Would you buy gray market to save $300?

[ShunCheung]

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<p>I tried to buy from them once, and never again.</p>

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<p>they told me that as a gray import the camera menus and documentation was in Chinese only! I knew straightaway that this was rubbish - since Nikon allows you to choose the language of the camera menu. So I simply canceled the order.</p>

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<p>There were good reasons that from the beginning, I was asking about whether Adorama is indeed selling this gray-market D5300. I am very glad that two people with personal experience with Abe's of Maine, including the OP, have posted their experience. Moreover, while the OP had to cancel the order and maybe disappointed that the wonderful deal he had in mind didn't materialize, there is no major harm done.</p>

<p>Adorama and B&H do sell certain gray-market Nikon produces, such as film SLRs (not many left by now) and plenty of gray-market lenses. I would imagine that they would have sold gray-market Nikon DSLRs as well if they could stood behind what they sell, up to their standards. However, getting DSLRs serviced outside of the official importer is not as simple as a far more limited number of shops can do that.</p>

[dan_south]

<p>I bought a few gray market lenses when I first started out. In one case, I saved $900, and the lens was very sharp. In other cases, I ended up with some lenses that didn't perform well. Perhaps the USA version was equally bad, but I have a feeling that these were bad copies that no one wanted and therefore were marketed as "gray market."</p>

<p>Today, I won't take the chance.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>I personally have been buying new cameras since 1959. In that time, I have never had a new camera fail <em>within the warranty period</em>.<br /> When I have had products fail out of warranty, I have found that private repair facilities seem to do as well as the 'company' service, especially those that are "approved" service.</p>

<p>I think long ago there was an "Abe's of Maine" that was actually in Maine. The present company only claims being in business since 1979 or so, so not sure if there is any connection aside from the name. I think they have now moved to New Jersey. <br /> Abe's used to deliver if you could resist the hard sell, but there are easier places to get exactly what you want. I'm not sure what their present business status is - see http://www.twice.com/news/retail/abe-s-maine-files-chapter-11/5073 and http://www.canonpricewatch.com/blog/2014/05/warning-avoid-abes-of-maine-and-other-bait-switch-retailers/</p>

<p>These days, you can even do your own import directly from the country of manufacture (read, China). The Asian vendors I have dealt with are good about accepting returns or exchanges if there has been some mistake. I've not had any failures, as said, within any kind of warranty.<br /> On the other hand, I would NOT buy anything that was job critical without US warranty. In the old days, the "gray" market prices were a lot more off than now. If you wait for a discount period, you can almost always get the USA warranty product for even less than "gray".</p>

[Mary Doo]

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<p>Would you buy gray market to save $300?</p>

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<p>If "gray market" is the only difference between the two items, and there is a warranty, the answer is "Yes". I remember buying the 70-180mm micro lens many years ago at a substantial "gray market discount". Never had a problem with it. I also used gray market Velvia and Provia film. I was not aware of any problem. There was a guy in my camera club who swore (and advised others) never to buy gray market film, and there was no evidence that there was any difference in film quality between his images and those who used gray market film.</p>

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<p>Abe's of Maine</p>

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<p>I am quite sure I bought one or more lenses from them before. There was no problem.</p>