Premium Members JobScholtze Posted February 26, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 Hi All, Last December i bought a Benz 4000 system and paid for it. After several emails i get one back from them in January. The had some software problems, but saying that the ship end January. It's now 27 of February.I send them 3 emails already, but no response. Am i the only one? I am renting a lot now, and that was not my meaning of buying one. Any info anybody? I hope that Ben Fisher is reading this topic as well, so he can inform me. Thanks a lot :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members JobScholtze Posted February 26, 2004 Author Premium Members Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 After posting this tread, i recieved a email from Ben Fisher. The are having problems with there spam filter. But when i send them a response to ben@unitcine.com, it also returns. I will try it again. Job" Still waiting for his new toy" Scholtze Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members JimBartell Posted February 26, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 Job" Still waiting for his new toy" Scholtze BFD's in stock. No waiting. Several units already in use in the Netherlands. Jim "get 'em on the rebound" Bartell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members David Allen Grove Posted February 26, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 I almost lost my shirt because of a lens control system that had software issues and a company that didn't care nor did they listen to their customers. Thank goodness the BFD came out when it did! Jim "the life saver" Bartell, has the best customer service and a fantastic product at a great price. What more can you ask for? LC3, you klingon battleship looking, heavy as a boat anchor, $20,000+ piece a junk, may you rest in piece... in lens control heaven. I feel much better now. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members JobScholtze Posted February 26, 2004 Author Premium Members Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 Hi there, I find it to easy to make a advertisement move because unitcine has a software bug. I am sure the service will be great and the system will work the way i need to. Let's have respect for other products. The email contact is fine now, so everything will be solved. Just my euro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Brad Grimmett Posted February 26, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 Hi there, I find it to easy to make a advertisement move because unitcine has a software bug. I am sure the service will be great and the system will work the way i need to. Let's have respect for other products. The email contact is fine now, so everything will be solved. Just my euro I think Jim was mainly making a joke about "get em on the rebound". He doesn't need to try to get business that way. His service and product get him all the business he needs. But your problem does bring to light how great Jim has been. I'm sure, and I hope that everything will be fine with Unitcine, but these things do sometimes remind us that an already established product that works great and has great customer support already, can often be the best decision, even if it costs more. Because taking a risk on a new product can sometimes cost you more in the long run. David Grove's LC3 debacle is a perfect eample. Of course, I'm not saying that this is the case with Unitcine, but in general it's something to think about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Erwin Landau Posted February 27, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 Hi there,I find it to easy to make a advertisement move because unitcine has a software bug. I am sure the service will be great and the system will work the way i need to. Let's have respect for other products. The email contact is fine now, so everything will be solved. Just my euro Hi Job, I think that that was uncalled for... If you are so convinced about there Product and there Costumer Service, why did you post the complaint in the first place? If you had faith in this company as we have in Jim, you would have waited... or better they would have informed you what was wrong... Jim has a great track record... UnitCine... we will see. Jim has a right to post against that product as they did against his. I have a problem with new products that look, work and are priced very much like the product they are copying... You must admit that the Benz looks just way to much like a BFD... It's easy to copy an existing product... look at the Scorpio and Preston. (Bought a Preston, shipped it to Spain, took it apart and came up with OH A BETTER product then the Preston... that by the way uses all the same boards and electronics...) and then tell it's better as... I went down to AbelCine to check one out. As a former BFD user I don't see why I should trade the BFD for a Benz... it's the same unit, just with a couple of upgrades that were able to be sold to the same price as the BFD due to the fact that the R&D was already in place... So please... Post in a couple of Weeks or Months and then tell us how it works and how quickly you got taken care of, how the Costumer Service was in an emergency (Like Jim's same day receipt, repair and shipped back) and if we can put UnitCine in the very distiguished row of few companies like: XCS (Greg Bubb) BFD (Jim Bartell) Klassen F/X (Walter Klassen) Preston (Howard Preston) SteadyRig (Hugo Langer) That are known for there quality and beyond any reason, great Costumer Service or in another group, that names should remain not mentioned here... Erwin " Big respect for Jim and his product " Landau, SOC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members JobScholtze Posted February 27, 2004 Author Premium Members Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 QUOTE_ If you are so convinced about there Product and there Costumer Service, why did you post the complaint in the first place? END QUOTE Erwin, This was not a complain, i just did'nt understand why there was no email contact anymore. I am sure that Jim gives you great service and i don't want to compare the bdf and the Benz. I was not happy with the communication with unitcine, true. But it has been restored now, even wanted to send me a spare in the meantime. I agree, Letta's wait a few weeks and i will update about the service and the unit. The only thing i mean is, let's have respect for other manufactures. Job "keep the peace" Scholtze Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Fisher Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 Isn't plagiarism the sincerest form of flattery... In 1995 Howard Smith and I (we owned VFX together) designed, built and sold the TCFS (triple channel focus system). Production ended at the end of 1997. Here's some pictures taken last year of a VFX system belonging to Chesapeake Camera (it came back for the potentiometer to be replaced and a service). The system had many features including: PP3 battery inserted in base of handset to power handset(s). Lens setup via two rotary knobs ('+/-' on handset). Backlash compensation ('B' on handset). Damping control on Iris. Focus motor ganging. Small form factor receiver with three channels. Both momentary and latching run signal. Worked from 12 or 24v. Handsets (F/I/Z) daisy chained. 12 bit resolution. VFX TCFS systems have been in the US since mid-1997 Showbiz Expo '97 and are still being used to this day. Apologies for the size/download time of the images. Kind regards, Ben Fisher UNITCINE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members JimBartell Posted February 27, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 Geez, you try to make a joke..... Seriously, I wasn't trying to get anything but a laugh. My apologies if it came across any other way. I am familiar with the VFX system and do know Mr. Fisher was involved in the design. I have sold BFD's to VFX owners who couldn't get them repaired. I will state that I never saw one or even heard of it until the BFD was already in production. I was more consciously trying to make a product similar to the Chrosziel Fox with better performance, better ergonomics and a much lower price. I was recommending the Fox to customers until I heard the price ($5000 was reported to me). A little light bulb went on and I thought, "Man, I could do that for a lot less". The rest, as they say, is history. I will confess to being curious as to why the VFX was discontinued. I've heard that it worked just fine. Erwin, Brad, Thanks for the support. It is appreciated. Jim "slapping a gag over my sense of humor" Bartell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sven Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 Sluta och kasta skit på varandra !! Sven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members David Allen Grove Posted February 27, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 Geez, you try to make a joke.....Jim "slapping a gag over my sense of humor" Bartell Jim, don't you dare gag your sense of humor! Yes, humor does get lost on this forum with some folks as well as the best of intentions.. We all have to just loosen up, sit back, relax and not be so paranoid. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members JamieSilverstein Posted February 27, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 I have to echo what the guru of Steadicam says (thats you Erwin), which is that the customer service of a company is all that matters, once the product has been proven field worthy. So from that point lets start with the basic facts: 1) The BFD has sold many HUNDRED units at this point and there have not been very complaints about the unit. 2) From my stand point, any issues that I have had with my BFD's either due to normal wear and tear or design modification have been taken care of with the utmost concern for my needs and a great interest in my thoughts concerning the product. Needless to say, once sent to Jim, the unit was back to me promptly. 3) I have yet to have see a Benz out in the field, and I was looking at prototypes at Able New York a year ago. Those are the facts as I see them. Customer service for a field proven piece of epuipment. And I must agree with the guru of Steadicam on another issue; which specifically is that there are good companies out there and there are those interested in chasing the dollar and only the dollar. Erwin highlighted those companies out there who have a tremendous amount of integrity, and are interested in helping/serving those who buy from them, knowing that a happy customer will be the best advertisment going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Brad Grimmett Posted February 27, 2004 Premium Members Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 We all have to just loosen up, sit back, relax and not be so paranoid. ;) paranoidwhattayameanparanoidwhosparanoid? :ph34r: :unsure: :wacko: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members JobScholtze Posted April 8, 2004 Author Premium Members Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Just to inform you all, the unit arrived 1 month ago and did several jobs with it. I use a heden M28VPT and the Benz 5000 and it works great. The calibrate is very handy. The support is great, "long phone calls" and willing to lend what ever i need. The unit is powerfull, easy to set up and the ac is loving it. So at the end everything is well. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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