It is a steal at Rs 8,000,” said the man who operates in the by-lanes of Fancy Market in Calcutta to Rathikant Choudhury, an amateur photographer who was eyeing the Nikon Coolpix 4600. He rattled off the specifications, which included a 3.2 mega pixel with a 3x optical lens and a lithium battery. It’s been three months now and Choudhury is the proud owner of a Nikon digital camera, which has, to date, given him no problems.

A Nikon Coolpix 4600 costs around Rs 13,000 at any showroom run by an authorised dealer. So the discount of Rs 5,000 has evidently made Choudhury a happy man. But to be that lucky one has to know the grey market inside out.

Many visit the grey market to check out the latest gadgets and gizmos which are often available at rock-bottom prices. But such visits can turn into nightmarish experiences. Stories of horror abound which tell of old cameras being sold as new, batteries being swapped and novices being duped.

Buying from the grey market is an art and one must be able to distinguish the real from the fake. In the case of a digital camera, once you are clear about terms such as pixel, batteries, lens and add-on features, buying a digital camera at ‘street price’ becomes much easier.

Most digital cameras include an AC adaptor to charge batteries but some also charge them in-camera. There are three types of batteries used in digital cameras, namely alkaline, Ni-MH (nickel metal hydride) and lithium.

Alkaline batteries are standard ones used for any gadget. Although these are available everywhere and some are rechargeable, most do not last long. Ni-MH batteries look like pencil batteries and are re-chargeable. Lithium batteries resemble cellphone batteries. They are lighter but last longer and have a shelf-life of up to 10 years.

One of the most important ways of judging a camera’s performance is by its resolution. A camera’s resolution is defined by multiplying the number of pixels on the sensors horizontally with those vertically. Right click on any image and check its properties; you will see numbers like 480 X 680 or 1280 X 1600; these are resolutions for that particular image.

Pixels or picture elements are minuscule dots which, when put together, create the image that appears on a digital screen. The more of these pixels, the sharper the image created. When you buy from the grey market though, check for the quality of pictures once they are printed. Warns Prashant Agrawal, owner of Capital Electronics in Calcutta: “All pictures look good on the LCD screen despite the resolution; but it is only when you take a printout that you can make out if it is actually good.” For example, a 2-mega-pixel image looks good on the screen but becomes pixilated on an A-4 size paper as this requires not less than 3 mega pixels.

The lens is an integral part of any camera and determines the quality of the photographs. According to Agrawal, while most digital camera manufacturers have their own lenses, some of them are also outsourced from third party manufacturers.

But checking a lens might be difficult for a first-time buyer. Besides, it requires regular visits to the market where goods are sold on the basis of trust. Also, it is important to check the body of a camera for scratches of any kind as scratches would indicate that the camera has been recycled.

However, it is building a relationship of trust that holds the key to getting the best bargain. Choudhury, who regularly haunts the grey market to check out new gadgets, does not buy a product each time he goes there but makes his presence felt. As he says, “I just talk to the owners about the various products and offerings. Talking helps build a bridge between the buyer and the seller.”

And in a market where you get no cash memos or a warranty card, this goes a long way in striking better deals.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

• Those buying a product from the grey market for the first time should always go with a reference.

• It is important to compare prices and products.

• Regular visits to the grey market help build a rapport with the sellers.