Anyone used proaim dollys?

Dominik Bauch · September 14, 2020

I like the look of the Proaim Spin Dolly. I can’t find any reviews online so I’m wondering about the quality and how well it actually works. Smoothness etc.

Is the bazooka system stable? I plan to use roughly a 45lb payload. Wondering if there’s any flex or wobble with the Telescopic bazooka.

Any experience or feedback on proaim dollys in general would be really appreciated.

JD Hartman · September 14, 2020

Post a link would be helpful if you are solicitIng opinions.

Why do You want To own a dolly, tie up money and have the inherent maintenance? A Dana dolly, yes. Others, no, just rent as needed.

Dominik Bauch · September 14, 2020

For me renting for single days here and there is a huge Pain. Much easier and more flexible to own relatively low cost items so we can deploy easily and quickly without hassle. As long as they work well which is what I wanted to ask here.

Mark Kenfield · September 14, 2020

The quality of Proaim’s machining is generally junk. I would be very wary of using them.

just get something like a Dutti Dolly and expand it as necessary.

JD Hartman · September 16, 2020

On 9/14/2020 at 7:26 PM, Mark Kenfield said:

The quality of Proaim’s machining is generally junk. I would be very wary of using them.

just get something like a Dutti Dolly and expand it as necessary.

A toy tripod dolly. What next? What size PVC pipe to run it on?

Phil Rhodes · September 16, 2020

I built one. It's better than anything I could afford.

P

Hannes Famira · January 8, 2022

I recently had the opportunity to directly compare the Dana dolly to a Dutti Dolly. There is no contest, the Dutti is large heavy and runs smoooooooth! It is small enough to fit in any trunk, seems pretty indestructible and you can run it with or without tracks. It will accept a whole range of different kinds of track and if memory serves it's priced lower than Proaim's doorway dolly. As Mark noted Proaim products are a bit hit and miss. In my experience they are great if you want things to be solid but not so great if you need refined engineering. Like Phil I have been working on DIY-ing my own dolly. It's too early to share pictures but I am very excited how it is shaping up. In that context: if anybody has a recommendation, I am looking for someone in NYC who would weld two parts together for me on the cheap.

Matthew W. Phillips · January 9, 2022

On 9/16/2020 at 8:05 AM, JD Hartman said:

A toy tripod dolly. What next? What size PVC pipe to run it on?

Oh boy, we have one of those...

Pray tell how you have the skill to detect, while watching footage, what type of dolly it was shot on?

Matthew W. Phillips · January 9, 2022

On 9/14/2020 at 4:26 PM, Mark Kenfield said:

The quality of Proaim’s machining is generally junk. I would be very wary of using them.

What I find amazing about this site is that there is no middle ground. People here tend to think gear is either great or junk (or the obnoxious definition of "a toy")

Could it be possible that some of this "junk" gear could actually be decent gear for a segment of the population who has different (and lighter) needs than you? Or are you that narrow minded and simple that you can only think in black and white?

Phil Rhodes · January 9, 2022

I think people are probably just using verbal shortcuts here; I'll be the first to accept that there are uses for things at all levels and I suspect, in extremis, many people would accept that.

Certainly the market for less expensive gear is vastly larger than the one for the high end, and many manufacturers make a lot of money out of their simpler stuff.