The Losmandy Spider Camera Dolly is the most portable professional camera dolly on the market. Combined with a piece of FlexTrak, the simple 3-Leg Spider converts your tripod into an inexpensive, extremely portable, tracking camera dolly. Add a fourth leg, and you can further accessorize it, as pictured here, to be a fully rideable camera dolly with adjustable center column, a seat that pivots 360 degrees around the column, foot platforms, and pushbar. Both the 3-Leg and 4-Leg version can work on traditional steel track, or on track made of pvc pipe, or on our award winning FlexTrak--a flexible track made of a special rubber compound that not only rolls up into a bundle for easy transport, but also allows you to make straight or curved dolly moves with almost no set-up time.

The rideable 4-Leg Dolly packs into three cases. The largest, which has a fold out handle and wheels, carries the base, the 4 wheels, the push bar assembly, and the foot platforms, and weighs 80 lbs. The Adjustable Column with its Top (either 100mm, 150mm, or Mitchell) goes into the second case which weighs 28 lbs. The Seat Assembly goes is in the third case and weighs 38 lbs. You can now have a rideable dolly system with 40 feet of flexible track and transport it in almost any vehicle.

And what makes the Losmandy camera dollies especially distinctive are three things: 1) the ability to upgrade a 3-Leg tripod dolly to become a fully rideable 4-Leg Dolly, or conversely, to be able to convert a 4-Leg back down to a 3-Leg if one needs to work alone; 2) the floating wheels on one side to accommodate the somewhat arbitrary alignment of the FlexTrak (see below and/or the FlexTrak page for more on this); and 3) the seat which pivots around the column. For a discussion of the advantages of a pivoting seat like ours, see the article "Pivoting Seat vs. Stationary Seat vs. No Seat" on our Learning Center Page.

Also, the Extended Leg Version of the Spider, when combined with floor wheels and the LWT Tripod, creates an easy and safe way to position heavy cameras and jib arms.

Click photos for larger image

Click HERE for the FLEXTRAK page

Click HERE for Assembly Instruction Videos

Supports 400 lbs. (182kg). The legs fold up for shipping.

If you are comparing dolly systems and are unclear about the advantages of a tripod dolly versus a rideable dolly, please read the blog on our Learning Center page entitled, "Pivoting Seat vs. Stationary Seat vs. No Seat."

Losmandy Spider Dollies have a unique wheel system. On one side, the wheels simply pivot at the center of the wheel cluster. We call this side the guide wheel side. On the other side, the wheels have a double pivot, which allows the wheels to float in and out several inches to compensate for variations in the spacing of the FlexTrak.

Swivel must remain within this range

Adding still more modularity to our dolly system, we now offer a Losmandy 3-Leg Spider Dolly with longer legs. These will provide a 36" footprint instead of the 24" foot print of our standard track dolly, and can come with either track or floor wheels. For Jib work, the need is generally for positioning the jib, so floor wheels are usually used.

Pictured here also is a safety cable that can be added to increase security to the system. Now one does not rely solely on the rubber straps on the tripod feet to secure the tripod to the dolly, but rather now one has downward pressure being exerted by the turn-buckled safety chain which makes a much more positive connection.

The price of the 3-Leg Spider is the same whether with short or long legs:
3-Leg w/ floor wheels -- $1195
An additional set of legs only (short or long) -- $225
Custom Case for 3-Leg Spider w/ extended legs and floor wheels -- $350.
Safety cable -- $45

A 3-Leg Spider can have all three wheels with brakes that lock the rotation of the wheel, or it can have 2 positionally locking wheels and 1 braking wheel. The 2 and 1 combination creates a tricycle effect that can make steering more precise, whereas using 3 braking wheels gives more rigidity and is often preferred by those using the dolly to position a jib arm.

A 4-Leg Spider will have 2 of each wheel: 2 to lock in parallel, and 2 to float for steering and locking.

Wheels -- $200 each = $600 for a 3-Leg Spider, $800 for 4-Leg Spider

Note: these may appear to be simply inexpensive off-the shelf casters and wheels attached to our wheel arms. In reality they are a special soft rubber wheel with precision bearings, and casters with precision bearings. This combination allows for a smooth and noiseless ride whereas off-the shelf wheels and casters would be bumpy and noisy.

Replaces the DV Column for low shot applications. The offset 100mm Top can be mounted directly to the top of the Spider. Allows 7", 11", 15", 19" or 23" height.

Low Shot Kit shown here with Spider Dolly, Swivel Seat, Platforms and Track Wheels