Pilot 6 Loc: Eugene, OR

It's well known that Nikon USA won't work on "gray market" cameras. In selecting cameras for refurbishing, do they have the same concern? Does anyone know?

Dr.Nikon Loc: Honolulu Hawaii

Nikon will work on a refurbished Non Grey Market camera ...

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

Nikon USA will warranty it's refurbished cameras for 90 days. If it fails after 90 days, the repair cost is your responsibility. Nikon will not fix your gray market camera, used or new. A possible exception would be if you bought it from an Authorized Nikon Dealer, with valid invoice. From perhaps in Germany?

MtnMan Loc: ID

I see they don't get your question. I don't know but doubt it because they do provide warranty and will work on their refurburshed stuff and do not change serial numbers.

Given their policy I don't see them taking in gray market hardware for refurbishing.

bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

I dont think it would make much difference to them, they just add the camera serial # to the data base and its suddenly a good camera and not grey market.
which by the way means , its sold in a country other than the US, theres nothing else wrong with it, the cameras are exactly the same as ones sold here ( for much more money)

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

I'm not a Nikon guy, so can't be sure, but I don't think there is not any way a grey camera can slip into the Nikon USA system. Refurbs can have been previously sold but not used, in the used sense of the word.
The only way a Nikon can get into the refurb system is to have been sold by a USA dealer.
SS

terry44 Loc: Tuolumne County California, Maui Hawaii

Probably, but Nikon is now repairing certain cameras and is most likely going to do more within the year (one can only hope), here is a link for you to check out http://nikonrumors.com/2016/05/16/great-news-you-can-now-repair-some-nikon-grey-market-cameras-at-third-party-us-repair-facilities.aspx/, refurb is a good way to save and get a great camera, buy from a reputable company such as Adorama, B&H, KEH, Cameta sells grey market and is honest as to weather it is a grey market or USA.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

It kind of depends upon who "refurbished" it.

If it was "officially" refurbished by Nikon USA, it is covered by some warranty (90 days?) and they will work on it both during the warranty period and after that expires (though the latter will be at the owner's cost).

Occasionally you also might find stuff labelled "refurbished" by retailers.... especially larger ones that have their own repair facilities or have a close relationship with a repairer. Those "refurbs" might or might not be gray market. It would probably be possible to tell by contacting Nikon USA with the serial number and having them check their records. I'm not sure about this with Nikon... you'll have to ask them. I know for sure that Canon can confirm it one way or another, based upon the serial number.

As to having a repair done, in general "refurbished" doesn't equal "gray market". Most refurbs are official stuff, so any repairs really shouldn't be a problem.

I shoot Canon gear and don't know about Nikon and "unofficially imported" gray market gear. Canon will usually agree to repair gray market stuff, sometimes at their discretion even at no cost if it's still in warranty (though they are not obliged to do so), or at buyer's expense if it's out of warranty. And, sometimes when there's a cost, if you howl loud enough Canon will reduce it a bit.

But, Canon gear... be it gray, refurb, out of warranty or whatever... also isn't difficult to have repaired independently. Nikon is.

Since 2012 Nikon has had a policy that they won't sell most repair parts to independent "unauthorized" repairers. According to the letter they issued about that policy, it's done to insure quality repair work.... though the effect is semi-monopolistic control over repairs and means of fixing the prices for the parts and services. (Nikon will sell some relatively simple and common replacement items... such as battery compartment covers or replacement rubber for grips.)

Canon, on the other hand, will sell any and all spare parts, so long as they have them available, to anyone with a telephone, credit card and a part number. So, you could easily have a Canon item... whether gray market or not... repaired by an independent shop, if you didn't want to send it off to a "factory authorized" service center.

MikeMck Loc: Southern Maryland on the Bay

I am a Canon guy. Most of my equipment is refurbished. I always buy it from the Canon Direct site. The good news about the Canon refurbished equipment is that it is warranted for an entire year.

BuckeyeBilly Loc: St. Petersburg, FL

catfish252

According to Nikon latest announcement they will work on certain grey market products: The D7100, D610, D800, D810 and D4s DSLR cameras were recently added to Nikon's list of bodies that are authorized for repair in the USA by Nikon authorized third party repair centers. This means owners of grey market bodies now have a means for servicing them in the USA. See here:

http://nikonrumors.com/2016/05/16/great-news-you-can-now-repair-some-nikon-grey-market-cameras-at-third-party-us-repair-facilities.aspx/

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

Nikon USA will never provide a refurbished camera that is grey market. All refurbished cameras from Nikon USA are cameras that were intended for the US market. Cameras that have been refurbished by a dealer/store that sells grey market may refurbish a non-USA camera.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Although I have seen nothing published about this, I can't imagine them selling a camera that someone imported independently. If you buy a refurb, it will be a Nikon USA model.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

That's fantastic! Since this applies only to older cameras, it should have minimal impact on their sales. I doubt someone would buy an expensive gray market camera hoping it could be repaired sometime in the future.

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

You also notice that it was Nikon Rumors. They have a good record of being correct or partially correct about 50% of the time. They have reported many "new" Nikon camera products or have reported specs on Nikon products that have been over stated or understated. I have seen them report "new cameras" that never made it to production and have had many policies confused or that may have been policies in Europe or Asia but not in the US or vice versa. Also, you will notice that these are not Nikon owned or controlled repair facilities but authorized Non-Nikon facilities. These would be places that are very good (Like Adorama, B&H, Etc.) but not Melville or LA. You can and always have been able to purchase non-USA Nikon product from Adorama, B&H and a couple of other stores that also sell NikonUSA product and those stores (Adorama, and B&H would repair them under the non-USA warranty. But the product would HAVE to be returned to those stores for that repair. If you look at the websites of those two (which I am sure of) and probably a couple of others, they state that in the description of purchasing a Non-USA product for shipment to a USA address. They also will tell you (if you ask) that parts for that product may not always be readily available for repair do to inventory issues.