Grey Market = No Good ?

OK I know what grey market is but why does everyone push it as junk? Are we to believe that Camera manufacturers make good cameras for us in the USA and junk for the rest of the world? In Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, South America what are cameras made for N. America grey market?

Gray market gear is the same and not junk. Only thing of question is the warranty repair by the US distributor. I'm not sure I've seen posters saying Gray Market stuff is junk though.

I've never seen anyone say gray market is junk either. The only concerns I've ever heard are about dealing with a store warranty instead of the manufacturer's warranty. About 1/2 my lenses are gray market. Never been an issue for me.

Mark

Grey market doesn't immediately imply junk, but does often times imply "problems".
By this I mean a problem with getting things fixed.
The other issue that comes along and seems to happen still sometimes, is when people are sold grey market goods as US goods (in the US). Then later on they find they have a problem and can't get it fixed in warranty. Then people will say "That grey market stuff is junk."

Grey market implies that the item must be sent to the store for warranty (one year standard Canon warranty). Once the lens or body etc has gone out of warranty ANY Canon repair facility will repair your item at your cost.

The sleazier vendors may bill grey market as junk so they can lure you in with grey-market prices and up-sell you to an "Official" import. IOW - bait and switch. It's true that you're relying on the store, rather than your local Canon office for warranty support, but if the store's reputable (like B&H), you should be OK. OTOH, the reputable stores won't be trying to upsell you a couple of hundred dollars for a 400D that's got the (for OP) US warranty.

Gray market?

I buy whatever... but thats because I probably wont be in the same country long enough for any particular warranty to be used , fortunately it hasnt been an issue for me (yet)

crazyskillz07 wrote in post #4463226
Gray market?

The gray market is goods that are imported privately. For example, a seller may import lenses directly from Canon Japan, rather than buy them from Canon USA, the official Canon importer.

Reputable dealers clearly label their gray market goods. With B&H, for example, every item has "USA" or "Imported" in the description. Canon "USA" lenses were impoted by Canon USA and carry USA warrantees. Canon "Imported" lenses were imported by B&H and carry international warrantees.

Imported items should be sent to B&H for warrantee repair, rather than a Canon repair center.

I think all my lenses are grey market except the newest, the 24-70 L. That one came with a USA instant rebate making it a couple dollars less than the grey market one.
I really can't comment on them being "junk" with any of the descriptions above because I have never had a problem with them, most being four + years old.
Same goes for any warranty service needed because I've never needed service but I do recall that a USA warranty means you can send it directly to Canon and the "grey market" warranty means you send it to the dealer and they have it serviced. Doesn't matter now because they are out of warranty

Call me sceptical, but any extra price for warranty service on ANY product, to me is a complete waste of money. Wish I had saved and tallied up all the money I've saved over the years by NOT getting the "extra" protection they try to sell.

I wouldn't be buying Canon products or ANY other products if I didn't think they were dependable no matter what the warranty.

Here is what Sigma says: http://www.sigmaphoto.​com/news/news.asp?nID=​3269

I guess I was tired when I started this. "Junk" was a bad choice to use. A lot of people will try and steer you away from grey market goods, even if it is just the warranty. I have not seen much talk here of people buying much grey market stuff either. Since they all are made the same why not but grey, the chances of getting bad gear is slim. I wonder what the percentage of Canon gear is actually returned for quality issues during the warranty.

Part two of my original post, is there grey market gear in the rest of the world, or is it just a US thing?

By using that memo from Sigma as a base for judgment, I think we should be sure to differentiate between the "grey market" vendors that they are speaking about, and legitimate vendors such as B&H who also sell Imported versions of the same equipment.