Import and US model

[TonyUSA]

Any different between import and US model Canon 5D III body. I have to drive about 1.5 hrs to pick up 5D body for $1,900. Other option is just order on on Ebay about $1,860. To me is not worth it to drive 1.5 hrs just to pick it up. No sure what is the chance for the D5 might go bad under a year of warranty.

Thank you,

 

[robbins.photo]

Any different between import and US model Canon 5D III body. I have to drive about 1.5 hrs to pick up 5D body for $1,900. Other option is just order on on Ebay about $1,860. To me is not worth it to drive 1.5 hrs just to pick it up. No sure what is the chance for the D5 might go bad under a year of warranty.

Thank you,

Mechanically, etc it will be the same camera. However I would never buy a grey market item myself, especially not one that expensive. If you ever need to have it serviced, it's quite possible that authorized service centers will refuse to work on it, even out of warranty.

 

[vintagesnaps]

That's my understanding, it's the warranty so you may have difficulty in getting it serviced/repaired and/or in having coverage of any problems with the camera.

 

[Advanced Photo]

What about folks living in Japan, who buy a camera there and then move to the US in less than a year? No warranty for them?

 

[TonyUSA]

Thank you. I guess I have to drive to pick up the US model then.

 

[robbins.photo]

What about folks living in Japan, who buy a camera there and then move to the US in less than a year? No warranty for them?

They would have to ship it back to Japan for service, since that's where it was purchased.

 

[robbins.photo]

Thank you. I guess I have to drive to pick up the US model then.

I would highly recommend it. Otherwise if you had any problem during the "warranty" period, assuming that the place you bought it from even offers one, well you'd have to ship it back to them. Since most of these places are already up to some pretty dubious business practices by avoiding paying import tariffs.. well most of them aren't exactly the sort of people I'd want to rely on in a situation like that.

Plus after whatever guarantee they do offer, even assuming the honor it which isn't all that likely, well then you are pretty well up a creek. If you need service after that the company you bought it from won't care, and most likely any authorized service center won't touch it either even if your willing to pay for it.

So ya, that US serial number is worth a bit of hassle to get. You'll be much happier in the long run.

 

[Advanced Photo]

hmmm.... then couldn't you send a Japanese model that you bought here there for service too? Is this being too simplistic? I suppose you might need a Japanese receipt for that? Can you register it with them as a purchase even? I have never bought one or considered why it would be better or worse to so I am trying to understand the subtleties.

 

[KmH]

Grey market - Wikipedia
What Is The Gray Market, And Why Should I Care?

 

[robbins.photo]

hmmm.... then couldn't you send a Japanese model that you bought here there for service too? Is this being too simplistic? I suppose you might need a Japanese receipt for that? Can you register it with them as a purchase even? I have never bought one or considered why it would be better or worse to so I am trying to understand the subtleties.

As far as I know it's not based on any kind of receipt - it's based on the serial number. Authorized service centers in the US will work on US serial numbered cameras. Those in Japan will work on Japanese serial numbered cameras. If the serial number doesn't match, then they can and probably will refuse to work on it.

 

[bigal1000]

Time to drive ............

 

[TCampbell]

What about folks living in Japan, who buy a camera there and then move to the US in less than a year? No warranty for them?

I can't tell you how this works with Nikon, but with Canon they have a something called an "international" warranty but it only *might* cover a person.

Here's how that works:

Suppose you live in the USA, but you're on a vacation in another country (it could be Japan but it could be anywhere) and you decide to buy a new camera (for whatever reason... your current camera broke, or you just decided you had to have that new camera you saw in the shop window.)

Normally Canon USA will only service a camera (warranty service or even paid service for the camera when it's outside of warranty) if the camera was imported into the USA by Canon and nobody else (which makes it a "USA" model). But this creates a problem for people who buy cameras while out of the country.

So Canon's "international" warranty says that *if* you can actually *prove* that you were physically in that country when you bought that camera, *then* they don't consider it "gray market" and they'll go ahead and service it.

What they don't explain is how you "prove" this. Do you submit airline or hotel receipts with your name on them showing that you were in that country at the time of purchase? Did you have to mail in a special registration card with proof at the time of purchase? I don't know the answer.

I assume Nikon probably has a similar rule because they tend to match each other.

But what I can tell you is that *generally* speaking, neither Canon nor Nikon will agree to perform service on a camera that they consider to be "gray market" (meaning you got the camera imported into the country via someone else and it bypassed their normal import process for gear intended to be sold in this market.)

If you buy an "import" camera, you should generally treat it as a non-serviceable camera. Likely the only way you'll get it serviced is to find a private camera repair shop.

 

[astroNikon]

Also, the most consistent problem is the power plug charger that comes with the camera may not work in the US without an additional connector. It all depends.
more info on Nikonusa.com ==> What are Gray Market Products?

Nikon does support some gray market cameras at certain repair facilities. ==> Nikon is Now Allowing Some Grey-Market Camera Repairs in the US
They have an article somewhere on their website about it.

 

[KmH]

The article linked to above is based on a Nikon Rumors web site story and doesn't say those Nikon Authorized repair centers will now do warranty repairs.
Nikon Rumors web site stories are too often shovel loads of male bovine excrement, so I don't spend any time reading their stories.

Lots of 'gray market' camera gear sold here in the US is legally imported.
As far as I'm aware Nikon Authorized repair centers, but not Nikon USA Service, have always been allowed to work on gray market gear.
Nikon Authorized repair centers can get parts from Nikon.
Joe Blow non-authorized repair shops can't get parts from Nikon.

 

[TonyUSA]

Thank you everyone for the knowledge. I already got it from the US dealer.