Kessler Hercules Head necessary for AF100+PB Traveler pocket dolly?

N

Nicholas Natteau

Veteran
Having now purchased the Philip Bloom Traveler pocket dolly and AF100, I'm trying to figure out if it's necessary to also get the Kessler Herculese Head

I'm also unsure whether to get 3-stage Miller Solo VJ sticks ($939.99 at B&H) that take a 100mm bowl or the less expensive Miller Solo DV ($679.95 B&H) that take a 75mm bowl.

And if not using the Hercules Head, is a 100mm bowl preferable to a 75mm bowl when mounting the PB pocket dolly to a Miller tripod?

Thanks for any advice/help.

Beyond the AF100, the heaviest camera I might use in the future would be the Sony F3 or FS100 or ultimately the Red Scarlet interchangeable lens camera.
 
You shouldn't need that for the AF100. The AF100 body is 2.2lbs...maybe 4lbs with an old Nikon on it and a simple TVLogic Monitor with batteries...4.5 at the most IMO. If you don't use the monitor at all and use the on board LCD...you're looking at like 2.5lbs at the most (I think).

The body alone of the 5D is 2.0lbs...so add to that the typical packaged lens 24-105mm and you have basically a 3-3.5lb camera. The AF100 is much lighter than it looks so I don't know why you'd need that big head on there.
 
I think a Hercules is massive (pun intended) overkill for a pocket dolly / slider. A regular head would be fine, with maybe a lightweight 2nd tripod / light stand to stabilize the other end of the track would be more beneficial.
 
Well I own the Hercules head and can tell you, I use it ONLY for my Kessler Crane. as long as the head/legs combination can handle the weight of the camera and dolly, you should be fine.

HOWEVER,

make sure you use some sock weights if the legs aren't wide enough. The Kessler Hercules head and tripod are VERY VERY heavy so they provide an excellent base that does not move. Let me stress again, HEAVY! As long as your tripod is sturdy, and wide enough, like many of the Millers, you should be fine. My Manfrotto head can tilt forward all the way to the front, so it could do the same thing.
 
Just a minor point, the Bloom dolly is made by Kessler, so I'm assuming you simply mean a different Kessler dolly.

The Hercules (and K-Pod, presumably) was designed to handle a fully loaded Kessler crane, with capacity to spare. Putting an AF100 + dolly + lens + accessories (say, 25#) doesn't begin to come close the Hercules' capacity of 150#. On the other hand, the head's not meant to replace a fluid head, or another head that's easily set in a specific position and left that way; mine has springs to set it back to level.
 
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