bettis1 Loc: Texas

Yesterday I decided that I wanted another Arca-Swiss Quick Release plate for my Benro tripod so I stopped by a local dealer. He had several plates but not the one which I needed (PU-60). When I went home I decided to look on Amazon for one. I found several for +/- $5.95. Since the last one which I had purchased from the local dealer cost me $26.95 I said a not so silent curse and avowed not to buy from him again. I placed an order on line for two of the PU-60 plates. When I got to the place where the shipping was calculated (there was no charge for shipping) I saw that it was shipped from China. Since just this week I had a Mastercard cancelled because of fraudulent charges from China, I immediately cancelled the order for the plates. I then went to the Benro web site and saw that their PU-60 plate was priced at $30. I immediately ordered one and said a quiet apology to my local dealer.

I have heard that some second tier Arca-Swiss plates don't fit well. I have no experience there and for all that I know, the Benro plate and the Chinese plate are machined on the same machines at the same day. What it does point out is that if a manufacturer in China can produce and ship a product for less than a 1/4 of what it costs an American manufacturer to produce the same product there is something seriously wrong with our import regulations!

Bob

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Very likely the ones you saw at such a cheap price were counterfeit. If they were legitimate Benro plates they would have met the companies specifications, be virtually identical and probably not sell for 1/5 the price. China is capable of producing state of the art products and many high quality mechanical and electronic products are manufactured there. But unfortunately they also produce cheap counterfeit products of almost every description. If you see a product with a price too good to be true, there is probably a good reason for it. As always, buyer beware. And by the way, Benro IS a Chinese company founded in 1995. To the best of my knowledge Benro products are not manufactured in the United States. Do you have evidence to the contrary? I know that my Benro tripod, purchased from B&H in New York, one of the most respected photo stores in the US, was made in China.

kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy

Benro is Chinese. All made in China. Decent products, but not up to the standards of Gitzo or Arca Swiss.

cthahn

The problem is now that everyone wants cheap. Wallyworld started this whole progress of we are the cheapest. Cheapest is a word I detest. The Chinese idea is to copy everything that is made and designed in this county and sell it for less. They steal any information they can, and to make it cheaper, they have to cut corners. The Chinese government backs everything that they do. The Unions in this country have forced labor rates up so high in this country that it is difficult for us to compete, especially when our government sides with the unions.

kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy

This is not so true now as it was a decade ago. The Chinese have learned the value of QC, and are beginning to innovate as well. It is hardly that they copy only things designed in the USA; for the most part they copy things designed in Japan and South Korea, as there is actually not so much designed in America that appeals to Asians. They do like American cars (though not as much as German cars). It is worth remembering that Americans profit big time from the vast Chinese market. Of course there are still cheap and low quality Chinese goods, but let it be remembered that China produces a goodly part of medium tech goods such as motherboards, HDDs, etc., and are moving quickly into the high tech market.

One problem for America is the abysmal quality of education--Chinese schools are excellent and Chinese students motivated to learn. The same cannot be said below the university level in the USA. If you want to move production back to the US don't blame people trying to buy cheap, blame the capitalist system that encourages transnational capital flows to where corporations (many originally American) can make the most profits.

MrBob Loc: lookout Mtn. NE Alabama

you are 100% correct about education in the States; I got chastised a while back about wandering from another topic to making a few comments about education in this country. Children have been spoiled... enough said; I don't want to be roasted again.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Very well said, Sir. We (in the western world) used to ridicule Japanese products. Now they make the best cameras and the best vehicles among many other things. Since I moved to the US 25 years ago I have only bought and owned Japanese vehicles, and the only one I had problems with was built in Indiana.

It is also worth paying attention to computers, serious computers that do major research and handle our defense initiatives. China has roughly equal to our capability and the top two systems in the world. Progressively these are based on Chinese developed technology. The Chinese are very smart and we are under investing in our own future.

The USA has a level of self satisfied arrogance that will be our undoing!

BebuLamar

I just did some research and while I am not sure I think Benro is a Chinese company. And if so the one selling for 1/4 price must be counterfeit. If Benro is an American company but contract a Chinese company to make their products then there is the possibility that the cheap ones are what I call "Genuine Counterfeit" that is the contracted company simply makes extra and sell them (illegally of course).

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Benro is a 100% Chinese company. It's full name in English is Guangdong Benro Image Technology Industrial Co., Ltd. It was started in 1995. Here's a link to their main site. There are also subsidiary sites in various regions around the world.

http://www.benro.com/AboutUs.aspx?pid=60&sid=64

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

All industry migrates to the cheapest workforce. We saw this with even the humble sports shoe - East Coast to West coast to Pacific Rim...thence China.

Consumers cannot have high wages and cheap goods and services. Quality is as QC controls. That is often down to the end seller rather than any national standard. Computers and Cameras have a high spec because they are high priced - good profit margin. Other goods can be mass produced in any country so are less profitable therefore less QC or at a substandard material cost.

Neither the US nor the UK have a substancial manufacturing output - we are all overpaid management. (or jobless) After China....it will be difficult to predict where 'actually making' things will end up....probably Africa!

BebuLamar

Very little of the purchase price goes into the pocket of the people who made the products. Way too much went into the executives pockets and in the case of shoes and clothing a lot went into the pocket of the celeberties who endorsed the products. You can have high wages and cheap goods if we cut the top end.

aellman Loc: Boston MA

I thought EVERYTHING was made in China by now.

erinjay64

Even Chevrolet cars are 40%, or more, foreign made. The speedometers may come from China, the Odometer from Italy, etc. Get used to it. Globalization will continue as time goes by. If a Spanish tripod has a head from Poland, or a leg lock from Germany, such is life. Even Chinese made products for Chinese based companies, may have seals, or paint, from Thailand, or wherever. Anyone who thinks they can always "buy American", or whatever, is deluded. Even our US President imports his shirts, ties, suits, etc...his wives, and mistresses, too. Welcome to The Real World. Live in it, or die.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Now that my wife has stopped laughing for long enough to breathe, she said; "Please thank that person for me!"

blackest Loc: Ireland

Shipping is an interesting thing when post from china ships it goes by the container load with each item addressed to each customer there can be thousands of small items. when the container arrives in the destination country it is delivered by the local postal service at no extra charge . It's a reciprocal arrangement ship to china and they do the same thing. If there is a weight difference at the end who ever delivered more gets paid for the difference in weight. so if china shipped 58 tonnes to the US and the US shipped 50 tonnes to china china would pay the US postal service for the eight tonnes difference.
It can be a little one sided e.g say you ship 4 american cars to china, shipping the same weight in QR plates is a lot of QR plates.

But thats how you get free economy shipping that costs a few pennies and items where you would spend more in gas to the local retailer than it costs to get it to your door.