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Author Topic: New Arctic Butterfly - NO upgrade policy  (Read 27850 times)

Fred Ragland

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New Arctic Butterfly - NO upgrade policy
« Reply #20 on: May 24, 2006, 06:17:25 pm »

I obtained the original butterfly in late February and have had the same bad experiences as the others of you todate...and received the same refusals of a reduced price upgrade.  If you read down through the list of unhappy owners you wonder how so many of us could have gone wrong.  

Truth is, we didn't have much choice.  The technology allows us to go where canned air can't go and although the butterfly comes apart doing it, it does a pretty good job of cleaning our sensors.  If we had known it would come apart we might have waited for the quality to improve.  But there were all those glowing reports from beta tester web site owners who where as spell bound by the effectiveness of the gadget as the rest of us - without having enough experience with it to warn us of the problems we'd have to put up with.  

If we had known earlier of the problems and that a replacement was coming, many of us would have waited.  But we weren't told.  Marketing 101 calls this Mushroom Management.  We can't afford to do it with our customers nor can the butterfly people or their beta testers.  Alternatives will inevitably surface.  At that point, building customer loyalty will become very important to them.  

Too late.
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tbonanno

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New Arctic Butterfly - NO upgrade policy
« Reply #21 on: May 24, 2006, 11:47:18 pm »

Good perspective Fred.  Personally, I'm finished with them.

Quote
I obtained the original butterfly in late February and have had the same bad experiences as the others of you todate...and received the same refusals of a reduced price upgrade.  If you read down through the list of unhappy owners you wonder how so many of us could have gone wrong. 

Truth is, we didn't have much choice.  The technology allows us to go where canned air can't go and although the butterfly comes apart doing it, it does a pretty good job of cleaning our sensors.  If we had known it would come apart we might have waited for the quality to improve.  But there were all those glowing reports from beta tester web site owners who where as spell bound by the effectiveness of the gadget as the rest of us - without having enough experience with it to warn us of the problems we'd have to put up with. 

If we had known earlier of the problems and that a replacement was coming, many of us would have waited.  But we weren't told.  Marketing 101 calls this Mushroom Management.  We can't afford to do it with our customers nor can the butterfly people or their beta testers.  Alternatives will inevitably surface.  At that point, building customer loyalty will become very important to them. 

Too late.
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Tony Bonanno Photography
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DigitalTasmania

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New Arctic Butterfly - NO upgrade policy
« Reply #22 on: June 18, 2007, 08:33:33 am »

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On about half of those occasions either the brush would come
out of the metal stem or the whole assembly would detach from the handle
and fly across the room.  Not happy about this.

I have a 5D that has seen a fair bit of use - and as I don't have a spare body - lenses are often changed.

After well over a year the "visible dust" issue has really gotten out of hand and I had to do something.

Living in a magic but unpopulated place like Tasmania, choice is very limited.  There is no local service centre for Canon and the local camera "specialists" are very happy to clean your sensor but won't garuntee their work -  - If they break your camera you pay for it ? (But they are happy to charge you for their "service")

Canon service requires shipping and many weeks without the body.

So after much rumination and frustration I broke down and bought an Arctic Butterfly 724 from a local dealer.  Cost in Australia for me was AUD$189.00

I wasn't entirely comfortable with spending that much money on such an item but I went home happy that I'd at least arrived at a solution - dollars be damned (and or burned).

Setup the workspace.  Double checked the 5D manual and read the VisibleDust website (which is not the easiest portal to navigate, IMO) and their "slip of paper".  Opened the cap and fired up the little motor AND . . . the pointy end of the whole business - the "ultra clean" brush head - flew across the room!!!!      (BTW - I only found this thread AFTER the debacle.)

The 724 is going back for a refund tomorrow.  A huge waste of time - very unimpressed.
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digitaldog

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New Arctic Butterfly - NO upgrade policy
« Reply #23 on: June 18, 2007, 09:31:34 am »

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I could never get past the psuedo scientific mumbo jumbo on their website, and the outrageous prices as well.

If you need a brush, just get one from Copperhill.
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I think its a good product but I agree, the web site is a mess, they have WAY too many products and the prices are out of sight.
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DigitalTasmania

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New Arctic Butterfly - NO upgrade policy
« Reply #24 on: June 18, 2007, 11:55:08 pm »

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I think its a good product but I agree, the web site is a mess, they have WAY too many products and the prices are out of sight.

Dear Ddog,

I appreciate your comments here.  However, it seems from experience that after many years VD is still making products - like the AUD$189 724 I returned this morning - that when used as directed don't work?
 
I'm not sure how one could deal with a motorized brush that randomly flings the "sacred" cleaning head across the room and onto the floor just as you are about to try to clean your camera?  For remote and "travel" cleaning are you meant to somehow source isopropyl and a place to clean the brush (only to have it possibly flung onto the ground again)?

This is a very expensive device that IMO, given it's price and highly sensitive task, must work reliably?

I'm frustrated as I see few options (at least from the point of view of what SEEMS available from my small corner of the world).  An I'm mystified that MR and others appear to continue to recommend the Arctic Butterfly - are "we" just getting the very few brushes that are defective?

Comments on reliable and cost-effective alternatives or alternate views on the AB would be appreciated.

Wondering if the "5D Mk2" will have "anti-dust" system - also wonder if it will work?
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Ed Dubois

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New Arctic Butterfly - NO upgrade policy
« Reply #25 on: June 24, 2007, 02:31:07 pm »

I'm still using the original spinner that took the wooden handled brushes they started with. The quality of that unit is exceptionally.... POOR! It's held together with tape because the battery cover falls off all the time and the button the start the motor has also fallen out repeatedly so I now keep a paper clip handy. At least the plastic holder for the brush hasn't ever expelled the brush and it does work to clean the sensor quickly and easily.

Based on Michael's recommendation I bought their Sensor Loupe which arrived yesterday. While I was nervous about the possible quality issues, it looks to be well made, comes complete with everything (soft bag inside a zipper case, small carabiner on the case to attach to loops wherever, microfibre dust cloth, batteries and even a small strap to carry it around your neck if that's your pleasure). All in all this seems a very satisfactory product.

Based on the quality of the latter I think they may have heard their customer's complaints about the Butterfly even if they didn't say anything - perhaps a staff and or manufacturer change was implemented too.

As for their prices - I guess since I pay for Canon pro bodies and L lenses I'm a little less sensitive to pricing than I used to be
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kaelaria

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New Arctic Butterfly - NO upgrade policy
« Reply #26 on: June 24, 2007, 04:09:03 pm »

I guess I got very lucky - my original version is still working as new with no issues....used a dozen times over the last 2 years, lives in my backpack.
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mmurph

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New Arctic Butterfly - NO upgrade policy
« Reply #27 on: July 07, 2007, 03:51:09 pm »

I washed mine using the solution they provide. Still dirty on the sides.

It also leaves "fuzz" behind on the sensor. I had to go back and use Sensor Swabs to clean the crap left behind by the brush twice before I figured out where it was coming from.  

I have been meaning to get a replacement, at least to see if it won't leave the fuzz. Haven't found the receipt yet though.

Are they OK about exchanges? For how long?

Thanks!

Michael
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Phuong

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New Arctic Butterfly - NO upgrade policy
« Reply #28 on: July 26, 2007, 04:59:48 pm »

Quote
I washed mine using the solution they provide. Still dirty on the sides.

It also leaves "fuzz" behind on the sensor. I had to go back and use Sensor Swabs to clean the crap left behind by the brush twice before I figured out where it was coming from.   

I have been meaning to get a replacement, at least to see if it won't leave the fuzz. Haven't found the receipt yet though.

Are they OK about exchanges? For how long?

Thanks!

Michael
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i just checked VD website and found they got a new product, the SD800, which seems to be a (improved?) 724 equiped with various types of brush heads, including mirror and focusing screen brush. i don't have any direct experience with the 724 as i dont have it (still using the original paint-brush-like) but from the video demo, the SD800 looks like it has a dedicated holder that keeps the brush from loosening. at least i dont see it flying away in the video.
oh and that loup looks pretty useful
« Last Edit: July 27, 2007, 01:00:12 am by Phuong »
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