that is left in a car, even if the bag is concealed and the car is locked. 

If you can afford to replace your gear, then it depends on your level of risk acceptance.


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## mackguyver (Apr 16, 2015)

scotia said:


> If you can afford to replace your gear, then it depends on your level of risk acceptance.


That's exactly it. Insurance protects your money, not your gear. If you have plenty of money to cover the loss, then insurance will only cost you money. If the loss of the gear would be a hardship and/or prevent you from buying it all over again, then insurance is a wise choice. For me, if I lost all of my gear, which is quite a bit, it would take me years to replace it (as it did to buy it) if I wasn't insured. The insurance is expensive (I pay around $800 US a year), but is well worth it to me.


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## wsheldon (Apr 16, 2015)

You need to be aware of insurance deductibles in this type of decision. I doubt it would be worthwhile to insure gear worth ~$500, considering deductibles tend to be $250 or more on home policies, plus you face the risk of increases on your home policy if you make claims. Gear insurance is certainly worthwhile for bigger ticket items and typically only costs 2-3% or so per year, but you've got to consider that deductible in your cost/benefit calculations.


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## RGF (Apr 17, 2015)

There is a lot more to trip insurance than you camera. Seriously think about it.

What if you become ill there and need to go home early.

Or if you need to cancel your trip due to illness, injury to you or a family member.

If you need to be evacuated out country back to the US (or Europe) the cost of an air ambulance could be > $100,000!!

There are 3 things to consider

1. If you gear is stolen, lost, falls in a river while traveling. I have all risk insurance through my home owners (State Farm). Costs around $1.25/1.50 per $100.

2. If you need to cancel the trip or return early (for cause). w/o insurance you will eat the cost of the trip. I seldom purchase this type of insurance but occasionally for very expensive trips / elderly family member has chronic condition. Generally to get pre-exisitng conditions covered, you need to buy insurance within 10 days of the first booking (payment) of the trip. I have only used it once - when I cancelled a trip to the Falklands when my father-in-law died. Got full insured value back.

3. medical evacuation insurance. Always carry this. We use MedJet Assist. Only had to use it once when my wife (traveling alone) broke her leg in Tanzania. After it was set in a cast, she called Med Jet (collect) and they had a doctor to doctor discussion about the recommended course of treatment. in the end the redo was for her not to put much wait on it and then have it re x-rayed in a few weeks. well she could stay in Tanzania and avoid putting weight on it there so she continued her trip with a few modifications. When she got home, I meet her at O'Hare and at the next day we went to see the orthopedist. In the end, everything is well. However if she need to get home immediately, MedJet would have arranged it and if necessary would have flown her in a private jet or have nurse accompany her on a commercial jet.

good luck with your trip. I have not been to Ethiopia and but would like to go.


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## jdramirez (Apr 17, 2015)

I have insurance... and for me it is well worth the price (around $100 a year for $9000 in coverage). Basically I walk around the streets with confidence... so if I do get robbed... it will suck, but I can get the replacement cost for the camera and lens back without a deductible. So what if it is 2a.m. so what if I'm the only one on the street... so what... 

If I didn't have insurance, maybe I tuck the camera under my sweatshirt and walk around my like I have a wicked bad hernia... but this way... I really am not concerned with the potential risk... thereby allowing me to get some shots I may otherwise forego.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Apr 17, 2015)

RGF said:


> There is a lot more to trip insurance than you camera. Seriously think about it.
> 
> What if you become ill there and need to go home early.
> 
> ...




This is very good advice. Illness in certain countries can be very risky, medical facilities can be poor, and you may need to be air-lifted. My sister had a vaccination for Malaria, but got it anyway. It was pretty hard on her, her entire trip ruined and she got a serious infection from a dirty needle in the hospital that took a year to get over.

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/ethiopia


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Apr 17, 2015)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> RGF said:
> 
> 
> > There is a lot more to trip insurance than you camera. Seriously think about it.
> ...


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## toutou (Apr 17, 2015)

Thanks for all your advice everyone!

I'm covered on the medical front with insurance for this trip. That's one of the first things I did and I would be crazy not to!! It's just that the insurance doesn't really cover gadgets. But I don't have a home content insurance. Medical insurance is covered automatically in Europe (but not for travels outside of course).

I haven't fully decided if I'll insure the camera, will look into it more this weekend. I guess I wouldn't insure it if went somewhere in Europe while actually, the risk of theft is probably about the same in touristy areas in Europe as it is in Ethiopia (theft isn't a big issue there apparently). 

@Mt Spokane Photography - There is no malaria vaccine unfortunately. There's one for yellow fever, which is also transmitted by mosquitoes. But nothing is a 100%. I hope your sister is ok now. Must be incredibly frightening!


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## RGF (Apr 17, 2015)

toutou said:


> Thanks for all your advice everyone!
> 
> I'm covered on the medical front with insurance for this trip. That's one of the first things I did and I would be crazy not to!! It's just that the insurance doesn't really cover gadgets. But I don't have a home content insurance. Medical insurance is covered automatically in Europe (but not for travels outside of course).
> 
> ...



Correct - there is no malaria vaccine but there are pills which can help prevent it (though as you point out, not 100%).

Check carefully if you need to take your yellow fever vaccination card (our is yellow).


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