On 12 August edelkrone introduced the Dolly GO, a motorised dolly that needs no track: you set it down on a smooth surface, mount the gimbal you already own on top, and it drives itself along a path you taught it. Early adopter price is $359 (regular $399), plus $39 for the Gimbal Connector — which you do need, since it is the part that holds the gimbal to the base.

What it actually does

The Dolly GO is built for people shooting alone. The gimbal keeps doing its job — holding the horizon and tracking the subject — while the dolly adds the physical move a static gimbal cannot give you: a push in, a lateral slide, an arc around a product. edelkrone lists linear, arc and free-form moves, stepper motors and power from two Sony NP-F batteries (not included). There is also a 2.5mm shutter trigger socket, so timelapse and stop motion are part of the plan.

The limits, which are the important part

Let us be honest about the numbers, because they tell you exactly who this is for:

  • Maximum setup weight 2.3 kg, with edelkrone recommending you stay under 1.7 kg for good results. That is the total: camera, lens and gimbal together.
  • Top speed 30 cm per second. This is not a chase dolly, it is a slow, controlled move.
  • You need a smooth, flat surface: a table, an indoor floor, a workbench. On the cobblestones of an Abruzzo village it will not move.

In practice: a stripped-down Sony FX3 with a 20mm on a light gimbal works, an Osmo Pocket works, a 360 camera works. A rigged Sony FX6 with a matte box does not, and neither does our DJI RS 3 Pro loaded the way we normally run it on set. Pair it with a DJI RS 3 Mini and a small mirrorless and the maths works.

Our take: who needs it in Abruzzo

On the ground we see two situations where a tool like this saves real time. The first is indoor product video: wineries, pasta makers, artisan workshops, all that moving still-life work where you need twenty identical push-ins on twenty different objects. Repeatability and slowness are exactly what the Dolly GO is good at, and on a tabletop the flat-surface constraint disappears on its own.

The second is solo-shot content, where the value is not the quality of the move but the fact that you do not need a second operator. Anyone shooting vertical formats with a compact camera will find their groove here.

Outside those two cases we are less enthusiastic. On a set with a crew, a slow repeatable move is already covered by a motorised slider: it is cheap to rent, it has no payload limit this tight, and it does not force you to find a perfect floor. The Dolly GO solves a problem for people working without an assistant, not a production problem.

Buy it or not

At $359 the rent-versus-buy argument barely applies: this is an accessory, not an investment. It makes sense to buy if your work is solo, indoors, every week. If it comes up once a year for a commercial, the time you lose setting up paths and keeping the rig under 1.7 kg costs you more than the $359.

One practical note for buyers: the NP-F batteries are not included, and anyone working with us already has some in the bag because they power monitors and lights. If you do not, budget for them right away, or the box will arrive and sit on the table.

If you need a sturdier move with real payloads, our advice is still a proper gimbal on rental paired with the right body: it is all in our equipment and ready-made kits.

Official source: edelkrone. Specs and verification: Newsshooter.