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Dana Dolly vs Indie-Dolly Slider - Or other?

Dana Dolly vs Indie-Dolly Slider - Or other?

  • Dana Dolly

    Votes: 19 86.4%

  • Indie--Dolly Slider

    Votes: 1 4.5%

  • Other (Must post which one)

    Votes: 2 9.1%
  • Total voters
    22
M

Michael Frymus

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I have been searching for the right kind of slider for a long time, one that can be used for virtually any or many cameras; from the Red Epic, Red One, Alexa, DSLR's, and many more.

I have narrowed it down to these two skate sliders however, there could be another one I have missed that would work to my benefits too.

What I am looking for:
- Tacks can be any length (not fixed)
- Able to mount a 100mm bowl
- Can mount a riser for additional height
- Weight capacity

DANA DOLLY:
With the Dana Dolly, they recommend the 1-1/2" speed rail. However, with that rail system it is going to be hard to transport rods that are over 5ft in length. So I'd need to splice them together. (5ft + 5ft = 10ft track)
It seems that splicing Speed Rails together wont be the smoothest option. So, I may have to spend a little extra and get better rods that I can splice together (whether I buy the rods already like that or make it myself). I can also mount this onto Combo Stands instead of a tripod.
SEE ATTACHED IMAGE - Those types or rails & a splicer like that or similar

INDIE-DOLLY SLIDER:
The Indie-Dolly Slider has everything already included. Dolly, 9ft of tracks, case and costs $875. Which will probably be cheaper than the Dana Dolly
The other problem I believe I see is that I dont think I can mount risers onto it to add at least 12" of height when doing forward/back dolly shots.
I also have to attach this onto a tripod. Unless if they make a version for light stands.
 

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I've actually really enjoyed using the Dana Dolly. On a production recently, the DP had just purchased it and we were all pretty impressed with it. It's a cinch to setup and get going, and depending on the package you get, can support any size bowl or Mitchell heads with the proper adapter. He had it setup on some rolling combo stands, which made transporting it and leveling it also a cinch.

I would even look at going to Home Depot and grabbing a small set of piping to utilize for most of your small moves, that way you'd have a very cheap and easy 5-7 foot slider option that you could transport around with you regularly. And, only if the specific production called for it would you need to go with anything longer.

Also, I'd like to point out that I believe the Dana Dolly having many more wheels than the Indie Dolly would help to alleviate any slight bumps you might find in the joints of speed rails.

But, speaking only to the quality of the dolly itself, I do highly recommend the Dana Dolly.
 
Adam Brown said:
IAlso, I'd like to point out that I believe the Dana Dolly having many more wheels than the Indie Dolly would help to alleviate any slight bumps you might find in the joints of speed rails.
Click to expand...
Ah, good point. But although not seeing any of this in action I cant say much.

The Dana Dolly with proper rails that can be joined will be more expensive than the Indie-Slider in the end.
 
Got Dana Dolly for 2 years now, it's really good. Might be more expensive but its worth it.
 
I Have seen the DAna in Action, on a Simple Shoot for Discovery Channel and the DP was Using a 7d rigged up, and the Dana Tripod ends with the T for the Rods was Wobbley... It needed a better design for the Rod Support... Dolly itself was Solid
 
Dana Dolly.

attachment.php
 
Michael AvMen said:
I Have seen the DAna in Action, on a Simple Shoot for Discovery Channel and the DP was Using a 7d rigged up, and the Dana Tripod ends with the T for the Rods was Wobbley... It needed a better design for the Rod Support... Dolly itself was Solid
Click to expand...
Were they using a center support?
 
Dana Dolly rocks. I've used mine with DSLRs and fully rigged out R1s and its always stable and smooth.
 
There's already at least one big thread about the Dana Dolly... remember to search the forum before creating new topics.

For under a thousand bucks you can have a kickass Dana Dolly setup (including track) that will perform very well for many years. I honestly can't think of a better value in terms of compact dolly setups.
 
Another vote from a Dana Dolly owner..
I have 7 foot rails in my kit... and have also found I can use the dolly as a Hi hat... with wheels sandbagged..
super smooth, super tough, and adaptable to all 3 major tripod head bases with included parts..
if working a bigger show, I have 20' long rail available..
Entirely beefy enough for a pro camera rig, even on a gear head..
Worth the extra money..
 
Dana Dolly hands down, really well made solid product, well thought out, very easy to use, near silent, smoothy smooth and the couple behind it are the pride of Arizona when it comes to problem solving and sending out parts... just wish it had a really solid way of time lapsing.

Chris
 
We went for the Dana dolly and I recommend it.
As has been said, SOLID. I ordered pipes (dolly track) from the company they recommend.
SOLID. Got a couple of 5' and 8' pipes. Mounted the 'track' on a couple of rolling stands, so
the rig can be moved around super easy. I am confident you could get 12' pipes and have little deflection,
but that would ultimately depend on how much you put on it.

Smooth as silk.

HTH.
 
I own a Dana Dolly and it's worth the price. I bought 5ft and 10ft lengths of speedrail from filmtools and I haven't looked back.
 
Keep in mind, There is no curve track for dana dolly.
 
I wanted to add to this thread that Indie Dolly Systems now has a light stand adaptor for the Slider track support units. We also have support tables which are similar to monitor stands, they also can be mounted on light stands c stands or tripods. The slider curved track is also available now.
Images are here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Indie-Dolly-Systems-Inc/363219157081995

Thank you,

Indie Dolly Systems Inc.
 
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