Why not just buy it and declare it? Have you looked at the tariff schedule to see if any duty would be owed based on where the camera was made and how much the duty would be on the balance over $800?

Which airport are they returning to the USA? Some airports have customs counters right at the exit and are much more interested in what you have (JFK and SFO are two examples), and some could care less and don’t have the counters at the exit (LAX for example).