Traveling to Europe with Mamiya 645, Tips, Insurance?

[imb_ngone]

<p>After goggling for a few hours on travel and renter's insurance I am more confused and frustrated on what type of coverage I need or should get. <br>

I will be visiting London, Barcelona, Amsterdam and some places in-between during August. I will be bringing my Mamiya 645 AFDII and 3 lenses and I want them to be covered in case of theft or damage. <br>

I currently don't have renter's insurance so I can't do and add (called "floater" cover?) but have been searching for a stand alone insurance package for international cover0, but no luck. I don't want to get renters insurance just because of this trip... Any companies that provide a one time service? Like insurance just for one trip period of two weeks? Anyone ever found or done anything like this? If not then what company should I go to and what kind of package? Its not commercial work.<br>

And any tips on taking care of film for two weeks overseas while traveling would be appreciated! Been thinking of mailing them to developing place in LA once I finish with a project rather than carrying them with me but not sure about the costs of that. <br>

Thanks!</p>

[dan_mcclain]

<p>Renters insurance is fairly cheap, even if you have to buy a year of coverage. I would also make sure that your gear is covered by some policy at home before I would conclude that you don't need it year round. When I took my Mamiya 645 to Europe I made sure that I had a floater to insure my gear against almost all perils, such as drop damage. <br>

I mailed some of my film directly to a lab in the UK before I flew to Italy, and then took the remainder of the exposed film home to the US in my carry on luggage. If I had to do it again I'd take it all with me and have it developed at home, unless the trip was longer than a month or two.</p>

<p> </p>

[rachelle_m.]

<p>Alex,<br />I've travelled around the world (at least 20 countries), usually with 2-3 cameras (one MF, one 35mm, plus lenses), and have never had an issue with theft or damage, despite not having had any insurance. That doesn't mean it won't happen, but the odds are that it probably won't. Even if you did have the insurance, would that cover the immediate cost of replacing your gear while on your travels? Are you bringing a backup camera just in case?</p>

<p>As for damage, be wary of situations you think are safe. Once, when flying, I didn't really pay attention to people shoving their bags into the overhead bins next to my camera bag. Well, when I got off the plane and went through a security check, I found out that one of my lenses had been smashed -- or so I thought, since I couldn't open the lens cap and could hear a bunch of glass rattling inside. After sending it to Nikon, it turned out that just the filter got damaged, and the lens itself was fine. Since then, however, I watch my bag whenever it leaves my hands and is subject to bumps and bangs, whether it be in trains, planes, buses, whatever.</p>

<p>I usually travel with 20-40 rolls of film (depending on the length of the trip) and have never had an issue. 40 rolls is the maximum I can stuff in the outside compartment of my camera bag. I try to get hand inspections when I can, but don't worry too much if I can't (which is usually the case, especially in Europe). I've had film, ranging from 100-1600 film speeds, scanned up to 10 times with no visible damage whatsoever. As long as it goes through cabin baggage scanners, and not checked bag scanners (always ask to be safe) you'll be fine. You could mail the film too but I don't think it's necessary.</p>

<p>Anyway, I'm not sure this really helps you with your inquiry about insurance, but unless you have renter's insurance, it will probably be near impossible to get. Photographic equipment is something that usually gets a bare minimum of insurance coverage with most policies ($500-$750 max) -- I guess maybe to avoid fraud. I've gone the no-insurance route -- you'll have to decide what your gear (and peace of mind) is worth to you.</p>

[david_henderson]

<p>I'm British, so things might be a little different where you are and if so no doubt someone will chime in. As far as I'm concerned there are three ways to insure your gear. </p>

<ul>

<li>Take out travel insurance to cover your trip. It will give some cover for possessions but there will be a limit to the value of cover offered and quite possibly further (lower) limits on individual items and on the max. payout for related items or a set. You need this cover anyway, and it will give you some cover unless you are using the camera professionally. </li>

<li>Get some form of annual insurance for your possessions generally, and make sure that the "all risks" or "personal possessions outside the home" sections have sufficient to cover your needs. Read the t&c carefully and again if you make any form of professional use, your cover may not apply. I think in the US you might term this "homeowners" or "renters" insurance. </li>

<li>Buy some form of annual insurance for your photo equipment specifically. These policies are often designed around the needs of professionals, may have all sorts of cover you don't need - like protection for studio equipment and so on. These policies are often pretty poor value and tend to have high deductables. They also often have t&c that you need to be sure you can meet- for example if you forget to lock your car, or if a thief gains access to the car with a key, you may well not be covered and you won't be able to leave equipment in an unattended vehicle at night. It's the sort of insurance that people travelling frequently on assignment with many $000 of equipment get. There tends to be a high minimum sum insured - way more than the value of your kit, and that's one reason why the cost is going to seem high. </li>

</ul>

<p>As far as I'm aware thats about it. Either you choose one of these or carry the risk yourself. I'm not sure you'll find what you're looking for. </p>

[df]

<p>I have a "personal articles" policy that goes with my State Farm homeowners policy. It costs me about $54/year for loss/damage where ever I go for about $6,000 worth of Canon equipment. Photography is my passion not my major source of income so I am not paying professional rates. Where you live and your credit rating will also influence your rates.<br>

I think a personal articles policy that would go with renter's insurance would be your best bet unless you are a professional photographer. Property and Casualty insurance in the the USA is very competitive. Any agent would be happy to quote your coverage. Find out who your friends and relatives have their renter/homeowner insurance with and call their agent. Or look in the yellow pages and pick any three different insurance companies for a quote.<br>

In my case if my equipment grows feet then I miss a shot that could provide some income, but mostly would reinforce a memory for a lifetime. I guess I could live with missing a shot, but having to pay for my equipment twice would be even worse. I'd rather pay a little every year for insurance then have to replace camera, lenses, filters, bags, etc in one fell swoop.<br>

The major cities in Europe are just like the major cities in America. There are a lot of kids with fast hands and even faster feet just waiting for you to put your camera bag on the ground. </p>

[imb_ngone]

<p>Thanks for the responses, a lot to think about. I was trying to avoid the rental insurance option but will get a quote from State Farm soon with the personal articles policy that David mentioned, but I am afraid the rental insurance might be just too much. Other than the medium format camera I just have a Leica D-Lux, so its my main camera for personal work. But I am very careful when traveling. </p>

[zml]

<p>Keep in mind that the various equipment/personal effects riders are OK only for non-professional use (i.e. you are an amateur.) If you make money on your photography (even a single friggin' dollar!) get a pro insurance: insurance companies don't like to pay up so they'll investigate your claim throughly</p>

[peter_mellis]

<p>Check with your credit card company;I think that some of them provide certain types of insurance coverage if you bought your tickets on your card.</p>