Origo - heres the deal...

[CVB]

I read a post a few minutes ago suggesting that we were manufacturing counterfeit connectors and stamping the Lemo name on them. That is ridiculous. We have spent over $50K with lemo over the past several months and even had them manufacture the first 400 cables that we shipped with Origo. While it is true that we were contemplating using a non-lemo connector for Origo we never went through with it. We received a couple samples that were amazing but upon receipt of $14K woth of production non-lemo connectors we quickly found that they were total garbage. We scrapped the entire plan.

When it came time to pick connectors for Inclino and Impero we again decided to see if there were any alternatives to the Lemo connectors and received about 100 plugs and 50 receptacles from a company here in the states selling "lemo-compatible" connectors. We assembled about 50 cables using these connectors as they seemed to be fine but upon having several of our preliminary testers on Inclino test the units we received the news that those connectors were also not quite up to the cinema standard - thery weren't necessarily unusable but they were difficult to use and unreliable. We put the cables on the shelf amongst dozens of other scrap parts.

I received a call this afternoon from Abel where they in fact had received cables from us that had these non-lemo connectors on them. In the end it looks like some of those cables may have slipped into the production cables for origo. All I can say is we messed up. We have three people working full time on the assembly, testing, and technical aspects of Origo, Inclino and Impero in tight quarters. I cant be on the shop floor 24/7 and everyone in the shop is not aware of the ins and outs of the parts on the shelves.

I can promise that we are changing the way things are done... we are taking every single bad part in our shop and boxing them up and putting them in my storage - far from where we assemble production parts. As for any of you that find a cable with these non-lemo connectors... email us at info@viewfactor.net and we will arrange to have them replaced. You can identify the connectors because they do not say "LEMO" on them.

Once again, I apologize profusely for this problem and we are taking measures that we never have this happen again.

[Sanjin Jukic]

Thanks Curt,

after all testing and checking I still think that Origo is the best accessory on my RED1.

[David Wilson]

Our Origo has worked perfectly from the day we received it many months ago. Indispensable product. Many thanks.

[Mike Prevette]

Good to know. I wonder how many of the failures are with non lemo cables? Any thoughts on how many third party cables shipped?

I have to reiterate my support for ya. My Origo works flawlessly, and is my favorite Red add on. Getting a complex product to market isn't easy. A lot of people on this forum have never had the chance to watch products come to market by developing in front of their eyes. And I think a lot aren't use to it. Keep your head up.

Also thanks for initiating that customer survey. Hopefully those results will be handy in figuring this out.

[Cam Crowley]

Hey Curt - got your survey. Read the other thread and I think some of the accusations shot at you are pretty unfair.

My Origo and cables have worked 100% from day one. I'm sure this will blow over soon enough and many of us on here know you're working your arse off to get your products out there the best you can.

Cam

[gbalaji]

I read a post a few minutes ago suggesting that we were manufacturing counterfeit connectors and stamping the Lemo name on them. That is ridiculous. We have spent over $50K with lemo over the past several months and even had them manufacture the first 400 cables that we shipped with Origo. While it is true that we were contemplating using a non-lemo connector for Origo we never went through with it. We received a couple samples that were amazing but upon receipt of $14K woth of production non-lemo connectors we quickly found that they were total garbage. We scrapped the entire plan.

When it came time to pick connectors for Inclino and Impero we again decided to see if there were any alternatives to the Lemo connectors and received about 100 plugs and 50 receptacles from a company here in the states selling "lemo-compatible" connectors. We assembled about 50 cables using these connectors as they seemed to be fine but upon having several of our preliminary testers on Inclino test the units we received the news that those connectors were also not quite up to the cinema standard - thery weren't necessarily unusable but they were difficult to use and unreliable. We put the cables on the shelf amongst dozens of other scrap parts.

I received a call this afternoon from Abel where they in fact had received cables from us that had these non-lemo connectors on them. In the end it looks like some of those cables may have slipped into the production cables for origo. All I can say is we messed up. We have three people working full time on the assembly, testing, and technical aspects of Origo, Inclino and Impero in tight quarters. I cant be on the shop floor 24/7 and everyone in the shop is not aware of the ins and outs of the parts on the shelves.

I can promise that we are changing the way things are done... we are taking every single bad part in our shop and boxing them up and putting them in my storage - far from where we assemble production parts. As for any of you that find a cable with these non-lemo connectors... email us at info@viewfactor.net and we will arrange to have them replaced. You can identify the connectors because they do not say "LEMO" on them.

Once again, I apologize profusely for this problem and we are taking measures that we never have this happen again.

Is it possible for you to post some snaps for us to find whether the cable shipped with connectors is lemo or not?

[James Brundige]

Thanks for the explanation, Curt. Will be checking all cables. Origo is an important accessory for me. Before considering other purchases, I'd like to hear your reaction to this statement:

QUOTE FROM JARRED: uggh. We ( at RED ) jumped up and down, waved the RED flag, and screamed to Curt months ago that there was a serious issue and that many customers were affected. For whatever reason, those multiple warnings were met with denial and/or fell on deaf ears. And some how in the end, RED still gets blamed for the problem. end QUOTE

BTW I think its absurd that people are suggesting that Red pay for any damages connected to this.

[Miltos Pilalitos]

My origo is working fine since day one too. I have a very early SN (#OR0062). I also checked both cables (long one and short one) and they are fine.

I am sorry for all this trouble Curt is going through because I still believe they have manufactured very good quality products at very good prices.

[ericyoung]

Is it possible for you to post some snaps for us to find whether the cable shipped with connectors is lemo or not?

The last part of his post said that the suspect connectors do NOT have LEMO stamped on them.

[Charles Papert]

I had some custom work done a few years back on my Steadicam that incorporated Jupiter (Lemo-compatible) right-angle connectors. They live in a connected state on the rig and at least one if not more of them are able to be rotated a certain amount and always have been. I should probably have changed them out right away but they are simple two-conductor power cables and I just moved on. However it did convince me that expensive as they are, true Lemos are the only way to go (I own many thousands of dollars worth of Steadicam and Preston power cables and the Lemo connectors are simply bulletproof).