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That is yet another absurdity about these CM33 guys. For a pancake lens, is it really necessary to put those toy filters inside the lens? Is the diameter that big they can't do with those one million and one filters on the market already? In the old days we use to stack two cheap filters together, fill it with sparkles, bokeh cutouts, grass, and even flowers to make some creative lomo effects for cheap without any complex engineering solution. This CM33 highlight some of the issues with kickstarter projects - Full of dreams and fantasies, believing that money will come easy... There is a reason why those suit-wearing, bean-counting venture capitalists exist and do well. They might now know much about photography but they know money. they vet each investment seriously. Can the CM33 guys convince those venture capitalists to put up $600,000 for a company that sells only ONE product? I don't know. But for a $800 manual lens? They are looking at some serious competition from Voigtlander. They have about 50 days left, which means they need to find at least 20 donors a day. and you know what? Even if the funding target is reached, you gotta wait till November of 2016 for delivery. I am a big fan for Mr. Miyazaki's work (http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/MS_Optical_R%26D), and have had the honor of owning two of his handcrafted Leica-mount lens. He sells his wonderfully crafted lens about $600 a piece. Each with great optics and workmanship. Really, If I have $800, 900 to spend, CM33 would be quite low on my shopping list.

The whole point of going crowdfunding such as kickstarter / indiegogo is to generate the seed money without sacrifice ownership to angel investors or pay interest on a business loan. Therefore, sensible projects can presell their stuff at a much cheaper price considering all the savings. Does the CM33 worth $800 retail? Perhaps, and if there is an actual product there, we will know that $800 included the risk premium. However asking $800 now? well, that is just greed and stupidity juxtaposed in a full fontal display of absurdity. I bet you those CM33 guys even factored profit in their pricing to arrive at that $800 cute number. Please do not insult peoples intelligence and please dont use crowdfunding as a source of revenue, it just wont work! Price the unit for the doners at cost, if your CM33 is really that good, you can then sell at $800, or even $900 retail! at that time, the buzz will be there to sell them like PANCAKES!