Many people wonder what is meant by Gray Market.
Its simply a product that was not imported by Canon USA, but purchased overseas, usually from China, but anywhere the seller gets the lowest price. There is no US Warranty Card (No Big Deal), power cords may have been replaced with cheap ones that fit US outlets, and a copy of the US manual may replace the one that was originally in the box. Sometimes a copy of the software CD/DVD is also included. Back in the 1960's when I bought my FT QL, Buyers were purchasing directly from Hong Kong. Customs would often size a Gray Market Camera, so the Canon or Nikon or Pentax or Olympus logo was either removed or painted out. It the logo was glued on, it was sent along with the instruction manuals and paperwork in a separate mailing to the buyer. This worked and saved the buyer money, but Canon /Nikon/Pentax/Olympus would not repair it.
Eventually, the US Congress made it clear that Customs had no business sizing gray market products.
Canon still takes a dim view of gray market sales, they cost Canon USA $$$ because they have (so far) been repairing and supporting them. This means they pay to fix cameras that they did not receive payment for (Payment went to China.) BEWARE - NIKON USA will not repair Gray Market Cameras or Lenses, not even if you are willing to pay.
http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/standard_display/gray_market
"Information on Parallel or "Gray Market" Products
Canon sells and supports Canon-brand consumer and professional products in the U.S. through Canon U.S.A., which distributes these products through its authorized dealers and distributors. Canon U.S.A. is the only authorized importer of these products in the U.S., and provides industry-leading customer service and support for them. Products distributed by Canon U.S.A. are "localized" to meet the needs of customers in the U.S. market and are engineered to comply with local safety regulations and governmental requirements. As such, these products come with different accessories, manuals, and warranties than the versions intended for sale in other global regions such as Asia. Any Canon-brand products which are imported and sold other than by this method are referred to as "parallel," or "Gray Market," products (collectively, "Gray Market Products").
Hazards and Difficulties Associated with "Gray Market" Products
Customers in the U.S. may find that Gray Market Products do not meet their expectations because they were not intended by Canon for sale in the U.S. In some cases, sellers of Gray Market Products may attempt to localize the products themselves by adding, changing or removing certain accessories from the products, which may result in the following:
including in product packaging illegal or counterfeit accessories, such as batteries, chargers, and ink tanks, which can cause injury and seriously damage your Canon product;
an incorrect power cord or adapter which was not provided, or quality checked, by Canon;
incorrect software or illegal copies of software which may not function;
poor photocopies of the original manual;
a fake Canon U.S. warranty, a warranty provided by a third party, or no warranty at all; and
a device with a serial number which cannot be registered with Canon in the U.S.
Customers should also be aware that Gray Market Products may not be eligible for:
coverage under a U.S. warranty;
U.S. promotions, including mail-in and instant rebates; and
technical support
If you are in doubt about a seller, or whether the products it sells are intended for the U.S., please visit http://usa.canon.com/authorized dealers for a list of Canon U.S.A.'s Authorized Dealers. New and genuine Canon products intended for sale in the U.S. can only be purchased from Canon Authorized Dealers in the U.S. or from Canon U.S.A. directly. "
Its simply a product that was not imported by Canon USA, but purchased overseas, usually from China, but anywhere the seller gets the lowest price. There is no US Warranty Card (No Big Deal), power cords may have been replaced with cheap ones that fit US outlets, and a copy of the US manual may replace the one that was originally in the box. Sometimes a copy of the software CD/DVD is also included. Back in the 1960's when I bought my FT QL, Buyers were purchasing directly from Hong Kong. Customs would often size a Gray Market Camera, so the Canon or Nikon or Pentax or Olympus logo was either removed or painted out. It the logo was glued on, it was sent along with the instruction manuals and paperwork in a separate mailing to the buyer. This worked and saved the buyer money, but Canon /Nikon/Pentax/Olympus would not repair it.
Eventually, the US Congress made it clear that Customs had no business sizing gray market products.
Canon still takes a dim view of gray market sales, they cost Canon USA $$$ because they have (so far) been repairing and supporting them. This means they pay to fix cameras that they did not receive payment for (Payment went to China.) BEWARE - NIKON USA will not repair Gray Market Cameras or Lenses, not even if you are willing to pay.
http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/standard_display/gray_market
"Information on Parallel or "Gray Market" Products
Canon sells and supports Canon-brand consumer and professional products in the U.S. through Canon U.S.A., which distributes these products through its authorized dealers and distributors. Canon U.S.A. is the only authorized importer of these products in the U.S., and provides industry-leading customer service and support for them. Products distributed by Canon U.S.A. are "localized" to meet the needs of customers in the U.S. market and are engineered to comply with local safety regulations and governmental requirements. As such, these products come with different accessories, manuals, and warranties than the versions intended for sale in other global regions such as Asia. Any Canon-brand products which are imported and sold other than by this method are referred to as "parallel," or "Gray Market," products (collectively, "Gray Market Products").
Hazards and Difficulties Associated with "Gray Market" Products
Customers in the U.S. may find that Gray Market Products do not meet their expectations because they were not intended by Canon for sale in the U.S. In some cases, sellers of Gray Market Products may attempt to localize the products themselves by adding, changing or removing certain accessories from the products, which may result in the following:
including in product packaging illegal or counterfeit accessories, such as batteries, chargers, and ink tanks, which can cause injury and seriously damage your Canon product;
an incorrect power cord or adapter which was not provided, or quality checked, by Canon;
incorrect software or illegal copies of software which may not function;
poor photocopies of the original manual;
a fake Canon U.S. warranty, a warranty provided by a third party, or no warranty at all; and
a device with a serial number which cannot be registered with Canon in the U.S.
Customers should also be aware that Gray Market Products may not be eligible for:
coverage under a U.S. warranty;
U.S. promotions, including mail-in and instant rebates; and
technical support
If you are in doubt about a seller, or whether the products it sells are intended for the U.S., please visit http://usa.canon.com/authorized dealers for a list of Canon U.S.A.'s Authorized Dealers. New and genuine Canon products intended for sale in the U.S. can only be purchased from Canon Authorized Dealers in the U.S. or from Canon U.S.A. directly. "
is pretty much sorted out. Over and above that I use HDEW and get 3 years warranty on bodies, 1 on lenses.
