Remote follow focus for £150/$300

This is the price for the complete kit with the hard case, 19mm adapter and three lens gears. We plan on doing a basic bundle which includes one drive gear (your choice, other sizes available) no 19mm adapter and no hard case. It will still be packed in custom foam, just in a cardboard box, and not a Storm case. We plan on making the foam inset the right size to lift out of the cardboard box and go straight into a standard Storm or Peli case so you can upgrade later if you feel you need to.


This bundle will be cheaper. That case is damned expensive!


Details to follow.



Pete.
 
A price tag of about 2600 us$(1550 pounds) incl shipping. Whow, from 150 to 2600.
Nice product, but out of range for me anyway.
The Chinese use to say: Make a lot for a reasonable price and sell a lot. Make some for a high price and sell a few.
 
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Actualy, it is from $300 to 2600 (you quoted the pounds value)


rff.jpg

$300


6448_102428656437462_100000109850762_48733_4365005_n.jpg

$1900 (without the case)



Would you still be claiming that the product had gone through such a huge price increase if the first basic unit was in a different forum thread? I think this forum thread is the only thing that links the old one with the finished final unit.



Pete.
 
It's a pity you weren't permitted to edit the thread title. The product, and its market position, have evolved upwards massively since it began.
 
I think Pete has done a phenomenal job with the production of the HoFo... not only has it excelled beyond everyone's wildest expectations.

And anyone upset about it not costing $300... really? There's not a cheaper remote Follow Focus out there right now! Accuracy and precision come with a price tag... and $1900 ain't half bad!
 
Joseph Stunzi said:
I think Pete has done a phenomenal job with the production of the HoFo... not only has it excelled beyond everyone's wildest expectations.

And anyone upset about it not costing $300... really? There's not a cheaper remote Follow Focus out there right now! Accuracy and precision come with a price tag... and $1900 ain't half bad!
Click to expand...

Nice job indeed, but too expensive. Acceptable price would be around 1000 us$. I can understand the problem of marketing a new product, but the cost price is something that looks initially high, but should be much lower in higher production quantities.
I guess he made about 50 units for say 600 buck each. The effort put in the development cannot be calculated totally in the 50 units unless he expects not to sell more than 50 units.
So where do we go from here? If it is the purpose of making lots money, you can forget it. If you think this is a good start for a production company, I would say yes. The development stages we witnessed were very good indeed. So the guy knows what he is doing and the end product is the proof of it.
There is only this minor very little small problem of the price........................:):):):):):)
 
Why should someone sell a product at a break-even? The world of online retail has pushed margins for manufacturers and distributors below 15% and often to around 8%. Real companies can't be sustained on those margins. I'm all for a fantastic product at a fair price, but we shouldn't ask someone who has done it right to do it for nothing.

If you feel you can do better, then you should investigate what we use professionally for some perspective:

Industry-standard Motors ~$2k ++ (motor only)
Bartech BFD F1 ~$4.5k (one channel, incl., one m-one motor)
Preston F/I FF ~$4100 (one channel, focus or iris, no motor, cables or accessories incl.)

Seriously. Perspective.

e
 
Pete,

Mad props. The fact that you have gone through this process in such a public way is admirable. That some little wieners are taking pot shots because the price has jumped from a home made DIY unit at $300 to a professionally made and designed unit that anyone would be willing to bring to a professional set at $1900...don't listen. You have entered a market that had some great products. And you should be proud of the work you've done. I see a real market for you with jib owners. I'm sure you have as well. To the people that want something great for nothing - screw 'em, they're children.
cheers
 
Again...If you cant afford it, rent it. How many of you out there need a RFF all the time?

If you do need it and there is a demand for it, it will pay for itself in a few months or less.

If you dont have the demand and might need it once in a while, rent it. Thats how this industry works.
 
Erik Olson said:
Why should someone sell a product at a break-even? The world of online retail has pushed margins for manufacturers and distributors below 15% and often to around 8%. Real companies can't be sustained on those margins. I'm all for a fantastic product at a fair price, but we shouldn't ask someone who has done it right to do it for nothing.

If you feel you can do better, then you should investigate what we use professionally for some perspective:

Industry-standard Motors ~$2k ++ (motor only)
Bartech BFD F1 ~$4.5k (one channel, incl., one m-one motor)
Preston F/I FF ~$4100 (one channel, focus or iris, no motor, cables or accessories incl.)

Seriously. Perspective.

e
Click to expand...

Did you order yours allready?
 
kevin gallagher said:
Pete,

Mad props. The fact that you have gone through this process in such a public way is admirable. That some little wieners are taking pot shots because the price has jumped from a home made DIY unit at $300 to a professionally made and designed unit that anyone would be willing to bring to a professional set at $1900...don't listen. You have entered a market that had some great products. And you should be proud of the work you've done. I see a real market for you with jib owners. I'm sure you have as well. To the people that want something great for nothing - screw 'em, they're children.
cheers
Click to expand...
Did you order yours allready?
 
I can see the clear improvement in design/materials and construction. Clearly understand the respective price increase. I totally understand and agree with a manufatures right to price his work/product whatever he wants.

That said, for me, I do also think that it is priced a bit too high at $2600 usd.

I If I'm investing that much money.... I'll just wait a few more months, save up some more money and get a bartech/m-one which will allow me to pull focus on PL/cinema lenses as well. This way I can rent out my unit when I'm not using it and recoup some of my investment.

It increases the "pool" of customers that might rent or need me and my gear on set. Since I'm in the business of making money with my gear and also turning a profit, that is a big consideration FOR ME. spending that cash just for adaptor work is too much for my bank account.


If he can power-up the HOFO motor to pull a cinema style lens rather than just slr lenses(nikons) than I ABSOLUTELY think that the $2600 price is more than adequate.

For now I will continue to save up money......see what Redrock remote FF will be priced at and what features it will have and then make a purchase.

personally I might end up with a bartech/m-one. But that's just me.



Maybe I'm not the target demographic......but the HOFO is almost there for me!!!!


For price comparisons.....

From the Bartech site.......
http://www.bartechengineering.com/

BFD Focus System (with rotary control knob) includes transmitter, receiver/amplifier, XLR power cable and carrying case (motor NOT included): $2100.00
Matte box rod receiver/amp mounting bracket: $200.00


M-one motor $2500
http://www.palomarengineering.net/m-one.html
 
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that is interesting. I been always saying that such products just cost way tooo much and having to pay 2000$ just for a bartech motor? come one... is it made out of cosmic platina? sure it's not, it's just their profit is half of that sum, because they just don't sell enough
of these products to cover they costs and earn something...

during these hard times imho everything will go back to normal and prices should lower...

so talking about pete's product, sure it's priced competitively comparing to different products, but that doesn't mean it's cheap, if there was literally tens or hundreds of
people willing to buy this for 300$ (even if the product itself would have even simpler), so at 2600$ there 3 ? not talking of how many of readers can afford, chroziel or bartech...
 
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