What is the difference between Japan warranty and US warranty when you buy camcorder from online retailers?

Question

Online retailers sale electronics for cheap and I would like to know if there is any difference in quality when you buy from them.

Answer 1

It's probably a "gray market" import, that is, a camera which is technically identical to a regular model but was meant to be sold in another country at a low price, but which somebody unofficially imported into the US.  Since the US branch of the manufacturer didn't get any money from the sale, they can rightfully refuse to support it.  The actual level of support you will get depends on the manufacturer.  I have heard that Canon USA is pretty generous with its warranty terms (they will honor an international warranty), but Nikon USA won't service gray market Nikon imports even if you offer to pay.

Sometimes there are minor differences between versions made for different countries, for example, different free accessories or a different AC adapter.

Answer 2

The electronics should be of the same quality - however, in the event that something goes wrong and you need warranty service, a Japanese warranty would not be honored in the US and vice versa.