Why should I buy a Nikon camera with a USA warranty over a gray market version?

I am looking to but a D300 from an ebay seller. There are many "gray market" cameras with lens packages that are cheaper than the USA warrantied cameras. What is the main difference and what would be the best deal to go for. Is the USA version so much better? Is it the same camera? What is the difference in warranties, etc? Thanks in advance!

Many gray market items are not produced by the manufacturer. They are actually knock offs, or clones of products. They may appear the same on the outside, but the inside is a different story. There are some that sell from outside the US using broken or damaged cameras that may not work. Some of these items have been re manufactured and could work, but not for long. without a warranty, you would be looking for a new camera to replace the dead one. If it's not a real warranty, but a counterfeit warranty card, the company won't cover it.

You can buy from a foreign vendor that has a legitimate item with a valid warranty. The main difference in this scenario is that you will need to send the item to another country for any warranty work. Other than that, it should be the same. Oh, the manual and camera may not have instructions in English. This did happen to a friend who bought an item from Japan. The manual and controls were in Japanese, English was not available. It worked fine and he never did need any work on it in the 5 years he had it (He upgraded to a newer model).

You can also buy a re manufactured or factory reconditioned item. These usually come with real warranties and often an extended warranty can be purchased. I did this myself several years ago. I have not had any problems with my camera in 3 years, it just works fine and I saved $200 even with the $50 extended warranty.

Just because it's a great deal doesn't mean it's a gray market item. It could be a legitimate reconditioned item.

The cameras should be the same. Teh warranty is the main issue.

Many distributors will only honor warranties on items they have sold, a reasonable attitude. If you buy overseas then teh you may have to send the camera back overseas for repair or replacement.

from Nikon USA website:

"Nikon Inc. USA cannot provide any technical support or warranty service on Gray Market items. Additionally Nikon Inc. USA cannot perform any fee-based repair work on Gray Market items"



DSLRs are a complex combination of electronic and mechanical parts and is is not unusual for new cameras to be faulty. This is why there are warranties.

A genuine Nikon Dealer is motivated to do the right thing by you, lest they wear the warranty or sanctions from Nikon because of complaints. A gray market dealer has none of those limitations. On a nice camera like the D300, I want to know where it came from. I want to know that it passed all quality assurance testing. I want to know who I can talk to if I have a problem.

Even gray market you are still spending thousands. Most likely with a lens that won't perfectly fit your needs.

No thanks not for me. Here in Australia my D300 cost me close to $3000 and worth every cent. I can go talk to the dealer any time I want to about the camera or accessories etc. That's peace of mind.

teef_au