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While I (patiently) wait for my NEX-7...

etrigan63

Active member
I expect to have my Nex-M adapter on the market in a few weeks:

direct sales from the mfg (me, made in USA; brooklyn, acutally)
steel springs
black anodized aluminum
target price $200

jm-at-milich-dot-com
Be sure to post images of the product John. I, for one, will be ordering from you after my NEX-7 arrives (I may have to pony up a little extra if my dealer gets in kits before body-only).

Regarding the Novoflex situation here in the US:

Novoflex has a distributor here in the States: HP Marketing (no, not Hewlett Packard). All purchases of Novoflex gear has to be through them. They are the importer for the US. They have to make their cut as well. Hence the price difference. The only way to get it from Novoflex direct is to have an acquaintance in the EU purchase the item in question and mail it to you as a gift.
 

Stefan Steib

Active member
As we at Hartblei/HCam are in a similar situation with the US, I can tell you that it is difficult to decide if a customer feels it is worth paying the middleman. Just imagine what happens if there is something to repair or needs guarantee. If you want to send this back to Europe (or as well China)in many cases postage with UPS or even only with a US Post parcel insured will exceed the value of the item you bought. Then there is Customs/Handling, VAT, State taxes and international payments (Paypal charges 6,5 % for payments from the US - for 1000 $ this is 65$ just fees ! ).
Further : how would you know about a product if there is no marketing done ?
Who will send the demos to magazines, test forums and beta customers?
We ship a lot internationally, but everyone needs to decide if he wants to go through this personally. You will probably not see any chinese cheapo makers talk to you here in the forums. The "oldfashioned" way of support costs money. No money means - no support and no conveniance.

It´s up to the customers.
And yes , we also use Novoflex parts, because they work. The Canon EOS mount of our HCam is done by them and it´s a pleasure to mount lenses into it.

Greetings from Munich
Stefan
 
V

Vivek

Guest
As we at Hartblei/HCam are in a similar situation with the US, I can tell you that it is difficult to decide if a customer feels it is worth paying the middleman. Just imagine what happens if there is something to repair or needs guarantee. If you want to send this back to Europe (or as well China)in many cases postage with UPS or even only with a US Post parcel insured will exceed the value of the item you bought. Then there is Customs/Handling, VAT, State taxes and international payments (Paypal charges 6,5 % for payments from the US - for 1000 $ this is 65$ just fees ! ).
Further : how would you know about a product if there is no marketing done ?
Who will send the demos to magazines, test forums and beta customers?
We ship a lot internationally, but everyone needs to decide if he wants to go through this personally. You will probably not see any chinese cheapo makers talk to you here in the forums. The "oldfashioned" way of support costs money. No money means - no support and no conveniance.

It´s up to the customers.
And yes , we also use Novoflex parts, because they work. The Canon EOS mount of our HCam is done by them and it´s a pleasure to mount lenses into it.

Greetings from Munich
Stefan
The focus of discussion (at some point..) was a NEX adapter.

If you look at the history of the adapters for live view cams (starting from the G1), it was the individual enthusiasm and creativeness that brought about them. Still, even now, the number of adapters in terms of sheer variety- be it a c-mount or a Pentax 110 lens to the NEX- it is the folks from PRC and not Novoflex that make them. Would they dare to take up a complex adapter like the NEX to m4/3rds? I doubt it.

The market was already there before Novoflex started selling any adapters. No need for them to "advertise".

Here is another view (check out the video, especially on the adapters):

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/nex_7_size.shtml
 

etrigan63

Active member
Actually this started with me asking about half-cases for the NEX-7 but drifted over to adapters. There appears to be a dim hope at this point that my NEX-7 will ship by year's end instead of St. Swithen's Day (as my dear 1st grade teacher, Sister Celeste, used to say), and I may get to try out these adapters sooner rather than later.

Cross your appendages, gentlemen.
 

Stefan Steib

Active member
Hi Vivek

maybe you should take a look at the history of Novoflex:

http://www.novoflex.com/en/company--contact/chronicle/

They actually started making the Bellows for different cameras with adapters for nearly all available cameras at that time in the fifties ! Probably before someone in china did spell the word camera.

I know all the people of the sales force and also Mr. Hiesinger, the CEO and I can only tell you I wished there would be more companies like this. They are problem solvers, not problem makers, a fast, reliable and stress free cooperation.

This is my personal judgement from over 5 years of work now.
I can´t tell about the US distribution because I don´t know them.

Greetings from Munich
Stefan

PS.: I am as keen as you guys to get my Nex 7. I think this is a milestone of a camera.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
One cardboard box (about 1 cubic feet) I have is full of historic adapters. Almost all are a lot older than I am. Some of my rare Novoflex adapters still have their cardboard boxes. I know their history well.

The current reality is, if I need an adapter or something custom machined to a very high degree of precision at an affordable price and without a big paper trail, the people I can rely upon are in PRC or Taiwan.

I wish it is Germany or better someone near me in the Netherlands!

I think it is wrong for some of you to dismiss anything from PRC or Taiwan as "cheapo". Open your eyes.
 

Stefan Steib

Active member
Vivek

you are turning my word into something I did not say. There are some very good precision makers in China and Taiwan, but their products also cost money, maybe less than a Novoflex, but still with handling , shipment and customs/VAT it´s not so far away.

The problem with several of these companies on Ebay is they steal design and construction by 1:1 copies of other peoples products. (example Zykkor, Kood......
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Nikon-G-Lens...867?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588afcbb43
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Kood-Pro-Can...ns_caps_hoods_adaptors_ET&hash=item588e427fb8
- see their Nikon G-ED to EOS Adapter which is stolen from Novoflex/ 16-9.net).

Regards
Stefan
 

hot

Active member
see their Nikon G-ED to EOS Adapter which is stolen from Novoflex/ 16-9.net
Each manufacturer which produces cameras making square pictures has idea stolen from LEICA !!!
Each car manufacturer making cars with round wheels had copied Mercedes!


Novoflex has searobbery prices ....

No, they do not file it by hand from a massive block of pure gold ...
 

Stefan Steib

Active member
@ hot

what would you say if someone takes your images, puts his name on it and sells them to your customers for 1/3 of the price you charge ?

BTW. I have bought such an adapter to see if it is working. They fall apart after 1 week of usage.The one that I got has about half a mm play vertically and horizontally on the bajonett, the unlock mechanism will give up and give you fun getting it off again, putting heavy lenses on it will result in axial and vertical "hangover" of the lens. The material used is of the cheapest much too weak quality. So these guys not only rip off the owners of intellectual property, they also rip off the customers. Means you.

I have 2 of the Novoflex adapters and they work perfectly after 1,5 years of usage even with our Hartblei 40mm (which weighs 1,7 kg!).

Greetings from Munich
Stefan
 

hot

Active member
@ hot
what would you say if someone takes your images, puts his name on it and sells them to your customers for 1/3 of the price you charge ?
Ouuuuuhhh ... this one will grew rich, ... millionaire!
I sell my photos for € 0.00.

He can sell my 800x450 photos for non-searobbery €0.00/3, hehehe.
 

hot

Active member
I have 2 of the Novoflex adapters and they work perfectly after 1,5 years of usage even with our Hartblei 40mm (which weighs 1,7 kg!).
Buyers of expensive things MUST praise their junk and make all other bad.

Sorry, you're a Hartblei employee and it isn't allowed for you saying something other ...

Yes, yes it's hard to see good and cheap Chinese adapters ... my 15 adapters are all metal, no one disintegrates into parts ... excellent quality!
 

pegelli

Well-known member
... my 15 adapters are all metal, no one disintegrates into parts ... excellent quality!
Add 2 of mine for 1/3 of the cost (delivered!) of similar European brand adapters.

Obvious if something is too cheap to be possible it usually is, but if you don't go overboard and check some references before ordering there is no real need to spend more in my opinion.

I understand the super craftmanship and the joy it gives to the user (I still own Leicas and Leica Lenses) but not all other stuff is bad (far from) and the incremental cost is usually only emotionally justifyable but not on objective price/value relationship
 

etrigan63

Active member
I just tested the Fotodiox OM adapter on a NEX-5 at Wolf Camera. The sales guy was just as fascinated as I was.


Zuiko 50mm f/1.4 shot wide open, 1/160 sec. ISO 200 I believe.
 

Mike Hatam

Senior Subscriber Member
This is great news! John - I'm glad to hear that you are going to offer these.

I've always been very impressed and satisfied with your adapters.

Mike

I expect to have my Nex-M adapter on the market in a few weeks:

direct sales from the mfg (me, made in USA; brooklyn, acutally)
steel springs
black anodized aluminum
target price $200

jm-at-milich-dot-com
 
J

joyce2911

Guest
there's one indepedent designer created handmade case for NEX-7, their name is VKworkshop, i think you can look them up on Etsy or sth :)
 
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