TRACK DOLLY TRIPOD DOLLY PRO VIDEO DOLLY

Pros:Great as a quick & dirty substitute for a real dolly or slider.Dolly action is super smooth and quiet.Obviously very easy to transport.PVC tracks & ends for 10 ft. of movement only cost about $40 at a hardware storeCons:Not easy at all to pan smoothly while dollying.PVC pipes must be cut exactly perpendicular for seamless fitFinding plugs to reliably join the lengths of track is not always easy.Can't replace a real slider or dolly, but is a good alternative about 70% of time if you're doing corporate video, educational or indie films, or commercials.

I loved this product from the start! I picked up the box and was surprised to notice how light it was! I had a floor dolly and it weight a ton, this helps! I run it on 1" PVC and it is super smooth! the only problem I have is the fact it is not wide enough for my tripod, I have to push the legs together a little, and it doesn't go very high. The way it closes and locks is very convenient, but the way you can lock the tripod in is a bit time consuming.

Sometimes you cross your fingers on a purchase like this and hope for the best. The price just seemed a little too good to be true. Based on user reviews, it seemed like a good bet and I'm glad I went for it. The dolly is well made and sturdy. Probably not the best choice to support a large rig, but ideal for my purposes (my camera, tripod, LED light, and 7" field monitor combined weigh around 15 lbs). I built a simple track using 10 foot sections of 1" PVC pipe, and it works very well (with a rig as light as mine, it's worth taking a minute to throw a sandbag on each the feet to add some extra stability). For more complex motion and/or tighter quarters, I attempted to use a heavy duty pressure hose as recommended by another reviewer; it worked out fine when experimenting on my carpeted living room floor, but failed miserably on a hardwood floor during a video shoot (the hose tends to slip and grab against hard surfaces, resulting in frequent lurches and shivers). Nevertheless, the dolly performed flawlessly. As mentioned by a previous reviewer, I wasn't able to fully spread out my tripod on the dolly. Not an issue for me, however. I've used other dollies and they weren't any different. Compared to my camera slider, which has a much smaller footprint, this dolly allows a lot more range of motion (assuming you have enough room) and tracking is much easier to pace. The resulting shots are super smooth.

I'm just starting to expand my real estate photography business with basic video, and I needed a (cheap) way to get basic tracking shots for interiors. Because every floor is different, and rarely even, I was looking for a track dolly.After narrowing it down to a dozen more more solutions to the problem, I decided to go with the Focus35. It's lightweight (under 10 lbs?), folds up quickly for transport, and can run on a pair of 1" PVC pipes.I've only done a few test runs so far, but I will say that the results are exactly what I was hoping for -- quick setup, smooth-as-ice tracking, and adjustable inertia.The casters rotate freely to accommodate a curved track. I haven't tried a curved track YET, but I'll update this review once I have.Build quality is excellent, somewhat surprising at this price. I expected to have to make some adjustments or tighten some bolts, but this was perfect out of the gate. From a folded position, the legs quickly unfold and lock solidly into place.If anything would make this product better, it would be a storage bag. But as is, this was a great purchase.

Most of the time I build my own gear or have a good friend who is a r fabricator build them. The dolly we have been using turned out to be way too heavy and I decided to give this a try. It works like a charm, never failed. It's always a good idea to place a sand bag on it, makes the ride smoother. I built my own tracks out of 1" PVC pipe, joined them with small threaded screw on metal pipe fittings and used it on a 100ft track for a walking conversation scene. Absolutely perfect and smooth. I highly recommend this product. Worth every penny. I WAS NOT given one for free to give my review (I wish I had :) )

Not steady enough

This is the 2nd product I have bought from this company and they are almost identical. I earlier purchased the wheeled tripod dolly and it worked great. For smoother shots I bought this track dolly model and it also works like a charm. We made 6 six-foot tracks out of PVC to give us an 18' run and the camera and dolly glide smooth as glass. Getting the track level can be tedious but you have to deal with that regardless of the dolly. Have to say that this is one of the better products I have purchased and it will pay for itself on the first job out. Highly recommended for indie film makers or small media companys.

I built simple DIY tracks with ten foot 1" PVC pipe and staircase balusters as cross ties, and this is as close to a professional dolly system for my 5D3 on a rod system with a lot of bling attached (probably around 10-15lbs). Rolls smoothly. Folds up very compact. You can adjust the spread, and tighten the tripod feet into it. Even a thoughtful carry handle as you can see. Good piece of gear for do it yourselfers.