Can anyone tell me how much I would expect to pay for a camera pedestal/dolly?
Also, is there anywhere in the UK that sells them?

Alternatively, are just wheels for an existing tripod available for a cheaper price?

Hi Dan,

I thought they were called dollies?, Hague produce some and they are based in Nottingham URL http://www.b-hague.co.uk, they also produce Jibs and Cranes.

Hope this helps,

Ed Smith

Thanks for that Ed.
They seem to be called both pedestals and Dollies.

In one shop I was looking at, the ones whith vehicles attached where called Dollies and the ones with wheels were called Pedestals.

They do look rather expensive, are there any lower-specified models available anywhere or has anyone got any tips for attaching some wheels to my existing tripod, as I dont really want all the other features of the dolly (ie. the tripod bit).

--UPDATE--
After seeing some Pedestals on bhphoto.com - $50,000!, I now retract my opinion that the one on the above store is expensive.

Ed,

If all you're really looking for is a dolly (i.e. a set of wheels) for your current tripod I might start with looking at the brand of your tripod. Bogen/Manfrotto, for example, makes several models that mate to the design of their tripods' feet. Mating the feet to the dolly's wheel fittings will be a bit of an issue, hence my suggestion to look at your tripod's manufacturer first.

Here in the U.S. B&H Photo is a good place to start (bhphoto.com). Click "professional Video" and look for the link to "Tripods & Dollies".

Thanks for your post.
I have a relatively cheap, MIRANDA tripod.

I have seen a set of wheels that attach to the tripod on the above mentioned site, but I dont know if they will fit my tripod.

Is there anywhere where I might purchase individual wheels, which can be attached to my tripod?

Another query, does anyone know whether the HAGUE-PRO tripod on the website above has a hydraulic up/down feature?
If not, would I be looking at much more for a dolly with this feature? (if I was going to buy a proper dolly I would like it to have this feature because that way I am getting some improvement over simply a tripod with wheels)

Hi Dan,

As far as I am aware the Hague Pro Dolly does not have hydraulic up/down feature and that is why it is so cheap. If you are looking for one with that feature try this web site:

http://www.cke.co.uk/acatalog/CKE_Distribution_Tripods_35.html

Unfortunately these are not cheap coming in at around £2000!!

Hope this helps

Ed

Don't forget borrowing/renting a wheelchair.

Don't laugh...Robert Rodriguez shot "El Mariachi" that way.

Not just for indie films: for some scenes in Enemy At The Gates they used a wheel chair as a dolly too =)

Im not sure if a wheelchair would be a good idea, considering I will be using it a lot (once a week maybe).

I think I might just buy those B-Hague wheels for my cheap tripod.

When using a wheelchair, how is the camera attached to it?

Typically the camera operator is sitting in the wheelchair and someone is pushing the chair. For some situations, notably smooth surfaces, it works as well as a tracked dolly and takes no time to set-up or tear-down.

i have often scene a mounting head simply clamped to a bar of the chair...