thraso

Enjoy your lens! I have bought cameras and lenses from different countries around the word, Nikons and some of them over 45 years old still function and work well.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

You already have the answers to your questions so there is little I can add to the discussion. The gentleman from B&H gave you all the info you need to know not saying that the other answers by UHH members have not been useful also.
Gray market is not always the best way to save money when buying a lens. I have seen many times that the price difference with a genuine imported lens is not significant enough. Gray market items, as you already know, pose a problem when repairs are needed because in general the distributor will not honor the international warranty. There are many repair stations throughout the country that can do the repair but I am not sure how that works, especially if parts are not in stock with the repair facility. Quality wise there is no difference between one lens and the other since both are manufactured with the same standards. Made in China or Thailand is not synonym of poor quality since quality inspection is the same all over manufacturing plants.
As you already learned the G designation means the lens has no aperture ring. Today that is done electronically by the camera and most probably it is more precise than doing it manually.
The 35mm f1.8 lens seems to be an excellent optics from all the reports I have read, I do not own that lens instead I use the old manual 35mm f2 from the 80's.
I am sure your lens will last trouble free for a lifetime.

Brian45 Loc: Melbourne, Australia

I'm in Australia and have Nikon 18-55 (made in Thailand) 55-200, 35mm 1.8, 50mm 1.8 (made in China.) All lens serial numbers are registered and accepted for warranty with Nikon. All were purchased at approved Nikon retailers.

MtnMan Loc: ID

Well, the "Gelded" is Ken Rockwell's denigrating moniker for it. I don't know what word Nikon actually had in mind but yes it does mean no aperture ring.

I thought Abe's of Maine was a quality retailer so am surprised that they would offer a grey market lens without clearly identifying it.

Nonetheless it is a great lens and warranty repair is very unlikely on a model that has been in production as long as this one. I recently did have a recall on my 200-500 though which they would not have honored had it been gray market.

AntonioReyna Loc: Los Angeles, California

If the lens is working great and you don't abuse it, it will continue to shoot great. In shooting for close to 50 years, I have only had a problem with one lens, which was quickly corrected as the zoom was too "loose". Until recently, I shot, occasionally, with Canon rangefinders and lenses, including one Nikon in Leica screw mount, that were all manufactured in the 60s. So, enjoy your lens and take great pics.

MtnMan Loc: ID

I looked at their WEB site and they are now off my list of potential suppliers. They do not mention the Nikon warranty with this lens and offer their own for the usual excessivee price for such. Their description is ridiculous: this lens has been available a long time. Their return policy sucks totally: 14 days with 15% restocking fee and you pay return.

Adorama, B&H, and Cameta are much more reliable sources. (ABC)

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

I guess I got up too late this morning to give my explanation to this subject, but i'm gonna do it anyway as, at least I, got a chuckle from it. "G" stands for GREAT (and expensive) on a USA lens, and just plain old GOOD on the non-usa version! Or something like that anyway!

CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.

All the Lenses are manufactured in the exact same place they just receive different S/N numbers for whatever country they are going to be sold in.
Only US numbers can be serviced in the US.
Craig

pyro101 Loc: Southern Maryland

Thanks for the info. I didn't look deep enough into the website. The few dollars more to move up to a better supplier doesn't bother me - I just like getting the best price, all else being equal...but I see now that this wasn't the case. Another lesson learned...

Frank (pyro101)

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Having a non-usa version is not necessarily a prescription for doom and gloom. You save a few bucks and take your chance. It can be serviced, including under warranty, but you might have to send it out-of-country for that to happen. If you feel lucky and don't hammer your gear, it might work for you. For me, usa is worth the extra, but for you, perhaps not. Best of luck!

Shoot Happens

I know nothing about Abe's of Maine but the lens you bought is likely a grey market lens manufactured along with every other Nikon lens and is of the exact same quality and specs as a Nikon lens destined for the US. Tens of millions of people around the world buy Nikon products that would be considered grey market lenses in the US and have never had problems with them. Every piece of my Nikon gear, which is worth well over $10K, is considered US grey market gear in the US because I bought them in Canada where I live and I have never sent any lens back for warranty work. There is a risk in case of failure but it is a small risk and it is made smaller by the fact you bought a lens which is less likely to need warranty work than a more complicated piece like a camera. That small risk is only there if Abe's does not warranty it. If I bought a lens from B&H in NY, I believe it would be considered grey market in Canada and not under any Canadian warranty, yet many people from outside the US do buy from places in the US.

You bought a great lens, use it and enjoy it.

stan0301 Loc: Colorado

There are many, many camera repair shops who would be more than happy to repair your lens--should it need it--which it almost certainly won't
Stan

Bill_de Loc: US

BTW - Abe's of Maine is in Brooklyn, NY.

--

NJphotodoc Loc: Now in the First State

The only significant difference when you buy grey market is the lack of a USA Nikon warranty . Yes these items are less expensive, but when you factor in the cost of a repair ( and yes, even Nikon equipment gets sick) the savngs evaporates. I've found that sticking with the most common sellers like Adorama, B&H and Cameta are the best however even these sell grey market items on occasion (however they clearly mark them as such).
Of course you can always go the Nikon refurb route which does come with their 90-day guarantee which most reliable sellers will extend to 1 yr. That way, I was able to afford my d7000 along with lenses and an SB700 and have the worries of something breaking down quickly go away.

mikeroetex Loc: Lafayette, LA

Grey market warranties are great profit makers. Think the math thru! 100 lenses x $75 3-yr warranty = $7500. failure likelihood, less than 1%. $300 to completely replace that lens rather than bothering to replace. Net profit = $7200.