I grabbed some dinner before a shoot and when I exited the the restaurant, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The back window of my partner’s SUV was broken. One look inside confirmed my worst fears, the gear bag was gone — two camera bodies, five lenses, tripod, batteries, and various accessories — stolen.
The next couple days proved to be a learning experience as I navigated police reports, insurance agents and dreams of recovering my gear. I became very aware of a side of the video business that we hope to never experience: coping with theft.
There’s really two sides to dealing with this worst case scenario: preemptive steps you can take to minimize loss and maximize recovery chances, and things you can do after-the-fact to try to recover stolen gear.
There’s really two sides to dealing with this worst case scenario: preemptive steps you can take to minimize loss and maximize recovery chances, and things you can do after-the-fact to try to recover stolen gear.
Keep Records
First and foremost, it is important to keep a physical inventory of your gear. You should hang onto receipts and record the serial numbers for every piece of kit you get. You can even go so far as taking photos of all your equipment once a year. Should you find yourself having to make insurance claims or fill out police reports, well kept records will make the process easier.
Many manufacturers also allow you to register your gear with them. This can help document what you own in case of theft or damage and also helps you keep current with updates. It’s easy to do and worth looking into anytime you buy a new piece of equipment.
Know Your Insurance
Insurance is often the first go-to for recouping losses. Make sure that you’re covered by checking with your agent. While homeowners insurance will usually cover camera equipment, they often only cover amateurs and hobbyists — not professionals. The insurance broker will determine what qualifies someone as a professional.
Gear used for business purposes might not be covered under standard homeowner’s insurance, so it’s important to know exactly what is covered. For pros, you can get riders for your gear, or look into separate insurance. Most important, talk to your insurance agent about your specifics; no one wants to have a claim rejected on technicalities.
Rentals
If you rent gear, you should be aware of what kind of coverage you have for it. Rental houses often offer insurance for damage, but sometimes not for theft. That means if you’re renting a camera and it’s stolen, you could be financially liable.
If the rental company doesn’t offer enough coverage, check into your homeowner’s, renters, or business policies. Some cover equipment that you either own or are using, but again, it’s important to know the specifics of your policy.
LensTag
LensTag.com is a free service that lets you to register your camera and lenses to their online database. Once you report a piece of registered gear stolen, LensTag logs the equipment for any web searches. This can help if second-hand buyers do a search on potential purchases and is an increasingly powerful as LensTag builds relationships with law enforcement and the pawn industry. As a free service, there’s little reason not to register with them.
What To Do If Your Gear Gets Stolen
Ok, planning is all well and good, but what are your options once your gear is gone?
You’re going to need to file a police report. Call the police. They’ll send someone to take a report, or if appropriate, point you towards resources for doing it online. In the police report you’ll detail the circumstances of the crime and record what was stolen. Be as thorough as possible in this report as it will later be used in making insurance claims and with any possible recovery of the stolen property.
Next, you’ll contact your insurance agent and file a claim. Do this as soon as possible to minimize delays to getting back on your feet.
To recover stolen gear, check with places that have a large second-hand market. Contact nearby pawn brokers; they will often hold merchandise for a set period of time to see if anything is reported stolen. If there’s a local swap meet, check it out. Go talk to employees at local camera stores, even if they don't sell the kind of gear you had — you never know where a thief might think they can sell their stolen goods. Don’t forget to check online sites like Craigslist and Ebay.
Online resources such as StolenCameraFinder.com can help locate lost or stolen cameras by searching online for metadata hidden in uploaded images. These services are aimed at still photos, but for DSLR shooters, they could be useful.
While nothing is guaranteed to get your gear back to you, these steps can help offer as good of a chance as you’ll get for recovery.
Parting Advice
Video production is largely the art of coping with complications. Hopefully theft is an complication you won’t experience, but it’s a good idea to hope for the best while preparing for the worst.
Erik Fritts is a writer, videographer and photographer based in Sacramento, CA. He has a degree in film production from CSU Sacramento and experience in television, film, and corporate video production.
