ONEvcs

I'm going to buy a camera, so far I'm set on a Nikon D80, and I've been looking at lenses, accessories, performance ratings, etc.
I've found two sites where they have what I want at a price which I think is better than most other places. One is
Digital cameras, all other cameras and everything photographic from Adorama Camera Most of what they sell is "Grey market", meaning not officially imported.
The other one is
B&H Photo Video | Digital Cameras, Camcorders
I know some guys who purchased from BH and they say they're reliable.
I'm wondering about adorama. Anyone had any experience with them?
Thanks.

nhfirefighter13

Adorama is fine most of the time, just watch out for the grey market stuff...You won't have a US warranty and the price difference usually isn't that much anyway.

BH is a great outfit. I've made a bunch of purchases from them and am very happy with their service.

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http://www.kezerphotography.com

"If thou hast not a sword, sell thy cloak and buy one." -Luke 22:36

ONEvcs

Thanks. Price difference on the D80 body only, is about 107.00 US$. And that's for a refurb one at adorama. Yeah, I think you might be right... difference is not worth it. I'll probably go with BH then.

25412B Nikon D80 Digital SLR Camera Body - Refurbished by Nikon U.S.A.

Nikon | D80 SLR Digital Camera (Camera Body) | 25412 | B&H Photo

ccwilli3

yeah, I have ordered from them before too, as NH said, watch out for the grey market stuff. If you want grey market, buy from B&H...

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Cleaver, a film by christopher moltisanti and carmine lupertazzi

Latebraking

I just got the Nikon D300 & 18-200 lens setup from Adorama. Good people to work with, although I've always had good dealings with B&H Photo as well. Adorama got my business this time because B&H were not taking pre-orders for the D300 at the time.

As others have mentioned make sure you're getting the U.S. version of the product, or servicing / warranty issues become a much more drawn out affair, since the U.S. arm of Nikon will not touch it.

abtech

ONEvcs

So B&H is also a grey market site?

I thought they sold official Nikon stuff...
Thanks for all your imputs...

ccwilli3

No, it's legitimate stuff... However, for some things they offer a grey market version and sometimes at substantial discounts!
EDIT: It'll be clearly market if it is USA or grey market on their site.

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Cleaver, a film by christopher moltisanti and carmine lupertazzi

nhfirefighter13

B&H sometimes offers both, but as CC mentioned they will be clearly marked.

__________________


http://www.kezerphotography.com

"If thou hast not a sword, sell thy cloak and buy one." -Luke 22:36

ONEvcs

Thanks for the help.

HelenOster

@ONEvcs, nhfirefighter13, ccwilli3, Latebreaking, abtech

I've just picked up on this thread, & need to clarify the position re Adorama & the 'grey market'.

Adorama Camera was started - & is still run by - a bunch of photography enthusiasts. As we all know, photography as a hobby, or as a business, can get expensive! Adorama makes grey market goods available so that other photographers can get hold of quality goods at a reduced price.
All Adorama's grey market goods are clearly labelled as such, and all carry a warranty!

Here's Adorama a's definition of grey market, from our website. B &H's is similar.

What does “Grey Market” mean?
"Grey market", also known as "direct import", are products imported directly into the U.S., and not through the manufacturer's authorized agent / distributor.

Are “Grey Market” products legally imported?
Yes, it is perfectly legal to Directly Import these products and sell it in the USA. The term “Grey Market” was coined by manufacturer's authorized distributors who wanted to discourage consumers from buying these goods. Its proper name is "direct import",

What are the advantages “Grey Market” Goods?
Since there is no factory authorized middle man involved in the import of these products the costs are lower, and so the price of the item is lower to you, the consumer.

In addition many items which are in short supply or are not imported at all by the manufacturer's authorized distributors are available in “Grey Market”

What are the disadvantages of “Grey Market” goods?
Again since there is no factory authorized middle man involved in the import of these products, there is no manufacturer's warranty
“Grey Market” Products purchased from Adorama are warranted by Adorama Camera and have to be returned to Adorama Camera for any in warranty repair.

Are there any additional differences?
There is no difference in the actual products. Occasionally manufacturers will name them differently for example the Minolta USA Maxxum products are called Minolta Dynax products in Europe and in Asia

What Kind of warranty do we offer on “Grey Market” goods?
On “Grey Market products purchased from Adorama, we offer the same warranty as the USA warranted products carry for a period of one year.

If you have any further queries on this - or any other issues related to photography purchases from Adorama, please don't hesitate to contact me - helen.oster@adorama.com




Helen Oster
Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador

ONEvcs

Dang!!! talk about taking care of their reputation....
That's a good sing IMO.

nhfirefighter13

I don't think I ever said Adorama only sold grey market products, did I? I simply commented on the fact that I don't think the "savings" is worth it. If my camera gear breaks, I want it to be covered by the manufacturer...not the store located far far away from my home.

__________________


http://www.kezerphotography.com

"If thou hast not a sword, sell thy cloak and buy one." -Luke 22:36