Red Cooke Lens

[Michael Lindsay]

If they would drop the middleman, they could cut prices by 50%

Wow... Mitch you guys are making out like bandits:biggrin:

Michael L

PS I've bought direct from manufacture and via dealers... both make sense in different situations. I would however never buy (anything expensive) from a low paid email only person. And I would like to meet the person who can answer 'correctly' hundreds of technical emails a day.. !!

 

[Marc Berger]

Rosetta,

the biggest distributor seems to be Cooke itself anyway: ....Les Zellan, Chairman, Cooke Optics, said, “Robert and I have stayed in touch since I bought Cooke ten years ago........ (You find a lot about Cooke history on their website). As far I know Les Zellan is also the president of ZGC.
You will find everywhere the same prices, always based on the GBP price-list.
(I don´t think a cinema lens is a product for "click and buy" business).

Cheers,
Marc

 

[Mitch Gross]

There are many reasons for the continued existence of the distributor model, not the least of which is customer convenience. Just take a look at the B&H catalog or our website. We represent the products from hundreds of manufacturers, so that there is a clearing house single location for comparisons of specifications, technical and stylistic approaches and of course prices and services. This is a large part of the reason our clients come to us. Another is our own reputation. In a word, we don't rep crap. Our clients trust us to give them fair and honest representations of the products we sell. There are times that I and others will steer a client towards a less expensive item if it is more appropriate to their needs, or sometimes even to a device that we do not represent simply because it is best for them. The belief is that they will appreciate this and return to us for future purchases because they trust us. It's never about the sale; it is aqbout the relationship.

Here's an example. Element Technica today released the Mantis, their long-awaited handheld rig for the RED and other cameras. Abel Cine Tech is a distributor of ET products, but people can also choose to purchase direct from ET if they wish. We will sell plenty of them, but we also sell competing product from other manufacturers. The ET Mantis is the right solution for some clients and others may be preferable for other clients. We're here to help them through the process. ET does not want to force their solution on someone who may not need it. They believe in their product and so do we, but for some people it may just not be the right fit.

When one can only buy direct from a manufacturer, all they can do is push their one solution. To a guy with a hammer everything looks like a nail.

Consultation and a variety of products is what sets apart a company such as Abel from a place that will simply process an order. If all we're hear to do is accept a client's list and spit it back with a bunch of prices, then that's just secretarial work. In fact that's why we refer to them as clients rather than customers -- it's a relationship and there should be a genuine communication between us.

Ecommerce certainly has its place, especially in a commodity industry. If I'm looking for a copy of a book then I have no problem going to an ecommerce site such as Amazon because that book is identical no matter how I get it and I'll figure out which book I want without the aid of Amazon. Same goes for a show at Zappos or a dozen other examples. But ours is not a commodity industry -- it is a boutique business.

And believe me that we don't make anything close to 50% on most of this sort of product. Vastly lower than that on most things. It's not like you'll find ET's stuff cheaper from them compared to getting it from us.

BTW, if you want to buy a Cooke lens you can do so from us. We make next to nothing on it but we have an arrangement with ZGC so that we can offer the product to clients who wish to do their business through us. We'd make a lot more if they bought an Arri lens, but if it is a Cooke they want then we're not going to pressure them to buy something else. Just try to represent what's out there and help them in their decision process.

 

[Harry Clark]

Well said, Mitch.
Keep in mind that if you're going to drop $250,000 on a set of lenses it would be handy to have a distributer/ service center where you will get white-glove treatment, by phone or in person, immediately, and not send an anonymous email and wait for a box and an RMA. When a cam follower breaks on your very own 50mm (not likely) you'll want someone to get on the phone and personally receive and turn around that FedEx. Loaner equipment is often available.
We're not talking CDs here.
I've done tons of business with ZGC and Abel, and appreciate the value added. When my gear was stolen in June, both stepped up to the plate and had me up and running in a matter of days, BEFORE the adjuster had even looked at the claim.
Keep in mind too that often a distributer can get you a better price than if you bought directly from the manufacturer. Abel certainly can get you accessories cheaper than if you called up the manufacturer and ordered them directly. Do some investigating and you'll see. Sometimes it's on the order of 20% off on certain items. I'm not certain how much of this is fat on the manufacturer's side, or what. None of my business.
So even if Cooke "cut out the middleman" (keep in mind the "middleman" is ZGC, which, as Marc points out, is part of Cooke anyway), you'd likely only save 20%-30% and be right back where you started.
Also, the rental price of gear is a somewhat fixed value based on the purchase price. So if you could get a set of Cookes for $125,000, the rental price would drop by half as well. So the payback is the same. The only time ROI is faster is if you buy the gear used. Trouble is, either it's highly coveted and valued (used lenses) or nearly worthless electronica (my old SDX-900)
Wishing for part of a support network in a small industry to vanish is somewhat short-sighted, in my opinion.
Cheers,
Harry

 

[David Rasberry]

To provide a given level of customer support for a product in a global market will require the similar numbers of people and backup inventory wherever they happen to be located. Distribution puts that support closer to the client. In a cost intensive industry like this where down time is big bucks, having that support close by is golden.

 

[Mitch Gross]

I realized that my previous post may have sounded anti-Ecommerce. I'm not against Ecommerce and a large part of our business is conducted this way. But I don't believe that it is the only way or the best way for all transactions.