D 7100 Price : Too Good to be True ? I am planning to buy a Nikon D7100, body only. Major internet sites (Best Buy, Amazon ) sell it for $1096 give or take a $3.00 difference. However...

raypep

I am planning to buy a Nikon D7100, body only. Major internet sites (Best Buy, Amazon ) sell it for $1096 give or take a $3.00 difference. However, other internet sites sell the D 7100 for $699 or $750. It does not make sense.

I am wondering if in fact they are selling the exact same thing. Are their variations in a camera model, specifically the 7100 ? Is one offering perhaps a less powerful model? What do I need to compare to make sure the stores are in fact selling the exact same thing?

jethro779 Loc: Tucson, AZ

raypep wrote:

I am planning to buy a Nikon D7100, body only. Maj... (show quote)

First check the sites selling the cameras for integrity. If they are not B & H, Adorama, Cameta, They are probably selling grey market products. If you buy one and it fails Nikon will NOT fix it.

Kestrel1029 Loc: Philadelphia, PA

raypep wrote:

I am planning to buy a Nikon D7100, body only. Maj... (show quote)

What you have to watch out for is buying from a vendor that is less than reputable. Many use bait and switch tactics to upsell you on accessories. Use resellerratings.com, an online resource to check if a dealer is reputable or not. Many of these bargin places will charge you extra for things like the battery, charger and other things that are normally part of the kit. Use well known vendors such as B&H, Adorama or Amazon. They are more expensive at first glance but are all top notch vendors.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Tim

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

raypep wrote:

I am planning to buy a Nikon D7100, body only. Maj... (show quote)

Check the item price at B&H and Adorama. If someone else's price is off by 10% or more there is a very good chance it is grey market or a refurb being sold as new. Sometimes you can get lucky, but the odds are not in your favor. Be very careful.

Mike D. Loc: Crowley County, CO.

Let the buyer beware Ray. I have been struggling with the same thing for a while too. Save your pennies and stay away from the severely discounted cameras. There is a reason...

I found a D7100 on Ebay for $400 and it took a while but the reason it was going so cheaply is because the guy's one year old caused it to have a gravitational moment while on a tripod. The knobs on the left are now hard to move and it has focusing issues in low light levels. Just what I need, another Nikon with low light issues.

I totally understand the reasons why you are trying to find a deal but be careful. Try to find a refurbished one at a price you can live with and search the threads here for the ones to stay away from.

Some internet site to check out are Adorama, B & H, Cameta and Camera Cottage. (Sorry MT, couldn't resist a shameless plug). There are other sites that people here have had good luck with so use the search box. :)

jlefebvre Loc: Toronto, Ontario

You can also do what I am planning to do, the new D7200 will be coming out soon, I was told. Once that new model comes out, the D7100 prices will drop dramatically and that is when I will swoop in and get one.

Mike D. Loc: Crowley County, CO.

jlefebvre wrote:

You can also do what I am planning to do, the new D7200 will be coming out soon, I was told. Once that new model comes out, the D7100 prices will drop dramatically and that is when I will swoop in and get one.

An excellent idea. They are already under $1000. I can wait for another price drop.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

raypep wrote:

However, other internet sites sell the D 7100 for $699 or $750. It does not make sense.

Don't be bashful, tell us who is selling for those prices and I'm sure we can tell you why to avoid them like a plague. Stick with the known reputable sellers.

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

I'm also waiting to see what the D7200 price is, if any new features are worth it and if not, what the price drop on the D7100 will be... Should be sometime in September

amehta Loc: Boston

raypep wrote:

I am planning to buy a Nikon D7100, body only. Maj... (show quote)

The first thing to look for is the warranty. If it doesn't say USA warranty or NikonUSA warranty, beware.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

jethro779 wrote:

First check the sites selling the cameras for integrity. If they are not B & H, Adorama, Cameta, They are probably selling grey market products. If you buy one and it fails Nikon will NOT fix it.

Sorry, but Nikon WILL fix it under warranty......just NOT in the USA. You will have to ship it back to the country that originally imported it for local sale, be it Hong Kong, Australia, Taiwan, Indonesia or the Phillipines. (And good luck in ever getting it returned.)

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

amehta wrote:

The first thing to look for is the warranty. If it doesn't say USA warranty or NikonUSA warranty, beware.

"USA warranty" means absolutely nothing on these grey market sellers websites, it almost always refers to their own "store warranty" when that store is in the USA. "Nikon USA Warranty" is the only specified warranty claim that assures the buyer will receive a genuine Nikon USA imported product and have the full Nikon USA warranty of one year on cameras and 5 years on lenses.

amehta Loc: Boston

MT Shooter wrote:

"USA warranty" means absolutely nothing on these grey market sellers websites, it almost always refers to their own "store warranty" when that store is in the USA. "Nikon USA Warranty" is the only specified warranty claim that assures the buyer will receive a genuine Nikon USA imported product and have the full Nikon USA warranty of one year on cameras and 5 years on lenses.

Thanks for the correction.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

amehta wrote:

Thanks for the correction.

Its the favorite trick of these scam seller sites, and MANY people fall for it.

amehta Loc: Boston

MT Shooter wrote:

Its the favorite trick of these scam seller sites, and MANY people fall for it.

Nasty!