Gray Market Lens?

I am looking at buying a Tamron 70-200 f2.8 VC lens.
On Amazon, one seller (Eagle Camera fulfilled by Amazon) is selling for 1299. The rest of the sellers are at 1499. I'm guessing it's a gray market lens since on Tamron's website it doesn't list the seller and I can't find any info about the seller online.
Obviously on the Tamron website it warns you not to buy gray market lens. But on B&H webistes it says:
"Grey market" is not illegal, not factory seconds, not demo merchandise, not cheaper or inferior products. In fact in almost every instance a "grey market" product is absolutely identical to its US-warranted counterpart.

Any reason I shouldn't buy it? Anyone bought a grey market lens?

It says it's fulfilled by Amazon with their customer service.

Warranty. From my understanding at least with Canon lenses, if there is a problem you have to deal with the seller and not Canon. I'm guessing that it would be the same with a Tammy lens.

Call Tamron and ask them about the warranty.

delta0014 wrote in post #16993406
a "grey market" product is absolutely identical to its US-warranted counterpart.

Any reason I shouldn't buy it? Anyone bought a grey market lens?
.

The clue is in the comments by B&H.

The lens is the same as a non grey market lens, but probably doesn't have a US warranty from the manufacturer, because it came through a different import route and, as they didn't supply it the US distributor (quite reasonably) tends to not want to fix it, at their expense, if it goes wrong.

Usually the seller will provide a third party warranty, or if it doesn't come with a warranty you need to decide if the savings are sufficient to justify the possibility of having to pay to have it fixed if it goes wrong. Naturally, if it arrives not working properly you still have the same rights to return to the seller for a replacement or refund.

My recent purchase of my Sigma 18-35 was a grey market lens. It came with a Korean Warranty card. I was lucky that the lens is flawless (knock on wood, that it stays that way). As I understand it, it's the warranty that is the kicker for the grey market lenses. If it wasn't for the extra (Korean) stickers on the box, and the warranty card, there is no other way to tell the difference from one that was sold to a US vendor.

I've never had to use a lens warrenty, how common is it?

hrblaine wrote in post #16994614
I've never had to use a lens warrenty, how common is it?

I've sent back 50% of my lenses mostly for front/back focus issues although one had a jammed aperture. However since MFA I've returned none. I'm really picky when it comes to focus.

I'm a Tamron fan-boy, but I wouldn't buy one grey market. If the seller doesn't have a proper repair department, and there is a problem with the lens, it'll cost you more to have it looked at then the savings you're talking about. Just my 2 cents.

Canon OTOH, I would buy grey market, as they will still typically cover the warranty from what I understand.

I have my students ask me all the time why do you shoot Canon? Many reasns but repair is a big one. If you did hae a Canon lens not meant of the USA (grey market,) Canon will still fix it mybe under warranty, maybe not. But they will fix it. If you shoot with Nikon and bought a grey market Nikon lens, Nikon USA repair will refuse to even look at it. You'd have to sen it to Nikon Europe and pay for the repair.

Six year warranty.

Kwirk wrote in post #16995553
Six year warranty.

+1

Tamron has the best warranty in the business, from what I can tell. To pay for a third-party warranty, foregoing a 6-year OEM warranty to save a bit would be, for me, short-sighted.

pknight wrote in post #16997262
+1

Tamron has the best warranty in the business, from what I can tell. To pay for a third-party warranty, foregoing a 6-year OEM warranty to save a bit would be, for me, short-sighted.

When you factor in the cost of a third party warranty, I wonder if there is any cost savings at all. Gray market lenses are a bit less expensive but not by that much.

Tamron info