Is this a grey market item? Aka is their a warranty and if yes, will Nikon in the US service it? Is this the best 18-55mm lens for the d3300 or is it the vr 2?
seaoceanngoI believe this is gray market. Nikon won't touch it. Massdrop has a 30-day warranty from time of arrival, but you don't get Nikon's. Just consider how important the warranty is for you. It will bump the price up by a few hundred. To me, on a consumer-grade item like this, the warranty isn't worth the extra money. Do some heavy testing within the first 30 days, make sure everything functions right, and you should be fine. But if you are someone who really values the warranty--which also has its merits--then I'd look into spending the extra money elsewhere.
This is the 18-55 AF-P VR, which is their brand new kit lens. It's their newest 18-55, but there's not a massive difference between this and the previous AF-S VRII. Smaller and faster focusing, maybe slightly better optics (but it will be barely noticeable, if at all). But yes, this is their newest.
seaoceanngoAlso a great route. Just make sure to check the warranty on that, as well. I think Nikon only has 30 (maybe 60 or 90?) days on their refurb warranty, too. Some other independent sellers may have longer warranties, though.
seaoceanngoYes, it is Grey Market.. I recently found out the hard way on my D5300 that I got on MassDrop that Nikon USA will not service it at all, warranty or no warranty. If it's Grey Market, Nikon & Nikon authorized service centres will refuse to fix it if it breaks.