Polar Pro Investors

[GadgetGuy]

They are "Sharks" because of their business acumen.
I'll trust that over some guy with a clever moniker posting constantly on a user group.

Sounds like a backhanded compliment. You and I both know enough about the drone business from this forum to refute the premise upon which the 2 Sharks made the purchase (which likely will be renegotiated, after they do their due dilligence---no deal on the show is final). Let's just use common sense to analyze the drone filter business.

Do you presently personally own a set of lens filters for your own Phantom? Can you ever even conceive of a need for a set? Even if you did, would you be more likely spend $150 on a full set or $20, if they both accomplish the same thing? Extrapolate your answers to our 36,000 members who are the most likely purchasers of a high end filter set, because our Phantom's are capable of 4K video. I'll bet well less than 5% of Phantom owners ever have a real need for filters, and some might even consider spending money for them. DJI already sells their own, for those that do. For the other million drone purchasers of other brands with lesser cameras, if any camera, they will never need a filter for their drone. Plus, other competition has already entered the field at half the PP price, and is selling filters at the same weight as the original UV filter. The Taco RC filters are offering exactly that with multicoated filters. TACO-RC Multi-Coating MC ND filters set (ND4/8/16/32) for DJI Phantom 3 Professional Advance Free Shipping

As the other Sharks are so fond of asking those pitching, "Why should I pay you $1 million for a 20% interest in your business, when I can use that $1 million to create my own drone filter business and compete against you, because there is nothing proprietary about your business, and then I would own 100%?" [Insert any response here] "For that reason, I'm out."

 

[Martin Smith]

Nothing magical about a ND filter, its just darken glass... Any auto tint shop will give you various scraps in varying levels of darkness. Any numbskull can cut a circle with scissors and put it inside the lens cover already on the phantom.. This is a no brainer guys.... and even if there is no auto tint shop around you any automotive/home supply store will have rolls of it to choose from.

 

[snerd]

.......... Any numbskull can cut a circle with scissors and put it inside the lens cover already on the phantom.......

I can always tell the posters around my age................ by the terms they use. Numbskulls LOL!! Haven't heard that one in a looooooong time!

 

[GadgetGuy]

Nothing magical about a ND filter, its just darken glass... Any auto tint shop will give you various scraps in varying levels of darkness. Any numbskull can cut a circle with scissors and put it inside the lens cover already on the phantom.. This is a no brainer guys.... and even if there is no auto tint shop around you any automotive/home supply store will have rolls of it to choose from.

Furthermore, the ND filter's sole purpose is to lower the shutterspeed of video shot in bright daylight. It does nothing to change the exposure. It won't fix overexposure! It actually smears and blurs the individual images taken as part of the 24/30 fps for a cinematic effect. It will ruin any still frames extracted out of your 4K video! Unless you are a professional cinematographer, why would you want to put sunglasses over your lens? If you do, cut out a filter for next to nothing!

 

[Martin Smith]

I can always tell the posters around my age................ by the terms they use. Numbskulls LOL!! Haven't heard that one in a looooooong time!

See if we're close 52....

 

[snerd]

What's 8 years?!

 

[Martin Smith]

nuthing, in a hundred years we'll both make the same pile of dust....

 

[Fyod]

Furthermore, the ND filter's sole purpose is to lower the shutterspeed of video shot in bright daylight. It does nothing to change the exposure. It won't fix overexposure! It actually smears and blurs the individual images taken as part of the 24/30 fps for a cinematic effect. It will ruin any still frames extracted out of your 4K video! Unless you are a professional cinematographer, why would you want to put sunglasses over your lens? If you do, cut out a filter for next to nothing!

With this logic, you could take a branch and duct tape a phone to it, yet people opt to buy a selfie stick for $50. You also don't need a tripod, since you can just find an obejct to set the camera on. Heck, why buy a drone with a gimbal when you can just double sided tape a camera on and fix it in post?

 

[Martin Smith]

Exactly... now you're tuning in...

 

[AlexSP]

Sometimes it´s not about the product itself but rather the BRAND. The starting cost of a business - any business - is higher than the acquisition of shares, the learning curve has a price and that has been paid already on an estabilished brand. Besides, you can´t rush time, can´t buy time - and time (as well as TIMING) can mean a difference in business as well.

Not making any judgement of the kid´s business or the Sharks move, even less so the merits of filters, just stating some facts. You gotta be 100% into something to know all the pros and cons. And let´s not forget that as good in business as sharks may be, they also make mistakes. No one is failproof and they know taking risks is a good thing - that´s their REAL business most of the time!