bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

what I want to know, is difference between usa and grey market. don't canon and Nikon make them both on the same assembly line?????????????

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

Adorama, and B&H are both authorized Nikon dealers, so they can still get parts. I don't have, or want Gray Market items, but if I need one of my used cameras or lenses fixed, I'm sending it to one of those to shops for repair. I'm sure they would be less expensive than Nikon USA for repairs.

Maybe someone who's used one of those two (or KEH, I've also heard that they are authorized for repair) can shed light on if they are even asked if the camera (out of warranty) is gray market, since you are paying for the repair?

In a way, I do feel had by my local shop. They are a Nikon dealer, but I found out that when you take something there for repair, they just ship it off to Nikon USA, then mark up the repair... I'm all for buying local, but that one really gets me.

THRaleigh Loc: NC

No, there is no difference in quality. Mostly from the same manufacturer location and assembly line. The only difference is price and after sale services.

dickwilber Loc: Indiana (currently)

The boat that it arrived on!!!

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

well if it's nikon it's imported from japan . and gray market is a name thought up to make it sound worse . there the same len's made the same way . just a lot of middle men are not getting a slice of the pie . I have bought three len's
right from Japan in three years . a frend of mine has a brother living in Japan
and his brothers son came to Canada every year as a exchange student of sorts and I would get him to pick me up a len's every year for three years . and they were less than half price . nothing wrong with them worked perfect .now they could come from china . but I bought in the seventies

ajarnbill Loc: Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand

Actually, nowadays most of the consumer lenses and camera bodies are made in Thailand. This is kind of ironic since Nikon cameras and lenses are much more expensive here in Thailand than the US.

FordPrefect Loc: Indiana

I suppose that this may be old news, but here is a link to a website that lists the region to which Nikon camera and lens serial numbers are assigned.. If this information is accurate, it would seem to be a quick way to distinguish between Nikon US and gray market products..
http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/camera.html