Rockwell talking rubbish again on grey lenses

Pistnbroke

Quote

Nikon USA enforces its trademarks strictly. It's unlikely, but possible that US customs won't let your lens back in the country if you bought a gray-market version in the USA, carried it overseas, and try to bring it back in.


Well I never take receipts with me when traveling and most of my stuff is grey. How can they take my property off me ?
Anybody any comments?

mhedges

Yeah I don't see that happening. Seems extremely unlikely to me.

In general he isn't real consistent in his position on gray market stuff. Sometimes he says to avoid it like the plague. Other times he says its worth it if you save enough. And he buys gray market stuff from time to time.

Almost all of my stuff is gray market. Nikon USA just wants too much of a premium. I understand it's a risk, although I'm not sure how much of a risk it is exactly.

framer

Low very very very low. Back in the 60's you would get a close look if transporting lots of gear into the USA. I would get customs to check what I was taking and give me a receipt before I left for overseas. I don't think they do that anymore and I have not been checked for years, decades... Back in the 60's I'd buy gear from Hong Kong through the mail. They would put tape over the trade name to get it past customs. Once a piece of tape came off and the lens was held 100 miles away at a customs center. I had to drive to pick it up but before it was released I had to scratch off the trademark. IMHO it a non issue today unless they feel the item is counterfeit.

framer

HankB

Way back about a million years ago, custom’s biggest worry was that you weren’t beating protected domestic producers and importers. Simple world then!

To illustrate my point: when I was in jr high, I climbed into an empty airliner on the tarmac while it was being refueled. While I was in the pilot’s seat, someone in a uniform walked up to the cockpit curtain (I don’t think there was an actual door), pointed out certain controls I shouldn't touch, chatted for 30 seconds, and then left me there alone.

Pistnbroke

Showing your age Hank !!

spraynpray

Good ol' days!

HankB

Pistnbroke said:

Showing your age Hank !!

spraynpray said:

Good ol' days!

No way I can reply without getting political!

Capt_Spaulding

Hank, did the plane happen to have three engines - with the third mounted on the nose?

HankB

Capt_Spaulding said:

Hank, did the plane happen to have three engines - with the third mounted on the nose?

OK, at least that's a non-political (snarky) question. I never saw a Ford Trimotor.
This was either a DC7 or Super Constellation — both had 4 radial piston engines, and I think those engines were turbocharged.

Oh, I gotta add that I loved Kodachrome, but often used Anscochrome with included processing because it was so much cheaper

Capt_Spaulding

Good Heavens man. That's not age. Don't let these guys taunt you. My first long airplane trip was from Houston to New York. On a DC-3 (actually a C-47). It was just about an all day trip. I always loved the look of the Connies. They were just ded sexy.

I cleaned out my freezer a while back and found a half dozen unexposed rolls of Kodachrome 64. I have no idea when I bought them.

spraynpray

I thought you were going to say that you found older food than Hanks DC7 !

framer

I have flown in a Ford Trimotor in Ohio when I was in 5th or 6th grade. It was a scheduled flight service to islands out on the lake.

Cool it was... I may even be able to find a photo of the event.

Back before 911 I'd fly myself to a airport to catch a bigger plane when traveling. The FBO where I'd park the plane would give me a ride on the tarmac over to the commercial side of the airport and I would enter through the back of the bagage claim area where the bags would come out.

Simpler times...

framer

spraynpray

Yeah, I've flown on the flight deck into Kai Tak many times and dozens of times into other - less spectacular airports. Concorde's flight deck into Washington on my 40th was pretty special too. 'sigh' yeah, great days.