"Camera Carts"

chris f

chris f

Veteran
One day I dream of owning a legit camera cart (and employing someone to push it for me), but in the meantime have been getting by with my little red ULINE wagon (pictured below). It collapses down making transportation easy and it can hold my camera, camera bag, Ronin-M on a stand and whatever else I can cram in it, but the wheels are starting to wear down and it's got me wondering what everyone else uses to lug their gear around? My camera assistant has the Costco version of this wagon which is nice because it has cupholders and bars across the ends that can support the weight of c-stands.

IMG_1242.jpg
 
I was a little bit skeptical of the Rock N Roller R12 but I got one (with no flat tires) and sure enough, I love it. Mine came with a damaged box and missing parts but they quickly sent me more parts. It's easy enough to tear down though I ended up attaching the top and bottom shelf and leaving mine assembled.
 
How do you keep stuff from falling off the cart? I'd be worried about stuff rattling off when pushing it over rougher terrain.
 
There are so many options.. but really you have to understand your own situation.

Beaches? Elevators? Own a truck? Must fold up and go on your scooter?

To take a small bag and a 75mm set of carbon sticks?

Or a couple of crates stacked full of scaffolding grip?

Mine.. homebuild to go in my van, over weight, indestructable, from aluminium from a scap year, handle made from standard gripping sizes to hang a light or a monitor. The bed handle pile of pelis. Being plywood topped i can use it and add maybe strap loops or 5/8 slots to hold a cstand as I use it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwrt10EAoJh/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
 
As for holding a big pile of stuff and not have it slip off.. that would be an assistant helping. As it is loaded its heavy enough to need two to move it safely.
 
everybody around here has the grip and gaff bags. They are the way to go, other than coming up with some kind of clamp or hook system that attaches to the rock n roller shelves (but the shelves would limit your stacking ability).
 
Jim Feeley said:
The GripNGaff bags look interesting. I don't own one, but they've been around for a while, and they have models for different RnR carts
https://www.gripngaff.com


View attachment 135856
Click to expand...

Josh Bass said:
everybody around here has the grip and gaff bags. They are the way to go, other than coming up with some kind of clamp or hook system that attaches to the rock n roller shelves (but the shelves would limit your stacking ability).
Click to expand...

I picked up a few recently when they were basically giving them away($17-$18?). I like the idea, BUT they are too small(at least the version they were liquidating). They can take a tripod and a C-stand and that's about it. Or maybe two-three light stands if that's all you put in it. I can get way more gear on the "bull-nose"/add-on platform for the Rock 'N Roller.
 
Couldn't say. I have the pre-Grip and Gaff bags (made to order by a local awning company). They can still fit quite a few stands in. Most folks get two so you have one on each side of the cart. Pushing becomes kind of a pain when they're on the smart wheel side and extended with two bags those carts won't fit in a lot of elevators.

Just looked...bull nose...do you mean what they're calling the extension rack on the rocknroller site? That would be great for c-stands (looks like anyway). And the cable hooks look useful too. They didn't have some of the accessories last time I looked.
 
I actually bought several since they were so cheap and I did think about using one on the front and back. Maybe all stands in one and the tripod in the other...

Yes, the extension shelf is what I was referring too. I’ve been trying to have a guy modify mine so that it will just “hook on and hook off”, because while it is a good idea and gets you some useful real estate, it is a complete pain in the balls to put on and take off. Just like the selves, unless you modify them to just drop on.

For football I actually regularly squeeze two tripods(Sachtler Speedlocks and Flowtechs) and two to four light stands on the extension at once. Bungee cords are your friends! I think my personal best was a set of 100mm HD Speedlocks and two sets of regular 100mm Speedlocks and one to two stands.
 
I'd recommend picking up a backstage magliner. They're a little expensive (though cheap compared to inovativ) but are so much better than screwing around with a rock n roller. I have a junior magliner, with a c stand holder (holds four) and a grip n gaff on the other end for my tripod, speedrail, etc.

The extra expense will be worth every second you have to push a heavy cart around.
 
For me, it’s not the expense of the Magliners, it’s that they don’t pack-up as small and open as big, which means it won’t fit or will take up too much space in the truck and I also can’t transport as much on it in a single trip. As a matter of fact, I wish the R’nR opened up just about 1”-2” more so you could lay a 1750 completely flat and square on the bottom. You currently have to go diagonal with it.
 
Paul F said:
Is there anything you don't fab yourself?
Click to expand...


I racked my own van out :)

I don’t fab anything u can buy.

It seems there is nothing I want to buy - I don’t know why this is. I work with fs7 and stuff like Ronford is too expensive/heavy and other stuff is crap.

Or information is scant in the uk- for example I could not find if magliners are rigid with only one end attached because the importer has never taken out of the packaging.

My rough trolly is also a possible product as the joints are a bit special - many of my constructions might come to market sometime

My Cart..
-goes straight in side door of van.
-handle is scaffold and 5/8 tube for easy rigging of monitors etc
-now has 28mm Junior pin receiver to use it as rolling light stand (compete with carrying hi capacity batery)
-easy remove handle with super robust laser cut joints
-will be added to
-robust enough to carry cam op on smooth floors.
-doesnt interface with track - this is something I mused for a long time but as I have a dolly I could not see the point of making the trolley more complex. (for now!)


Surely it is obvious that cine carts should interface with speed rail , junior receivers and 5/8 grip ??
 
Last edited:
Magliners are awesome BUT even the stripped down junior (i.e. not the tricked out filmtools version) is heavy as hell for one person (at least to me). Plus, the junior doesn't extend as far or have the tall handles at either end--which have their uses--like a RnR. If I were superhuman or always had people helping me? Genesis/Filmtools magliner or senior or one of those bigger carts, for sure. As it stands now, I have looked around and still don't think there's a better all-around cart than the RocknRollers for weight, portability, length and carrying capability.
 
Josh Bass said:
Magliners are awesome BUT even the stripped down junior (i.e. not the tricked out filmtools version) is heavy as hell for one person (at least to me). Plus, the junior doesn't extend as far or have the tall handles at either end--which have their uses--like a RnR. If I were superhuman or always had people helping me? Genesis/Filmtools magliner or senior or one of those bigger carts, for sure. As it stands now, I have looked around and still don't think there's a better all-around cart than the RocknRollers for weight, portability, length and carrying capability.
Click to expand...

Yeah, they're kind of the Fs7 of carts. Not high-end, but versatile as hell.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top