James10013
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 p.5 #10 · Review of the Profoto Batpac | |
Two23 wrote:
It may well be time for Profoto to drop their current selling strategy. They pay to make the stuff. They pay incredible European taxes on everything. They pay a distributor in U.S. I assume they then pay B&H etc. Everybody adds their $$, and the bill is large. Meanwhile, there soon will be lithium batteries made here in U.S. that will likely be as good for a fraction of the cost, at least in part because of the direct selling strategy. Also coming on strong are the direct selling Chinese makers. Every six months their stuff gets better. The Cactus triggers from two years ago were so bad you would order 6 if you wanted 3 that worked. Now there are the RF-602 which are very good. Some say excellent. Soon to come are the Phottix Atlas which reportedly beat PW in range. I just might be buying 10-12 of those if they pan out. My point is this stuff is just getting better and better and better. What will they be doing in two years? There are one billion Chinese. Odds are at least one of them will figure out a true break through product, make it, and sell it for an outstanding value.
Meanwhile, the value of the dollar is in the tank. Imports are expensive and I just don't see that improving at all given our government's contiuned reckless spending. Profoto needs to learn from Toyota, Honda, even Volkswagon and start making things right here and selling direct. They gain on currency exchange. They dramatically cut their overhead. They employ Americans, helping our economy which helps the overall business climate for photographers using the lights. I think the days of multi-level distribution are about over, myself. (My day job is sales/marketing.)
Buff may not win any Mr. Personality contests, but the guy has figured it out. He apparently can get lithium battery packs into my hot little hands for under $250. That is a price I will pay. In fact, I will need about eight of them for what I do. I have about 9,000ws of monolights, 8 or 9 of them. (I think. Hard to keep track now,  !) If I had to buy Profoto etc., I could not afford anything close to this. I'd have to go with current Chinese product, which I don't think is quite there yet (two years from now could be entirely different matter.) Because of Buff and his approach to direct selling, I have good quality lights that have stood up to the very worst winter weather the Dakotas could throw at it, at prices I can afford. For this reason, Buff is my hero! Two years from now, who knows. Maybe somebody named "Buff Lo Ming" will be my hero. I just don't see the value in paying all that money for Profoto when their lights won't do anything for me I'm not now getting with lighting system costing a fraction. I think Profoto will some day have to start selling direct to compete with the ever improving competition. I hope they do. I like having choices.
Kent in SD...Show more →
Why should Profoto or any company change its strategy because you or I say they should. At the price point they have chosen to operate, they are well aware that they are not going to be everyones choice or be affordable to every budget--and that is fine. Profoto and to a lesser extent Broncolor are rental house staples and a substantial amount of their sales, particularly at the high end is in this segment of the market.
If you don't see the value in a product whether its Profoto lighting or a Nikon product or Calvin Klein versus Fruit of the Loom underwear, no one is holding your feet to the fire and forcing you to buy it. Everyone and every company does not want to sell direct. Selling internationally can be a royal pain, and is not something which is particularly easy to do. If you are happy with what you are using, that's wonderful, but your choice may not be the best solution for other people. There are also plenty of other options out there for peeps who don't want to buy Profoto. Hensel, Dynalite, Elinchrom, Norman. Lumedyne, Bowens, Westcott, Lowel, Photogenic, and Speedotron are some of the many brands that are available and have been available for sometime. Just as you have strong feelings about the brand you have selected, others may have similar feeligs about their gear.
Most professional photographers that I know can't wait for things to keep getting better. The product due out six months from now is vapor ware until it shows up and it is not going to help my photography today. The thought of buying six radio triggers in the hope that three works is just ludicrous. Additionally, I'm a consumer of goods, not a beta tester .
As for your comment about lithium batteries. I will reiterate my earleir comment. All batteries/battery solutions are not equal. Inverters that deliver fast- and by fast I mean recycle times approaching those comparable to ac- are costly. People throw the term Lithium battery around like it is the be all end all... JTLCorp has offered a lithium battery as part of its location lighting kit for sometime and they offer an impressive number of pops per charge but---the recycle time is from 1-6 seconds...For some people, that recycle range may be acceptable, but for others (myself among them) it is not, and my clients would look at me sideways if they realized I was standing around waiting for 6 seconds after each shot for a ready light or beep.
Edited on Sep 21, 2010 at 10:52 PM · View previous versions
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A couple of years ago I lit up a train going across a long trestle using just two X3200 at full power. City police came by a few minutes later, said they were five blocks away and suddenly the whole north sky lit up! 
