AD-360 360W External Portable Flash

Not to bring up an old thread but I am in HK for vacation and found the the Godox version (original) sells for around $400 USD for the whole kit. Those selling in the US are making a mint!

Obsidian wrote in post #16548357
Not to bring up an old thread but I am in HK for vacation and found the the Godox version (original) sells for around $400 USD for the whole kit. Those selling in the US are making a mint!

It's easy when the manufacturing plant is only a truck drive away and there's no taxes

Obsidian wrote in post #16548357
Not to bring up an old thread but I am in HK for vacation and found the the Godox version (original) sells for around $400 USD for the whole kit. Those selling in the US are making a mint!

It's roughly 18 miles from Shenzhen to Hong Kong Island so pretty minimal transport costs. Plus the product can be shifted that short distance in a cheapo wrapper (possibly just shrink-wrapped), probably without padding.

Alternatively, factor in the cost of:-

1. Inclusion in a shipping container.
   
2. At least proportional cost of loading said container onto ship/aircraft.
   
3. Admin costs of completing CN22 documentation.
   
4. Transit insurance.
   
5. US transport costs from arrival port to end-seller, complete with documentation pertaining thereto.
   
6. Cost to reseller of providing Warranty (ready reckoner method often applied can be 5-10% of the unit retail cost).
   
7. An element for coyly termed "invisible losses" (ie theft) in a retail environment - unfortunately this does happen!
   
8. "Post free" distribution cost from end-seller onwards to final purchaser.
   
9. Import duties and taxes (just as an example - UK import duty is 3.75%. Add Sales Tax of 20%. Add admin charge for collecting these two taxes. US taxes, etc will differ but still be a contributing factor.)
   
10. Advertising costs - yes, even a commercial website costs money!
    

Take the $400 US that you pay and then add in your airfare, meals, hotel expense, ect...

Then you can compare apples to apples

LOL
just like the district in LA the more you buy the cheaper it gets. The price is really nothing compared to the unit it self. The 360 is one killer unit

Rocky Rhode wrote in post #16549465
Take the $400 US that you pay and then add in your airfare, meals, hotel expense, ect...

Then you can compare apples to apples

...........uhhh no?

why not just order from a reseller in HK for $400?

Whortleberry wrote in post #16548983
It's roughly 18 miles from Shenzhen to Hong Kong Island so pretty minimal transport costs. Plus the product can be shifted that short distance in a cheapo wrapper (possibly just shrink-wrapped), probably without padding.

Alternatively, factor in the cost of:-

1. Inclusion in a shipping container.
   
2. At least proportional cost of loading said container onto ship/aircraft.
   
3. Admin costs of completing CN22 documentation.
   
4. Transit insurance.
   
5. US transport costs from arrival port to end-seller, complete with documentation pertaining thereto.
   
6. Cost to reseller of providing Warranty (ready reckoner method often applied can be 5-10% of the unit retail cost).
   
7. An element for coyly termed "invisible losses" (ie theft) in a retail environment - unfortunately this does happen!
   
8. "Post free" distribution cost from end-seller onwards to final purchaser.
   
9. Import duties and taxes (just as an example - UK import duty is 3.75%. Add Sales Tax of 20%. Add admin charge for collecting these two taxes. US taxes, etc will differ but still be a contributing factor.)
   
10. Advertising costs - yes, even a commercial website costs money!
    

By the time everyone has had their little slice of the action, it's quite possible that the profit margin for the HK dealer is actually greater than that for a US/UK/AU/EU dealer. We do get a rather distorted view of costs when buying from different countries - until the man from UPS turns up with the eagerly-awaited parcel and says "Oh, didn't they tell you, there's umpty-several dollars charges to pay".

UK has crazy taxes

I hear you have one for sale Mike at a good price.

Don't forget that AUTHORIZED resellers are bound by their agreement with Godox to maintain a minimum price point. Resellers who violate the agreement will no longer be supplied product. Simple as that. Vendors selling the AD-180/AD-360 at bargain prices are not receiving their merchandise directly from Godox. Godox sells in large quantities to trading companies and it's these trading companies that provide product to the low-price resellers. These resellers have no direct contact with and are immune from sanctions imposed by Godox. When Godox becomes aware of reseller pricing that is in violation of the contractual minimum they must do some detective work to determine the source trading company. Once the source has been located, appropriate steps are taken to restore market equilibrium.

Of course, transport, duties, insurance, warehousing, warranty coverage, etc. all factor into the retail pricing equation but, ultimately, the lowest LEGITIMATE selling price is dictated by Godox. Calumet, Cheetah, Lencarta, ... all must play by the same rules.

abbadon31 wrote in post #16411705
I should mention the godox xenergizer 600w only goes down to 1/8 power. So if need some less then that you want to use a speedlite

I was looking for this post the other day. They list that this goes to 1/32. So you are saying that it doesn't ?? any chance that it might have changed recently? I trust someone that has it and uses it more than what they list.
The Only difference is it's the Neewer label on it, but I can't see that being the difference. Since they are the same product just labeled differently.

Here is the ad
Max. Power: 600W/S
Guide No. : 68
Battery Type: LiFePo4 (12.8V/8000mAh)
Recycling Time at 1/1 Full Power: 2.5 sec
Full Power Flashes: Approx. 450
Flash Duration: 1/800 to 1/2000 sec
Power Adjusting: 16 steps from 1/32 to 1/1
Modeling Lamp: 20W / 12V
Color Temperature: 5600K±200K
Illumination Angle: 65 degrees
Voltage of Charger: AC100-240V / 50-60Hz

They might have mine don't go below that. When I get the trigger below 1/8 the pack fires full power.

Well I ordered it anyway, (xenergizer 600 w/s) I don't have any true portable strobes so for $450, I figured why not give it a try. If it goes at least to 1/16th I'll be happy.

Thanks for your comments on it. It helps a lot when looking at items that not a lot of people have.