Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Log in
  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Dolly

M

Michael Frymus

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
328
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Ontario, Canada
Hey,

I am purchasing a dolly in a month or two (Depending on my pay) and I need some advice on a Dolly.

I have done some research and the Dolly I have chosen is the Dana Dolly.
With my budget of $2K I can afford to get the Dana Dolly and C-Stands (Which I really need to get).

I would be using two C-Stands to support the Dolly as I cant afford to get Combo Stands. Also due to the weight of the stands.

1) How do I support the Dana Dolly on low angles? Is there a way with C-Stands?

The other issue is that I am also interested in getting a jib (Ez fx jib with extension kit).
Well, I want this jib to be on a dolly too. Now I'm just going... :out: Not knowing what to do.

Should I get the Dana Dolly, or should I get a tripod dolly that attaches to my tripod like this?
http://static.bhphoto.com/images/images500x500/619456.jpg (May not work for me? - No spiked feet)
http://static.bhphoto.com/images/images500x500/762915.jpg (I dont have spiked feet on tripod)
https://www.creativevideo.co.uk/images/products/altimage/08 07 20111310154790indie_dolly_ind.ctd.jpg

Id like to have one of these, but the issue comes again. How to get low?

Dolly tracks would be good (especially the last one) if I wanted the jib.
This was I can attach the jib arm to the dolly and now I have both a Dolly and a Dolly/Jib.

Or would I be better off with the Dana Dolly and getting a Jib with its own dolly separately?
 
Last edited:
Getting low with the Dana Dolly is super easy.

- You can just place the rail support upside on the ground and level with wedges. Lowest option.
- Lift them and level them via apple boxes and wedges. Fairly low.
- Utilize the bottom of your c-stands like this: Dana Dolly's Facebook Page


Much of this can be applied to any slider or compact dolly.
 
hi,

i am almost in the same situation. i have a friends easy fx jib, which is excellent and i one day will add a dana dolly or similiar model. i found a really similiar model on ebay for about $550-650 with rails and rail ends. it looks pretty good, i am not into buying cheap crap. romans cine gear also makes a dana dolly like slider that gets wider for more stability. its very well made and designed, i have played with it in person. its about the same as the dana.

i have had a few requests of people wanting to mount the jib on a doorway dolly (homemade) and i always talk them out of it. taking to experienced pros (30+ yrs), unless you have a really expensive name brand jib and name brand dolly, forget about using a jib on a dolly. its just too many moving parts. i would just use the jib (perhaps with extension) (perhaps with an underhung head) or just a dolly and pan/tilt.
 
I've used Jibs on dolly tracks before with no problems. Both of which weren't the greatest.
A lot of times I ended up using both a jib and a dolly. So, if I get a jib, I definitely would want a dolly.

But I would own two dolly tracks now. If I had all of this. If I want just one dolly that can be used for both camera and mounting a jib, it could save me money and amount of gear needed.
 
Last edited:
If you want to put a jib on a dolly, and you also want to RIDE the dolly, all in your budget, might I suggest longvalleyequip.com
 
It is possible to under-sling the Dana Dolly. I've done it and I know Isaac Marchionna has as well (he gave me the idea).

It's a very solid piece of equipment but, that said, I wouldn't put a jib on it.

I love my Dana for the versatility, build quality, and ability to get it in and out of locations with ease. That and it's buttery smooth.
 
I've run the lens about a quarter inch off the ground with the camera upside down. Buy some apple boxes and sandbags and you can do almost everything. A Dana dolly is high on m list of gear to buy.
 
I have a cheap-o tracked dolly I use on my indie shoots from which I've gotten far better results than any slider, and it's almost as portable. As Isaac mentioned "Sandbags", sandbags are key. The real key to smooth shots is weight, the more weight you can pack on the better. It keeps the operator from making involuntary jittery movements. It also makes your start and stops a lot smoother. Your ease in and ease out of shots will be far more gradual. I find that it even works better than using a hand crank on some of these sliders, while a hand crank improves the movement, it doesn't really help with the start and stop of your moves.
 
Although it may not be much, but it also seems that the Dana Dolly could take longer to setup than say the Universal Indie Dolly or the 3 or 4 legged Spider Dolly. Unless if on some really uneven ground.
As Id just lay down the track on the ground and place the dolly on top.

The Spider Dolly also offers a low shot kit to shoot low to the ground. I can use my own tripod for the Spider Dolly or get the kit with the DV Column so I can use it with a jib also.
But it is more expensive.

I'm not sure still. Whether its worth the Dana Dolly and an additional dolly for a jib or getting one Spider or Universal Indie Dolly.
The main advantage I see is that I can get curved tracks or the flex track.
 
Flex track is garbage - just useless - may as well hand-hold for all the bumps it will give you Indie Dolly we use all the time - great for the price, very good quality. also don;t discount the frequent utility of a good doorway dolly.
 
At the moment I dont have any C-Stands. only a few light stands, but I would assume they would be in use if I wanted to use the dolly at the same time in certain situations.

I want to buy a dolly within a few weeks, but still deciding.
Dana Dolly, indie dolly slider, or a ground dolly for a tripod.

What are some pros/cons to having a dolly with tracks as opposed to a slider?

The biggest advantage im seeing is that you can do push ins and outs easier with a dolly and tripod as it wont get in the shot. With a Slider, you would probably need several risers to accomplish it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top