What is the downside to buying a Gray Market Nikon camera besides the One Year warranty that comes with USA branded Nikon's. Are USA branded Nikon's any different from Gray Market except for the warranty? There are deals on E-Bay that have a non-Nikon one year warranty from the seller at incredible prices. The money you could save by buying a grey market Nikon could be put towards a good lens. The other question is, after the one year warranty is up on USA branded Nikon's, aren't both the USA and Gray Market Nikon's equal as far as any repair is needed(you're the one who pays)?
The downside is the lack of warranty and that Nikon won't repair grey market kit should something go wrong with it, period. Independent repairs shops will be happy to do so of course, but Nikon Factory Repair Centers will not. Other than that, the bodies, lenses, etc. are the exact same bit of kit you would pay hundreds and hundreds of extra dollars for otherwise. I've rarely bought a lens or body that was NOT grey market because the cost savings are just impossible to ignore. I saved $700 on my D750 by buying grey. Say that. Say it out loud... Seven... Hundred... Dollars. Exact same body, I just kept $700 in my pocket.
If you decide you want a warranty, I suggest you get one that's actually worth having. One that covers things the Nikon warranty will not. Things like dropping your camera, or getting it wet. Check out getting third-party insurance from a place like
Square Trade. Yes, it will set you back a couple hundred bucks, maybe three hundred, but do the math and you're probably still coming out way ahead: Less money out of pocket AND a warranty that covers pretty much everything, including "impact damage"; Nikon's "magic wand" for getting out from under doing a warranty repair and sticking you with the bill. Remember... A warranty is only as good as the company backing it up and since you've probably not heard of Square Trade I suggest you compare their customer service ratings with anyone else, including Nikon, and decide for yourself who you'd rather having backing you up.
Many people have opinions about buying grey, but my *experience* with buying grey market kit has been nothing but overwhelmingly positive in every way and the money I've "saved" has been huge. I put "saved" in quotes because as you can imagine those savings translate quickly into things like really nice f/2.8 glass.
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