In which country can you buy a Nikon or Canon or Sony for lower price than the USA? (Page 4): Oh I post the question here because B&H doesn't know. I did ask them. I found in my...

BebuLamar

texasdigital wrote:

That may be a question for the manufacturers. I'v... (show quote)

Oh I post the question here because B&H doesn't know. I did ask them. I found in my experience prices in the USA were the least expensive so I must wonder where in the world that camera manufacturers intended to sell their cameras for less. In a relatively poor country (as compared to the USA) like Thailand where Nikon makes their cameras there the price is higher even though the shipping cost is less.

texasdigital Loc: Conroe, Texas

BebuLamar wrote:

Oh I post the question here because B&H doesn't know. I did ask them. I found in my experience prices in the USA were the least expensive so I must wonder where in the world that camera manufacturers intended to sell their cameras for less. In a relatively poor country (as compared to the USA) like Thailand where Nikon makes their cameras there the price is higher even though the shipping cost is less.

Quite possibly, the demand and supply in the USA allows for cheaper prices, since manufacturers can afford to lower prices with increased volume. I suspect more customers in this country can afford the more expensive cameras than say, Thailand. Hence, a larger client base.

Just my two cents.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

BebuLamar wrote:

No you didn't answer my question. My question isn't where to buy gray market goods but where are those gray market goods were originally intended to be sold (They are not intended to be sold in the USA by the manufacturers).

There's no way to know unless the seller tells you where be bought them.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Gray market goods can be sold cheaper because they do not include the layer of markup taken by NikonUSA. Period. End of story. Legitimate products here are not purchased from Nikon. They are purchased from NikonUSA, who has exclusive distribution rights in this country.

Come on. This is not that complicated. It us not beyond the limits of understandability by American adults.

MDI Mainer

larryepage wrote:

Gray market goods can be sold cheaper because they do not include the layer of markup taken by NikonUSA. Period. End of story. Legitimate products here are not purchased from Nikon. They are purchased from NikonUSA, who has exclusive distribution rights in this country.

Come on. This is not that complicated. It us not beyond the limits of understandability by American adults.

True in part, but markup alone doesn't account for the $2,000 price differential discussed above, so not the whole story.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

MDI Mainer wrote:

True in part, but markup alone doesn't account for the $2,000 price differential discussed above, so not the whole story.

I have no idea what NikonUSA's markup might be. I do know that some distributors with exclusive rights apply very significant markups. I expect that Nikon products go through distributors in most of the world markets. I also suspect that based on volume, NikonUSA enjoys pretty favorable pricing from Nikon.

BebuLamar

larryepage wrote:

I have no idea what NikonUSA's markup might be. I do know that some distributors with exclusive rights apply very significant markups. I expect that Nikon products go through distributors in most of the world markets. I also suspect that based on volume, NikonUSA enjoys pretty favorable pricing from Nikon.

I have the impression due to the volume of sales in the USA Nikon would sell to NikonUSA at a lower price than distributors in other countries and thus I do not see how importing Nikon cameras from other countries can result in lower prices.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Laramie wrote:

Not to mention the term Grey Market. If you need a Grey Market camera fixed, you need to go back where you got it.

I believe that is a myth that some people perpetuate.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

joer wrote:

I believe that is a myth that some people perpetuate.

It's true for Nikon, for warranty work. They also won't repair out of warranty equipment even for a price. You are left with trying independent repair businesses, who may not be able to get parts. Other camera makers my not be as strict.

MDI Mainer

My assumption would be that, in 2023, an independent repair shop in the US that wants to perform a repair can source any needed part from the global marketplace, and bypass NikonUSA or any other US importer. But it might take a bit longer than service from a manufacturer's authorized repair service that maintains a stock of replacement parts or can get them from a US source.

BebuLamar

MDI Mainer wrote:

My assumption would be that, in 2023, an independent repair shop in the US that wants to perform a repair can source any needed part from the global marketplace. But it might take a bit longer than service from a manufacturer's authorized repair service that maintains a stock of replacement parts.

But manufacturers have many software tools to diagnose and making adjustment in today cameras and if you are not their shop you can't get them.

MDI Mainer

BebuLamar wrote:

But manufacturers have many software tools to diagnose and making adjustment in today cameras and if you are not their shop you can't get them.

And that restrictive practice is why "right-to-repair" laws will proliferate! But who thinks software too cannot be acquired from abroad one way or another? Many sellers of gray market gear do offer their own warranty service, so one way or the other manage to circumvent the manufacturer's policy. (But it's possible they just replace, rather than attempt to repair, an item still under warranty that can't easily be fixed.)

So for me the real question is always "Would the hassle and cost of a potential repair justify the actually realized savings in cost?" and not "Will I be out of luck if I need a repair?"

BebuLamar

MDI Mainer wrote:

And that restrictive practice is why "right-t... (show quote)

You give me an idea. Yes I should check those third world countries and see if I can obtain copies of the software to service old cameras that Nikon themselves do not service any more (like the Nikon F5) but I know they have a number of software to adjust the meter as well as the shutter speed.

MDI Mainer

BebuLamar wrote:

You give me an idea. Yes I should check those third world countries and see if I can obtain copies of the software to service old cameras that Nikon themselves do not service any more (like the Nikon F5) but I know they have a number of software to adjust the meter as well as the shutter speed.

Sort of like Cuba and American cars from the 50s and 80s!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

joer wrote:

I believe that is a myth that some people perpetuate.

Right! People like Nikon, Sony, etc. 🤣

You can always send the camera to the manufacturer if it needs repair, regardless of where or how you bought it.