I was looking at dollies for tripods and was wondering exactly how these are used.

Are these just used for moving the tripod around? or could you use these to do "handheld" shots on smooth flat surfaces like tile, hardwood, and concrete?

In case you haven't figured it out, I don't have a background in this and don't have a clue. 8-)

Thanks

Tripod dollies can be very handy for moving a loaded tripod indoors, although getting through residential doorways will be a problem. They are generally not very good for motion shots. Look for a dolly that (a) is compatible with your tripod's legs, (b) folds compactly, and (c) locks/unlocks its wheels very easily. Bogen's 3254 (which I own) is an excellent example of these characteristics and relatively economical.

Carl,

Roadtesting my Bogen Autodolly, it flows smoothly on its casters once you get the camera moving, as the casters are mounted to the frame on 360 degree rotators. So, you bump it into the right direction and your ready to go. I also use it to move the camera around, shooting, or not shooting. The base diameter is very wide.

You need to practice with it.

I still prefer the wheelchair to the dolly I have though.

Cheers!