Only a semi-noob...

F

Flight23

Hey guys! I've been a member here for a little while, but I'm pretty quiet. I've just used this forum as an excellent source of information mostly, and I really appreciate all the help that everyone here has given me, even if not directly!

I've decided to purchase an XH-A1 and the full line of Adobe production software. (any thoughts?)

Okay, so here are my questions:

1. Does anyone have plans drawn up for a home made dolly system that will work in the woods that WON'T cost me $500? I tried making one out of PVC pipe and skate board wheels, but....it's not working out so well :blush:.

2. What kind of hardware do I need to think of upgrading to with my PC? I run on an IBM Lenovo Thinkpad, and I've got an Intel Core Duo L2500 processor that clocks along at about 1.83GHz and 1.5 gigs of ram under the hood. 90 gig hard drive. Of course, I run XP (only the best). I am anticipating that I will have to up my RAM, but how much? Do you think I need a new processor as well? What I am really afraid of is that I will spend all the money in my budget on camera equipment and then when I try to put all this great footage on my PC for editing.....BAM, explosion. :lol:

I think that's all the questions I can think of for now...but I'm sure I'll come up with more.

I can't thank you enough!
 
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Question 1 is determined on where you got your plans and how you are building that dolly. There are many here that can recommend the best way to do this as well as many sources on the web. What exactly are the problems you facing with building this dolly?

Question 2 can be answered on Adobe's site (click here)

You should have a separate hard drive for capture.

I would recommend not skimping on the requirements as you will drop frames as well as many other problems during editing.
 
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Thanks for the reply.

I had several problems with my PVC structure...any place where the pvc joined to another piece, it gets lumpy. I tried to even out the lumps with all sort of materials (layers of electrical tape, etc) but I can't get it right. Also, the whole system is a little wobbly, which not only makes me nervous but also makes the shot look wobbly. It worked great when it was just ONE long piece of PVC with no joints and using it on a very sturdy surface (like concrete; we tried it out indoors and out on the road and its pretty good) but it seemed like as soon as we introduced the elements of uneven ground and soggy grass, it's just too much movement.

I thought about just getting a ton of plywood and laying it out first and then putting my dolly over the top of it, and I think that would work but to be honest, before I spend the $$ on the plywood I just wanted to see if there were other ideas out there that may work better for me.
 
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That's how it's done. Any track on an uneven surface must be
stabelized and leveled - even the standard track.

Plywood might be best for your PVC track because of its flexability.
 
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Tips

1.You can solidify the PVC by filling it with concrete. Sand mix is like $4 a bag.
2. Shims! Buy a couple bundles of shims. Shims are angled, so you can get the perfect height you need.
3. Baby powder for a smooth squeak-free ride (sprinkle it on the tracks).
 
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