Digital Video - February 2008 - (Page 15) Unfortunately, where the Mini-Skater has one up on the Axis is that the Axis has no easy way to quickly rough-in the wheels. You have to refer to the cheat cards or use one of the software calculators to set your wheels, which is a bit tedious at times. Also, I saw no listing on the cards for straight moves, only curves, so I had to figure out how to set the wheels to execute simple straight moves. That is somewhat intuitive, but not the same setting in all configurations of the dolly. It’s also somewhat frustrating, especially for a perfectionist (such as myself), to see the measurements on the cheat cards in 1/10th of an inch increments. It’s impossible to set the wheels to anything other than whole numbers, so why show us fractions? The degree markings on the wheels are 1mm apart and trying to set the pointer at anything other than a rough midpoint (which isn’t easy) between the markings is difficult to say nothing of setting it at some fraction thereof. The calculations should simply be rounded to the next whole number. The cards are printed with calculations in inches on one side and centimeters on the other, which is handy, but the distinction is rather subtle and you have to be careful and make sure you’re reading the right side. The degree markings on each wheel are divided into “positive” and “negative” areas. If you’re going too fast or looking at the wrong line or side of the card, it’s easy to set the wheels incorrectly, mistaking a positive degree setting for a negative one or vise versa. To solve that, it would be handy to color-code the markings with one color for positive areas and one for negative areas and then color code the cards to correspond. When you incorrectly set the wheels, it’s not always instantly apparent which wheel is wrong and I often had to go back to the beginning to find my mistake. Color coding would simplify that process greatly. The wheel settings are locked in place purely by tension with a 3/8” threaded tie-down knob. You need to be careful as you’re positioning the wheels that tightening the knob does not change the setting. I found if I didn’t give the tie-down www.dv.com a good tight set, it could come loose and the setting would drift — especially if any counter-clockwise pressure was applied to loosen the threads. This is easily solved, however, with some diligence about tightening the knobs. The Axis is hefty — about 10 pounds in tabletop (mini) configuration — but it can impressively handle up to 250 pounds (nearly four times what the MiniSkater is rated for). I could easily stand on the dolly with no problems. Where the Axis is also distinguished from its competition are the extension pieces that allow you to mount a tripod on the dolly. With three heavy-duty extensions (one for each leg), you can increase the base size of the Axis and easily affix a tripod to it. I found that when I put the Axis in tripod mode, the skateboard wheels were simply too small to really be useful. Any dirt or imperfections in the surface I was dollying on were translated to the camera. This is somewhat solved by incorporating Axis’ track wheels, intended for use with standard dolly track or even inexpensive PVC pipe. The track wheels certainly make for a smoother ride (on clean track), but eliminate the curved abilities of the dolly and, therefore, eliminate the main strength of the dolly. Axis has manufactured a few sets of prototype pneumatic wheels, which I did not get a chance to try out, but those would certainly go a long way toward solving this issue. WHAT’S NEXT Axis is certainly listening to their users and they manufacture a number of accessories that really elevate the working abilities of the dolly considerably. The first of these accessories is the pushbar: A simple 36” T-bar attaches to any open mounting point on the dolly base and allows someone else to push/pull the dolly, freeing the operator from that task. The handle is simple, but well designed to easily adjust and move with the dolly. In addition, Axis is currently working on a seat so that the operator can ride the dolly. If that works, my primary complaint about the dolly is moot and this becomes an incredibly versatile tool for many applications. I worked, for the most part, with the Axis in tabletop mode. If I was careful about setting the wheel degrees, I was astonished at the precision and repeatability I got from the dolly. After about 20 repetitive revolutions in the same radius, I saw a drift of about two percent (approximately 1/4” in a 12” radius move), which was very impressive. The Axis took me about five minutes to convert from tabletop to tripod mode, and five minutes to convert back. It’s a little rough to break down for transport and storage. No matter how you set it down, you’re always setting it on the wheels or on the edges of the wheel mounts where the calibration marks are. I found no easy way to store it. From the Axis Dolly site, I see a soft case is in the works, which would, again, eliminate that complaint and is something that is seriously needed. My final note is that, aside from positioning the wheels in the “stop” position, where they all turn inward against each other so that the dolly doesn’t move, there’s no way to lock the wheels or safety the dolly. A brake system — even a simple one — would offer a significant benefit. All in all, for the price point, the Axis delivers an incredibly versatile, rugged and precise tool that really has no peers. DV dv january 2008 15 http://www.dv.com
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