Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/08/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I just got off the phone with a camera dealer in California (he was not trying to sell me anything) who insists that all camera manufacturers sell A grade and B grade equipment...even C and lower grade. He claims the B grade is what is sold by the mail order outfits (typically called "Gray Market")...and is why they can offer the lower prices. The only marking distinction between any of the grades is a sticker on the item...and he said these stores just pull the stickers off. Manufacturers will always have some items that don't 'meet spec' and these 'inferior' grade products, are what become B grade products, as opposed to fixing them, or throwing them away... It tees me off that if this is true, the manufacturers don't physically mark the products as B grade... He said Hasselblad sells this grade as 'demo' equipment...but again, the item it self isn't marked with anything but a sticker. What about the used equipment market, how do you know if you are buying an A grade or a B grade? It would appear that even new equipment can be 'not so good'... What does anyone else know about this?