What is the difference? - Comparing RF15-35mm F2.8L purchase options

[kdslic44]

im a bit confused what the difference is between these too is this just marketing or is there something that is relative in the price difference? im not sure

[wq9nsc]

It is $2199 from B&H with free next day delivery and no worries about gamesmanship from Amazon where they have authorized Canon (via Amazon corp) and fulfillment through Amazon which are frequently grey market without a U.S. warranty.  The Canon online store has it for the same price but with standard shipping.

I am VERY careful what I buy through Amazon and expensive bodies or glass will be through B&H or Adorama who have dealt with for decades with never an issue.

Rodger

[kdslic44]

so both of those items are the same thing no difference?

[wq9nsc]

You would have to follow the link for the more expensive one, maybe Amazon is bundling in some worthless low quality accessories and that is why they are trying to charge more than $300 over normal Canon retail (the lens is on sale at $200 off through both B&H and Canon at this point).

In any case, be extremely careful buying electronics through a source like Amazon.  Counterfeit memory cards have been an issue over the years as have selling grey market items (sold outside of their intended market so they don't come with the proper warranty).

I would buy the lens through B&H or Canon and the only accessory I would add is a quality clear "filter" that screws onto the non-camera end of the lens.  This provides some protection for the front lens element, particularly its somewhat fragile optical coating.  I do a lot of sports photography under a variety of conditions and I also hike frequently.  With a clear filter on the lens, I wouldn't hesitate to wipe it with a sleeve or other item if necessary during a sports event because a good filter is in the $50 range which I consider an expendable accessory.  You must be far more careful in cleaning the actual lens element because damage it and it will be a very expensive repair.

Rodger

[kvbarkley]

One could be grey market. Make sure (if you are in the US), that it is for the US Market and has a US warranty card.

[normadel]

Right. Grey market versions are exactly the same lens, except there is no Canon factory warranty. The Amazon listing SHOULD indicate if the lower-priced one is Grey market. If it does not say so, and you buy it, and it does not have a Canon USA warranty card, you have been deceived. Return it and make a complaint to Amazon. 

[FloridaDrafter]

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@kdslic44 wrote:

im a bit confused what the difference is between these too is this just marketing or is there something that is relative in the price difference? im not sure

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The $2,674 lens, IMO, has been "fat fingered" (accidently) by some tech at Amazon. I've bought a lot of expensive canon gear sold and shipped from Amazon, from L glass to cameras, over the years and Amazon, being an authorized Canon re-seller, has always stuck to Canon U.S.A. pricing, even discounts. It will always be the same price as the Canon Store. I can only guess as to why the price is so high on that lens. I can also say, with confidence, that Amazon itself is not going to sell you a grey market unit. Venturing out into their marketplace is a different story.

The $2,099 lens is, IMO, grey market. When the price is $200-300 cheaper than Canon U.S.A., it's a safe bet it's grey market.

Now, it's the same lens, you just might have to jump through some hoops to register it and get a warranty, if you get one at all.

Newton

[ebiggs1]

Some of the answers above are half correct or half truths if you will. Amazon is a real deal Canon USA retailer. Anything sold by Amazon will be exactly the same product that you will get from B&H or Adorama. Exact same Canon USA warranty same support. So what's the difference? The difference is that not all photographic gear is sold by Amazon itself. Amazon has a huge "Market Place" where other retailers sell their merch. These will not be and most assuredly are not Canon USA retailers. Gear from them will not have any Canon USA warranty or support. This means you as the consumer must read the ad very closely to make sure you are getting the gear you think you are. Sometimes the clever ad department does a wonderful job obscuring that info but it has to be there.

[wq9nsc]

I remember B&H at one point selling a fair amount of grey market camera gear and they would very clearly indicate it as grey market and explain in the product listing why it was less expensive than the alternative offering.  One of the many reasons B&H has been my dealer of choice going back to the magazine ad and 1-800 number days long before the web.

Sometimes it is worth it to buy grey market products because sometimes that is the only way you can get a certain product or one with a specific feature set in your country/region.  Other times it may be worth the discount to you or the wait for the in-market product may be too long due to demand and/or supply chain issues.  I have bought quite a few grey market products over the years in various categories but it was always a reasoned decision.  It is NEVER good to be surprised by a grey market product when you thought you were buying an authorized channel product.

Amazon often does a poor job of making it clear that you are buying a grey market product.  Search results, suggested alternative products, and the combining of reviews from multiple related products into a single review group are some of the ways that purchasers who aren't being cautious can be misled into buying grey market. And this is a separate issue from Amazon's poor control of counterfeit items in their supply chain.

Grey market products aren't of lower quality unlike a typical poor quality counterfeit product but they do have drawbacks including lack of a standard warranty and in many cases the buyer won't be aware what they purchased until it is too late (i.e. product failure late in what the buyer thought was the warranty period).

Rodger

[ebiggs1]

"I remember B&H ..."

Over the years I got to know Henry at B&H quite well. Helen was the go to gal at Adorama. Both are stand up folks that I did a lot of business with over the years in my lens buying craze.

"Amazon often does a poor job of making it clear that you are buying a grey market product"

Again, Amazon is a real Canon USA authorized retailer. They are no different that B&H or Adorama in that respect.  What they sell will be Canon USA gear. The problem and what most folks don't realize is the Marketplace vendors. They can do as they please. And, yes, sometimes it is difficult to know if you are dealing with Amazon or a Marketplace vendor non of which are likely Canon USA dealers. To make matters even worse, in most cases, products outside of photography gear it doesn't matter.