Reply #9: Sorry about your problems.

[bvar22]

:(
You owe me no apology. I knew Prestige was "Gray Market" when I bought from them, and that there would be no "Warranty Service" from NikonUSA. I took the gamble because Prestige could deliver immediately (which you verified), and 17thStreet and B&H had a 90 day back order on the D200. I was more worried that Prestige would take my money, and not deliver for 90 days.

"Gray Market" is not as shady as it sounds. It is merely equipment that has been imported from another country. If you were in Europe, a USA camera would be gray market. B&H and most credible US retailers currently sell "gray market" Nikon equipment, thought they label it as such (US version vs. imported version).
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=search&Q=&ci=4605

NIKON "adjusts" their prices in different countries according to what the consumer market will tolerate. The consumer market in the USA has more disposable income, and the prices from Nikon USA are higher than prices for Nikon equipment in other countries. In order to enforce their local pricing scheme (scam?), Nikon USA uses the policy of refusing Warranty Service on their own equipment. I find Nikon's practice of refusing to repair their own equipment, manufactured at the SAME factory to be as unethical as Prestige Camera's marketing.

http://www.nikonians.org/dcforum/DCForumID202/19143.html

You might try contacting Nikon repair service in Europe, :shrug:.
You should certainly contact the NY AG. The bogus Warranty is certainly FRAUD, and would be easy to document.


If you can document that your camera is refurbished and not "NEW", the AG would like to know that. Prestige clearly labels their D200 as "NEW".
http://www.prestigecamera.com/product~id~nkd200.htm
Nikon routinely includes that gem ("your camera MAY be refurbished") in their information when they refuse to service their own equipment.

The OPANDA EXIF viewer can show you how many times the shutter has been snapped. Find one of your first pictures and use OPANDA to view the shutter cycle data. Expect to see about 200 cycles on a "new" camera.


If your only problem is a hot pixel, they are not too difficult to live with. Most disappear during resizing for InterNet posting. If not, a quick one pixel dab with the paint brush during post processing will fix the problem. My Olympus had two hot pixels that I routinely fix during post processing. I realize that this is not a perfect solution, but it does keep you in the game.
Nikon is also going to release a Firmware Upgrade for the D200 in the near future which may also fix your problem. It is not out yet, but there is BUZZ about it at the Nikonians website.


So far, my camera has been OK. It was a risk I was willing to take at the time. It is a pretty sophisticated piece of equipment to buy without a warranty, but I wanted mine NOW, not 90 days later.
I am willing to replace the camera body if necessary.

I will continue to look for bargains on the Gray Market, though I won't buy anything as sophisticated as a D200 body if I can avoid it. I love the idea of supporting local merchants, but the price differential for the 70-200mm VR lens was over $500, so I bought it (USA version with warranty) from a reputable online dealer, 17thSt Photo. I know my local dealer has to make a living, but so do I.

Good Luck with the problem. I'll help in any way I can.