Any Kessler Pocket Dolly Owners?

E

eco_bach

Well-known member
Hi
Can any Pocket dolly owners tell me which version they purchased and why?

The standard with hand crank, the basic without hand crank, or the traveler?

I want a versatile and portable slider, that can easily be used for vertical slides. Is the hand crank really useful on the standard version, or do you resort to sliding by hand?
 
I don't have the hand crank, still not sure it's worth the considerable extra cost. I have the one without the crank. I believe that simpler is better, especially in sandy environments. It seems to work fine, but of course, I have crank envy (G).
 
ive got the standart PD with the crank but i rarely ever use it. if im going to pan then from my experience there is no way to use the crank in one hand and my hand on the video head handle although on the PD i just use the 503dv which is sort of sticky. where the crank works nice is if you want to go "uber-slow" on the slide (with no panning) then you can put all of your concentration into keeping your cranking brutally even. so, i can go much slower with the crank if thats all im going to do with the shot but otherwise i have a hands left & right cradling the tripod head in both my hands so i can slide and pan at the same time. still takes serious concentration to pan really slow but still slide at the same time and expect to be perfect and fluid.

even though i dont use the crank much its mostly because im not doing the kind of shots that require it. i wouldnt buy the PD without the crank personally.

david
 
+1 to what David said. I think the Kessler pd with the cranker is really made for the motor kit and would likely work great for a price. for me, the cranker works best using a piece of twine instead of the hand crank. if there is a slight upward slope to the track, that helps since there is a little tension to overcome. If you were going vertical this would work ok, but it does turn into a two person operation. The hand crank is worth having, just don't pretend it is perfect or sophisticated.

Grant
 
thanks David. You mention the 503dv. I was alos hoping to get a good lightweight fluid head to go with the PD. Was considering the 701HDV. But have read that it isn't the best for panning. Did you consider or try other fluid heads than the 503?
 
I've used it quite a few times, mostly with a motor, which is the smoothest, but the crank is decent, but not needed.

I'd recommend the hi-hat instead. This means you can use any fluid head on it (as long as the weight is ok) with a ball-mount (like a nice Sachtler or similar), or a Libec head that can be split (they have some nice fluid heads from what I hear).
 
For me, a hi-hat and heavier head seems oversized for a slider like this, just mho. The leverage of a hi-hat will flex most any slider rail. I have been using the little 701 on the PD and for a quick and dirty dolly, which is what these sliders are, and it works fine with a handy cam. If you have larger needs than what a slider can provide, go large with a real track and dolly.

Grant
 
eco_bach,

the 503hdv is ok and i use it because its a screw on type instead of my other vinten's ball type. ive never used a hi hat so i cant say. the least amout of weight on the PD the better and it better be near perfectly centered for the PD to slide smooth and creamy. as far as the 710? ive never used one so i couldnt say except its cheaper than my 503hdv so id doubt it would be any better but honestly should be good enough. you just have to really concentrate on the whole manuever much more than youd think you have to do. as ggrantly says...its a "quick and dirty dolly". its a great little setup which gives a lot of production value as long as you manuever past its mild shortcomings.

david
 
Not sure I would agree with GGrantly's statement. I have used the slider with an HMC150 and now with my Canon xf305 (and 7D). Certainly I have to be careful when I mount it on a tripod (yes, I use a Libec head after using the 503 and finding that it did not let me accomplish a smooth enough pan. The Libec head on the Manfrotto carbon fibre legs work very well. Extremely sturdy in higher winds. I have a variety of mounting plates, since even Manfrotto can't seem to give us one plate to rule them all, and use a QR plate on the slider. It allows me to setup the slider in advance on the shoot, then switch over to it quickly.

Just remember, do NOT walk away from a mount camera on a slider. It can easily get away from you, the camera can start moving on you if it's not perfectly level, you or someone else can bump it, and over it goes. Some friends recently had their tripod leg fail (I wasn't present so I don't know exactly what really happened), and a $7k camera ended up on concrete. That was a sad day, but luckily they had insurance and it was back fixed in a few months. I always mount mine when I am ready to shoot, and if I have to move at all I center the camera on the slider. But I try not to without releasing it.
 
8String,

If I mount my PD on a single point with anything less rigid than a Hercules head, the leverage at the ends, using a HPX170, turns the PD rail into a flexi-flyer. And that is when using the tiny 701 head. A heavier bowl head with hi-hat would just make this worse. If the PD is supported at both ends, that changes everything; there is a huge stability gain. I mount a tripod under one end and a ballasted light stand at the other. If you need to tilt, a grip head with stud will work.

Grant
 
Huh, so the crank not being necessary then the Phillip Bloom version probably its worth the money then?

Also what about the Cinevate sliders? Like the Atlas 10 or Atlas 30? How do they compare to the Pocket Dollys in terms of smoothness and quality of build?
 
Ben,

I like the crank, just don't expect it to be upscale big Hollywood. I mentioned using a pull string; there is a groove on the removeable cranker handle for this purpose. One other thing, if you ever did want to add the motorized setup from Kessler, it is setup and ready to attach on the crank model.

On another note, if you want a longer or more robust DIY setup, an aluminum pipe + speedrail frame with a skateboard wheel trolly can be had for less than a Kessler PD. Also check out the Zazacast DIY slider options. He posts regularly to the DIY section and basically builds the same type of slider kit on the cheap.

Grant
 
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