One of the questions we get asked alot here is which type of Dolly and Track is right for your shoot? And whilst there’s no difinitive answer (as it largely comes down to pure operator preference) there’s a few key questions which could narrow it down easier in many cases.

First let’s start with the 2 main differences for these Dolly Systems. The first is a Sit-On type, which range from simple Egripment Focus Flat Bed Dolly (or similar), up to the acclaimed Chapman PeeWee or Fischer 11, and options in between.

This type requires someone to control your lateral movement (pushing you along) whilst you sit on the dolly and operate the camera. This is easier for many DOPs as they can concentrate on pan, tilt and focus and leave the movement speed to someone else.

The second type is a ‘walkalong’ Dolly. This is much more lightweight and compact in setup, and is a simpler system where your tripod sits on the dolly legs, and goes onto the track to provide that movement, but the camera operator moves with the camera, and the movement speed is decided by walking speed. This does make consistent speed tricky as your walking motion is never naturally smooth, so it’s an extra thing for the cameraman to have to think about as they move and shoot.

These lightweight dolly’s usually do come a complete kit; dolly and track kit, which can easily disassemble go into the boot of a car.
The large styles usually have a range of track to choose from. From scissor track, which can fold down to fit into a small van (or large car) to 8ft Ronford Baker film-grade tracks, which require… well, 8ft.. of van space to transport.

So in summary it really depends on how you want to set up, how reliably smooth you need the movement to be, and how much crew you have available. As always, if you need advice our team are more than happy to help and advise, but this rough guide may help you in deciding which style of dolly is best for your shoot.

Most Popular Sit-On Dollys:
https://www.mediadoghire.com/matador-dolly-hire/
https://www.mediadoghire.com/matthews-doorway-dolly/

Walkalong Dolly:
https://www.mediadoghire.com/dolly-and-track-hire/