Help us plan RED....please...

[Chris Parker]

i have made several posts on various threads about this, and decided to make it it's own thread.

For items that are in the pipeline (or in early shipping modes), it would be so helpful if RED was to make a clear, concise, and regularly updated (once a month even) schedule as to what is shipping, and what is expected to ship. even with their 'everything can change' style, it would be a huge help.

two things that immediately spring to mind are:

1. the 18-85 lens. I held off on getting an 18-50 because i feel the 18-85 lens is better for me. i don't know the exected shipping schedule, although i have heard that about 50 a month are expected to ship when it starts. i don't know what my number is in this lineup. as only 50 a month may ship (this is heresay, and a big reason why i think RED should start a section where they give official updates on this sort of thing) i may be waiting a few months, up to maybe 10 months to get my lens. big difference. all i want is to KNOW ROUGHLY when i would expect it, so i can make other plans as needed to run my business.

2. the EVF. same thing. don't know when i can expect this to arrive. 1 month? 3 months? 6 months? i would certainly consider sub-renting one for a spell if i knew roughly when mine was expected.

3. prime lenses, etc. etc.

I am not sure if this is something beyond the control of RED, but it sure would be great to have this information layed out by RED, and not just as conjecture on various threads around the forum.

If they don't want to make it public, that is totally cool. Maybe they could email people who have actually paid deposits for things an expected timeframe on delivery.

Thanks.

[Axel Mertes]

http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7464

I think more is not to be expected from RED said as far as I understand it.

[Andrew Benz]

two things that immediately spring to mind are:

1. the 18-85 lens. I held off on getting an 18-50 because i feel the 18-85 lens is better for me. i don't know the exected shipping schedule, although i have heard that about 50 a month are expected to ship when it starts. i don't know what my number is in this lineup. as only 50 a month may ship (this is heresay, and a big reason why i think RED should start a section where they give official updates on this sort of thing)


Sorry Skip your very wrong on the hearsay notion... When I write something that says per Jim you can bet your ass it is per Jim. :tongue:

I was trying to post helpful info, because I am in the same boat as you except I put a deposit down on the 18-85mm when it was first available to us to do so.

Here is the source, my apologies if I have caused anyone angst or confusion, it was not my intent.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showpost.php?p=845961&postcount=13

Jim was just trying to be helpful and help nurture another great source for RED info and I am thankful to Chris Hurd for his great website.

Cheers,

Andrew Benz
Content Producer/Cameraman (multi formats/film)
Deep South, USA

ps-Skip, I really dug your photos of you working in the Middle East. Have not been back since the mid nineties myself. Cheers and have a good weekend, I hope that cleared things up.:)

[Chris Parker]

thanks andrew. when i said heresay, i did mean that it was because I heard it from your post, who was referencing a third post. i did not mean to question the legitimacy of it, just to make the point that if RED actually made it official, it could save a lot of people a lot of time, and allow a lot of us to make better plans for our businesses.

something like they do with the cameras ('now serving', etc.) would be amazing. my main concern is the 18-85, which at 50 per month i am afraid i will not see for a year! and the EVF.....

[Andrew Benz]

thanks andrew. when i said heresay, i did mean that it was because I heard it from your post, who was referencing a third post. i did not mean to question the legitimacy of it, just to make the point that if RED actually made it official, it could save a lot of people a lot of time, and allow a lot of us to make better plans for our businesses.

something like they do with the cameras ('now serving', etc.) would be amazing. my main concern is the 18-85, which at 50 per month i am afraid i will not see for a year! and the EVF.....

Copy that sir, I see your point and certainly agree with you. I have resigned myself to the fact no matter how I slice it, I will need the 18-50mm now and use it for single op, non-hardlined EFP not when an AC is needed for commercial production. Even being in the first 300 puts me out a ways. The Optars are no longer an option due to their putrid service from the company representing them here in the states (for further clarification that is not Able Cine-they rep Optica and Mitch Gross has always been helpful to me). The Rogue could be great but a 30 -80mm is not wide enough for me. Though I am sure it will be a great lens. I like the options and hopefully NAB will hurry up and reveal the answers to our questions.

Cheers Skip... Thanks

[Chris Parker]

where did you spend time in the middle east?

me.....pretty much only saudi arabia....but all over saudi arabia.

and of course the odd weekend off in bahrain.....

[Jon Sagud]

Just a brief addition to this thread.....

In most cases when RED suggests a "planned" calendar of events, it's not so much to be coy or mysterious. It is never our intention to create problems or make your lives more difficult. Traditionally, in this industry, manufacturers won't even mention a product until it is produced. Often times even when delivery follows an announcement, back orders will make new product difficult to obtain. In RED's, case we want everyone to be involved with the process. It has been Jim's wish from the beginning that we be transparent, that "we are all in this together". So, when our engineers think up something really awesome, we want to share that news....right away. When we think we've got something that is f'n brilliant, we can't help ourselves; we blab it all over the place. Wouldn't you?

The fact is, many times, we have no idea when it's going to happen. Parts acquisition, design missteps, manufacturing setbacks, cost surprises, blunders and any number of unknowns rear their ugly head in the midst of bringing high technology science to the marketplace. There is not one soul at RED that wouldn't want to tell you the day your EVF will arrive. Or the day our 18-85 delivers to your front porch. The horrible, cruel fact of the matter is, we don't know. We know what we want it to be. But our crystal balls are just a little cloudy and, hard as we try, we are still lousy at forecasting the future. Don't think we will give up trying. I will post every week on the Delivery SCHEDULE sticky what we think is going on. We are doing our best at doing it the way we think it should be done.

Transparent, with you, the customer, in the loop. To keep it all a secret and stonewall what is coming is just not our style. When we know, you'll know. Don't ever think we are so amazingly superhuman that we have it down to the day and we're keeping that info from you.

[KETCH ROSSi]

Have to agree with Big Jon here.

I'm kind of known for been always the one or one of the first ones with the latest toys, from manufactures such as Canon.

But even them when announcing their products months before supposed scheduled release to the public for direct purchase form any of their authorized resellers, it still takes months for this items to be in stock.

They are out of stock or back ordered, even at places like B&H, which is a huge A%$# place and buy incredible volumes of merchandise.

It is simply every reseller or direct seller as RED, to have as much goods available for sale as the immediacy allows it, as if they don't sale they don't make any money, reservation and small deposit, just doesn't cut it, not for any manufacturer that I know of.

I truly come to admire RED's policy of transparency, even so I admit, I'm the worst when it comes to wait for something, when I know of a product that I wont, I wanted, and I wanted NOW!

But all good things come to those that wait!



Ciao

[Andrew Benz]

Big Jon... you will never be a brief addition(:biggrin:). But your words and further clarification are greatly needed and appreciated. Thank you sir, this helps a lot.


Off Topic:

Skip- I spent short tdy's in the Khobar Towers complex in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia pre 1996, INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey and a nice long stay in Cairo for Operation Bright Star (3+months). I was able to go all the way to Aswan and everything in between, Egypt is amazing in so many respects.

Great times and great people. I lived with the locals like family whenever it was possible, especially breaking bread, smoking Shisha, drinking tea and roaming the Khan el-Khalili for days on end in 1995... these were special times...

It is a dream to someday go to the UAE (and to Saudi Arabia again-- the trip was just a week or so). I am just saddened by the current climate (meaning the whole complex, ball of wax --U.S. included).

Thanks again for those pics into your world Skip.