tomcat

Another terrific advantage (also "lucky advantage") of having a local camera store. I bought a Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 lens this morning from my local camera store. The owner offered me the white box kit lens option vs the Nikon gold box. I saved $400 off the retail price of the gold box version and got this lens for only $600 vs the gold box price. The only difference between the two lenses is the white box was in a kit that the first purchaser did not want, so I was the lucky one. Not sure if the on-line guys offer this same discount or not, but I have done this on other occasions with my local store.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Actually this sale is illegal.

tomcat

I have purchased one of these before and registered the number with Nikon and they have no problem. So why do you think it is "illegal"......

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

The only "White Box" Nikon items I'm familiar with are refurbished items....

tomcat

If you go to a camera store and want to buy a Z6, for example, and all the dealer currently has in stock are ones with the kit lenses and you only want the body, then he can sell you the body only and he keeps the lens. If you look closely at the packaging in the camera store, you will note that the kit itself is in the gold box, but the lenses are packed in white boxes. Nikon does this to save on packaging costs, I suppose. The current Z50 kit that comes with the 16-35 and the 50-250 kit lenses are also packed the same way. So the camera store dealer gets to sell a body only and then the kit lenses later. These are not refurbished items, but brand new. When I bought my D800 a few years ago, it came with a 24-120 kit lens. I did not need that lens, since I already had one, so I just bought the camera body only and he kept the lens for future sale.

They are not gray market lenses or a lens of less quality either, no matter what BS someone may tell you. These are brand-new lenses, same quality as the ones in the gold box, just packaged in a white box with the kit option, as an incentive to see the whole works. I worked in a camera store, so I know what I am talking about.

Winslowe

Zeiss Otus lenses come in a white box ... if only they would discount them!

tomcat

Actually, when I have bought refurbished lenses from Nikon in the past, they came wrapped in bubble wrap inside a typical brown shipping carton---no internal box. With a package insert stating that they are refurbs

BebuLamar

When I bought my Nikon Df the store didn't have the body only so they took a kit and took the lens out and sold me the body only. They gave me the big box with the empty space.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

I've only bought refurbished Nikon camera bodies, not lenses, nor was any new body a part of a kit and the refurb came in a white box that indicated it was a refurb (not directly from Nikon but Cameta). It had all of the normally included accessories as well. I have gotten refurbished Olympus cameras from Olympus directly and they were in the standard packaging except they had Refurbished printed on the side...

tomcat

That is exactly the standard policy that is done. Then the store has the white box lens to sell as they desire. Every time, I have registered the serial number with Nikon and it has never been questioned because it's considered a valid sale once the next owner registers it.

Otherwise, how would the store owner ever sell the lens? He couldn't give it away, so he sells it as a brand new lens, which is exactly what it is. I always ask for one of these when I need to get a "kit" lens separately.

User ID

I have two Nikon kits and I bought them complete. Not just body and lens but also Nikon branded gear bags etc etc. all the inner boxes are normal trade dress. Every item has its full packaging as if ready for separate sale. The outer kit boxes are special for the kit and indicate/list the contents. Very significantly the outer box has a specific bar code and sku code for each kit at the kit price.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Did you get a USA warranty? White box could be simply a kit lens removed by a dealer from a kit and sold separately which is often the case, or it could be gray market.

tomcat

Yep, it's a USA warranty. I've already registered it with Nikon NPS, same procedure as I did a couple of years ago with another white box purchase. This camera store dealer is my friend that I have dealt with for over 20 years. So there is no chance of this being anything other than a legitimate USA lens. These are legitimate USA kit lenses in a white box. This is Nikon's practice and also Canon as well. Since these are packaged for a kit sale, Nikon is saving on packaging costs by using a white box and not that more expensive gold box packaging.

You know, I am beginning to regret that I even brought this subject up. It was my intent to tell UHH'er's that there is an opportunity to save on purchasing these white box lenses. I saved $400 over the cost of the white box vs the gold box. However, after I reply to your post, I will delete this tomorrow. Some folks just don't understand the marketing process and packaging for the camera kits. This is a practice with Nikon that has been in existence for at least 10 years. I honestly thought I was doing a public service here. See you later, next post..take care.....

Thanks, Gene for asking the question though. I appreciate the fact that you know what I am talking about.

FiddleMaker Loc: Merrimac, MA

What you are saying here certainly makes a lot of sense to me. Sounds legit.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Legal schmegal. He saved $400.