Canon USA or Import

Joined: 24 Jul 2004 Posts: 13 Location: Romania

Can someone tell me what the difference is between the Canon "USA" and "Import" lenses are? Is there a difference in the lens itself or is it just the warranty? And what would be the difference in the warranty?

Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Posts: 79

Canon USA means that if you have a problem you send it back to a service center in the USA, they fix it and you get the lens back.

Gray Market lenses (Imported) means that you have a problem you send it back to Japan, at your expense, they fix it and get it back to you. More expensive, and obviously a longer wait time with more chance for something to happen in transit. Is a couple of bucks really worth it? Only you can decide.

Of course if you buy some of the really good L glass, it comes with a USA warrenty and an Intenational Warranty. Break it in New Zeland, India, Somalia etc and it gets fixed at any Canon repair site in the world. Of course you pay for this service when you purchase L glass. Just like getting the lens hood, bag, tripod ring with the lens on L glass.

I am guessing that if you are in Romania there are Canon Europe lenses. Same thing. I would think that a Canon USA would be a Gray Market lens over there.

Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 6:02 am

There are places in the US that will sell both US and gray market lenses/bodies at a slight discount like B&H, a very reputable dealer. And as such if you have a warranty issue you return it to them and not to Japan or elsewhere and they will handle the issue. But this is only on equipment that they have sold not on other gray market equipment. Personally I have bought from B&H but neverthought the discount was enough to warrant purchasing non USA covered equipment but YMMV.

Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 7 Location: New York, NY

gryphonslair99 wrote:

Canon USA means that if you have a problem you send it back to a service center in the USA, they fix it and you get the lens back.

Correct.

Quote:

Gray Market lenses (Imported) means that you have a problem you send it back to Japan, at your expense, they fix it and get it back to you. More expensive, and obviously a longer wait time with more chance for something to happen in transit.

Incorrect. If you buy from a reputable retailer you'll have the retailer's warranty. And in the USA, Canon will repair "grey market" merchandise just as they would USA stuff as long as you can show dated proof or purchase.

Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Posts: 79

Quote:

Gray Market lenses (Imported) means that you have a problem you send it back to Japan, at your expense, they fix it and get it back to you. More expensive, and obviously a longer wait time with more chance for something to happen in transit.

Incorrect. If you buy from a reputable retailer you'll have the retailer's warranty. And in the USA, Canon will repair "grey market" merchandise just as they would USA stuff as long as you can show dated proof or purchase.[/quote]

Only because Canon chooses to. They have absolutely no legal obligation to repair gray market stuff in the USA. They can choose to stop that practice at anytime they so choose. Your legal recourse on Gray Market is as stated above or to the Dealer. If Canon USA decides not to fix it the Dealer than has to send it back. For Canon, back to Japan.

Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 7 Location: New York, NY

henryp wrote:

If you buy from a reputable retailer you'll have the retailer's warranty. And in the USA, Canon will repair "grey market" merchandise just as they would USA stuff as long as you can show dated proof or purchase.

gryphonslair99 wrote:

Only because Canon chooses to. They have absolutely no legal obligation to repair gray market stuff in the USA. They can choose to stop that practice at anytime they so choose. Your legal recourse on Gray Market is as stated above or to the Dealer. If Canon USA decides not to fix it the Dealer than has to send it back. For Canon, back to Japan.

Canon USA has no legal obligation to treat "grey market" stuff as they do USA, but for the past decade+ they've done so without interruption and from informatin they've conveyed to me personally have no intention of discontinuing the practice in the forseeable future.

No one who buys "grey market" Canon merchandise from a reputable retailer and who retains his/her dated proof of purchase need be concerned with having to ship anything to Japan for warranty service.

Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Posts: 79

henryp wrote:

If you buy from a reputable retailer you'll have the retailer's warranty. And in the USA, Canon will repair "grey market" merchandise just as they would USA stuff as long as you can show dated proof or purchase.

gryphonslair99 wrote:

Only because Canon chooses to. They have absolutely no legal obligation to repair gray market stuff in the USA. They can choose to stop that practice at anytime they so choose. Your legal recourse on Gray Market is as stated above or to the Dealer. If Canon USA decides not to fix it the Dealer than has to send it back. For Canon, back to Japan.

Canon USA has no legal obligation to treat "grey market" stuff as they do USA, but for the past decade+ they've done so without interruption and from informatin they've conveyed to me personally have no intention of discontinuing the practice in the forseeable future.

No one who buys "grey market" Canon merchandise from a reputable retailer and who retains his/her dated proof of purchase need be concerned with having to ship anything to Japan for warranty service.

I'm not disagreeing with what happens. The OP asked what the difference is. The difference is that one is warrantied in the US and the other is not. Just because Canon USA chooses to honor both warranties does not change that fact. It is just a business practice they have adopted.

Joined: 27 Oct 2004 Posts: 452 Location: Gloucester, UK

I thought Canon lenses came with International / Worldwide warranties. It's only the cameras that have regional warranties and could cause problems if repairs are needed.