Who makes the Red Lenses?

[Jeff Kilgroe]

At around $30-70 or so isn't that in the normal ballpark for shipping internally within the US?

Oh, they fixed it. Haha. They were charging over $1000 initially for shipping.

 

[Rick Burnett]

Maybe it's hand delivered and that's the cost of flying someone with the lens to you

 

[Rick Burnett]

Great brands are trustworthy because they manage those control points externally as well as they do internally.

I think this is an important point. Red is not synonymous yet with amazing lens design. That is not to say their lens are not amazing, it's just there are other companies doing it for a long time that have a lot more precedence.

It makes sense people ask these questions because MANY cameras have a lens designed by another company and use that as part of their literature because they want to bank on that past experience and precedence.

If you told someone; this lens was 'manufacturerd by Zeiss' or 'manufactured in Japan' clearly one of those two statements will initially draw more comfort than the other. One has a good history. One really has the entire history of Japanese products at the most extreme end. Dealing with fact, you really know nothing until you actually use the lens. Given Red is going to be totally new for some people, maybe they are just trying to grab on to some comfort zone of what the expect out of the product.

Like I tell everyone, interesting in buying something expensive? Go find one, go rent one, because until your eyes/hands get a hold of it, no one is going to be as picky or thorough with what matters to you!

My two stops anyways

 

[Jason Beckwith]

Sadly, back down in the less rarified air that I actually breath, Ford doesn't make anything to compare to the Dodge Challenger or Chevy Camaro. Sorry Ford fans but the Mustang looks... bland next to those two. The Challenger gets the nod for looks but the Camaro takes the lead with performance.

My choice was between the Dodge Challenger and my Red.

I figured that the Challenger would never buy me a Red, but the Red just might buy me a Challenger.

Hasn't been the case... yet.

 

[Terry VerHaar]

Companies don't make things, people do. Whether those people are employees of the primary brand, employees of a subsidiary, employees of a dedicated subcontractor or employees of a third party, what matters most is the design, materials specifications, manufacturing specifications, quality control requirements, testing and verification of the above. Great brands are trustworthy because they manage those control points externally as well as they do internally.

-michael zaletel

Hear, hear! I have to chime in just to say I think you nailed it. This is what all the great brands do these days and it is no trivial task to consistently do it well.

 

[G Lap]

My best guess at who makes the RPP's would be Cosina........

Sigma tell me that it isn't them, so Cosina might be a good bet. If so RED are in reasonable company, since Cosina also make lenses for Zeiss (Z series, amongst others).

The bottom line remains that it will be the quality and performance of RED's lenses in the field that builds their true (as opposed to internet chatter) reputation.

 

[Mitch Gross]

There are other optical firms in Japan.

 

[chuck colburn]

There are other optical firms in Japan.

Very true. I believe Fuji Optical, (Fujinon) is the largest optical company in the world.

 

[Mitch Gross]

And there are others that are big and small, although not as big as Fuji.

 

[Bob Renalds]

Mitch,

You seem to be baiting people to keep guessing. You know and so do some others. Most folks would be thrown off the scent with the current conversation but you are playing the "you're getting warmer thread.

If I was Red, I'd delete this thread because creating a forum for users should not invite people to "kind of" expose Red's trade secrets. Think if the shoe was on the other foot.

 

[Mitch Gross]

Bob, sorry if it came across that way. I was more trying to put this in perspective that there are numerous optical firms that could do this work and people tossing out guesses is not particularly productive. Far too often when people repeat an assumption enough times it becomes a false-fact to those that were not paying careful attention along the way. No many how many times both Cooke and RED stated that the original RED zooms were not made by Cooke, even in this thread there were people who posted that they were.

An optical firm in Japan manufactures the RED Pro Primes. It is a company with proper technical experience to do the work. That's all that matters.


Now about those German lenses coming to NAB...:sneaky2:

JUST KIDDING!!