Question about "gray" cameras
 

I can get a Canon XL H1a with a USA one-year warranty or I can get a "gray" model with no USA warranty but purchase a four year full warranty for the same price. What would you do?
Thanks in advance for your time.

Don't do it. First, who are you buying the full warranty from? I doubt it's from Canon. Which means if your camera dies your warranter will send it a generic repair facility, not Canon. Also, documentation may or may not come with your camera. If it does, it will most likely be in Japanese. Also, with an unregistered H1a you won't be able to sign up for the firmware upgrades (I believe you have to register in order to download them).

That's just my opinion, of course.

Not a camera, but I imported into the UK a yamaha product, not in the UK portfolio. (from Germany). Yamaha(UK) told me before I ordered it they would not support it, would not source spares, would not have any information including service manuals. Effectively, I had a 3 year guarantee from the German supplier, and the UK sales arm have disowned me.

I bought it from Germany because I really wanted this product, and had no choice but to risk it. The organisation I got it from are big, andhave a decent reputation and I was convinced that the only downside was possibly timescale, if it went wrong. The 3 years is nearly up and so far, I've been happy.

If you need service from the 'real' people, don't buy from a grey importer - if, however, you can get a good deal, are confident in getting service from them, and are a bit of a gambler - go for it!

Thanks guys,

Don't think I've got gambling in my blood to this tune Paul.

Appreciate the responses.

yeah, it's hard to tell the folks who bought a grey camera that there's no way to change the language setting when all the menus are in Japanese. it's not as easy as Spanish or Latin, where you can sorta "figure out" the general lingo.

is there a Latin word for "Matrix"?