Graham
on
Getting smooth, fluid video of gadgets or figurines, or getting nice tracking shots of people walking or moving, or even getting a clean slider-like pan can be really hard without the right gear. And the right gear usually means big bucks… unless you’ve got something cool like the Pico Dolly.
The Pico Dolly is one of those “why didn’t someone think of this sooner!?” ideas, but unlike a lot of the cheap and cheesy executions you’ll find online, it’s extremely well built and super-simple to use. It comes in a thin cardboard box, and looks like a rollerskate. Good for DLSRs, Mirrorless Cameras, and Camera-equipped smartphones, this thing is the key to really fun, fluid video.
Operation is simple: use the two knobs to angle the wheels so you can set your driving path - keep ‘em straight for straight-on dolly shots or slider pans, or angle them in to get a nice circular pan. Below I’ve embedded a video of my Rammus Keychain from League of Legends. It took about two minutes to put together a simple circular pan, with no lazy susan required. Taking a little more time would yield even better results.
The Pico Dolly is incredibly cool, and really easy to use. It costs less than what you’d pay for just the mount on other panning solutions. The entire package is well put together; the ball joints lock tightly when screwed down, the plate and components are custom machined, and the drive motion is smooth. Long story short: it’s well designed and well executed.
It’s not the be all and end all, it’s a small device that’s capable of handling a lot of situations. I really like the fact that it’s small and compact, it fits right into my camera bag without having to worry about displacing other gear.
The Pico Dolly is coming to Future Shop soon, so keep an eye out for yours!
You must be a registered user to add a comment here. If you've already registered, please log in. If you haven't registered yet, please register and log in.