burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

If the price was significantly under list, maybe you should put the difference into a "self warranty" on the camera. That will cover many minor repairs, even light damage that warranties don't cover!

Then go Google the "Bathtub Curve." Basically, that is a graph of the probability of failure over time. The bathtub curve demonstrates the phenomenon that the most probable times for failure of any electro-mechanical device are at the beginning of its life, and near the end of its life.

Manufacturers set warranty periods carefully, so that their goods generally outlast the warranty under normal usage. In some cases, they make things that last a lifetime if they work after the first week! I have 50-year old film cameras and lenses that still work, for instance.

Many people have an irrational perception of the value and purpose of a warranty. Warranties seldom cover damage due to water intrusion, dropping, extremes of heat and cold, etc. They cover defects in parts and perhaps labor needed to replace those parts that fail due to no fault of yours, and that's it.

If I buy a laptop computer or a camera body that comes with a warranty, that's great, but I do look carefully at the terms of the warranty, and industry figures on reliability. I did find that AppleCare was a great deal on three of their notebooks, a PowerBook G3, an PowerBook G4, and a MacBook Pro. I used AppleCare on all of them. In one case, it paid for a new monitor and new RAM, due to a manufacturing defect. In another, it paid for a motherboard replacement due to an Nvidia graphics chip failure. In both cases, AppleCare had just expired, but they honored the warranty anyway.

I have bought gray market Nikon and Canon lenses that have worked for decades. I saved about $2000 in 2021 money 40 years ago, when I bought a US-warranteed Nikon F3 and six gray-market prime lenses for my former employer. The F3 needed minor service after seven years, well out of warranty. The lenses never did. So we came out way ahead on that deal.

So... In most cases other than laptop/notebook computers, or unknown camera bodies, I refuse extended warranties. In some cases, I'll buy gray market gear. I'll also buy used gear from reputable vendors who usually provide a nominal warranty on it.