Painted Sheep Dolly?

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Detritus

Hello,
Am about to buy a Painted sheep dolly (www.paintedsheepdolly.com) and was wondering if anyone out there can recommend it or if they have used one and have any advice on it or if another dolly is better and or cheaper?
Oh, I'm using it with a Canon 7D and don't want to go with a little slider type dolly. I want a regular size dolly that can hold some weight.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance
-Jer
 
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Can't say I've heard of 'em, but the complete lack of real-person contact information on the two-page website sets a flag off for me.

I'm not sayin' they ain't legit, but there's no way I'd send $250+ to what is essentially just a faceless e-mail address.

Good luck with it. :)
 
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Are you by any chance the maker/seller of the painted sheep dolly?

We see this a lot...first and only post, pointing to a link where something no one else has heard of before is for sale.

If so, we have a classified ad section that is far more conducive to sales.
 
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I don't have a problem sending money to them, I see plenty of stuff about the system on google.
I was just wondering if anyone here can review the actual dolly if they have one...not the site. I'd like another human being to say "yeah" or "nah".
And no...I won't be building a DIY anything. I'm about as mechanically inclined as a rock. If I just look at something sharp I'll get cut :)

meh, I'll keep shopping around unless you guys know a dolly system you can recommend (that you actually own), and flor less than $300 bucks. (oh and it has to hold about a 100 pounds).
 
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Detritus said:
I don't have a problem sending money to them, I see plenty of stuff about the system on google.
I was just wondering if anyone here can review the actual dolly if they have one...not the site. I'd like another human being to say "yeah" or "nah".
And no...I won't be building a DIY anything. I'm about as mechanically inclined as a rock. If I just look at something sharp I'll get cut :)

meh, I'll keep shopping around unless you guys know a dolly system you can recommend (that you actually own), and flor less than $300 bucks. (oh and it has to hold about a 100 pounds).
Click to expand...

I haven't used that dolly. But it is a simple design. I'm only slightly mechanically inclined, and yet I was able to build one, and it works great. It has it's limitations, of course. You can only put so much weight on it. You have to treat it gingerly. But it glides smoothly.

If you feel safe sending your money, in my opinion, it's a pretty safe bet that the actual construction of the dolly will be good. Obviously, I don't say that because I know anything about the seller; I'm just saying you'd almost have to try to screw up this design.
 
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Yeah for that money take one of the better DIY designs, where you can RIDE the dolly, big platform etc, and take it to someone who IS crafty. And have them build it for you. Check with your local high school shop teacher etc. Might get something great for much less.

About the design in general. The three wheeled "tri pod" dolly design is nice in that you can easily curve, but then again, that's really not done very often. You'll use standard push\pull tracking etc a lot more than a complicated rotating curved dolly move. Also, this design and others where you the camera operator is walking seem great from a one man show aspect, but in practice, controlling focus, paining and tilting while walking behind the dolly is going to be tough. The big leagues have riding dollies for a reason. The camera operator just operates the camera, someone else pushes dolly while he rides.


(most fun diy dolly video http://revision3.com/filmriot/diydolly)
 
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wheatgrinder said:
Yeah for that money take one of the better DIY designs, where you can RIDE the dolly, big platform etc, and take it to someone who IS crafty. And have them build it for you. Check with your local high school shop teacher etc. Might get something great for much less.
Click to expand...

Good point, and great idea. I'm with wheatgrinder -- high school shop class will probably net better results. High school kids = cheap labor.
 
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Thanks for all the info. but I saved up to BUY a dolly. I don't want to (can't) build one and I don't want some 16 year old shop-class dopes to "build" one for me.
I don't want a large platform dolly because most of them are very heavy and none of them can be used on curved track...besides, I'm generally a one man crew...I have no one to push the dolly if I was sitting on it.

I liked that the painted sheep dolly was light weight AND could go on curved track.
I LOVE the indie-dolly system but I certainly don't have $2,000 to buy one and the Painted sheep dolly is almost the same, except there is no idler arm and you can't sit on it, but it's like $280 bucks.

I could save up for a few more months and try to get the indie-dolly...?
Anyone have one of these dollies?

Anyway, thanks for everyones help!
-Jer
 
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I like the pivot and swivel wheel trucks.
But I’d like to better see how, and how well the trucks are actually constructed.


I like it can be used on curved track.
But who has curved track as easily at their disposal and/or commonly available like straight PVC or lengths of Fence Rail? They were supposed to sell their own curved track, but not sure they have it out yet.


I like that they were/are supposed to have an optional operator seat assembly available.
But I would like to see how that is constructed and implemented into the dolly frame.
With the frame being wood it’s not unreasonable to imagine pushing or pulling 100 pounds (or easily more) could take a toll on the frame, but with the right design and way to attach it, it could be done.


No center eyehook to secure the tripod.
Not that it’s mandatory, but you could (Depending on rig) be pushing/pulling and trying to operate something that is top heavy. Being it’s own kind of tripod or extension of the camera tripod it would be hard to accidentally tip it over, but when push comes to shove the dolly won’t be the thing that topples, the potentially top heavy camera tripod will, that’s why it’s nice to have a center hook to put a quick attaching safety between tripod and dolly. Look how high the wheel trucks have the platform riding, one F up and bye bye camera.


A handle to carry it would be a nice feature.
Doesn’t look like the most convenient thing to lug around does it?


I don’t know the size of it.
But I’m not real keen on the fixed shape in terms of portability.


The price.
They have to eat too of course. If they honor their return policy, then I would check one out and see the construction of it and determine if it did the job for me, and if not then I would return it and look elsewhere.


-Thanks-
 
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