Overseas / Ebay Rigs, Shoulder Mounts, DOF Adapters

[lhmaloney]

First off I hope this is the correct forum I am posting this in, if not I know that the administrators will re post this in the correct forum. Anyhow, preparing to be new equipment, and researching about the various types of equipment, I wanted to know if anyone has experience with buying the overseas / ebay / third party "non name brand " products. I know every brand has it's pros and cons, but also knowing about business, I know some of these bigger companies inflate their prices due to marketing and promotion etc. I also know that places like India and China are taking the technology and replicating often times the exact same product. So, I don't want to start a discussion about purchasing from name brand companies etc, I'd like to hear more from the people who have used products like this below, whats your experience with these types of products good and bad.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350327498224#ht_4076wt_939

 

[Methane]

Some bigger companies "inflate" their price to cover research and development. If people didn't buy from Cinevate, Letus, Zacuto, etc. do you think these Indian companies would create their own tools to make filmmaking better and easier? Or do they just leach off others hard work and have nothing to offer the community?

 

[Prairieboy]

I just bought their Mattbox, follow focus, rail kit. I needed it fast and got it in four business days. ( I have heard a week to 10 is common). The product is pretty decent, great if you include the price point. I have spent a career with Arri and Panavision so I know what big money gets you. The gear needed some tightening here and there, and all the black metal needs to be cleaned off as it leaves this colored dye to the touch. It could not be packed any better, and came with lots of extra bits. A GREAT value for the money.

 

[lhmaloney]

Some bigger companies "inflate" their price to cover research and development. If people didn't buy from Cinevate, Letus, Zacuto, etc. do you think these Indian companies would create their own tools to make filmmaking better and easier? Or do they just leach off others hard work and have nothing to offer the community?

I totally agree with you I didn't want to get into why the bigger companies inflate their price, that's why I said ETC, but for argument sake, which do you think more money is spent on research and development or P&A, but anyway, yeah I know they're like any other bootlegger purely in it for the money, but not to start another argument, I feel it's kind of justified because we've all heard in the past about how \companies, NOT SAYING THAT THIS GREAT COMPANIES DO THAT, but companies (i.e., the auto industry) employs cheaper leaper by using Indian and Chinese workers, etc, so excuse the Indian and Chinese people for taking the "Research and development", and recreating the exact same product and selling it for a 1/3 of the price, because it does not have a label. But that's the road I don't want to go on, I need to save money on stuff like rigs, etc, so I can spend more money on the most important things like better let and sound so I really need to know if these products are decent and comparable to the other products for the price point.