Dolly for Lighter Cameras (like HVX)

Mark Allen · September 9, 2006

The only time I've used a dolly on a shoot it was a pretty heavy duty deal with a pretty amazing head full of springs of somesort which held the camera from bumping.

However, I am going to be needing a much more portable, much lighter system IF (and I mean that IF) it can produce some good results without the jerkiness associated with some attempts I saw in the past. (all hand made by people who don't make them anymore.)

Any suggestions with links are appreciated. Please share your experience with how well these performed.

Thank you.

dr_gonzo · September 9, 2006

Recently I used a skateboard dolly running on track and hot button wheels while shooting a short with an ARRI SRII. It produced some pretty nice results when smoothed down with some sandbags for added weight on the dolly. It barely takes up any space in yr. grip van as well...

I got mine from hit and run productions in NYC. It was 70 bucks day rate for the dolly and 16 bucks per 8ft of track. Not too shabby.

Jesus Sifuentes · September 9, 2006

you might try using microdolly products. havent tried them myself but they seem practical and intuitive.

http://www.microdolly.com

Edited September 9, 2006 by elgatonegro

John Mastrogiacomo · September 9, 2006

you might try using microdolly products. havent tried them myself but they seem practical and intuitive.

http://www.microdolly.com

I saw a friend of mine try to use a Betacam with a microdolly. I was not impressed with the results.

:(

Bob Hayes · September 9, 2006

A lot of people love the micro dolly and rave about it. To me it seems too light weight and flimsy. It would work ok on a perfectly flat marble floor but on uneven surfaces it seems like it wouldn?t. I have a 16 wheel skateboard dolly on a ¾? sheet of Baltic pine and it is just stable enough to do professional work on. On moves over 20? you need to use real track and wedges especially over uneven terrain. On shorter runs speed rail or PVC works fine. When I?m on the road I just bring the wheels.

Mark Allen · September 9, 2006

The moves would all be under 20'. Most likely under 10' (all of them). Mostly these are just meant for slow push-ins on dramatic moments. That said, is there any solution that I'm not thinknig of which would be even more elegant?

The microdolly "seems" exactly right - but it sure does "seem" flimsy too. that's a tough one. (not as inexpensive a rental as I would have imagined too frankly).

Is there some sort of tripod supported "push" system which would be more like an extension arm? (which again matches the guidelines of being a light set up.

Thanks again.

Rod Otaviano · September 9, 2006

Any suggestions with links are appreciated.

You might wanna take a look at this article:

http://www.studiodaily.com/main/technology...kflow/6784.html

Btw, does anybody have any experience with this Indie dolly ? I'm kind of curious about it since it's relatively cheap to rent.

http://www.indiedolly.com/

Daniel Sheehy · September 9, 2006

A lot of people love the micro dolly and rave about it. To me it seems too light weight and flimsy. It would work ok on a perfectly flat marble floor but on uneven surfaces it seems like it wouldn’t.

I have shot betacam on a microdolly and I think it's pretty good for shorter moves.

It is quite light weight, and it works best on a firm level surface, as noted above.

For a lighter camera it is also quite good. (I've used a dvx100a on it.)

It can be tricky with long or complicated moves.

Phil Rhodes · September 9, 2006

Hi,

You could try a Key West dolly, but try to get metal track and wedges with it - the PVC is a bit nasty.

Also - mind your fingers when removing the - ouch mustn't type with that finger today - handle.

Phil

Chris Clarke · September 9, 2006

I read an article in the Guild of British Camera Technicians newsletter on a new light weight dolly that might be perfect for you. Combines a lot of the features of a Pee Wee but in a much smaller and lighter package. I've always found that you need a bit of weight in a dolly to get you smooth tracking.

PD1

Joe Lotuaco · September 9, 2006

I pretty much only do my own student stuff, so nothing particularly professional, but I did use the ProMax tracking dolly on my last shoot.

http://www.promax.com/Products/Detail/6254

It's basically just PVC pipe and a skateboard type dolly. It worked really well and most importantly was extremely fast and easy to setup and move. With a bag of dirt or two, it was rock solid. Most of our runs were under 10ft as we only used the track in it's 10ft configuration.

Mark Allen · September 9, 2006

These are all really good suggestions and I'm researching all of them.

All that PD1 needs ia a foot pedal and an electric motor and you could do the entire move yourself. :)

hmmm... actually...

Joe Lotuaco · September 9, 2006

Also, most tracking dollies are over $1,000. The Micro dolly that was mentioned earlier is $2,795 for the basic 13ft kit. The ProMax I used was only $400 shipped.

Mark Allen · September 10, 2006

Also, most tracking dollies are over $1,000. The Micro dolly that was mentioned earlier is $2,795 for the basic 13ft kit. The ProMax I used was only $400 shipped.

I'm interested in finding options both for rental (3k+ ish) and for ownership (400ish). I like the idea of having enough to do something basic instantly and then renting lighter "to-go" elements a la cate.

The interest in the smaller dollies is just in the size of productions I do, a fisher dolly can add so much extra labor ad require a very specific extra crew (i.e. very strong) with very specific vehicle to move them that it rules out their use on many smaller shoots. And I'd like the option to use them.