Cheap Equipment- to buy or not to buy?!
Jan 18, 2016 18:45:11 #
WARNING! This is a long post- very long and for those who don't like long posts, thanks for tuning in and have a nice day!
For those who are contemplating some important or significant equipment purchases for personal or professional use and don't consider yourself an experienced or savvy buyer or are confused by some of the vast number of equipment offerings at widely differing price points, by so many dealers, online mail order houses, and other sources this will be a good read for y'all I am not attempting to review or compare specific brand names or kinds of aftermarket gear but rather provide an overview of the photo equipment marketplace and how to navigate through it. So here goes!
Cheap Equipment???
An article by Ed Shapiro
Some of the most frequent questions I get from many of my students, trainees, and my cohorts who are seeking my advice and so many of the questions I see and often chime in on, here on the forum, have to do with what one might categorize as cheap equipment AKA; knockoffs, aftermarket brands, stuff from Amazon or other mail order sources, store brands, no-name products, and of course all that gear Made in China rather than Japan, Germany, Sweden, and the good old old U.S of A! Note: presently, there are no cameras, that I am aware of, made in the Unites States or Canada- there used to be hundreds. Perhaps some very specialized military surveillance and reconnaissance gear that I used in the army- it was made by Fairchild. Nowadays, I assume that work is all done by satellite technology.
Well, we can skip all of this forthcoming detailed analysis, research, rumors, myths, truths and scuttlebutt and just go directly to the old proverbs and sayings: Ye gets what ya pays fer and There is always someone who is willing to do or make things that are of inferior quality for less money or something like that! The problem is, however, that not every photographer, amateur, advanced enthusiast, or even start up professionals can afford big name brand and top-of-the-line equipment and some of the less expensive cameras, lenses and accessories seems and look pretty impressive, at least on the surface. Some of this stuff is downright tempting at the prices they are selling for.
It's oftentimes difficult for the uninitiated photographer to research and determine which products to buy, especially in the lower price ranges. The gear looks decent enough in the advertisements, the exterior industrial design can belie the real quality, can look somewhat impressive on first sight or fast examination. Even the information bandied about on photo-forums can be a bit dodgy because some photographers may be perfectly happy with basically poor gear because they don't use it under rigorous circumstances, it does the job under light duty and it's kind OK for the price. Others may categorize some cheaper gear as crap and that is vulgar but can be true enough if that opinion comes from actual bad experiences with the purported to be bad gear in question. Sometimes folks will offer that kind of negative opinion out of pure snobbery or hearsay and that's too bad and misleading. Even reviews in the photo-press and online publication sources can be not as critical as the could or should be. Some of theses critiques are more honest that others but I suppose that politics can dictate that an advertiser who is buying full-page ads in a magazine might tale a dim view of harsh critiques of its products.
As a professional photographer, I tend to dig in and really do my homework and research before investing in equipment in that some of it can be outrageously expensive and I depend on reliable equipment in my daily work. We get to know, sometimes from had experience, that oftentimes buying cheap will only result in buying again in an untimely short period. It is, however, easier for professionals to separate the good stuff from the junk because, when you are in the industry, full-time, you find out, soon enough, what the actual workhorse equipment is all about- the good stuff tends to garner good reputations quickly because its performance stands a cut above thewell it's kind good enough stuff and head and shoulder above the junk. Ostensibly, we pros are supposed to be in the know but we too can be fooled because even top manufacturers can come up with a blooper or a lemon with all kinds of issues, defects, and intrinsic engineering flaws. In theses cases, however, fortunately enough, bad news travels sooner and faster that good news. We do talk to our colleagues, competitors, and our repair people and we get the lowdown early in the game.
So...first let's get the made in China thing out of the way. First of all, let's get real when we shop for and buy ordinary (non-photographic) consumer goods; small appliances, housewares, many brands of clothing, audio gear, electronics, cellphones and all kinds of general merchandise, the question is; what isn't made in China? Even the name brands that we all grew up with are oftentimes outsourced to China and other countries where the labor is cheap. Well- some of it is good, some of it is excellent and some of it is bad or it ain't what it used to be! I am no expert on outsourced manufacturing but it seems to me that the quality or lack thereof in many products is dependent on the relationship of the marketing, designing or engineering companies in North America, Europe or Japan, as to quality control and the extent of their participation in the actual manufacturing process. Are the name brand companies designing and marketing the products and having them entirely built in China? Are the home companies making the important parts or components and just outsourcing the assembly aspect of the process? Or are the products really knockoffs or kinda shoddy replications of name brand products where there are copyright and patent violations in the mix and inferior components and workmanship are involved? All of theses questions may factor into deciding whether or not these imported products are good purchases. Who knows? If the products are guaranteed by their distributors or retailers and there is accessible and reliable service, you are protected to some extent, however, who wants a piece of gear to malfunction in the middle or a professional assignment or a costly vacation even it's gonna be replaced or repaired by the distributor or retailer?
My observation is that some of the Chinese manufacturers have smartened up and stepped up and improved their products over time and some of it is darn good to excellent, however, some of it is still inferior but getting a bit better due to market and consumer pressures.
It is good and prudent to differentiate between equipment offered by domestic or well known and time honored foreign corporations who choose to outsource their manufacturing to offshore factories from those offshore factories or companies who unalterably and single-handily opt to produce knockoff, pass-off, poorly replicated or imitated equipment and thereby are in violation of international copyright, trademark and/or patent laws. Photographers who are themselves dependent copyright laws for the protection of their artwork and intellectual property should be sensitive to theses issues.
It's also good to take in a bit of photographic manufacturing history. After World War II, Japan was considered the knockoff capitol of the world and their photography industry was no exception as was perceived by most consumers. There were distasteful, derogatory and nasty words applied to Japanese products such as jerry copies and jap copies that were probably instigated by post-war resentment toward the Japanese people and culture combined with the fact that there was some low quality but ingeniously improvised products coming out of and labeled Occupied Japan! I remember as a kid, have a very nice looking toy fire engine, made in Occupied Japan, however, the underneath of the toy had razor-sharp edges and it turned out that the thing was made of recycled Maxwell House brand coffee cans- I liked to take things apart and immediately recognized part of the logo! There were rumors about their cameras were made of old tins and scrap metals- who knows? Thin is- there were some good cameras that were made in Japan in the pre-war period that were decent enough and some of the brands were around for decades. The bad rap went on into the early 1950s but we all know what became history!
Germany, however, always made high-quality cameras and lenses and even during the war, when their equipment was contraband, Licas, and Voigtlanders were still sought after for their sharp lenses and solid construction.
Before we get off this China conversation, there are a plethora of political, environmental, and human rights issues that humanitarian oriented people are concerned about and many of them even encourage boycotting of Chinese products. Many folks are against outsourcing manufacturing to the extent where our domestic manufacturing industry is disappearing and seriously affecting jobs and employment here at home. Theses are very complex and vexing problems but in today's business, consumer, labor and market environments the outsourced products seem to be omnipresent and difficult to avoid. I don't want to get into politics here but I am aware and sensitive to theses issues- they are real and ever-present.
I would now like to get into specific categories and types of equipment. One of my favorite topics to comment on is electronic flash gear and related accessories for two reasons. Firstly and especially in this article, having to with cheap vs. more costly gear, because there is a plethora of electronic flash gear, in all price categories, on the market and theses units are widely advertised in the photo-press and on the Internet. The other reason is that at one time, I had a business that specialized in the modification, repair and custom building of electronic flash gear. I got to look into the working of dozens of popular and not all that popular flash units and see what makes them tick. I was mostly involved in designing and modification of flash heads and reflector technology having to do with lighting aesthetics. I worked with an engineer, circuit designer and master technician who looked after the advanced electronic aspect of the business. I learned of useful information through that experience.
In the early days of aftermarket flash gear, there were not many, if any, badly made Speedlight type of equipment that I was aware of. Most of the bad stuff came in the form of studio type mono lights which seemed to flood the market with dodgy gear.
When the cheap units first appeared in the marketplace some of the equipment was simply abominable from a standpoint of safety and performance. I could not figure out how this stuff got into North America what with UL and CSA standards in place. Some of the units would blow up, set fire to cloth light modifiers or just quietly die. Sometimes there was simply inferior components and workmanship, other times there were decent components and half way decent construction but poor quality control which caused a great deal of inconsistency from one unit to another. Oftentimes we found that there were hardly any units of the same make and model with exactly the same components and circuitry- perhaps their manufacturers were continuously taking bids to get the cheapest prices of their components. Some of theses faults were just a pain in the backside or an inconvenience, however, some of theses defects could unleash lethal voltages with the potential of causing serious injury or death.
For the electronically inclined the faults that we found were insulation breakdowns, poorly regulated or unmonitored power supplies that overvolted the capacitors to the point of burn out or explosion, poorly made capacitors, inadequate heat sinking and ventilation especially where in models where modeling lamps were featured, and low-quality switches, connectors, jacks and potentiometers, bad or non-existent grounding and non-isolated circuitry which would allow high voltage to come through the camera if the polarity of the synch cord was accidentally reversed. Some of the units were supplied with non-polarized synch sockets and cords.
Nowadays, thank goodness, your less expensive flash gear is not likely to blow up, set fire to your modifiers or your clothing, or do anything all that dramatic but there are still some limitations to watch out for and be aware of before making a purchase.
Some of the low-priced gear may provide valued for your dollars if the are not going to be subjected to heavy duty constant professional type use such as long shoots, rough location scenarios in hazardous conditions and daily packing, transport, and unpacking.
One of the main issues is insufficient DUTY CYCLE, which can cause units to shut down due to overheating on long shoots. Theses units won't burn out or explode because they, as per regulations, are equipped with thermal switches that simply shut the units down when it begins to overheat. The unit can be reset when it cools down. This, of course, can be extremely inconvenient and disruptive in the midst of a shoot. This issue goes back to the inadequate convention of the heat, generated my modeling lamps away for the unit and poor ventilation due to the exclusion of fans in the basic design. Of course, this sets in sooner or is exacerbated when the unit is enclosed in a softbox or when a modifier is attached to the front of the unit. It's important to investigate theses possibilities because most photographers, nowadays, do indeed work with a great variety of light modification accessories, diffusers, snoots and grids which may impair ventilation. Overheating can also cause handling problems if the body or handles of the units become too hot to handle.
Many less expensive units, nowadays, may work fairly well without any particular safety hazards or usage limitations but because they don't include some of the more sophisticated circuitry that is intrinsic in their more costly counterparts may have a few drawbacks such as inconsistent output or color balance, lower power, lack of finite power control, limited range of power levels. Some of theses issues can cause major problems whole others are mere inconveniences that can be solved by savvy technique and improvisation.
Another thing to be aware of is what I call advertising shenanigans- you gotta watch the wording! There are lots of studio lighting kits which are categorized by power output, expressed in watt-seconds. This can be misleading because the watt-second rating is not necessarily the best indication of the kit's lighting efficiency, aesthetic functionality or power potential. A 300 w/s 3-light, for example, does not mean that all three of the lights are 300 w/s units. It could be that one of the units are 200 w/s and the others are 50 w/s each or some other configuration that can limit the versatility of the system. In systems that incorporate a central power pack and cable connected lamp heads, a 400 w/s unit can be assumed to divide, for example, the 400 w/s evenly to 4 lamp heads providing 100 w/s to each of them or by means of a ratio controlling switching network provide a number of different configurations. This, of course, does no apply to individual self-contained mono lights so you need to make sure that the kit you purchase accommodates your needs. Also, watt-seconds is merely and electrical value based on voltage and capacitance and does not necessarily indicate light efficiency, spread, coverage of a scene or the aesthetic potential of the light source. ECPS (effective candle power seconds) as a better indicator of what any flash unit will do when it is used with the stock original reflector it is equipped with out of the box! As soon as a reflector is changed, such as a beauty light type or any light modifier like a softbox or an umbrella- all bets are off, so to speak! The volume and the aesthetics of the primary light sources are totally changed. It is, therefore, important to make sure your choice of lighting equipment has enough power to accommodate your choice of light modifiers whereby you can work at practical apertures of your choice. Some of the lower priced units are also lower in basic power output. Most modifiers can absorb at least 2 full f/stops!
This leads to another issue. Because of the aforementioned heat issues, many of the less expensive units have fairly low power modeling lamps- some of the big units boast quartz modeling lamps in the 150 to 200-watt range. Some of my older units, made in the UK, utilize 100 watt light bulbs as modeling lamps The point is that theses more robust modeling lamps are bright enough to enable easy and accurate lighting placement, bright viewfinder views that allow for easier control over composition and vitrifaction of focus and selective focus and previewing depth of field at working apertures. Lower power modeling lamps might squeeze by when raw direct lighting is used but can fall short in sufficient illumination when any bounce, indirect or modified lighting techniques, and equipment are employed. Even with the advances in LED technology, I have seen units with comparatively dim modeling lamps.
As far as radio triggers are concerned I still believe that mu good old Pocket Wizards are the gold standard but admittedly the latest imports are rather impressive, especially when compared to the original bunch that came to the market some years ago. A friend of mine is an electronics/radio/communications engineer. He used to buy loads of the cheap imports, half of which were duds, routinely repair them, and use and resell them! Many of the newer inexpensive brands versions will work well, especially in studio conditions right out of the box, and their distributors guarantee them as to replacement if they are duds. I, to date have not as yet found a cheaper line of radios that beat out the range of my Pocket Wizards in difficult or problematic transmission conditions or on vast industrial sites- I have successfully used them at distances of 4 long city blocks and in building with steel walls, high catwalks and many potentials for radio frequency interference.- the never fail!
I know that many photographers make their equipment purchases online with large dealerships such as B&H in New York City. I will do that if I am perfectly acquainted or familiar with the gear I am buying. With some of the lower priced flash gear, I suggest that prospective buyers have the opportunity to examine the equipment in person if the units are available from a local supplier. There are certain things that can be checked out, as to the quality of workmanship, performance, and construction. Sometimes, in advertising photographs and even in first hand in person demonstration of the equipment some of the least expensive gear can benefit from very sleek and impressive industrial design (cosmetics) which belie the poor quality that is harbored within- so here is a checklist for the uninitiated or non-technician: Look closely at the general construction of feel of the equipment and see that it is well finished without rough edges or poor alignment of parts and seams. Operate the switches and observe whether or not they click firmly and positively into position. See that knobs and sliders operate smoothly without too much resistance or too loosely. Look at the sockets or jacks for the synch cords or radio triggers and see if the seem large enough and sturdy. If mini-jacks and plugs are used, they are oftentimes sources of broken or intermittent connections and erratic synchronization. 1/4 phone plugs and jacks or polarized household type connections are best. Check to see of rivets have been used instead screws- riveting can make servicing and replacement of parts difficult or nearly impossible. Take a good look at the control panel and observe the general workmanship of the knobs, levers or switches, make sure there us a fuse holder that can be accessed without taking the unit apart and that it uses standard readily available fuses. The may be two fuse holders, one for the flash circuit and one for the modeling lamp. Make sure the amperage and type of fuses are clearly printed next to the holders. Some require regular fuses and some require the slow-blow type. If a fuse blows always replace it with exactly the specified type. If the replacement fuses continue to blow, never attempt to use one of a higher amperage rating or bypass the fuse in any way, Fuses are designed to protect your unit from serious damage if an overload or short circuit occurs. If the fuses are bypassed when they blow, the unit will surely burn out, possibly beyond repair, and/or become hazardous.
Then turn the unit on and check to see if all the indicator lights are in working order. Fire the unit at several times at various power setting and observe the recycling time and see if it is consistent at each of theses settings. If you have a flash meter with you check out the output at various settings, firing off several shots at each setting and see if the output is constant. Make sure there are no crackling or popping sounds during or between flashes, those noises would indicate arcing, bad connections within the unit, an improperly seated flash tube or a soon to be a defective capacitor. Make sure brackets and mounting hardware are functioning smoothing and locking positively.
OK- Let's talk cameras and lenses. Aftermarket lenses for name brand cameras have been around for decades to the point where the aftermarket lenses have become recognized and desirable brands in and of themselves. It's hard to zero in on any one brand, make or model because there are literally thousands of choices, types, and configurations. I can recall as far back as the 1950s, there we companies like Solagor that were making aftermarket lenses for Lica, Canon, and many other fine cameras. Vivitar, Tokina, and Tameron make some pretty impressive glass for a wide variety of camera bodies- many of them are surprisingly good and stand up significantly well against many of the original brand name lenses. I don't consider any of the better aforementioned brands as knockoffs rather, I look upon them as providing somewhat lower priced alternatives to more costly original brands. Most of theses are made in Japan by reputable manufacturers and sold by trustworthy dealers. Of course, there are ongoing and oftentimes heated arguments on photo forums about comparing the various makes and models of original and better know aftermarket brands. Obviously, some of the original brands feature better performance, optically and mechanically, than some of the aftermarket offerings and some of the aftermarket ones do surprisingly well or even exceed the performance of the originals. One would have to take this on a case to case basis. Choices should be based on budget, frequency of use, individual quality demands, and research. Actual testing under working conditions, to me, is the gold standard. Spending more money for an original brand lens does not always guarantee better performance. Of course, the photographer/purchaser is the final arbiter of whether the difference in performance is significant enough to warrant the additional expense.
In the olden days of mainly mechanical film cameras, the interface between cameras and lenses were fairly simple. Whether the lenses were original brand or aftermarket versions, as long as the lens mounts were compatible- things tended to work well. Nowadays, in the electronic/digital age of photography, even a cursory examination of the back end of a lens and the camera's lens mount will reveal numerous electronic contacts as will as some vital mechanical linkages. Back in the day, the main mechanical functions in an interchangeable SLR lens was the diaphragm and the manual focusing mechanism and perhaps a linkage to the match-needle exposure metering function. Noways we are talking about many programmed and automatic exposure functions, the diaphragm it self, more sophisticated multifunctional exposure control modes, and auto-focus functions. There is quite a volume of data that is exchanged between the camera body and the lens- there needs to be perfect contact both mechanically and electronically. This is where deficits in fine workmanship in a poor quality lens can foul up and cause malfunction.
There's what I call the off-brands or store-brands and some of them are really of inferior quality. I don;t know where the are produced or how the are produced but the are actually junk- the odd one ain't all that bad but bad enough! I don't find that many of them are flooding the marketplace or widely advertised.
Camera bodies and basic kits: I don't feel that there is any real outright junk out there on the market, among the ranges that are provided by all of the well-known and reputable makers. Most of the popular and time-honored manufacturers offer a wide selection of models at various price points. Some are very sophisticated high-end models some are intermediate types, and some are basic and simple point and shoot cameras. I feel they all can do a good enough job at the levels and for the users that they are intended for. Again there are some off brands but I don't see much of that. It is up to the consumers to select the models that are in keeping with their needs, wants, requirements, and budgets.
It is good to know how manufacturers can cut corners to produce and sell their cameras and lenses at comparatively low prices. In many cases, it is obvious and easy to comprehend when the workmanship, manufacturing processes, materials and fine finishing are just not up to the standards of the better gear. In may cases it can be a number of small deficiencies like lenses made with inferior internal (paint jobs) that is, the black coatings on the inside of lens barrels and other mechanical parts in the innards of this gear. There might be shortcomings in the zoom mechanisms or the diaphragm blades, all not enough to categorize the lens a pure junk or have it fall apart in short order but just enough to yield slight or more noticeable effects in all over quality results or more or less consistent performance at different zoom settings. Some lenses offer too much range of focal lengths for their own good, so to speak. The seem very convenient to the uninitiated potential buyer but the oftentimes fall short of good performance over the vast ranges.
I do find that some of the ongoing arguments concerning camera and lens brands, such as the hackneyed Nikon vs. Canon debate, border on ridiculous. Of course, both are good well-respected brands, however, there are many others to select from. All, I could do is present an analogy: What if there were only two makes of automobiles; Cadillac and Mercerize-Benz and nothing in the more moderate prices ranges? That would not be advantageous to the consumers that may have limited budgets, more conservative tastes, or just want a modest car to get them form point-A to point -B. OK- so I wouldn't recommend a Lada or a Ugo same as I would not recommend an unknown dodgy cheap and little-known camera.
Again, nowadays, in the digital age of photography, I don't know of any real and omnipresent knock off cameras. Again, referring back to the film era, there was a raft of Russian-made cameras that quite obviously knockoffs of Hasselblad medium format cameras and other some 35mm SLRs as well. The were mostly heavy clunkers that were built like weaponry but far from the consistency of quality or precision. One could cut their fingertips on some of the controls while operating the equipment and there were many internal engineering flaws. There was a repair company in New York City that was importing them by the caseloads and bringing then up to spec and reselling them at a reasonable price but the were sill not anywhere as good as the cameras they attempted to imitate.
Note: I am not that much of a gear-head or investigator, nor do I engage in industrial espionage even as a hobby, to know if any of the top manufacturers farm out or outsource any of their manufacturing operation to countries with sources of cheap labor. In the old days, I knew that the famed maker of the prestigious line of Rolleiflex cameras maintained a plant in Singapore and Lica had a plant here in Midland, Ontario Canada (no cheap labor here). There were no secrets and the equipment produced in both countries were plainly marked on the cameras and lens rims.
Then there were the cameras and lenses made in East Germany, prior to the reunification. They were fairly well made but the manufacturers had not really progressed in innovation or general technology since the end of WWII and the quality control was not the greatest. I would suppose that in a Communist nation where there isn't much if any competition, people living that country have to make do with what is available but some of that gear gets exported and is sold at cheaper prices. Unless I am not well informed as to current offerings, I don't believe this kind of equipment is available in the DSLR or even point and shoot categories in today's market place. If someone knows of anything like that being touted by any source, I would be interested to know.
Accessories: Walk into any well-stocked camera shop or peruse their printed or online catalogs and you will see TONS of what I call pegboard photo accessories because traditionally, they hung from pegboard racks and hooks and were wrapped in plastic bags or bubble packaging. Perhaps the more expensive ones were kept in showcases or behind the counter. The variety is endless; light modifiers, filters, cable and electronic shutter releases, synch cords, all manners of adapters, flash brackets, computer cords and peripherals, rudimentary grips, small camera and accessory cases, tilting accessories for light stands and small tripods, lens cleaning kits and much more! It like a smorgasbord or buffet- all very tempting but in a buffet table, hopefully, and usually, all the food is fit to eat. On the peg board, some of the gear is fine, decent and quite useful and some of it is junk! This a classic case of buyer beware. It's hard to review all of this merchandise but I can suggest some practical guide lines. If the item looks under-engineered of flimsy it probably is flimsy and will not stand up well in even occasional use. There is nothing wrong with today's state-of-the-industry plastics but oftentimes plastics are no real substitute for metals and even some soft metals are not appropriate for things like support equipment such as flash brackets and grips, light stands, tripods and tripod heads or tilt heads for light stands. Poor quality support equipment can endanger your expensive equipment and even cause accidents, damage and injuries if or when they break or tip over while they are in use. Parts like set screws, thumb screws, and locking devices can be the weakest link in many accessories; thread can cross, jam or strip out or oversized knobs and handles can exert excessive torque and overly tighten things thereby causing damage. Undersized knobs, handles, and levers can be inconvenient to operate and cause loose or wobbly fitting of equipment.
Tripods and light stands and their accessories can be BIG OFFENDERS in the areas of shoddy constructions. Some of this stuff are simply useless toys that do not offer the firm support and safety the are supposed to be intended for. Many are too short, too light weight and made of plainly noticeable inferior or inappropriate and unsuitable materials. Some are heavy enough but to not make the grade in their geometry or trigonometry, as it were. This has to do with limitations in leg-spread, height, proportions and balance issues.
The use cheap filter and lens attachments are simply a big no-no! The will simply degrade the performance of your costly fine lenses and are entirely counterproductive. The designers and manufacturers of your fine lenses have endeavored to negate or minimize many faults and aberrations that are intrinsic in many basic lens formulas. These are gremlins like flare, edge falloff, vignetting, distortions caused by poor lens grinding, bad mechanical design in the rims and threads, lack of proper coatings and a vast number of other optical aberrations that can lurk under the cover of good cosmetic but misleading appearance and fancy packaging. Applying a poorly manufactured filter or an imprecise adapter ring or lens shade can reintroduce many of theses defects to a perfectly fine lens.
My local dealer once confided in me and said that any gadget that one can place in front of a lens, in front of a flash unit or hang on a camera or hang a camera from or on, in possibly a misguided search for better results, and is cheap enough, it will SELL WELL!
There I had it, right from the horse's mouth! It seems like lots of cheap stuff just flies off the shelves but unfortunately enough soon flies, just as quickly into the junk drawer or the garbage can!
Hey- I too must admit to a very novel and laughable junk drawer, fortunately enough, it does not represent any kind of significant investment. When my neat-nick lovely wife asks me why I maintain such a silly inventory, I just say I am a good environmental citizen and trying to keep all this junk out of the landfill! I am almost sure some of that junk is made of bad materials that are mostly unknown to mankind and can not be safely melted down and recycled- just a hunch! Imagine a radioactive lens shade or light modifier made in some country that has faulty nuclear reactors supplying their power grids! I wonder where that can be!
I am sometimes one who is reluctant to unceremoniously throw things out with the excuse that perhaps someday the will become useful. Our dearly departed 24-year-old cat used to play with my first worn out computer mouse by and flinging it around the house. I use one old but useless light modifier for a speed-light (which was equally as useless) for a scoop to add soil to my houseplants. Oh- I did resurrect the speed-light by pulling the capacitor and replacing it with a much smaller one and made an 8 watt-second wink-light for fill in in very low light conditions. I told my wife about it- she was impressed?
Ed
For those who are contemplating some important or significant equipment purchases for personal or professional use and don't consider yourself an experienced or savvy buyer or are confused by some of the vast number of equipment offerings at widely differing price points, by so many dealers, online mail order houses, and other sources this will be a good read for y'all I am not attempting to review or compare specific brand names or kinds of aftermarket gear but rather provide an overview of the photo equipment marketplace and how to navigate through it. So here goes!
Cheap Equipment???
An article by Ed Shapiro
Some of the most frequent questions I get from many of my students, trainees, and my cohorts who are seeking my advice and so many of the questions I see and often chime in on, here on the forum, have to do with what one might categorize as cheap equipment AKA; knockoffs, aftermarket brands, stuff from Amazon or other mail order sources, store brands, no-name products, and of course all that gear Made in China rather than Japan, Germany, Sweden, and the good old old U.S of A! Note: presently, there are no cameras, that I am aware of, made in the Unites States or Canada- there used to be hundreds. Perhaps some very specialized military surveillance and reconnaissance gear that I used in the army- it was made by Fairchild. Nowadays, I assume that work is all done by satellite technology.
Well, we can skip all of this forthcoming detailed analysis, research, rumors, myths, truths and scuttlebutt and just go directly to the old proverbs and sayings: Ye gets what ya pays fer and There is always someone who is willing to do or make things that are of inferior quality for less money or something like that! The problem is, however, that not every photographer, amateur, advanced enthusiast, or even start up professionals can afford big name brand and top-of-the-line equipment and some of the less expensive cameras, lenses and accessories seems and look pretty impressive, at least on the surface. Some of this stuff is downright tempting at the prices they are selling for.
It's oftentimes difficult for the uninitiated photographer to research and determine which products to buy, especially in the lower price ranges. The gear looks decent enough in the advertisements, the exterior industrial design can belie the real quality, can look somewhat impressive on first sight or fast examination. Even the information bandied about on photo-forums can be a bit dodgy because some photographers may be perfectly happy with basically poor gear because they don't use it under rigorous circumstances, it does the job under light duty and it's kind OK for the price. Others may categorize some cheaper gear as crap and that is vulgar but can be true enough if that opinion comes from actual bad experiences with the purported to be bad gear in question. Sometimes folks will offer that kind of negative opinion out of pure snobbery or hearsay and that's too bad and misleading. Even reviews in the photo-press and online publication sources can be not as critical as the could or should be. Some of theses critiques are more honest that others but I suppose that politics can dictate that an advertiser who is buying full-page ads in a magazine might tale a dim view of harsh critiques of its products.
As a professional photographer, I tend to dig in and really do my homework and research before investing in equipment in that some of it can be outrageously expensive and I depend on reliable equipment in my daily work. We get to know, sometimes from had experience, that oftentimes buying cheap will only result in buying again in an untimely short period. It is, however, easier for professionals to separate the good stuff from the junk because, when you are in the industry, full-time, you find out, soon enough, what the actual workhorse equipment is all about- the good stuff tends to garner good reputations quickly because its performance stands a cut above thewell it's kind good enough stuff and head and shoulder above the junk. Ostensibly, we pros are supposed to be in the know but we too can be fooled because even top manufacturers can come up with a blooper or a lemon with all kinds of issues, defects, and intrinsic engineering flaws. In theses cases, however, fortunately enough, bad news travels sooner and faster that good news. We do talk to our colleagues, competitors, and our repair people and we get the lowdown early in the game.
So...first let's get the made in China thing out of the way. First of all, let's get real when we shop for and buy ordinary (non-photographic) consumer goods; small appliances, housewares, many brands of clothing, audio gear, electronics, cellphones and all kinds of general merchandise, the question is; what isn't made in China? Even the name brands that we all grew up with are oftentimes outsourced to China and other countries where the labor is cheap. Well- some of it is good, some of it is excellent and some of it is bad or it ain't what it used to be! I am no expert on outsourced manufacturing but it seems to me that the quality or lack thereof in many products is dependent on the relationship of the marketing, designing or engineering companies in North America, Europe or Japan, as to quality control and the extent of their participation in the actual manufacturing process. Are the name brand companies designing and marketing the products and having them entirely built in China? Are the home companies making the important parts or components and just outsourcing the assembly aspect of the process? Or are the products really knockoffs or kinda shoddy replications of name brand products where there are copyright and patent violations in the mix and inferior components and workmanship are involved? All of theses questions may factor into deciding whether or not these imported products are good purchases. Who knows? If the products are guaranteed by their distributors or retailers and there is accessible and reliable service, you are protected to some extent, however, who wants a piece of gear to malfunction in the middle or a professional assignment or a costly vacation even it's gonna be replaced or repaired by the distributor or retailer?
My observation is that some of the Chinese manufacturers have smartened up and stepped up and improved their products over time and some of it is darn good to excellent, however, some of it is still inferior but getting a bit better due to market and consumer pressures.
It is good and prudent to differentiate between equipment offered by domestic or well known and time honored foreign corporations who choose to outsource their manufacturing to offshore factories from those offshore factories or companies who unalterably and single-handily opt to produce knockoff, pass-off, poorly replicated or imitated equipment and thereby are in violation of international copyright, trademark and/or patent laws. Photographers who are themselves dependent copyright laws for the protection of their artwork and intellectual property should be sensitive to theses issues.
It's also good to take in a bit of photographic manufacturing history. After World War II, Japan was considered the knockoff capitol of the world and their photography industry was no exception as was perceived by most consumers. There were distasteful, derogatory and nasty words applied to Japanese products such as jerry copies and jap copies that were probably instigated by post-war resentment toward the Japanese people and culture combined with the fact that there was some low quality but ingeniously improvised products coming out of and labeled Occupied Japan! I remember as a kid, have a very nice looking toy fire engine, made in Occupied Japan, however, the underneath of the toy had razor-sharp edges and it turned out that the thing was made of recycled Maxwell House brand coffee cans- I liked to take things apart and immediately recognized part of the logo! There were rumors about their cameras were made of old tins and scrap metals- who knows? Thin is- there were some good cameras that were made in Japan in the pre-war period that were decent enough and some of the brands were around for decades. The bad rap went on into the early 1950s but we all know what became history!
Germany, however, always made high-quality cameras and lenses and even during the war, when their equipment was contraband, Licas, and Voigtlanders were still sought after for their sharp lenses and solid construction.
Before we get off this China conversation, there are a plethora of political, environmental, and human rights issues that humanitarian oriented people are concerned about and many of them even encourage boycotting of Chinese products. Many folks are against outsourcing manufacturing to the extent where our domestic manufacturing industry is disappearing and seriously affecting jobs and employment here at home. Theses are very complex and vexing problems but in today's business, consumer, labor and market environments the outsourced products seem to be omnipresent and difficult to avoid. I don't want to get into politics here but I am aware and sensitive to theses issues- they are real and ever-present.
I would now like to get into specific categories and types of equipment. One of my favorite topics to comment on is electronic flash gear and related accessories for two reasons. Firstly and especially in this article, having to with cheap vs. more costly gear, because there is a plethora of electronic flash gear, in all price categories, on the market and theses units are widely advertised in the photo-press and on the Internet. The other reason is that at one time, I had a business that specialized in the modification, repair and custom building of electronic flash gear. I got to look into the working of dozens of popular and not all that popular flash units and see what makes them tick. I was mostly involved in designing and modification of flash heads and reflector technology having to do with lighting aesthetics. I worked with an engineer, circuit designer and master technician who looked after the advanced electronic aspect of the business. I learned of useful information through that experience.
In the early days of aftermarket flash gear, there were not many, if any, badly made Speedlight type of equipment that I was aware of. Most of the bad stuff came in the form of studio type mono lights which seemed to flood the market with dodgy gear.
When the cheap units first appeared in the marketplace some of the equipment was simply abominable from a standpoint of safety and performance. I could not figure out how this stuff got into North America what with UL and CSA standards in place. Some of the units would blow up, set fire to cloth light modifiers or just quietly die. Sometimes there was simply inferior components and workmanship, other times there were decent components and half way decent construction but poor quality control which caused a great deal of inconsistency from one unit to another. Oftentimes we found that there were hardly any units of the same make and model with exactly the same components and circuitry- perhaps their manufacturers were continuously taking bids to get the cheapest prices of their components. Some of theses faults were just a pain in the backside or an inconvenience, however, some of theses defects could unleash lethal voltages with the potential of causing serious injury or death.
For the electronically inclined the faults that we found were insulation breakdowns, poorly regulated or unmonitored power supplies that overvolted the capacitors to the point of burn out or explosion, poorly made capacitors, inadequate heat sinking and ventilation especially where in models where modeling lamps were featured, and low-quality switches, connectors, jacks and potentiometers, bad or non-existent grounding and non-isolated circuitry which would allow high voltage to come through the camera if the polarity of the synch cord was accidentally reversed. Some of the units were supplied with non-polarized synch sockets and cords.
Nowadays, thank goodness, your less expensive flash gear is not likely to blow up, set fire to your modifiers or your clothing, or do anything all that dramatic but there are still some limitations to watch out for and be aware of before making a purchase.
Some of the low-priced gear may provide valued for your dollars if the are not going to be subjected to heavy duty constant professional type use such as long shoots, rough location scenarios in hazardous conditions and daily packing, transport, and unpacking.
One of the main issues is insufficient DUTY CYCLE, which can cause units to shut down due to overheating on long shoots. Theses units won't burn out or explode because they, as per regulations, are equipped with thermal switches that simply shut the units down when it begins to overheat. The unit can be reset when it cools down. This, of course, can be extremely inconvenient and disruptive in the midst of a shoot. This issue goes back to the inadequate convention of the heat, generated my modeling lamps away for the unit and poor ventilation due to the exclusion of fans in the basic design. Of course, this sets in sooner or is exacerbated when the unit is enclosed in a softbox or when a modifier is attached to the front of the unit. It's important to investigate theses possibilities because most photographers, nowadays, do indeed work with a great variety of light modification accessories, diffusers, snoots and grids which may impair ventilation. Overheating can also cause handling problems if the body or handles of the units become too hot to handle.
Many less expensive units, nowadays, may work fairly well without any particular safety hazards or usage limitations but because they don't include some of the more sophisticated circuitry that is intrinsic in their more costly counterparts may have a few drawbacks such as inconsistent output or color balance, lower power, lack of finite power control, limited range of power levels. Some of theses issues can cause major problems whole others are mere inconveniences that can be solved by savvy technique and improvisation.
Another thing to be aware of is what I call advertising shenanigans- you gotta watch the wording! There are lots of studio lighting kits which are categorized by power output, expressed in watt-seconds. This can be misleading because the watt-second rating is not necessarily the best indication of the kit's lighting efficiency, aesthetic functionality or power potential. A 300 w/s 3-light, for example, does not mean that all three of the lights are 300 w/s units. It could be that one of the units are 200 w/s and the others are 50 w/s each or some other configuration that can limit the versatility of the system. In systems that incorporate a central power pack and cable connected lamp heads, a 400 w/s unit can be assumed to divide, for example, the 400 w/s evenly to 4 lamp heads providing 100 w/s to each of them or by means of a ratio controlling switching network provide a number of different configurations. This, of course, does no apply to individual self-contained mono lights so you need to make sure that the kit you purchase accommodates your needs. Also, watt-seconds is merely and electrical value based on voltage and capacitance and does not necessarily indicate light efficiency, spread, coverage of a scene or the aesthetic potential of the light source. ECPS (effective candle power seconds) as a better indicator of what any flash unit will do when it is used with the stock original reflector it is equipped with out of the box! As soon as a reflector is changed, such as a beauty light type or any light modifier like a softbox or an umbrella- all bets are off, so to speak! The volume and the aesthetics of the primary light sources are totally changed. It is, therefore, important to make sure your choice of lighting equipment has enough power to accommodate your choice of light modifiers whereby you can work at practical apertures of your choice. Some of the lower priced units are also lower in basic power output. Most modifiers can absorb at least 2 full f/stops!
This leads to another issue. Because of the aforementioned heat issues, many of the less expensive units have fairly low power modeling lamps- some of the big units boast quartz modeling lamps in the 150 to 200-watt range. Some of my older units, made in the UK, utilize 100 watt light bulbs as modeling lamps The point is that theses more robust modeling lamps are bright enough to enable easy and accurate lighting placement, bright viewfinder views that allow for easier control over composition and vitrifaction of focus and selective focus and previewing depth of field at working apertures. Lower power modeling lamps might squeeze by when raw direct lighting is used but can fall short in sufficient illumination when any bounce, indirect or modified lighting techniques, and equipment are employed. Even with the advances in LED technology, I have seen units with comparatively dim modeling lamps.
As far as radio triggers are concerned I still believe that mu good old Pocket Wizards are the gold standard but admittedly the latest imports are rather impressive, especially when compared to the original bunch that came to the market some years ago. A friend of mine is an electronics/radio/communications engineer. He used to buy loads of the cheap imports, half of which were duds, routinely repair them, and use and resell them! Many of the newer inexpensive brands versions will work well, especially in studio conditions right out of the box, and their distributors guarantee them as to replacement if they are duds. I, to date have not as yet found a cheaper line of radios that beat out the range of my Pocket Wizards in difficult or problematic transmission conditions or on vast industrial sites- I have successfully used them at distances of 4 long city blocks and in building with steel walls, high catwalks and many potentials for radio frequency interference.- the never fail!
I know that many photographers make their equipment purchases online with large dealerships such as B&H in New York City. I will do that if I am perfectly acquainted or familiar with the gear I am buying. With some of the lower priced flash gear, I suggest that prospective buyers have the opportunity to examine the equipment in person if the units are available from a local supplier. There are certain things that can be checked out, as to the quality of workmanship, performance, and construction. Sometimes, in advertising photographs and even in first hand in person demonstration of the equipment some of the least expensive gear can benefit from very sleek and impressive industrial design (cosmetics) which belie the poor quality that is harbored within- so here is a checklist for the uninitiated or non-technician: Look closely at the general construction of feel of the equipment and see that it is well finished without rough edges or poor alignment of parts and seams. Operate the switches and observe whether or not they click firmly and positively into position. See that knobs and sliders operate smoothly without too much resistance or too loosely. Look at the sockets or jacks for the synch cords or radio triggers and see if the seem large enough and sturdy. If mini-jacks and plugs are used, they are oftentimes sources of broken or intermittent connections and erratic synchronization. 1/4 phone plugs and jacks or polarized household type connections are best. Check to see of rivets have been used instead screws- riveting can make servicing and replacement of parts difficult or nearly impossible. Take a good look at the control panel and observe the general workmanship of the knobs, levers or switches, make sure there us a fuse holder that can be accessed without taking the unit apart and that it uses standard readily available fuses. The may be two fuse holders, one for the flash circuit and one for the modeling lamp. Make sure the amperage and type of fuses are clearly printed next to the holders. Some require regular fuses and some require the slow-blow type. If a fuse blows always replace it with exactly the specified type. If the replacement fuses continue to blow, never attempt to use one of a higher amperage rating or bypass the fuse in any way, Fuses are designed to protect your unit from serious damage if an overload or short circuit occurs. If the fuses are bypassed when they blow, the unit will surely burn out, possibly beyond repair, and/or become hazardous.
Then turn the unit on and check to see if all the indicator lights are in working order. Fire the unit at several times at various power setting and observe the recycling time and see if it is consistent at each of theses settings. If you have a flash meter with you check out the output at various settings, firing off several shots at each setting and see if the output is constant. Make sure there are no crackling or popping sounds during or between flashes, those noises would indicate arcing, bad connections within the unit, an improperly seated flash tube or a soon to be a defective capacitor. Make sure brackets and mounting hardware are functioning smoothing and locking positively.
OK- Let's talk cameras and lenses. Aftermarket lenses for name brand cameras have been around for decades to the point where the aftermarket lenses have become recognized and desirable brands in and of themselves. It's hard to zero in on any one brand, make or model because there are literally thousands of choices, types, and configurations. I can recall as far back as the 1950s, there we companies like Solagor that were making aftermarket lenses for Lica, Canon, and many other fine cameras. Vivitar, Tokina, and Tameron make some pretty impressive glass for a wide variety of camera bodies- many of them are surprisingly good and stand up significantly well against many of the original brand name lenses. I don't consider any of the better aforementioned brands as knockoffs rather, I look upon them as providing somewhat lower priced alternatives to more costly original brands. Most of theses are made in Japan by reputable manufacturers and sold by trustworthy dealers. Of course, there are ongoing and oftentimes heated arguments on photo forums about comparing the various makes and models of original and better know aftermarket brands. Obviously, some of the original brands feature better performance, optically and mechanically, than some of the aftermarket offerings and some of the aftermarket ones do surprisingly well or even exceed the performance of the originals. One would have to take this on a case to case basis. Choices should be based on budget, frequency of use, individual quality demands, and research. Actual testing under working conditions, to me, is the gold standard. Spending more money for an original brand lens does not always guarantee better performance. Of course, the photographer/purchaser is the final arbiter of whether the difference in performance is significant enough to warrant the additional expense.
In the olden days of mainly mechanical film cameras, the interface between cameras and lenses were fairly simple. Whether the lenses were original brand or aftermarket versions, as long as the lens mounts were compatible- things tended to work well. Nowadays, in the electronic/digital age of photography, even a cursory examination of the back end of a lens and the camera's lens mount will reveal numerous electronic contacts as will as some vital mechanical linkages. Back in the day, the main mechanical functions in an interchangeable SLR lens was the diaphragm and the manual focusing mechanism and perhaps a linkage to the match-needle exposure metering function. Noways we are talking about many programmed and automatic exposure functions, the diaphragm it self, more sophisticated multifunctional exposure control modes, and auto-focus functions. There is quite a volume of data that is exchanged between the camera body and the lens- there needs to be perfect contact both mechanically and electronically. This is where deficits in fine workmanship in a poor quality lens can foul up and cause malfunction.
There's what I call the off-brands or store-brands and some of them are really of inferior quality. I don;t know where the are produced or how the are produced but the are actually junk- the odd one ain't all that bad but bad enough! I don't find that many of them are flooding the marketplace or widely advertised.
Camera bodies and basic kits: I don't feel that there is any real outright junk out there on the market, among the ranges that are provided by all of the well-known and reputable makers. Most of the popular and time-honored manufacturers offer a wide selection of models at various price points. Some are very sophisticated high-end models some are intermediate types, and some are basic and simple point and shoot cameras. I feel they all can do a good enough job at the levels and for the users that they are intended for. Again there are some off brands but I don't see much of that. It is up to the consumers to select the models that are in keeping with their needs, wants, requirements, and budgets.
It is good to know how manufacturers can cut corners to produce and sell their cameras and lenses at comparatively low prices. In many cases, it is obvious and easy to comprehend when the workmanship, manufacturing processes, materials and fine finishing are just not up to the standards of the better gear. In may cases it can be a number of small deficiencies like lenses made with inferior internal (paint jobs) that is, the black coatings on the inside of lens barrels and other mechanical parts in the innards of this gear. There might be shortcomings in the zoom mechanisms or the diaphragm blades, all not enough to categorize the lens a pure junk or have it fall apart in short order but just enough to yield slight or more noticeable effects in all over quality results or more or less consistent performance at different zoom settings. Some lenses offer too much range of focal lengths for their own good, so to speak. The seem very convenient to the uninitiated potential buyer but the oftentimes fall short of good performance over the vast ranges.
I do find that some of the ongoing arguments concerning camera and lens brands, such as the hackneyed Nikon vs. Canon debate, border on ridiculous. Of course, both are good well-respected brands, however, there are many others to select from. All, I could do is present an analogy: What if there were only two makes of automobiles; Cadillac and Mercerize-Benz and nothing in the more moderate prices ranges? That would not be advantageous to the consumers that may have limited budgets, more conservative tastes, or just want a modest car to get them form point-A to point -B. OK- so I wouldn't recommend a Lada or a Ugo same as I would not recommend an unknown dodgy cheap and little-known camera.
Again, nowadays, in the digital age of photography, I don't know of any real and omnipresent knock off cameras. Again, referring back to the film era, there was a raft of Russian-made cameras that quite obviously knockoffs of Hasselblad medium format cameras and other some 35mm SLRs as well. The were mostly heavy clunkers that were built like weaponry but far from the consistency of quality or precision. One could cut their fingertips on some of the controls while operating the equipment and there were many internal engineering flaws. There was a repair company in New York City that was importing them by the caseloads and bringing then up to spec and reselling them at a reasonable price but the were sill not anywhere as good as the cameras they attempted to imitate.
Note: I am not that much of a gear-head or investigator, nor do I engage in industrial espionage even as a hobby, to know if any of the top manufacturers farm out or outsource any of their manufacturing operation to countries with sources of cheap labor. In the old days, I knew that the famed maker of the prestigious line of Rolleiflex cameras maintained a plant in Singapore and Lica had a plant here in Midland, Ontario Canada (no cheap labor here). There were no secrets and the equipment produced in both countries were plainly marked on the cameras and lens rims.
Then there were the cameras and lenses made in East Germany, prior to the reunification. They were fairly well made but the manufacturers had not really progressed in innovation or general technology since the end of WWII and the quality control was not the greatest. I would suppose that in a Communist nation where there isn't much if any competition, people living that country have to make do with what is available but some of that gear gets exported and is sold at cheaper prices. Unless I am not well informed as to current offerings, I don't believe this kind of equipment is available in the DSLR or even point and shoot categories in today's market place. If someone knows of anything like that being touted by any source, I would be interested to know.
Accessories: Walk into any well-stocked camera shop or peruse their printed or online catalogs and you will see TONS of what I call pegboard photo accessories because traditionally, they hung from pegboard racks and hooks and were wrapped in plastic bags or bubble packaging. Perhaps the more expensive ones were kept in showcases or behind the counter. The variety is endless; light modifiers, filters, cable and electronic shutter releases, synch cords, all manners of adapters, flash brackets, computer cords and peripherals, rudimentary grips, small camera and accessory cases, tilting accessories for light stands and small tripods, lens cleaning kits and much more! It like a smorgasbord or buffet- all very tempting but in a buffet table, hopefully, and usually, all the food is fit to eat. On the peg board, some of the gear is fine, decent and quite useful and some of it is junk! This a classic case of buyer beware. It's hard to review all of this merchandise but I can suggest some practical guide lines. If the item looks under-engineered of flimsy it probably is flimsy and will not stand up well in even occasional use. There is nothing wrong with today's state-of-the-industry plastics but oftentimes plastics are no real substitute for metals and even some soft metals are not appropriate for things like support equipment such as flash brackets and grips, light stands, tripods and tripod heads or tilt heads for light stands. Poor quality support equipment can endanger your expensive equipment and even cause accidents, damage and injuries if or when they break or tip over while they are in use. Parts like set screws, thumb screws, and locking devices can be the weakest link in many accessories; thread can cross, jam or strip out or oversized knobs and handles can exert excessive torque and overly tighten things thereby causing damage. Undersized knobs, handles, and levers can be inconvenient to operate and cause loose or wobbly fitting of equipment.
Tripods and light stands and their accessories can be BIG OFFENDERS in the areas of shoddy constructions. Some of this stuff are simply useless toys that do not offer the firm support and safety the are supposed to be intended for. Many are too short, too light weight and made of plainly noticeable inferior or inappropriate and unsuitable materials. Some are heavy enough but to not make the grade in their geometry or trigonometry, as it were. This has to do with limitations in leg-spread, height, proportions and balance issues.
The use cheap filter and lens attachments are simply a big no-no! The will simply degrade the performance of your costly fine lenses and are entirely counterproductive. The designers and manufacturers of your fine lenses have endeavored to negate or minimize many faults and aberrations that are intrinsic in many basic lens formulas. These are gremlins like flare, edge falloff, vignetting, distortions caused by poor lens grinding, bad mechanical design in the rims and threads, lack of proper coatings and a vast number of other optical aberrations that can lurk under the cover of good cosmetic but misleading appearance and fancy packaging. Applying a poorly manufactured filter or an imprecise adapter ring or lens shade can reintroduce many of theses defects to a perfectly fine lens.
My local dealer once confided in me and said that any gadget that one can place in front of a lens, in front of a flash unit or hang on a camera or hang a camera from or on, in possibly a misguided search for better results, and is cheap enough, it will SELL WELL!
There I had it, right from the horse's mouth! It seems like lots of cheap stuff just flies off the shelves but unfortunately enough soon flies, just as quickly into the junk drawer or the garbage can!
Hey- I too must admit to a very novel and laughable junk drawer, fortunately enough, it does not represent any kind of significant investment. When my neat-nick lovely wife asks me why I maintain such a silly inventory, I just say I am a good environmental citizen and trying to keep all this junk out of the landfill! I am almost sure some of that junk is made of bad materials that are mostly unknown to mankind and can not be safely melted down and recycled- just a hunch! Imagine a radioactive lens shade or light modifier made in some country that has faulty nuclear reactors supplying their power grids! I wonder where that can be!
I am sometimes one who is reluctant to unceremoniously throw things out with the excuse that perhaps someday the will become useful. Our dearly departed 24-year-old cat used to play with my first worn out computer mouse by and flinging it around the house. I use one old but useless light modifier for a speed-light (which was equally as useless) for a scoop to add soil to my houseplants. Oh- I did resurrect the speed-light by pulling the capacitor and replacing it with a much smaller one and made an 8 watt-second wink-light for fill in in very low light conditions. I told my wife about it- she was impressed?
Ed
Jan 18, 2016 20:06:39 #
Jan 18, 2016 21:06:20 #
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
WARNING! This is a long post- very long and for th... (show quote)
Well stated! Makes perfect sense and is a good overview. So the moral seems to be caveat emptor when buying cheap stuff - spend the time and do the research and you may be rewarded with a great deal on some good gear. Conversely, you can buy a "brand name" just on the reputation of the brand, and find out that the "name" has been purchased by a less-than-reputable concern and is flooding the market with junk that shares only the letters with the older better gear.
Thanks for the post.
Jan 19, 2016 01:19:52 #
Ron! Ain't going anywhere with this! I have been buying, using, selling. fixing, making, modifying and advising other professionals on equipment purchases and installation for a long time- just sharing what I have experienced and hope that is useful information.
Ed
Ed
Jan 19, 2016 03:46:41 #
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
Ron! Ain't going anywhere with this! I have been buying, using, selling. fixing, making, modifying and advising other professionals on equipment purchases and installation for a long time- just sharing what I have experienced and hope that is useful information.
Ed
Ed
Ed,
Ah, ok. Your information is good, especially the historical stuff. First Japanese then Korean, Taiwan (you forgot them) now 'real' Chinese and next? India?
You are absolutely right, quality does improve over time and yes, folks will buy anything (remember the pet rocks?).
Anyway...
RGG,
Jan 19, 2016 04:16:23 #
Rongnongno wrote:
I am not sure where you are going with this...
I know where I'm going...., I'm going to BED!!!! :lol:
Tomorrows a new day! Maybe, just maybe, I'll read this tomorrow...., or not!! ;-)
SS
Jan 19, 2016 05:57:14 #
Jan 19, 2016 06:11:06 #
Beagleman wrote:
A lot of verbage, and he can't even spell Leica. --Beagleman
You and your kind, spelling police, would reject the Declaration of Independence, The Bible, and Obama's birth certificate, if there was a misspelled word. Can you spell obsevieve compulzive?
At the end of your comment you forgot to say "na na na"
By the way, "verbage" is spelled verbiage note the "i"
Jan 19, 2016 06:43:43 #
Tomcat5133
Loc: Gladwyne PA
I believe with the great reviews and youtube videos online if you are a good researcher you can find reasonable equipment sometimes. And the price of many big name gear makers is coming down because it is and was always too expensive.
We now have microchip design and frabrication that is a bargain. And then we have big pharma wanting crazy big prices for drugs they can get away with saying the R&D is the reason. So a new weight loss pill is a thousand dollars a month.
One of the interesting cases in cine video lens. It seems to me that Rokinon and other in Korea & China have made fairly good really fast sturdy lens for 300 to 600 dollars. I have 3 of their latest versions the 14, 24mm & 50mm a great fast lens are good. Compared to Zeiss, Cooke, Canon etc which are thousands of dollars for each lens. We have Sony & Panasonic giving us camera's that would cost thousand's more from Canon etc.
What an opportunity for creative people to have great tools because after all is it the eye and the preservence to great photography and video. Good luck.
We now have microchip design and frabrication that is a bargain. And then we have big pharma wanting crazy big prices for drugs they can get away with saying the R&D is the reason. So a new weight loss pill is a thousand dollars a month.
One of the interesting cases in cine video lens. It seems to me that Rokinon and other in Korea & China have made fairly good really fast sturdy lens for 300 to 600 dollars. I have 3 of their latest versions the 14, 24mm & 50mm a great fast lens are good. Compared to Zeiss, Cooke, Canon etc which are thousands of dollars for each lens. We have Sony & Panasonic giving us camera's that would cost thousand's more from Canon etc.
What an opportunity for creative people to have great tools because after all is it the eye and the preservence to great photography and video. Good luck.
Jan 19, 2016 07:02:02 #
dpullum wrote:
You and your kind, spelling police, would reject the Declaration of Independence, The Bible, and Obama's birth certificate, if there was a misspelled word. Can you spell obsevieve compulzive?
At the end of your comment you forgot to say "na na na"
By the way, "verbage" is spelled verbiage note the "i"
At the end of your comment you forgot to say "na na na"
By the way, "verbage" is spelled verbiage note the "i"
:thumbup: :thumbup:
Jan 19, 2016 08:06:17 #
Jan 19, 2016 08:13:21 #
Leitz
Loc: Solms
Beagleman wrote:
A lot of verbage, and he can't even spell Leica.
--Beagleman
--Beagleman
Change that "ve" to "ga" and you've nailed it!
Jan 19, 2016 08:46:53 #
Wow. I spent all that time reading what could have been said in about half the words--or fewer. Shame on me.
Jan 19, 2016 08:57:07 #
Jan 19, 2016 08:59:26 #
I just read the whole thing. I can sum it up in 1 compound sentence. Some cheap stuff, my be truly shoddy, some "off brand" stuff may be very good,be carefull, buy smartly. There it is. I am not bragging when I say that I did not learn a thing. I think that many here didn't either.
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