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Dana Dolly vs Kessler Shuttle dolly

U

Uday Bhaskar Karra

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Hi Experts,

I would like to take your suggestion in purchasing a Dolly/Slider.


Background:

To begin with, I purchased a shark slider which was pretty smooth, but quickly returned it since it couldn’t take up my Scalet-x load.
Then I purchased a Rhino Evo pro with steel rails, it was smooth as well... but I encountered two issues...
During a slide, any tilt movement use to make the footage wobble (it was pronounced with any thing beyond 50mm lens), I guess it’s due to the spacing between the rails ( I guess 4inches isn’t good for the heavy set up).
The next issue is, at one end (where the fly wheel is attached) the slide use to dampen a bit compare to the other end.
I couldn’t get consistent results, so I sold it off too.


Now am back to figuring out the slider/dolly options.
I am having a tough time in deciding between Dana Dolly and Kessler shuttle Dolly.

My set up weighs a maximum of 25lb. And minimum would be 12lb.
Would you be able to provide any pros and cons of these systems and I am mainly interested in knowing which system wheels are better (can suppress bumps on the rail).

I really don’t want to end up purchasing a wrong system and selling it again.

Your help is highly appreciated.

Thanks
Uday
 
Uday Bhaskar Karra said:
...
My set up weighs a maximum of 25lb. And minimum would be 12lb.
Would you be able to provide any pros and cons of these systems and I am mainly interested in knowing which system wheels are better (can suppress bumps on the rail).

I really don’t want to end up purchasing a wrong system and selling it again.

Your help is highly appreciated.

Thanks
Uday
Click to expand...
I have a lot of the kessler stuff, I like it and have learned a lot with it, but it has issues above 15 pounds. In general, I think all the "low" end stuff is great for specific jobs but you'll end up renting for more generic functionality you get with matthews or mark roberts systems.
 
I never used the Kessler, but have used the Dana dolly many many times, the thing is a beast, rock solid, I've loaded it with multiple setups, Sony F5, RED, Amira it will take anything.
You can pan and tilt smoothly and it basically acts like a real dolly. Many rental houses own it where I'm and it's been rock solid for them from what they told me.
Also, the rental kit they sale is complete, including the case and all the adapters (can take up to 150mm ball).
Only thing about it is you need to use some heavy duty stands like the Matthews The Slider Stand or low boy.
So to make it short, there is no way you will be disappointed from a Dana dolly :-)
 
The biggest difference is the mentality behind the wheel texture and hardness.

Dana Dolly utilizes a semi-hard/slightly soft wheel to better handle dirt, imperfections, or subtle gaps on the rail. Which is also why it features 4 wheels per "post" to glide over that. Also to note, the wheels pivot freely for curved track use, which some slider dollies don't allow.

Kessler uses hard wheels, which will have very little flex and are very rigid, but they are more prone to slightly visible rail imperfections.


Haven't seen Sk8plate in person, most of it looks pretty nice. I do wish they had quad wheels on each weight bearing support.

There's a million other Dana Dolly knockoffs (or re-imaginings) out there, but I've been using them and torturing them forever. They've always held up for me.
 
Thank you all.

Decision made finally: Dana Dolly.

Problem with Sk8 is that it seems not available in USA and need to be imported from UK, meaning will end up paying import duty and shippong charges.
 
Remember, any dolly will need support. While the dana dolly and kessler shuttle dolly are amazing systems, if you don't support them well with good stands, center posts, etc, it will be all for nothing and you'll get the dreaded wobble.
 
Thank you all for your recommendations.
Initially i was planning to use cheap video tripods instead of slider stands (i thought the cheaper tripods with fluid head like davis&sanfors would do the job), but I will go with a sturdy stands. It absolutely makes sense.
 
Garrett Shannon said:
If you go Dana Dolly I would highly recommend the specially made single riser, double rocky, extra low combo stands by American Grip.

http://www.filmtools.com/cameradept...-grip-dana-dolly-baby-combo-stand-rs00dd.html

I have no affiliation with Filmtools or American Grip but nearly every time I try to setup a Dana Dolly on traditional Low Combo stands it's too tall and I end up calling for apple boxes.
Click to expand...

This right here! You can also get casters for these stands to make moving your setup around a breeze, though I haven't personally done that yet...
 
Hi Chris, I use matthews slider stand on each end.... which centre posts would you recommend as I'm definitely getting wobbles with 6+ foot? Cheers, Pete

Chris McKechnie said:
Remember, any dolly will need support. While the dana dolly and kessler shuttle dolly are amazing systems, if you don't support them well with good stands, center posts, etc, it will be all for nothing and you'll get the dreaded wobble.
Click to expand...
 
Hi Brian, just came across this thread and am very interested to know a bit more about the Sk8plate, very little info on the actual website. Roughly what weight is the plate & wheels ? And is it as smooth as the Dana ?
 
Dana Dolly a la cart

Dana Dolly a la cart

Nick Gardner said:
Having used the Dana dolly, a slightly more professional set up is the Modern version. It just runs on speed rail, and if you are on a show with a grip truck, they will have all kinds of lengths and everything plays nice with industry standard grip gear -

https://modernstudio.com/collection...2-mitchell-4-wheels-per-corner-2-end-brackets

Nick
Click to expand...

Nick, I own a Dana Dolly and use it and rent it out more than any other piece of gear. It is THE industry standard so what is different or more professional about the Modern one than than the Dana Dolly? I have no affiliation with Dana Dolly people. I set mine up on my custom cart using 7 foot aluminum speed rail cantilevered off both ends and thus can move it around easily. I don’t use the speedrail end holders that come with it cause I would not be able to roll it onto the cantilevered ends if I did. I have customized solution on my cart to hold the speed rail down and in place without interfering with the Dana Dolly wheels. Does anyone know if the center to center spacing of speed-rail is the same for all these Dana Dolly copycats?
 
Phil Holland said:
Kessler uses hard wheels, which will have very little flex and are very rigid, but they are more prone to slightly visible rail imperfections.
Click to expand...

Yes, very small diameter steel bearings that ride on exposed carbon fiber rails. I found out the hard way that ANY dings in these rails (you set a wrench on it, you touch it with anything metal...), no matter how small or invisible to the naked eye, will register in the frame. I loved my Cineslider until I realized this fatal flaw. I then tried the VariSlider which is very nice, but again, has its own inherent design related issues. Ultimately, I finally went to a Dana Dolly which has proven to be great in most respects.
 
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