# Can you get a reputable warranty on gray market cameras?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 10, 2001, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-reputable-warranty-on-gray-market-cameras/80658 "2001-09-10T13:49:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-reputable-warranty-on-gray-market-cameras/80658/1 "2001-09-10T13:49:32Z")
I saw a canon camera that retails with the US warranty for 2999, while a camera that is sold without it goes for 1620. These camera’s are usually exactly the same in all respects except that the instruction manual is written in a different language (and with no rebate.) Is there a company like Mack that will warranty these items? If not, why hasnt someone set up an arrangement like this - A huge grey market importer with a well known warranty service? ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-reputable-warranty-on-gray-market-cameras/80658/2 "2001-09-10T14:26:46Z")
You don’t say where you saw this pricing. Good-sized, reputable camera stores ofttimes will offer their own warranty on gray market cameras. Since you don’t seem to care much for punctuation, I’m also not sure of the actual price you’re talking about. Is it $29.99 (American dollars)? At that price I wouldn’t worry too much about warranties; that’s practically a disposable unit. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-reputable-warranty-on-gray-market-cameras/80658/3 "2001-09-10T16:32:16Z")
With that kind of price difference, you can just buy another one if the first one breaks, and only be out a few hundred dollars. The ultimate warranty in a sense. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-reputable-warranty-on-gray-market-cameras/80658/4 "2001-09-10T16:45:52Z")
Some companies will honour a warranty worldwide. I don’t know for sure if Canon is one of those or not, though I seem to recall either they or Nikon were. Worth checking out. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-reputable-warranty-on-gray-market-cameras/80658/5 "2001-09-10T16:47:18Z")
IIRC the gray market cameras don’t come without a warranty, just without a US warranty. You can’t get it fixed under warranty at a US dealer or manufacturer’s service facility. I think you can always send it to Japan (or wherever) where the manufacturer will repair it. ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-reputable-warranty-on-gray-market-cameras/80658/6 "2001-09-10T18:29:41Z")
[B&H Photo](http://www.bhphotovideo.com) sells both US warranty and ‘grey’ gear. They import the grey stuff themselves and offer a US warranty from a third party. Exact same equipment, equivalent warranty, better price, no-brainer. If you’re mail-ordering camera equipment, I’d highly recommend B&H. Beware of many camera mail-order shops. They’ll rip you off. ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-reputable-warranty-on-gray-market-cameras/80658/7 "2001-09-10T20:07:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kamandi \* > \*\*Beware of many camera mail-order shops. They’ll rip you off. \*\* Yeah, Kamandi, real helpful. :rolleyes: Sorry, posted as I was rushing out the door for lunch. Here’s what Philip Greenspun at [photo.net](http://www.photo.net/photo/where-to-buy) has to say about the grey market: > [@](#): > > One thing that these big New York retailers {[Adorama](http://www.adorama.com) and [B&H](http://www.bhphotovideo.com)} can do that your local camera shop cannot is go to Japan or Europe and import cameras themselves. Suppose that Nikon USA is selling F5 bodies to retailers here for $2500. Adorama has enough volume that they can fly to Japan and buy a bunch of F5s from a wholesaler there for, say, $1800 each. They bring them back to the US and sell them as “grey market” (parallel import) for $2200. It is exactly the same camera but you get a lower price (though you may miss out on any rebates that Nikon USA is offering and the Nikon USA warranty (though the US retailer will give you their own warranty)). Camera bodies are very reliable, lenses are even more reliable, and the authorized importers usually offer extremely slow service to consumers. Hence, I can’t think of any reason to ever pay more than $25 extra for a “USA” model. Sometimes grey market bodies even have important features that were ripped out of the US models, as with the Canon EOS-5/A2E. And from the same site, about mail-order shops that will rip you off: > [@](#): > > Place an order with Cambridge Camera, Smile, Executive or any of the other bottom dollar places advertising in Pop. Photo. The most common fraud is to advertise a Canon A2E, say, for $500. When you have finished reciting your credit card number, they’ll say “oops, that price was for the grey market version; right now we only have the US version in stock and that is $800.” [They will conveniently overlook the fact that the A2E is a US-only model.] > > Here are some of the more common frauds: > > Grey market film or short-dated film. Fuji isn’t so bad because I think they make all of their film either in Japan or the US, but with Kodak you can get some weird old emulsions made in Australia. You have to specify “Rochester” and “fresh” at many shops. > > Cheesy filters. Somehow shops other than B&H can’t resist selling you a really offbrand filter for $15 (their cost $1.50) even though they can make 50% profit on the real brands (e.g., Tiffen, B+W). > > Outrageous shipping charges. Always ask for the total price including shipping. If you need it tomorrow, expect to get raped by any of the NY shops (on the plus side, if Adorama or B&H says you’ll have it tomorrow, you’ll have it). [Photo.net](http://www.photo.net) is a great source of down-to-earth photo information. Take note, however, that [Adorama](http://www.adorama.com) is now one of their sponsors, so they may be a little biased in cheerleading that shop. Then again, they did recommend Adorama long before Adorama sponsored them, so their advice in that respect is probably pretty good. I’ve purchased thousands of dollars worth of stuff from [B&H](http://www.bhphotovideo.com) over the last few years with no problems whatsoever. You may pay a little more, but their reputation is second to none. ---
**Author:** ![rundogrun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5daacb/32.png) [@rundogrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rundogrun)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-reputable-warranty-on-gray-market-cameras/80658/8 "2001-09-10T21:34:51Z")
As a former Pop Photo employee, I’d just like to ditto **Kamandi’s** post. Many mail order camera retailers are notorious for bait and switch. B&H and Adorama, however, are both reputable and correctly priced. ---
**Author:** ![Swede\_Hollow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Swede\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swede_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-reputable-warranty-on-gray-market-cameras/80658/9 "2001-09-11T00:48:59Z")
**KidCharlemagne** didn’t specify what type of camera he was looking for. All of the above may be true for a standard film camera but digital cameras and camcorders can be an entirely different story.[ul][_]The camera won’t have the manufacturer’s warranty and the supplier probably won’t be able to fix a digital camera.[_]Any video feature might be in the PAL format and not the NTSC (or whatever it is) that the U.S. uses so you can’t send the image to a VCR or TV.[_]The instruction manual usually won’t be in english.[_]The software that comes with it plus the menu options on the camera itself may not be in english.[/ul]