odnako

Is there any possibility to recognize if the canon 6d camera is USA model or Grey Market model if I don't have the warranty card for the camera?

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

O, welcome to the Hog.
Im guessing, but you may be able to call Canon with the serial number, they should be able to tell you.
Also, if it's new, any reputable dealer, will know at time of sale.
If its used, call Canon, if it matters to you.
Good luck. ;-)
SS

Musket Loc: ArtBallin'

Call Canon.

odnako

Thanks for reply.
The camera is new and it is bought from some Internet store through Ebay. It came without a warranty card and so far they have not answered why.
I have already called to the customer service of usa.canon.com and they are unable to identify if this is USA model or Grey Market model using serial number. The camera was successfully registered on usa.canon.com but they told me tha registration does not related to the warranty and Grey Market camera also should be registered successfully.
The camera is made in Japan if it helps.

Musket Loc: ArtBallin'

My Fuji XE1 and Xpro all say Made in Japan but came with USA warranty paperwork. Its common for manufacturers to build the body in one factory, and ship worldwide for various markets. Gray Market and Not are made in Japan or Taiwan or China or Thailand. Country of Origin wont help at all.

Maybe return the camera and buy from a reputable dealer. Not every deal is a good one. This may be the occasion where saving a few hundred bucks wont in fact pay off if up end up having to pay out of pocket for a warranty covered issue because you did not buy the right region/market of camera.

TLDR: I rarely will buy New Gear on Ebay because of potential for warranty issues. I will however buy from Amazon, B&H, Adorama, KEH, local shop as I know that the goods will be USA market.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Under these purchase conditions you can BET its definitely grey market. You will need the warranty card and a receipt from a Canon Authorized Retailer in order to get warranty repairs from Canon. Ebay cameras are probably at least 80% grey market items, bear this in mind when looking for bargains there.

georgevedwards Loc: Essex, Maryland.

I saw one advertised as "Brand New Factory Fresh Import Model" for $1399. Does this mean "grey market" or is it just that it is not made in the US? I bought a grey market lens from BH Photo, I think it said "same lens, just imported" or something. Does it merely mean the warranty is not good here? I keep getting the feeling that from all the hooplah about "beware of grey market" that it means that it is inferior structurally or defective somehow. I had never had a warranty issue in 40 years of photography, so I thought why not, not a whole lot to go wrong with a lens. However, with a complex device like a 6D it would worry me.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I know that if you try to register a grey market Nikon, it will not go through.

As for the warranty, you will need a receipt from an authorized dealer. Call Canon and ask if the seller is an authorized dealer. I'm amazed that Canon can't tell a U. S. from an import by the serial number. If Canon can't tell one from the other, service shouldn't be a problem.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Nikon recently did away with the card requirement. When I sent my first D600 to them, they wanted a copy of the card. When I sent the second one, they didn't require the card.

Montebello

Look at the bottom of the camera. Does it say "6D(N)? If so, this is a grey market camera not supported by Canon in the US. Beware of A J Richies in this regard.

chienfou Loc: Valley Stream, NY

I got suckered by a camera store located in Sunset Park, Brooklyn years ago. When I called Canon they told me to just make sure I keep my receipt and they would honor it. But that was fifteen years ago. That's why now I restrict all my purchase to B&H and Adorama. If it's "Grey" they tell you upfront and you would go through them for any warranty works. But I pay a little more for my USA WARANTY.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Very often, "USA Warranty" means you get a warranty from a company in the USA, but not necessarily from Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc. The seller includes a warranty by a third party warranty company.

chienfou Loc: Valley Stream, NY

yeah, I know! But it's paid for By Canon.

Wanderer2 Loc: Colorado Rocky Mountains

The "import model" designation almost certainly means it is grey market. The big difference is that, since they are not the importer and distributor of the camera, Canon-USA will not provide warranty service for it. My understanding is that grey market cameras are made in the same factory and are identical except the menus may not be in English. That is easily changed however. Some sellers of grey market items provide a warranty from a private company. I don't trust that because such companies can go out of business. Some sellers may also sell grey market cameras with batteries and chargers not made by the camera manufacturer, or with none at all.

It can be quite difficult to determine from an ad if the camera is grey market. If the ad doesn't specifically say it'a a Canon-USA (or whatever brand) warranty assume it may not be and contact the seller. If the ad just says, for example, "one year limited warranty" or "USA warranty" it may or not be from Canon-USA. I keep referring to Canon because I recently went through the process of buying one and the difficulty in being sure if was not grey market. I'm not saying that all grey market sellers are dishonest (but some are). IMO, there's nothing wrong with selling them if the seller is upfront about it being grey market. To their credit, some sellers specifically state it's grey market and others use terms like import model.

Also, there are a lot pure dishonest scams in the photography trade that simply collect the purchase price and never ship the merchandise, more than I've ever encountered in any other retail market. But's that's a whole other story. One can't be too careful when buying photography gear.

I would personally never buy a grey market camera. A lens is different and the odds are that you will be ok with your grey market lens, especially if the seller did provide some sort of non-Canon USA warranty.

sr71 Loc: In Col. Juan Seguin Land

As stated by Teton, all grey market bodies whether they be Nikon or Canon all models are identical, the only difference is the warranty. The grey market are still warrantied but you have to send it back to the builder. When you buy through and dealer, they buy the bodies from the main distributor and therefore you are paying for the warranty when you buy the body. Grey doesn't go through the distributor, however a good reputable store and and does provide warranty service for $$. And there you have it....