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DJI RONIN Group Buy

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We are getting ready to tell an amazing story about DjI America.......
 
David Coughlan said:
This would be really bush league. The truth is the time for real negotiating was up front directly with DJI/AMP before this thread even started. Trying to retroactively improve the deal with AMP is just going to make them and others hesitant to do business with RU groupbuys going forward.
Click to expand...

Abiodun-"They certainly neeed to borrow a leaf from what Hienle's doing over at Helix GB!!!"


Well this whole thing is really taking twists and turns, but what seems to be at the root is an expectation that Dji is something that it is not.

It is a corporation using resellers not a bespoke builder like Letus. Can Armani sell you a fine, well fitting suit- yes. Can they ask you on which side you dress- no.

The amazing thing in all this is that there is a large resourceful company- Dji - trying to deliver a high quality product i.e. MOVI, while knocking down the price. But in trying to be all things to all people they are coming up against a truism in high end production- that artists want quality and the flexibility to individuate. For example Ronin is going to ship without a thumb controller, really limiting an individual operator.

The wonderful thing is that a bespoke builder- Letus - has a breakthrough, unique design that allows them to provide quick response and incorporate almost immediately any change or refinement.

And this is not something that any of the other small gimbal companies that I saw at NAB were able to achieve- they were all trying to outdo, undersell MOVI, and to me they are all selling air because they don't have the resources to compete, nor a design that lends itself to quick adaptation and 99.9999...percent of all species are extinct because of that.

The brilliance of Letus is that they have evolved the logic of "how" a gimbal can work and created a work of mechanical art. It looks balanced just sitting there. Light, agile, economical in use of material, and looks and feels durable.

Can Fender sell you a really great Tele? No doubt. Can Rick Kelly build you a really special Tele? ....if Heimie built guitars....






 
Because the truth is a $1.5 million dollar deal isn't that much for a company that has over 500 employees and offices located worldwide. [URL said:
http://www.dji.com/company[/URL]
DJI probably need to sell couple thousand Ronins over the next few years just to pay their bills.

Still curious if the final weight will allow this to be lifted by a multi-rotor.
Click to expand...

With all respect, you are totally wrong here.

This deal is HUGE for DJI! In turnover? -not so much perhaps. In marketing power of an untested product? - Its the holy grail!!

Trust me, I own/invested in several international companies and being able to pull a new, untested, product to the market through a top segment clientele( over 300 people strong!) all over the world - whose jobs echoes throughout the whole market. In every single marketing channel there is. That is the single most powerful marketing tool one could imagine for a product launch.

It lowers the barrier of critique. It allows DJI to stand on our shoulders as solid delivery of top notch products to those who's truly picky about what they use. Its a free ticket into the big boys playground where they can leave the Lego copters with a gopro attached behind(Nothing against them, they seem to be nice toys). Doing it by only give 10% discount and not even provide the specs of other offerings(thinking specifically of the thumb control)....well that is just unheard of in many markets.

Between now and October, I have 15-20 other film makers that work with me and often come to me for advice on what products to buy. They all need gimbals to keep up with market demands. I'm sure this number is pretty common here. You do the numbers and you'll see the direct power of us here on RU. Add to that us blogging, posting pictures writing Ronin(in my case Letus) in products used under our Vimeo/Youtube clips that's seen by thousands of potential customers to DJI.

No sir, no matter from what angle I look at it. Its still a lousy deal for everyone involved - except DJI.

- We, the people on RU carry the risk of introducing a new product for peanuts meant for monkies
- AMP, that initiated this GB has been sidetracked and will only get 50pcs for the GB(As long as Patrick doesn't possess Jesus power of satisfying everyone with very little, the math 50=300 don't add up)
- Zeb, poor guy...he's been trying to run a legit GB for all of us by getting AMP on board and giving DJI a wish list that we all agreed upon. He hasn't even received a beta unit to test or been invited to test one out under their supervision.


People mention Hienle's approach with his Letus gimbal. I agree with them. That product is also up to be proven in real life. But no matter how big you are or how good you think your product is, being humble and listening/answering to those who will carry it to the market will reward you in the long run.

How many gimbal do you think Helix will sell as a result of their open and honest approach towards us here? I know already 8 guys that will buy on my recommendation...

Food for thoughts...
 
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Willis - I have couple of technical question related to power solution...

DJI-Ronin-5LR.jpg


I was originally thinking of using the rear REDVOLT XL module with the XL batteries - which would also provide power to the Tomahawk and RT Motion.
But from the above pic it looks like there isn't much space behind the camera.
Once heavier PL lens + MB + filters + FI-motors are added to the front - the camera would have to be shifted even further back for CG balance...

My questions are...:

How deep of a extension for accessories can the Ronin tolerate behind the DSMC brain without obstructing the tilting ability of the gimbal (being able to point straight down)...?
For example would the +1 module fit (http://www.red.com/store/products/plus1-monitor-adaptor)...?

Thanks

:sifone: Peter
 
I've got my fingers in both DJI and Letus group-buy pies, but the Helix has forced my hand. Their RUGB has gone VERY smoothly. Letus have set up an orderly purchase system and a sub-site uniquely set up for the Red User pre-order customers. There are bonus's not mentioned on this forum that make it a worthy group buy of the highest standard. I think my Helix will be shipping next week, and even now Hein is doing some last minute personal mods for my Sony F5.

I've bought direct from Letus since they started selling their 35mm mirrored lens adaptors, and they are very focused on customer service and product development. That's not a comment on DJI; just what Letus have provided. I just feel the Helix is better suited for my needs; unique fly-from-below mounting system, lighter weight, big payload capacity, and is designed to be able to easily attach to a standard Steadicam arm/vest. Plus I don't fly drones. And... they are about to ship any moment. I'm sure the Ronin GB will sort itself out and will ship a great product, but I'm off the interested list.
 
Hey guys,
Before I post some replies, I just want to let you know DJI did change the link and is now SSL secured. All previous signups are accounted for. For the trouble, we are adding an additional 2-days for the Group Buy link to be active. The link will now expire on Thursday, June 12th, 2014 - 6PM PST, if the link says 6am, it will be changed momentarily.

Here is the new link:
https://store.dji.com/buy/ronin-group-buy

Thanks for everybody's support.
 
98 Pages of posts. Lots of interest and demand for a great gimbal system.

I don't know about you guys, without users having an opportunity to test these units and with other great options out there or soon to come, it might be worth passing on a thousand dollar discount to later buy a tried and tested unit you can count on with customer support that has been confirmed reliable.

If there are any user test out there, of if you got a hold of a unit Josh, please post the links, thanks.
 
wow, some panties really getting in a twist...

interesting. Letus is probably offering less of an actual "deal" but is offering more clarity, better communication, and superior treatment to its customers - no complaining everyone is happy, thrilled even. Singing praises and cherishments.

Meanwhile Ronin is offering superior overall pricing and premiums (via AMP), and folks are busting out the pitchforks and torches. Y'all are basically getting a working unit with a battery and a cut case for $4K and complaining that the deal is crap?

There's no deal, not one, in gimbal-land that is comparable to this, for sheer competitive overall pricing.... Just offering a reality check. When you add the discount and the battery, you are looking at very close to a $4K price point. That's remarkable. And yet, not a single happy face in the crowd here in 4 pages of posts.

Neither Letus nor Ronin have been 3rd-party tested. Yet here everyone is up in arms about that, while on Letus, everyone is dying to have the first production units in their hands to be the ones to put the units through their paces. (I would agree that Zeb, by all appearances, anyway, is getting sandbagged....which is wrong.)

I guess it just goes to show that customer service is everything. Perceptions turn on a dime.

Superior intangibles are priceless....deep breaths, y'all. The Ronin group buy has a lot going for it, from a sheer pricing perspective. A seriously screaming deal....
 
Meryem Ersoz said:
wow, some panties really getting in a twist...

Meanwhile Ronin is offering superior overall pricing and premiums (via AMP), and folks are busting out the pitchforks and torches. Y'all are basically getting a working unit with a battery and a cut case for $4K and complaining that the deal is crap?

There's no deal, not one, in gimbal-land that is comparable to this, for sheer competitive overall pricing.... Just offering a reality check. When you add the discount and the battery, you are looking at very close to a $4K price point. That's remarkable. And yet, not a single happy face in the crowd here in 4 pages of posts.

I guess it just goes to show that customer service is everything. Perceptions turn on a dime.

Superior intangibles are priceless....deep breaths, y'all. The Ronin group buy has a lot going for it, from a sheer pricing perspective. A seriously screaming deal....
Click to expand...


I think your assuming that it will work as promised for more then 30 days and that if it does not DJI will make it right. Unfortunately they have a huge track record of hanging their customers out to dry. If you seriously want to use the Ronin or any other DJI product professionally you will need to buy AT LEAST 3 of them. We have used DJI products on many movies and speak from experience. I was surprised on how this GB took off and doubt most of these people have ever had to deal with DJI. Does anyone remember when Filmtools used to carry DJI? Do you know why they don't anymore?
 
Aaron McLane said:
I think your assuming that it will work as promised for more then 30 days and that if it does not DJI will make it right. Unfortunately they have a huge track record of hanging their customers out to dry. If you seriously want to use the Ronin or any other DJI product professionally you will need to buy AT LEAST 3 of them. We have used DJI products on many movies and speak from experience. I was surprised on how this GB took off and doubt most of these people have ever had to deal with DJI. Does anyone remember when Filmtools used to carry DJI? Do you know why they don't anymore?
Click to expand...

Aaron, I have been using DJI products for years and I agree that their customer support still has a huge room for improvement.
Having said that - Willis has clearly stated that DJI is establishing new US-based PRO support division to address precisely the kind of issues you are talking about.
So i think it is fair to give them a chance to prove us "wrong" by getting it "right".
The simple fact they they are investing so heavily in this new PRO support division (you are talking of hundreds of thousands of $$$ each year) tells me that they have recognised this and are very much on the road to resolve this once and for all...

:sifone: Peter
 
Doesn't look like I'll be able to get the proper response to you guys by tonight, I sure will try after this one.

@AaronMcLane,
Yes, @MeryenErsoz is assuming that it will work as promised for more than 30 days and that if it does not DJI will make it right. Yes I know exactly why Filmtools doesn't carry DJI anymore. I also know that the good people of Filmtools was thrilled to know DJI is now in Los Angeles under new management.

Here's the thing, I wrote on the other thread, but I'll elaborate a little here. I'm on a mission to hire some top notch Customer Service guys that's worked as Rental House Prep Techs, 3D Rig Techs, Gimbal Operators, and Camera Assistants. These guys will get the full scoop and be the very best they can be and know all the details of the Ronin. These are the guys that can do a live stream with you while you're on the field to troubleshoot your needs. This is DJI Pro Support, and we will launch this shortly.

I will not go into the specifics of your relationship with Colin Guinn, but I will say that this is a thread about the Ronin, the Ronin sales and support is under direct DJI management. If you have something personal against Colin Guinn, you need to reach out to him, not in this group buy thread.

Respectfully,
 
Hey guys,
Let's start with page 88.

@JonathanBurt,
I'm not familiar with import/tax/VAT duty costs, you can check with your preferred dealer though. However in the meantime, we are hoping to lock down our European & Asia dealer asap.

@Zeb,
The basic group buy rule should have all the terms and conditions listed out at the birth of this thread with someone keeping track of all interested names. DJI wasn't aware of this Group Buy until you emailed our marketing team in HQ 20 pages into this thread. I'm here today working with you, not against you, to work out a deal with HQ and provide any and all information I'm capable of to get as close as I possibly can to serve the best interest of the members on this forum. Teamwork can go a long way.

@KemalettinSert
No photos of the foam yet, but as soon as it's avail, I'll make sure to post it.

@PetriTeittinen
Yes, you got that right, we are catering a badass kit for the professional film industry. Redusers so happen to get a $449.90 discount with additional accessories that Aerial Media Pros have to offer, and we are currently working on something special, call it a cherry on top, all thanks to Zeb & Patrick for putting this together. I'm sorry to hear you are disappointed because you are in Europe, but I'm working on expediting a European dealer so users in your region don't have to pay the shipping/duties.

@ManfredBaulig,
Absolutely! Just post interested, and click on this link:
https://store.dji.com/buy/ronin-group-buy

Thanks again for the support, onto page 89
 
@MarcBerger,
Sorry to see you go, I'll be sure to strike your name off the list. Unfortunately to be fair for the people on this forum, there will be no replacement in line. We will indeed try to get all the units pumped out though.

@GregFaysash
The mystery product have been revealed at NAB & CineGear holding an Epic with Zeiss Standard Speed, C-Motion 2Ch Focus/Iris, Paralinx Tomahawk, IDX 70S Brick, and still have additional payload capacity. I'm proud to say that the Ronin is the only handheld / quick-releasable gimbal demo-ing this type of weight capacity with people to try for themselves.

The release date has been said many times on this and other threads, shipment out end of june.
For the rest of your questions, please see my response to Zeb in post #941
http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?115115-DJI-RONIN-Group-Buy&p=1375982&viewfull=1#post1375982

Glad you are excited about the product, we understand $4500 is a substantial investment, however isn't $15,000 an even bigger investment? There will be no company name calling from my posts, but there are other ones out there that cost more. I for one, am a true believer of the Ronin, I believe it is a complete steal for what you are paying for. Hope this helps.


@ManfredBaulig,
Information is listed on post #941, please check it out at your convenience.

@Peter.G
The thumb control system is not being released as the same time as the Ronin, there is a reason for that, and that reason is not a secret, we are changing the entire design of it to make it ergonomically fit. Appreciate your patience.

@JerryHattan
There are videos out of it being demo'd at NAB and CineGear, 90% of the design is there, this is the first product in its line, it's no mystery, but it's also a huge mystery of just how awesome it is, hope you came to CineGear to try it out. There are no reviews on the unit simply because the only ones out there are in my office, and they are prototypes. The betas will be sent out very soon. Appreciate your patience. Don't think of it as 10% discount, think of it as $449.90 off of a $4,499 product. That's almost $500 off, and we're not even selling a car!

@ScottDevitte,
Pleasure meeting you at Adorama Street Fair, the extra cost you speak of will not be a dent in your wallet, just think about what we did price-wise with the Ronin. Huge group of beta testers? Not at all, it will be a small pool of industry professionals. Some even on this forum.

@TomVan,
The initial quantity at AMP will be 50, week(s) for replenishment at most. I don't believe in anything being backordered for over a month, you shouldn't either, at least out of DJI. I'm finally going to visit their factory of the thousands of workers & quality control. Can't wait. Shipping is based on the list of the combination of "interested" and "payment received" I'm sure if your Epic-X upgrade is #80, and #90 paid before you did, he will get his upgrade before you. Nevertheless, I'll try to get them to crank it out as fast as possible.

@DanielMurphy,
You are right, AMP website did start taking full payment of $5,000, which is over our retail price. We don't make the terms and conditions for our dealers other than locking the actual selling price to Manufactures Asking Price. I can't speak for Patrick's behalf, but he will honor the order of interested before the payment received.

A refundable deposit is already there, that's all we ask of the dealer to do.
Zeb as well as other qualified beta testing industry professionals will have a beta unit in hand soon for not just review, but on set in a live production. The Ronin is built to last, to withstand the brutal force of being on production.
Zeb did an awesome job creating excitement for the Ronin, hope to put your two cents towards the $4,049.10. That'll make it $4,049.08.

@DennisKuhnel,
Fantastic, can't wait for you to see the Ronin in action!

@JayAKelley,
No need to get your money now, but eventually, I hope the Ronin make it past your barrier, we will continue to make accessories for it including mounts, controls, etc. I will insure the innovation from DJI will make all accessories top notch, unfortunately we are not locking the number of accessories, but when you're ready, I love to dedicate your penny towards the purchase of one at the GB price or regular price. Thanks for your enthusiasm.
 
4:50am here in NY, flight is in 5 hours... should I stop here on page 90?

@MarkLPederson,
Absolute pleasure to meet you at CineGear, and glad you got to try the Ronin out. More importantly, I sincerely, genuinely, appreciate your support. I agree w/ the ONE distributor, however there is always a reason behind something happening, that reason fortunately, is not greed in this case. We are pushing for Aerial Media Pros to be the dealer, but just in case you want it earlier with a discount, you have that option of choosing another dealer.

@Matt Fleming,
We used a very early prototype on the short film commercial I produced, 60 union people on set, went through all kinds of handling, from handheld to cable rigging to jib rigging, I have to say that I, as well as many on the production have personally tested it on set and it survived 3 more jobs after.
Zeb will get his beta unit, I'm excited just thinking about finally putting it in his hands. I almost want to have them ship it to me and I drive it down to his residence just so I can shake his hand.

@CareyLeeCoffey,
The dust will not settle, I assure you, people will be ongoing excited about this product. Thank you for your two cents, but please take those 2 pennies back to your thread.

@PeterMajtan,
Thank you very much for your support, your 2 yen is very much appreciated here.

@MattHall,
I do apologize but we don't do student pricing right now, do let me know if your school wants a free demo though. I'll try to be there personally to meet the next generation of innovators.
 
Page 91...
@PeterLan,
I don't think we've ever promised the universal mount adapter in the GB, but we will have it available as an option. I'm looking forward to this myself. 2nd battery is in Patrick's deal, we say 4hours, but that's conservative, I've seen it go up to 8hours.

@JustinMarx,
Not too late, in fact we just extended the group buy link for 2 more days because we wanted to make the redusers confident in the secured SSL server, link is available here: https://store.dji.com/buy/ronin-group-buy

@Jean-ChristopheDupasquie
I hope I'm saying your last name right. I like to personally thank you for your advice, this ultimately allowed 2 additional days on the Group Buy link. Headquarters apologizes for that, the new link can be found here: https://store.dji.com/buy/ronin-group-buy. Thank you for your support and believing it's everything you thought it is but a scam. I got scammed all my life, even when I purchased my first epic from one of the redusers which will remain anonymous, sucks, but I hope you regained your confidence in DJI, we're going to do it right.

@JayAKelley,
Please refer to the new link, we value your support. By the way, I for one love your Red101 DVD, learned a lot from it years ago. Thank you for that knowledge.

@Zeb,
I provided answers to your questions on post #941

@DavidCoughlan,
We've put out a video, Zeb has played with the early prototype of the Ronin, we saw it's capabilities at NAB / CineGear, there is nothing but a commitment for a refundable deposit. During the time in between, Beta testers, such as Zeb himself will have the ability to give you more hands on experience. Good start?
 
Willis to make sure you understand me right, I´m not leaving because of your price politic or your product. I think the Ronin is a fantastic product at a great low price. I´m not disappointed or whatever, in contrary Ronin would be still my first choice beside Helix. I´m just going with Helix, because it is with the 1axis possibility the better gimbal for my steadicam rig. And I thought if you don´t open the GB again somebody could have my spot..
Thank you and all the best
Marc
 
@SteveDas,
The clock got extended for 2-days on a secured SSL server, https://store.dji.com/buy/ronin-group-buy

@TylerDreher,
Thanks for helping the fellow redusers understand, we'll try to make it more simple next time.

@Zeb,
Indeed Patrick was the star of your video, we promised 50, but you know what? I'll do what I can to push him to deliver more. Getting the Ronin in the hands of the Redusers makes me very excited, I can't wait 'til you guys use it for your innovative projects!

@PeterMajtan,
I know I've responded with the updated link https://store.dji.com/buy/ronin-group-buy, but just want to point out that your support is priceless.

@Zeb,
Hey Josh, remember those late night phone conversations we have about how awesome it is for Redusers to use the Ronin? Teamwork... c'mon!

@KetchRossi,
A natural leader, thank you for your support sir. Appreciate you looking out for me on this forum.

@PeterMajtan,
Don't think Zeb genuinely meant what he's saying about him starting a thread and having me scam them under DJI's name... that just sounds silly. *ahem* teamwork zeb....

@JustinMcAleece,
It was a pleasure meeting you Justin, I actually agree weigh you on taking the time to do it right. Here's some 411. In addition to Paul Pan, the product manager behind this product, he is working closely side by side with the 3 other product managers that's invented the Phantom, Zenmuse, and the flight controllers. A team of geniuses are teamed up for the next generation. Teamwork goes a long way, just sayin'
 
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