Debating on a Slider (Dana vs. Shuttle Pod)

D

DDirector

Veteran
I am debating on which a slider to get. The two I have chosen are the Dana Dolly and the Shuttle Pod. And here are the reasons why:

DANA DOLLY:
-Cheap
-Rails can be purchased anywhere very cheaply
-Can be mounted on Low Riser Combo Stands instead of tripod legs
-Weight capacity

Cons:
-If I want a very long track (6ft+) transporting the pipes seems impossible since they need to be solid pieces. (Unless if there is a way to connect several smaller pieces)
-I cannot mount my Kessler 100mm High Hat (If shooting straight forwards, Id need the camera as high as possible so I don't see the track below the camera)

SHUTTLE POD:
-Has underneath wheels to shoot on extreme angles and vertically
-Tracks are only 4' long and can be joined together to make long tracks
-I can mount my Kessler 100mm high hat

Cons:
-Expensive at $2,500
-Weight is limited to 35lbs (but its not that bad)
-Needs tripod legs instead of light stands

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What do you guys think would be my best bet?
 
What camera are you planning to use it with? What kinds of projects do you want to shoot with it? Have you rented either one to see how you like it in real life?
 
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nothing said:
What camera are you planning to use it with? What kinds of projects do you want to shoot with it? Have you rented either one to see how you like it in real life?
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DSLR's, Red One, Red Epic, AF100
Shorts, Commercials, Docs
No. I have only used professional rented dolly's. No sliders. This is something for myself.
 
Consider Atlas200 (i own Atlas30) - i used it recently on a doc and love it - much ehaver then Atlas30 but also way sturdier.

Most sliders work decently well if all you are looking for is simple slide. Problems arise when you want to pan with your head while sliding, or shooting with tighter lens, or shooting from high-of-the-ground position.
 
I have tried the track-based sliders and have found them to be limiting.

I like my Dana dolly.

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DDirector said:
I am debating on which a slider to get. The two I have chosen are the Dana Dolly and the Shuttle Pod. And here are the reasons why:

DANA DOLLY:

SHUTTLE POD:
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I am pretty sure I've used both. The Dana dolly is really heavy (like 15 lbs or something). It looks like it has regular skate board wheels on it which are not grooved and not all will roll at the same time.
The Shuttle Pod from Kessler http://www.kesslercrane.com/product-p/100150.htm looks cheaper. I think I used that one too. I actually liked it better. Seemed smoother and the bottom rail attachment is quite useful. Its also more configurable/modifiable. Maybe its not the same model I used because there were adjustments to the wheel spacing and it was all aluminum. Just my 2 cents.
 
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Patryk_Rebisz said:
Consider Atlas200 (i own Atlas30) - i used it recently on a doc and love it - much ehaver then Atlas30 but also way sturdier.
Most sliders work decently well if all you are looking for is simple slide. Problems arise when you want to pan with your head while sliding, or shooting with tighter lens, or shooting from high-of-the-ground position.
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This is more of a fixed dolly where you cant have longer length rods. Its limited to 5ft.
Its also a friction based slider. Not a big fan.
 
I have a Pocket Dolly 2 slider, as well as a few DIY dollies which I made including a mini skater dolly, a doorway dolly, and my own version of the Dana dolly. If you are handy you can build a fully functional dolly in a weekend.
 
DDirector said:
-I cannot mount my Kessler 100mm High Hat (If shooting straight forwards, Id need the camera as high as possible so I don't see the track below the camera)
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Don't know how heavily this weighs in your decision, but sliders aren't great for a Dolly In/Out. There acceptable for short moves, but the rail can easily be an issue, & you might consider a traditional dolly instead.
 
I have used DIY version of the Dana Dolly style on everything we have ever shot. The one limitation as noted is max distance for dolly in and dolly out because the track becomes visible.
 
Bern Caughey said:
Don't know how heavily this weighs in your decision, but sliders aren't great for a Dolly In/Out. There acceptable for short moves, but the rail can easily be an issue, & you might consider a traditional dolly instead.
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It's light weight and adds about 6" of height. Plus the fluid head will give me a decent amount of height for a dolly in/out. Its not a lot but better than without the riser. Its not my main interest to pull off an in/out shot, but its a consideration. The higher it is frm the track, the farther back the camera can go and the wider the len I can use.

If I heard correctly, the mount is a mitchell mount?
So, if I purchased a Mitchell Camera Riser, I could mount it to the Dana Dolly if I ever needed to do an in/out dolly shot?
Example: http://www.filmtools.com/camera-riser-mitchell-to-mitchell-12-inch.html


UPDATE:
I just found out about splicing pipes together. I didnt think I could do this and make it smooth. But, if I buy pipes that is the same kind pictured and have the splice as i the picture too, then it will be a smoth joint. If I used the standard Aluminum Speed Rail, it seems like there will be a slight bump and it will not work well. Since I can do this, it looks like the Dana Dolly is the better choice as of now.
SR70ES-9_large.jpg
 
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How long a run do you honestly need?

Most of my work is :30 second TV spots where a move is only around 3 seconds long, but I have used 50 feet of track with my doorway dolly without issue.
 
DDirector said:
It's light weight and adds about 6" of height. Plus the fluid head will give me a decent amount of height for a dolly in/out. Its not a lot but better than without the riser. Its not my main interest to pull off an in/out shot, but its a consideration. The higher it is frm the track, the farther back the camera can go and the wider the len I can use.
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I have a Hi-Hat for my 3' CineSlider, & it does help a bit.
 
David W. Jones said:
How long a run do you honestly need?
Most of my work is :30 second TV spots where a move is only around 3 seconds long, but I have used 50 feet of track with my doorway dolly without issue.
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Like I said before, I have shot only on dolly's before. On average we rent and use tracks that are 5ft-10ft long. So, if I have two sections of 5ft, it should be perfect.

Having a long track would be nice when doing walking shots and following the actors.
 
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