Almost two years ago we wrote about an interesting idea for a rolling DSLR rig we found on Kickstarter. The concept was a small, compact and heinously simple design called CineSkates. Fast forward to today, and CineSkates has evolved not only into a whole line of products under the name "Cinetics," but is one step closer to great success. Now distributed by JOBY (owned by Daymen who also distributes Lowepro bags), CineSkates shows that when Kickstarter works, it can really work.
Honestly, I've never been a huge fan of Kickstarter. To me, it seems like it's all too easy to just throw money at a project and hope for the best. But when a project is backed by a business savvy mind that is hell bent on success, I guess nothing will stop the rise to the top.
You can see the whole line of Cinetics products at the new Joby-Cinetics webpage. My hat tips to you Cinetics, you've come a long way.
Good for them! I've been a part of a couple successful crowdfunding campaigns for filmmaking projects, and the cineskates are probably my favorite product i've seen on those sites.
What do y'all think about the quality of Cinetics gear? Do you think it's good because it's cheap, or actually is the right tool for doing a quality job?
We think the quality is incredible, but maybe you would rather hear someone else's opinion ;) Here is an in depth review... http://www.dpreview.com/articles/1634526868/cine-system-tripod-dolly-and...
The manufacturing is pretty damn good to say the least. They don't feel cheap, and the wheels can snap on and off without worry of shattering the plastic. The CineSkates have a big learning curve as to how to get the right shot aligned, smooth and balanced (a 7D, Zacuto Gorilla plate & anything bigger than a 50/85mm can unbalance it, but that's more of putting the stress on the gorillapod itself. I'm happy with mine, it's niche but it's great.
Thanks so much for the kind article, Jaron. CineSkates was able to get off the ground in the first place because sites like Fstoppers helped spread the word. Thanks for that. We're very excited about how far Cinetics has come in such a short time, but we are just getting started :) Keep up the excellent work. - Justin Jensen, Cinetics