Would you buy a gray market camera?

Just to give this discussion a little bit more context and perspective. I've been watching the 1dx price for a few months. CPW street price is $4799 and the lowest priced 1dx from getitdigital was $3999 a few weeks ago.

So there's a $800 price difference for the 1dx. I'd expect this margin to be smaller on less expensive bodies.

Thinking "out loud". Two notable risks for gray market if there is something wrong with the camera:

1) Canon may ask for copy of the receipt to confirm that the camera was purchased from an authorized dealer. Hope the repair costs less than $800 otherwise, you might as well have bought it new with warranty.

2) The seller is a scammer and/or the camera is counterfeit. This would be the biggest concern; however, I do believe there are gray market vendors that are considered to be "reputable".

Alveric wrote in post #17600706
I wonder whether you can insure a grey market camera. I wouldn't buy one anyway, especially if the price difference versus the 'white' market one were considerable. When something looks too good to be true it usually is.

I have no doubt you could insure it. You can find a policy to cover just about anything these days. Premiums though are a different story.....

Grey market threads should be banned, people are scared of the term "grey market" it's a poor choice of words it's too close to "black market" grey market cameras come off the same assembly line as all other cameras there identical, and people associate grey market cameras with shady sellers, you can buy grey market equiptment through b&h and adorama.

It's been discussed a million times, canonoricewatch did a survey and 100% of the people they surveyed who bought grey market cameras or lens and sent them in for repair canon repaired them.

Alveric wrote in post #17600706
I wonder whether you can insure a grey market camera. I wouldn't buy one anyway, especially if the price difference versus the 'white' market one were considerable. When something looks too good to be true it usually is.

My insurer added it. If it has a model name, serial number, and price, I don't see why not.

I bought my 5dIII gray market on ebay. i'm pleased with it. The menu was in Japanese which was easy enough to change. I spent $3 on the iOS shutter count app and it verified 0 actuations. The ebay sellers reputation and stated warranty were a big factor in the purchase decision. Saved several hundred bucks and I love it

Silver-Halide wrote in post #17602311
My insurer added it. If it has a model name, serial number, and price, I don't see why not.

'Tis good to know. You never know with insurers.

Alveric wrote in post #17602380
'Tis good to know. You never know with insurers.

They're out to make money - they'll insure anything

I bought a gray market 1DX last year and have never regretted it.
At the time, I couldn't even find a used body for the price I paid ($4800).

sapearl wrote in post #17602488
They're out to make money - they'll insure anything

They wouldn't insure my cell phone just sayin!

Silver-Halide wrote in post #17602723
They wouldn't insure my cell phone just sayin!

Here are some possible options for you:

https://us.protectyour​bubble.com …nPlans&PTR=Goog​le&gclid=*

http://www.cpscentral.​com/smartphone-warranty/

There are a number of places like the above.

Thanks! I was paying my bill with a Visa for the longest time and they had some sort of complimentary cell phone coverage. I don't remember the details but it was as good or better than the crap deal from the cell provider which I refuse to pay for. I've been paying with Amex for a year now and IDK if they have plan coverage but I've managed to not drop my phone in the toilet (yet) and it seems to withstand drops, even without a case, fairly well. Plus I get to upgrade every 10 months so an older phone is always in the drawer if needed.

Silver-Halide wrote in post #17602978
Thanks! I was paying my bill with a Visa for the longest time and they had some sort of complimentary cell phone coverage. I don't remember the details but it was as good or better than the crap deal from the cell provider which I refuse to pay for. I've been paying with Amex for a year now and IDK if they have plan coverage but I've managed to not drop my phone in the toilet (yet) and it seems to withstand drops, even without a case, fairly well. Plus I get to upgrade every 10 months so an older phone is always in the drawer if needed.

Glad you found some useful alternative Silver . Have you ever considered an Otterbox or something similar for "shock absorber" protection? I've dropped my 5S a number of times and it's a real lifesaver. So far I've been very fortunate with my drops.

i bought a gray market m3 for my daughter only because there's no non gray market. its been good so far.

sapearl wrote in post #17603002
Glad you found some useful alternative Silver . Have you ever considered an Otterbox or something similar for "shock absorber" protection? I've dropped my 5S a number of times and it's a real lifesaver. So far I've been very fortunate with my drops.

I don't like the iPhone for a few reasons, but durability isn't one of them. My wife dropped her 5 into a cup of tea and it survived. I dropped mine about a dozen times, onto hard surfaces, without a case, and only dents. been lucky. Haven't dropped my cheaper 5c yet.

FWIW, my insurer will cover my camera and computer equipment, but they won't touch a cell phone of any kind.