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Cost of rigs..

PostPosted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 5:55 pm
by Brad Ballew
I saw this rig online.. nothing too fancy just a solid well balanced shoulder rig.. and when I looked up the price I discovered that it cost almost as much as my camera. This isn't surprising really since there is plenty of pricey gear on the market, but it made me wonder why some of these things are as pricey as they are?

I could be wrong, and feel free to correct me if I am,.. but it seems like the amount of labor and cost of parts would be far greater for the BMCC than a basic shoulder rig. Yet the price point is so close. Is this because of a huge mark up or are the components and assembly of some rigs really that expensive?

Re: Cost of rigs..

PostPosted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 6:08 pm
by metaljesus
Yeah some rigs are obscenely priced.

http://store.zacuto.com/Target-Shooter.html

It's a niche market with not much competition so even the cheap stuff has big markups.

Plus it's a field where people equate high prices with professionalism.

Re: Cost of rigs..

PostPosted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 6:24 pm
by Frank Glencairn
Niche market or not - with a ton of way cheaper (and quite good quality too) rigs out there, it's beyond me, how someone can buy something like the Target Shooter for $475.00 bucks.

Re: Cost of rigs..

PostPosted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 7:09 pm
by Hearnia
I'm very happy with my tilta runner rig. Their US distributor has disappeared though.

Re: Cost of rigs..

PostPosted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 8:32 pm
by Max Manning
that target shooter looks terrible. ugh

Re: Cost of rigs..

PostPosted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 9:04 pm
by Peter J. DeCrescenzo
For the most part (pun not intended), I'm buying pre-made rig parts, but from a variety of manufacturers, and mixing & matching to put together a rig that suits me. I've had one small part custom-made because I wanted it to be smaller, lighter & less-expensive than what was available off-the-shelf.

http://herefortheweather.wordpress.com/ ... -thinking/

Re: Cost of rigs..

PostPosted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 9:19 pm
by Randy Walters
I'm going at it the way Peter has - by gathering the parts I need from the manufacturers who can deliver the best quality components at the most effective price points.

I had rails left from an old Letus system I'll never use again. I started with a Viewfactor Contineo cage - which is *perfect*, and was going to use their battery plate until I found the Lanparte plate, which handles all my power distribution needs wonderfully.

I'm so impressed with the plate I'm planning on getting the follow focus and matte box from Lanparte, but additional handles and other parts will come from various sources.

If you shop around and find parts that fit your specific needs, that's exactly what you'll have; not someone else's one-size-fits-all rig. I can't tell you how much time I've put into finding the optimum coiled DC cables to distribute power; they even glow in the dark. :) I'll have to add my own connectors, but I'll never regret the effort.

Re: Cost of rigs..

PostPosted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 7:22 am
by Cam Macduff
I've tended to buy bits as I've found specials on gear I've liked.
The only frustration with this approach is the time it's taken to accumulate a full kit. But has save me a lot money.
That said, when I've had large enough gigs to work on, rather than hire, I occasionally splurge as the cost of hire equates to half the cost of purchase. So I look it like a purchase at half price.

Re: Cost of rigs..

PostPosted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 7:33 am
by Darryl Gregory
Cam Macduff wrote:I've tended to buy bits as I've found specials on gear I've liked.
The only frustration with this approach is the time it's taken to accumulate a full kit. But has save me a lot money.
That said, when I've had large enough gigs to work on, rather than hire, I occasionally splurge as the cost of hire equates to half the cost of purchase. So I look it like a purchase at half price.


Hi Cam, You are on the right path, Bits will "in the long run" get you more for your NZL than
buying in whole parts or rigs, I have stated this before that a "RIG" is as much an individual choice as a "Lazy Boy Chair" or any Home Furniture, it needs to fit your A** in order to feel a part of you, as it can take months even years to find what works for you.

Just remember three things, Accurate milling,15mm should be 15mm period, Kipp Adjustable Handles, and Manufactures Reputation!

Don't forget Kipp Adjustable Handles,These allow you to lift and disengage for re-adjustment,
this is one of my pet peeves and a must have on any rig.

Re: Cost of rigs..

PostPosted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 11:57 am
by Cam Macduff
Thanks Darryl, its good to read others consider this the best way to get gear that's the best fit for your needs. I like the Kipp gear handles also. I only wish all the manufacturers would make their gear in black!
I have stuff from Lanparte, Tilta, Redrock etc. and it's all different colours.

Re: Cost of rigs..

PostPosted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 10:50 pm
by Brad Ballew
Man.. I was sure some of these high priced rigs must be built with ancient magic metal crafted by the high elves of Skyrim. I was really hoping to find a rig with a +10 Composition enchantment or thereabouts. Bummer.

Re: Cost of rigs..

PostPosted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 11:20 pm
by Randy Walters
It's the Unobtanium that does it.

Re: Cost of rigs..

PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 6:15 am
by Louis Kreusel
I believe the high cost for some rigs is justifiable. The prices pretty closely relate to quality. But there is more to it than that. I would rather buy from a local (usa or European in my case) designer/manufacturer and know that I'm getting great quality and helping good jobs to stay here rather than buy decent (or even brilliant) quality from Asia with no idea what the factory conditions are like and the prospect of more jobs disappearing here. For me, the extra cost is worth it. Still, I do buy a lot of used stuff off of Ebay to keep the cost under control.

My favorite rig stuff so far:
Zacuto ball-joint handles
Berkey System rods and clamps
Wooden Camera Battery Slide
Manfrotto quick release plates

Need to check out:
Viewfactor cage / baseplate
Berkey System shoulder pads
(would like to find something like the ActionProducts or Element Technica shoulder pads)

Re: Cost of rigs..

PostPosted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 3:04 pm
by Brad Ballew
Louis Kreusel wrote:I believe the high cost for some rigs is justifiable. The prices pretty closely relate to quality. But there is more to it than that. I would rather buy from a local (usa or European in my case) designer/manufacturer and know that I'm getting great quality and helping good jobs to stay here rather than buy decent (or even brilliant) quality from Asia with no idea what the factory conditions are like and the prospect of more jobs disappearing here. For me, the extra cost is worth it. Still, I do buy a lot of used stuff off of Ebay to keep the cost under control.


I completely understand what you are saying, and I am a big believer in you get what you pay for... and of course supporting the workers here at home if I can. My wife and I try to buy quality crafted items and often seek out specialized artisans for various things. That's the thing though, when we pay higher prices for something it's because it's a small business with sometimes only one person making the item. Her Harp didn't come from a big manufacture who spits out 50 of the same design every day. She bought it from a guy who takes a few months on each one and only makes a few a year.

It cost more because there is a lot of personal craftsmanship and he spends a good amount of time getting the best materials. The same goes for my wedding ring, it was hand crafted my an Irish goldsmith in New York, and not some big engagement ring company. When something is truly handcrafted and it's obvious that not only good materials went into it but also many many man hours, then I have no problem paying high prices.

However, I just can't believe that the materials used and time in assembly justify the price on something like this: http://store.zacuto.com/Target-Shooter.html
much less some of the other rigs I have seen. This was cut in a machine and assembled in a few minutes. I wonder how much this thing actually cost to produce?

So I would definitely rather buy here at home, but I am also not going to pay a ridiculously huge mark up on something made on an assembly line that is priced that way for no better reason than that enough people will buy it at that price point. Of course maybe I am wrong, and it cost more to make than I think it does...

Re: Cost of rigs..

PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 4:06 am
by ChrisBarcellos