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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
05-04-2010, 06:17 PM
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Well, for all of $50 why don't you come up with a design for a KX Grip since others are complaining that none exist . There's no pins, so this should be easier for you than a K7 Grip. Post the design & get feed back from this forum on the design. Redo it a couple of times until you get let's say....20 people to agree that it good enough to build. Don't forget to get it drawn up in CAD since it's easier to implement into a 3 axis modeling machine.
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Yeah, in a simplified world. But you still need to make the metal forms. This requires you to take a polymer mold to create a rubber mold to create a wax model, and then to use the wax model to cast it in sand, then pour a molten metal into your sand mold. Once this cools you need to grind off the burrs and then to use this to make a reverse mold with cooling capabilities since you'll have to get rid of heat. I'll stop here because you obviously will donate your own resources to this since this whole process is "nothing".
It appears that you do not work in Advertising. Buying ads and media cost a lot of money. Why do you think people pay what they do for a 15 second super bowl advertising slot?
Go ahead, develop the KX grip for Pentax I'll put up $50 for all your cost, but only if you don't take any royalties and provide this as an open design same as you insist for Pentax.
Reverse engineering or even the same machinery making the knock-offs. I wouldn't know for sure. But give it some thought here, do you really think that the factory running the machinery for these grips are running them 24/7/365? You really think these same factories don't finish their run in 4-5 days and then modify the molds slightly and then start creating knock-offs?
By the way, do you ever ask yourself why the Chinese Government doesn't crack down on abuse of overseas patents? Can it be because a lot of the businesses set up by foreign companies need to be partnered up with a Party Official?
Well,... you seem to trivialize the reverse engineering a process, but I assure you it is not 10 minutes of work.
You still don't get the point here, some bean counter has already projected their break even point and estimated profits. Pentax is not getting rich off the grip. They are merely trying to churn a small profit out of selling a projected figure. Just think, if they didn't have a figure they already estimated to sell, how would they know what number to strike off in the first place? Remember, they don't make these grips as they are ordered, but by lots.
No, the reality is that Pentax created the grip first and the knock-offs are using the same design but just eliminating the rubber seals. Also people are cheap by nature, but don't try to justify a cheaper quality product and stolen designs because you're cheap.
For the record, I have no objections to people buying what they can afford, but they shouldn't gripe when their own job moves overseas because manufacturing or design of products becomes cheaper in other countries.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
05-04-2010, 09:25 AM
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I agree somewhat, but and as I wrote before in this same thread.
There are cost associated with designing, engineering, developing molds, prototyping, testing, designing packaging and marketing. If you factor in the cost of keeping employees on the job to do all of this it's got to be costly.
Let's say that it cost $250K to $500K before they start seeing a profit. How many grips do they need to sell at a $25 profit before you even break even?
But,...if you steal a design by reverse engineering the grip like some third party suppliers are doing there is no overhead involved is there? Under this scenario of course you can sell the knock-off at $50.
Seriously,... how many Pentax K7 grips do you think Pentax is even selling? Even at a hypothetical $150 profit/unit they would still have to sell 1,600 to 3,300 grips if their cost to develop the grip is even close to the range I gave (bear in mind the number is just thrown out there and not a real number) before they even see a profit.
My point? well I guess for those that are reading....if you want Pentax to develop features and accessories, then support them otherwise they may start phasing this stuff out. Especially since they don't deal with the same volume numbers as Canon or Nikon.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
04-07-2010, 06:48 AM
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So please explain how many sales at your guesstimated $175 profit/unit are required to pay for a team to design, prototype, test, re-design, and re-test again in order to come up with a grip. Can we safely assume anywhere from $200K to $250K USD? Please tell me again why you think it's right for a company to produce a knock-off based on someone else's engineering cost?
I personally do not condone this practice because I know what it does to companies that develop & engineer their own ideas and products.
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