Buying a camera from Japan

V

vanvideo

Veteran
Has anyone in the US in this forum bought a professional video camera directly from Japan?
I am curious as to the custom regulations, and if it's a good idea to do so.
I know the warranty will be useless.
I have a line on a demo model for a very good price. But is it worth it?
 
Only you can answer if it's worth it.

What if you have a problem with this demo camera after you get it, and they refuse to work on it in the US?
 
David, do you have any evidence to back your claim up? I am looking for someone with experience in buying a camera from Japan. Have you done so? Do you know someone who has?
If you have any useful information, please feel free to share it.
 
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There have been posts about shipping in gear needing repair, only to have it refused after checking the serial number, leaving you also out double shipping charges. But like I said, it's your dime. Do what you think is best! Better yet, why not contact the manufacture's repair facility and ask them directly?
 
I think the issue you’re more likely to face from the outset is that authorised resellers in Japan will not ship to the US or anywhere else for that matter. Then on top of that, I’d heed David’s warning. Better to buy local without all the hassle IMO.
 
vanvideo said:
Has anyone in the US in this forum bought a professional video camera directly from Japan?
I am curious as to the custom regulations, and if it's a good idea to do so.
I know the warranty will be useless.
I have a line on a demo model for a very good price. But is it worth it?
Click to expand...

I've bought still digital cameras 'outside the US'... and while they functioned as well as the US version... I always had this fear that if they die... not only is it 'expensive', but the US 'factory' won't touch them, so, I'd have to find a non-factory repair facility.

As for customs, they want their due. While this anecdote may not apply, but I recall my sister-in-law lamenting about 'importing' some furniture from France. As her story goes, she had the furniture shipped, and she had to pay duty on cost-of-item+shipping. Now this was via a non-FedEX/UPS type shipper because of the size and weight of the items, but I would check on exactly how much the duty will be, and if possible invoice item and shipping separately.

Then there may be state+local tax. For example in California one has to 'declare' items purchased outside of California. I'll not press whether people regularly declare or not... but it is a tax. (I think there may have also been Cal-tax issue with the aforementioned sister-in-law's purchase as well...).

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The purchase of 'out-of-market' devices is called 'the Grey Market'. The devices are fully operational, and are fully 'the real product'. However they are sold with out license to 'other markets'.

It is a major problem with 'steeply discounted' prices as found on the Internet. And as far as I know, manufacturers will not service 'grey market' devices.

It is especially problematic since the purchaser is 'in the US', as are the 'sellers', and the devices probably have had all custom duties paid, so they are essentially 'legal' in the US relative to US customs/tariffs. (Of course perhaps there is a trade of smuggling cameras... so I'd not claim the legality as an absolute...).
 
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vanvideo said:
I doubt they'll refuse to work on it. I'll just have to pay for it.
Click to expand...

My experience in this is from quite a few years ago, but basically it is only because the Wife was on the US camera manufacturer's 'talent' team that I was able to get a non-US camera simply 'serviced' (cleaning/checking)... we had gotten the camera as part of a 'seminar' compensation while traveling in Australia... under the auspices of the Australian manufacturer's rep. Had we not gotten this 'dispensation', we would have had to send the camera back to Australia for service... or found a local non-factory service/repair provider.
 
--and also, I have encountered years ago cameras bought from Japan also have their buttons and menus in Nippongo. Better check first or might not be an issue if you know how to read Nippongo.
 
This would have to be a huge discount in order to be worth it, and if it is a huge discount then you're getting into that "too good to be true" territory. Tread carefully.
 
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