Japanese vs USA 100-400 lens

I am looking at picking up a 100-400 IS lens and the guy is telling me there are lenses made in Japan and the USA and the Japanese made lens is better.

I wonder if this is just a non USA supported lens?

Thanks in advance.

Welcome to POTN. Canon doesn't make lenses in the USA.

It's the same lens. All of the USA or Grey Market (International) lenses are identical.

Just the distribution of them are different. Grey market lenses are purchased by local distributors or retailers from overseas wholesellers to either get them at a lower price or to avoid paying the wholesale chains here what they wish, so they can be sold cheaper.

A byproduct of a retailer getting a lens in this fashion just means you don't get a warranty. Most companies will not warranty products that were sold in a region they were not marketed for.

Tozankyaku wrote in post #6090610
I am looking at picking up a 100-400 IS lens and the guy is telling me there are lenses made in Japan and the USA and the Japanese made lens is better.

I wonder if this is just a non USA supported lens?

Thanks in advance.

He's a bait and switch scammer or he's an idiot. I'll venture to say the latter if you personally know him, and like the above post suggests, he meant to say USA vs grey market origin. Both are the same lens, both are made in japan, USA just comes with a warranty that works with Canon USA so you can fix your lens should anything happen to it.

That's the second one of these in one day

I was thinking he just ment greymarket. As long as cannon will repair it here if I have a problem I am OK with that.

Tozankyaku wrote in post #6091765
I was thinking he just ment greymarket. As long as cannon will repair it here if I have a problem I am OK with that.

Canon USA will fix it, but they will charge you for fixing it. Same goes for calibrations.

DDCSD wrote in post #6097533
Canon USA will fix it, but they will charge you for fixing it. Same goes for calibrations.

So are you saying they will fix a used lens for free otherwise?

As it turns out though it is not grey market he got it from Ritz a few months ago he just doesn't have a warranty card for it... He said he has never used it and it certainly looks perfect... So I guess for 1100bucks I did OK with it..

I am going to try and register it with canon and see if I can get the warranty in affect...

When you send it in for warranty repair, you'll need to provide a proof of purchase. Whether the repair center accepts your friend's proof of purchase is up to them.

Tozankyaku wrote in post #6098441
So are you saying they will fix a used lens for free otherwise?

As it turns out though it is not grey market he got it from Ritz a few months ago he just doesn't have a warranty card for it... He said he has never used it and it certainly looks perfect... So I guess for 1100bucks I did OK with it..

I am going to try and register it with canon and see if I can get the warranty in affect...

Yep, what ef2 said, it'd be a toss up, especially without the warranty card. If the date code is new enough, they might. If he doesn't have the warranty card, he may have already sent it in. Ask for a receipt, if they have one.