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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Element Technica Handheld rig "The Mantis" now available!

I use to think that this system would cause the camera to sit too high...
but honestly.. this system takes ALL the weight off of your shoulder somehow..
I could operate on the shoulder all day long with this.

Who wants to rent my red for 2 weeks in return for a mantis system
 
I got my Mantis in the other day. It is a great rig, but there seriously isn't more than a few hundred dollars of parts, at the most, on the unit. No one forced me to buy it, but when you need something that acutally works, then you have to spend the money. I shoot primarily handheld, so I needed the best I could get. I don't fault them for wanting to make money, but $2,000 really is ridiculous. I wish there was more competition.
 
Jeremy Wiles said:
I got my Mantis in the other day. It is a great rig, but there seriously isn't more than a few hundred dollars of parts, at the most, on the unit. No one forced me to buy it, but when you need something that acutally works, then you have to spend the money. I shoot primarily handheld, so I needed the best I could get. I don't fault them for wanting to make money, but $2,000 really is ridiculous. I wish there was more competition.
Click to expand...

Rosets are so easy to make...:sarcasm:
 
We love ours and think, though it's not small change, it's definitely worth the money. I mean...you compare this to how much tripods cost and it's a bargain. How much goes into parts for any of our equipment? It's not about the parts, guys. The Mantis is awesome. We can go from tripod to handheld in less than 20 seconds...which is exactly what we've been looking for for 6 months now. It adjusts in just about any way we want it to for different people and/or configurations. I'm surprised that anyone who has actually received one is complaining about the price...seriously. Go shoot one day of handheld without it and you'll be back here saying "I'll pay anything for a solution" :-)
 
A few hundred dollars in parts...lets see development, paying for the guy who machined it, electric, anodizing, only a few hundred dollars. Look at the big picture. The company need to stay in business to even offer it. I think its a great deal looking from a business perspective. Lots of incidentals in everything. Normal business practice is to markup 3-5 times cost.
 
Um, Jeremy, would that surprise you if the markup was $500? Do you think that is crazy?

You know how all the stores are having 75% off right now? They are still making a profit, though probably a small one.

Obviously we have no idea on what the profit margin, but I wouldn't be surprised or disappointed if ET was making $500 per unit. Matter of fact, I would expect them to make MORE than that. Unless you run a business, it's difficult to see how much you need to make to stay in business. We run a service-based production house with almost no out-of-pocket costs, and I cannot believe how much MORE we need to make each month than the "bottom line costs" to actually be able to exist. It's unbelievable... So, I have no problem if their markup is $500.
 
How about time? That's worth something. I doubt anyone realizes the time it takes to make just 1 unit...

Some should just stick with the DVX/HVX and the cheap acces. that go with them.

Whatever. You get what you pay for.

EDIT: Opinions are like butt holes...
 
Kevin Wild said:
Um, Jeremy, would that surprise you if the markup was $500? Do you think that is crazy?
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No, I was trying to make a point on the R&D. Richard had said, "don't forget the R&D" and I was trying to figure out how much that actually cost. I was being sarcastic when I said $1250 per unit? Obviously, there are some costs involved in R&D, but you can just explain away the price of the product on R&D when we know the parts didn't cost all that much. I'm not falting the company for making money, that's what they do. But, come on guys, it is in OUR interest to hang together and at least try to get the prices lower. Do you think that is crazy?

Anyways, I didn't want to start a big debate again. Hey, I purchased one, so maybe it doesn't make any sense to complain - lol. The prices certainly aren't going to get any lower with people defending the prices in this industry!
 
There's ET's staff to be paid. There's the taxes paid to the local, state and federal gov'ts. There's the cost of advertising/trade shows. There's Social Security benefits for all the employees. There's the rent/mortgage on the building. And the cost of all of the tool & dye equipment. How about the electric bill?

Oh yeah, couple hundred bucks in parts.
 
well, all i can say on this topic is that if we're all debating about the price of this product and not about any other price (or at least it seems to me) there has to be at least something wrong about this particular price. it can be a real price issue (in the case it's really overpriced) or just a marketing issue (too difficult for the potential buyer to perceive such value prior to purchase).
IMHO, probably it's just that 2000$ is not a good idea for a handheld rig.
If there's so much debate is because many people here would really like to buy this product but NOT at this price. If people did not care about this product they would just let go and say nothing.
this is probably bad for business, because you've got many potential customers who really like your products standing still just because of prices.
As of me, i could afford the rig, but spending so much would make me feel bad. would rather donate the same amount to children suffering in the Gaza strip and continue using my RED handheld rig and suffer some pain ... dunno if this strange sentence makes sense.
 
People on this forum get into all kinds of debates about the cost of gear and it often is along these lines.
"Why do Master Primes cost so much?"
"What can't we buy direct from Cooke and save 50% on the price of S4s?"
"The EVF is very expensive"
"Why is the Optimo so heavy and expensive?"
"Why does everyone say my Manfotto is not a professional tripod?"
"Jim is really ripping us off with those 16 gig cards. I saw a 300x the other day for $50!"
I'll admit that the cost of pro gear is likely shocking to an outsider or someone from the HVX crowd. But as many here keep pointing out, it's a business of low volumes and high standards. ET has the same costs that everyone else has, just as I (and Mitch and others) have pointed out before.
Will they sell 100 units? 500? 1,000? There are different consequences of each number. And the bank wants its money every month regardless of whether you've sold ANY at all.
Not to be too flip, but Shawn's right. Some here should have just stuck with the HVX.
Cheers,
Harry
 
Harry Clark said:
I'll admit that the cost of pro gear is likely shocking to an outsider or someone from the HVX crowd. But as many here keep pointing out, it's a business of low volumes and high standards. ET has the same costs that everyone else has, just as I (and Mitch and others) have pointed out before.
Click to expand...

this is exactly the point. RED has widened the niche, so that so called "outsiders" are coming in (the others! the others! :biggrin: ). that's a reality to accept. this should create a new, widened market of high quality products at slightly higher volumes and more affordable prices (that's the RED is all about ?).
So what i'm saying is that as ET makes accessories for RED it could be wiser for them not to sell just to all the "insiders" using RED, as they could sell easily to the whole, larger RED community, as they are making the best RED accessories as of now. Many people now have RED as both professional and personal use at the same time, and are ready to spend good money on RED top-quality accessories.
Also, when you say "ET has the same costs that everyone else has" i think you're referring to people who would never have sold you a product like the R1 at the price RED had ...
 
What bother me, is not the price on itself, it's the price compared to an easyrig.

For european people the mantis will cost about 2000€, and we can get an easyrig for what 2500€ 3000€ ? I mean, my choice is made. Allstar and easyrig.

It's ok to pay more when there are no competitors. I don't wan't to pay more only because it worths it :) even if it worths it... :)
 
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