Nikon D40 - USA vs. imported ?

[krye]

There are so many sweet kit deals on ebay for like $600-800 bucks. Some are 23 pc deals with the body and up 3 to 4 lenses, and a bunch of other stuff. Every kit I've looked at comes with a 1-year warranty. Original Nikon 100% new factory sealed. So they do not appear to be refurbs. Some do specifically say USA and some say imported.

So my question is, what is the difference? Obviously the USA ones are more expensive. But why? Is the build quality different? What is the advantage to spending hundreds more on the USA version vs the "imported" one? Is it like a USA Fender vs one made in Mexico? I thought "grey" market were fakes or knock offs. How can this be if they say 100% factory sealed with a 1 year warranty?

Please advise.

 

[NintendoChick]

Links are always helpful in these situations. Also, check near the top of the auction, in a little white box, under "condition". It will most likely say "refurbished". If you ask really nicely, some of the people here will run a background check on the seller, to see if they're legit.

 

[krye]

Here's one...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-D40-Digit...ryZ31388QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


...says it's from Nikon USA. Says 100% factory new.

 

[cube]

Two of those "lenses" are junk. Then, how much other junk is there?

Regarding your original question, Nikon won't touch a grey import, even if you want to pay.

 

[rogersmj]

DON'T buy a non-USA Nikon (assuming you're in the USA), and DON'T get sucked in by those package deals on eBay where all they give you is a huge pile of crappy accessories. See our recent discussion on the topic here, where someone basically asked the same question about a D80 package. It's almost always not worth it. Buy the real USA kit from a reputable reseller, then add accessories as you need them.

 

[adversecamber]

With the dollar so weak at the moment, I'd have thought it would be cheaper in the US??

 

[chuckiehina]

I would stay from greymarket cameras

The greymarket is what those imports are referred to. They are (for the most part) the actual name brand name product BUT you are basically getting a product with no (ZERO) warranty. No US dealer or distributor will honor a greymarket camera (it violates the T&C and they will not get reimbursed) warranty, and the will know it is a greymarket camera by just looking at either the camera or the serial number.

 

[rogersmj]

With the dollar so weak at the moment, I'd have thought it would be cheaper in the US??

Huh? The dollar being weak makes it more expensive for us to buy imported items. It takes more dollars to buy this stuff from other countries because the dollar is worth less.

 

[krye]

DON'T buy a non-USA Nikon (assuming you're in the USA), and DON'T get sucked in by those package deals on eBay where all they give you is a huge pile of crappy accessories. See our recent discussion on the topic here, where someone basically asked the same question about a D80 package. It's almost always not worth it. Buy the real USA kit from a reputable reseller, then add accessories as you need them.

Well put. I'll spend the extra cash and go retail. Buy what I need as I need it. That's what makes a hobby a hobby, right?

 

[cube]

Photographic equipment is still cheaper in USA than elsewhere. It's the price of this ebay item that is inflated with a lot of stuff of dubious value.

 

[rogersmj]

Well put. I'll spend the extra cash and go retail. Buy what I need as I need it. That's what makes a hobby a hobby, right?

Exactly. I actually think it's more fun (especially since it's more fiscally responsible) to buy little bits here and there as I grow into my hobby, rather than buying a whole bunch of stuff up front that I may or may not need. Shopping for gear is fun.

For example, just today I ordered an add-on flash. After shooting with my DSLR for over 6 months, I've learned the limitations, the type of shooting I like to do, and what I need next to accomplish my goals -- in this case, an external flash. I researched the problem and was able to get exactly what I needed, rather than having wasted my money on the "Digital Flash for SLR Cameras" like in that eBay package linked to above.