Jib search

[Steve Wargo]

Agreed on the dependability of our EZ-FX unit. It is very tough and our jib has been through hell.

As for the Losmandy dolly track issue, the flex track is an indoor thing. However, if you lay the rubber track in a piece of channel metal, aluminum or steel, it works anywhere. The bulk of our dolly shots are indoors.

We also have a Matthews Doorway Dolly. We’ve used it outdoors in gravel using the rubber tires by laying a couple 1x6s on the ground and rolling the dolly on top of them.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Jeffrey Gould]

Steve, I have only used the EZ jib with larger broadcast type of cameras, not the handheld. I do they just came out with a riser to facilitate working with the handheld type. I had an issue where my battery was hitting the jib in certain positions and they were going to design a piece of equipment just for me to help me out….that kind of service is unheard of.

Jeffrey S. Gould
Action Media Productions

[Larrin Baker]

Todd, can you tell me more about why you went with the traveller over the standard porta jib? The traveller looks great…I am just wandering if it makes more sense to throw another $500 in for the standard?

[Todd Terry]

I honestly don’t remember all the particulars, Larrin… that was a decision made 15 years ago.

I doubt it was price… it was probably because the Standard is literally twice the weight of the Traveller, and while the Traveller is a little bit shorter, it still gives more than enough reach for my usual needs. In fact I usually don’t even telescope it all the way out. Rarely, even.

Mine has worked like a champ all those years. I’ve only had two repairs, and they were minor. One of the locking levers, I did have to re-thread the hole (easily done myself), and I did have to replace one of the telescoping collars once (about a 50 buck part, if I recall). One good thing is that the Porta-Jib company (which is actually Hollywood General Machining) is a tiny little company, you can call and talk to Mark there who knows literally every little part of every product they make.

T2

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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com