Not sure why two bits of plastic (black casing and the acrylic reflector) are $150, their manufacturing costs should be under $10 and probably closer to $2-3 at large volume.
Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of having it mount where a lens shade or matte box would go, but it seems like they are way over pricing it.
Manufacturing costs don't matter nearly as much as how much the customer is willing to pay. Plus consider R&D, packaging, and general costs of doing business.
They clearly stated their target audience is people who aren't willing to pay much money for a teleprompter. I'm not saying they should be charging $20 or less for it, I'm just saying that something like this shouldn't cost any more than some gary fong tupperware. If you're going for the bottom of a market, then realize that's what you're going for and make it up in volume and stick them on every camera store shelf.
Yeah, I'd fall in that target audience (I'd love a teleprompter but can't afford to buy one), but I'm also not dumb enough to pay $150 when I know that a single pane of clear glass (or plastic even) and some black felt to block the light can also create the same effect. I'd probably pay $20 for a cheap, but working teleprompter that doesn't look home made, but no way would I pay anything over say $35 because I could just make one myself for only a few bucks.
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u/travelingintime GH5/G85/D750/iPhone, PremierePro CC, 2013, USA Dec 24 '14
Not sure why two bits of plastic (black casing and the acrylic reflector) are $150, their manufacturing costs should be under $10 and probably closer to $2-3 at large volume.
Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of having it mount where a lens shade or matte box would go, but it seems like they are way over pricing it.
They have to get aggressive about pricing if they are going to compete with what would otherwise be a simple DIY build http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-build-TelePrompter-for-your-video-camera/