Where can I get a good dolly? (I want to do dolly zooms and trucking shots)

renegadewill

renegadewill

Well-known member
I need some links or info to get a quality dolly, where could I get one. What kinda should I get? I want to perform butter smooth shots dollying in and out.




Help me out.
thanx Will
 
Well, you can get a Chapman, Panther, or Fisher and get a very nice dolly. But that's unrealistic, especially since, I believe, two of those you can only rent. If you want really good results (at what I would consider a decent price considering the industry) try this doorway dolly (http://www.cinemagadgets.com/doorway-dolly-p-380.html) with these skater wheels (http://www.cinemagadgets.com/eight-wheels-corner-skateboard-brackets-p-1083.html) and this track (http://www.cinemagadgets.com/dollies-tracks-dolly-tracks-c-73_89.html)

Of course, key for any dolly is someone who knows how to lay good and smooth track. But then there are also many other considerations that make a difference (weight, people riding dolly, weather, etc.)

Matthew
 
I don't wanna hijack this thread but sometime back I rember stumbling onto a website with animated (flash) tutorials on different dolly techiniques and compostion but I don't remember it. If anybody knows the site I'm talking about... could you please the link?
Thanks in advance!!

Btw Renegadewill, I hear the digie-dolly from Australia is a very good combo. I think I saw it on Ebay for about $ 2200, I'm not sure but you can google it. Goodluck!
 
The Cinedolly offers a kit for around that price but you have to put the wheels on to the platform yourself.
 
alekstef said:
Why don't you build one yourself? It's not that difficult :) Check out www.homebuiltstabilizers.com, www.hbsboard.com and try searching google! I've made one myself, you know... Didn't take too much time and it cost me under 100 bucks. It is also very smooth!
Click to expand...



Really to pay$1200 dollars for wheels that you could build for $100 would be redicuous in my oppinion. get some slotted angled steel, go to your local skate shop and buy inline (better than skateboard wheels IMHO) and some nuts and bolts, oh and four lazy susans and your in. THere are lots of tutorials in the DIY section on building dolly's....it's been done alot. I built mine and am totally happy with the footage I'm getting. It rides really smooth on PVC pipe. so anyhow check into to it you'll see it's the smarter way to go on a budget.
 
Build your own. Dollies are among the easiest things to build. eBay is full of right-angle wheelsets. Mount them to a 24 or 36" square board from Lowes or HD, then construct your track with 1.5" PVC pipe to any length you wish. Ta-da...instant dolly. And without paying the shysters like Manfrotto $400-800
 
The Rowe Cinedolly kit is like 345 bucks for 32 wheels you supply the plywood- how much cheaper do you want it??????????
 
dlang said:
Really to pay$1200 dollars for wheels that you could build for $100 would be redicuous in my oppinion. get some slotted angled steel, go to your local skate shop and buy inline (better than skateboard wheels IMHO) and some nuts and bolts, oh and four lazy susans and your in. THere are lots of tutorials in the DIY section on building dolly's....it's been done alot. I built mine and am totally happy with the footage I'm getting. It rides really smooth on PVC pipe. so anyhow check into to it you'll see it's the smarter way to go on a budget.
Click to expand...

Have you ever used those wheels? They are VERY nice and worth very penny! Plus the U channel slot to put the doorway dolly/Fisher/etc. wheels in is perfect for an easy dolly setup. You've also got to consider that those are far better bearings that what you'd buy for $100. But, if you are only putting 30lbs on them, it may not matter.

Just saw that Fisher (I believe) has come out with some new kind of skater wheels that's similar but flexes on curved track better.

Matthew
 
If you'd rather build one, there's a great book called " Killer Camera Rigs You Can Build" by Dan Selakovich. The book will cost you about $40, but I think its worth it. There are step by step instructions on how to construct a dolly, crane, car-mount... among other things. Good luck:0)
 
Not knocking the wheels, just taking in price + performance factor. I just couldn't justify spending that much on wheels when my $30.00 wheels + bearings produce great results.
 
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