HonL 1/8 & 1/4 Grid ripped off as Opteka Grid

Hey Guys!

Check this out! Whenever a product is given over to a Chinese manufacturer, and the patent is still pending, you'd be sure that it's going to be copied and sold at a lower price - similar to what happened with Paul C Buff's PLM v1.

I was on the market looking for a grid to use with my SB28s and was recommended to use Honl grids. I saw that the design's patent was pending, and i ran straight to eBay to see if a knock off was already made - and you can bet that there already is one! But I can't decide to either pick this one up or pick the up real Honl stuff (or pick nothing at all). I'll let you be the judge!

Original Honl 1/8 Grid

Buy both! Do a comparison test then let us know. I have a honl. pricey for what it is.

Oh and it's probably made by same Chinese manufacture.

ruchad1 wrote in post #11762655
Oh and it's probably made by same Chinese manufacture.

Must be true..

I got an Opteka battery grip for my camera. Looks/feels like the original Canon. I read many posts and links that said that Opteka was "provided access" to the same molds that Canon uses for their grip that sells for 4X the cost. If the original equipment is manufactured in that part of the world, consider that "access has been provided"..

Now.. If Canon/Nikon (name your FAV) were to sell their original equipment for less $$$ then we won't be searching for a knock off would we?

I wouldn't be so sure that this only happens with items where the patent is pending. It sort of depends on how well the manufacturers observe the patent laws of USA. Then if a patent is violated, isn't it up to the patent holder to take action against the infringer? And what power does a relatively small US patent holder have against a manufacturer in China? The best that could be hoped for is to keep the goods from being imported - but that does nothing against the rest of world where the knock-off is sold (unless the inventor also has obtained patents in those countries as well). I am no patent attorney, but this is how it seems to me.

In one sense, sad - but in reality, just the way it is.