NIKON WARRANTIES Back when one tear was still the norm I bought a grey market 300/2.8AFS from Focus Camera through Pop Photo. I only found 12 lenses in the entire US in stock! The price was $5400, at the time that was the best price around. And they said it came with "their own warranty, better than Nikon's." Well I went to buy it with my American Express card, and they balked due to the commisison they'd pay amex over visa or mc. I told them I used amex to double the warranty. The salesman told me he would double the warranty to two years if I used another card. We agreed and I did. I had the lens overnighted for $150. Good deal too since UPS went on strike the next day. I had paid $5550 and had a lens with a 2 year warranty from the seller. This was August 1996. The lens is well used, well take care of, still looks fresh, and performs flawlessly. The only times I needed to use warranties were on the F4 (frame spacing trouble) and F5 (focusing screen peeling apart) but never on any lenses or accessories. I know the electronics in these lenses rivals the electronics in the older cameras! And considering that I get a lot of stuff from camera shows, there is no wannanty there, ever. I did make a trade and got an F5 with the $200 rebate and the dealer got the rebate, I signed blank forms and I guess he filled in his own address, that was fine with me. All this just goes to show that the warranty may only be needed 1% of the time. When you are stuck in Zambia you are at the mercy of what is offered, but most times you can shop around. Nikon said they will honor the grey market on my 300AFS because of the age of it, that is all that was available at the time I needed the lens. Not to worry, the expiration is coming up fast and I have not needed it yet, nor do I feel I will. Good luck on your warranties, and I'd like to hear if anyone here needed warranty servoice, why, and if it was the camera or lens at fault and in what way. Robert in Redlands
