gray market camera's

mike455555 · Jul 21, 2014

hey im new to the forum and thinking of buying a nikon d5300 as my first DSLR. im a student with little to spend, and have been researching several cheaper camra sites which sell gray imports (which i do not mind buying)

1: has anyone heard of or used the following sites

panamoz
digitalrev
portusdigital
hdewcameras

portusdigital is the cheapest but, iv found little to no reviews of the site online, the same for the other ones listed. whats there costumer service like ect thanks in advance for any help

Theo2 · Jul 21, 2014

I've heard of only digitalrev, a site which I quite enjoy. I'd be careful, you might want to try a website that offers buyer's protection such as eBay or amazon. Also, used isn't a bad option.

vintagesnaps · Jul 21, 2014

Never heard of any of those except DigitalRev, who does some entertaining videos... Maybe buying used would be a better option starting out then upgrade from there.

mike455555 · Jul 21, 2014

iv looked at second hand but as its a fairly new model it seems that there is not much on the secondhand market. iv look on amazon and ebay, and i might buy from them in the end

mike455555 · Jul 21, 2014

just checked ebay

Nikon D5300 Black + AF-S DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G VR II Lens Kit Full HD ~ NEW | eBay

cheaper than digitalrev but more than the other 3 which it seems no one has heard of

Overread · Jul 21, 2014

Few thoughts;

1) Never used Digital Rev myself, but they generally come well recommended.

2) In this market I'd honestly say avoid any company "no one has heard of" as there are a lot of scams or companies with shoddy business practices.

3) Check the situation regarding Nikon grey imports and warranties/repairs. I know that the USA division of Nikon won't even touch any Nikon camera that isn't sold in the USA (that means no warranty, but also no repairs even if you are going to pay for it). I've no idea if the UK division follows the same code of practice or not.

TCampbell · Jul 21, 2014

Since saving money is important to you in your selection... have you considered going to the Nikon online store and checking their "Refurbished" section? You'll likely save more than you can buying a gray-market camera AND get a camera that's backed by a manufacturer's warranty and service should that ever become necessary.

robbins.photo · Jul 21, 2014

mike455555 said:
hey im new to the forum and thinking of buying a nikon d5300 as my first DSLR. im a student with little to spend, and have been researching several cheaper camra sites which sell gray imports (which i do not mind buying)

1: has anyone heard of or used the following sites

panamoz
digitalrev
portusdigital
hdewcameras

portusdigital is the cheapest but, iv found little to no reviews of the site online, the same for the other ones listed. whats there costumer service like ect thanks in advance for any help

I don't recommend going gray market. If you want to save some money, get a refurbished D5200 from a reputable outlet like KEH or B&H photo instead. The problem with grey market is no warranty, and even if the "seller" offers any kind of a warranty well it's only as good as the sellers word. A lot of these places will pop up for a while, when they get enough BBB complaints they will "disappear" and reopen a week later with a new website and a new DBA (Doing business As) name - but it's the same folks.

The other thing you'll see a lot with these places is that they will sell you the camera at a "discount", but it doesn't ship - they'll call you up and say there was a delay and then try to sell you a ton of add on stuff, filters, camera bags - etc. This is all stuff they make a huge profit margin on - if you fail to buy it a lot of times what they will do is keep delaying the camera shipment till you say yes or file a chargeback with your credit card company.

A lot of authorized Nikon shops won't work on gray market items even after the warranty has expired.. in short it's just usually not an option I can recommend. I think you'll be much better off getting a D5200 from an authorized reseller.

KmH · Jul 21, 2014

robbins.photo said:
The problem with grey market is no warranty, . .

That is not a true statement.

Nikon gray market cameras/lenses/gear have a Nikon warranty, but those cameras do not have a US serial number that goes with a Nikon USA warranty.
Nikon USA Service is so busy they do not work on Nikon gear that does not have a US serial number. Not even for pay.

B&H photo sells gray market Nikons and US buyers of those cameras send the camera to B&H when they need a warranty repair. B&H then takes care of having the warranty work done at a Nikon facility not in the USA.
U.S. & Grey Market Products | B&H Photo Video

If a gray market item is bought elsewhere by a US buyer it may be up to the buyer to determine where outside the US the camera/lens/gear needs to be sent for warranty work - like sending it to Japan.

Overread · Jul 21, 2014

B&H and Adorama might not be the cheapest options for a UK customer.

There's the London Camera Exchange (they've shops outside of London) and WEX (Wearhouse Express) - there's also at least one exclusive to Nikon retailer in London (most now ship).

Now it reminds me of it check out Camera Price Comparison, Compare Camera & Camera Accessory Prices

It lists retailer prices for a whole host of camera equipment - all UK based. Most of the stores listed are legitimate and honest (there is a warning on the site that they are not accountable of course, it just lists prices).

Designer · Jul 21, 2014

Mike455555; Welcome! Why don't you consider the Nikon D5200 instead? Only a few lacking features, but essentially the same camera. Additionally, there will likely be more second-hand examples of the D5200 available.

robbins.photo · Jul 21, 2014

KmH said:
robbins.photo said:

The problem with grey market is no warranty, . .

Click to expand...

That is not a true statement.

Nikon gray market cameras/lenses/gear have a Nikon warranty, but those cameras do not have a US serial number that goes with a Nikon USA warranty.
Nikon USA Service is so busy they do not work on Nikon gear that does not have a US serial number. Not even for pay.

B&H photo sells gray market Nikons and US buyers of those cameras send the camera to B&H when they need a warranty repair. B&H then takes care of having the warranty work done at a Nikon facility not in the USA.
U.S. & Grey Market Products | B&H Photo Video

If a gray market item is bought elsewhere by a US buyer it may be up to the buyer to determine where outside the US the camera/lens/gear needs to be sent for warranty work - like sending it to Japan.

Actually that is a true statement:

https://nikoneurope-en.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5409/~/what-does-grey-market-product-mean%3F

Note the OP lists his location as the UK - Grey market is not solely just a phenomena that happens here in the US, it applies to other nations as well.

Note the very last paragraph:

"Nikon Europe offer a warranty service system for products which are sold via it's own distribution channels. If you own a Grey Market product it will have to be returned to the reseller or importer for warranty service. Refer to your reseller for service contact information."

In other words you warranty is only as good as the sellers word. Very bad idea, IMHO - I think the OP will be far better off getting something refurbished through proper channels.

MichaelHenson · Jul 21, 2014

I would definitely only go with company's that others have heard of. When I first started researching this I found a couple sites that had amazing prices...come to find out they were scams. Only go with recommended/verified websites...that is all.

cgw · Jul 21, 2014

Just go to the Nikon UK site and read their policy on warranty covereage for products bought from non-authorized Nikon dealers. I'm guessing you're not covered. Most gray market sellers offer warranties that are shorter, less comprehensive than a full Nikon warranty and fulfilled by God-knows-who. Worth it? Your call.

Check resellerratings and read the reviews very carefully.

mike455555 · Jul 21, 2014

i am in the uk, the main reason i wanted to go for D5300 is because of the GPS, which will come in handy as i'll be shooting wildlife. (my uni course is in conservation so ID and GPS tag is handy) i did start looking at the D5200.

the price difference between the gray imports and the not gray is about £140-150 digitalrev being a difference of £90 compared to places like wex. is there any nikon dealers which would be selling the D5300 refurbished? or do student discounts