Equipment for hire

"Pedestals & Dollies" equipment.

VINTEN OUTSIDE BROADCASTING DOLLY. This compact camera dolly, designed by Bill Vinten, appeared in late 1958 and was used on the second Queens' Christmas Day Speech, broadcast live from Sandringham. (the Queen-via the BBC- had asked for a less intrusive dolly-the lumbering 'Paddock' had been used the year before). The Vinten dolly runs on solid or pneumatic tyres. The central column elevates and the camera and seat rotate 360 deg (as does the rear steering). In operation the front wheels extend outwards for stability. (Many photos exist of this dolly in BBC & ITV operation without the front wheels extended. Of course, requirements of Health and Safety held no urgency back then...)

The 'Edmonton' crane/dolly was based on the ca:1936 US Fearless 'Panoram' movie studio dolly. The distinctive Edmonton was built for the Rank Organisation and used mainly in British film studios. The crane/dolly had a central jib that could be raised 7ft and the turntable rotated 360 deg. The dolly could be adapted, with the addition of cable guards, to run in tv studios. Another version designed exclusively for television studios by Vinten was called the 'Pathfinder'. The larger picture shows an Edmonton with an RCA TK11A tv camera mounted.

The ECLAIR 'Crab' originated in French film studios, pre-war. Purely mechanical with steerable linked tri-wheels, this pedestal could be elevated in two stages to a height of 6ft. Used from the early 1950s in tv studios and particularly on obs. Still used.

The Vinten HP 419 'Hydro-Pneumatic'gas-balanced pedestal appeared first in the mid-1950s. The pedestal was a boon to tv cameramen who could now track and jib all at the same time without losing sight of the viewfinder. Many thousands of the HP 419 design were sold worldwide. Very few remain in production use, supplanted by the later Vinten Fulmar. Our picture shows a GA-TV HP419 with one of our EMI 203's.

The Evershed Power Optics P10 pedestal was a lightweight nitrogen-balanced pedestal with linked steering. This pedestal was based on the 1950s Win Strumpell US design which had six wheels and a wider base. The EPO version had a cut end making it only 27 inches across. Approximately 12 of these pedestals were made, used mainly in the UK by Thames and LWT.

The Vinten 459 pedestal- seen in the picture with an EMI 201 vidicon camera- was designed as a lightweight 'cost effective' item. The pedestal has chain-linked wheels and a spring operated column. Used originally in small presentation studios-news/weather reports etc. The larger picture shows an additional 'steer ring', added by GA-TV.

This pedestal is of French film origin and was used throughout the 1950s in studios by BBC Television (Lime Grove) and ITV companies. During that period there was nothing better available, at least in Europe. The Debrie had an advantage over the US Houston Fearless tv studio type pedestals inasmuch that it could crank quite low to the floor and was much lighter. This easily steered pedestal (which sometimes had three stabilising struts attached) has three linked wheels and is fully mechanical. Maximum height,6ft.

Compact and lightweight pedestal with a very short rise adjustment at the base and centre column (air balanced). Based on an orginal design by the US company Houston-Fearless, this version was built, we believe, by Mole-Richardson in the UK and sold during the 1960s by Marconi's. The pedestal will take a standard Vinten pan head (or others) plus a full-weight camera if required. Although the three wheels can be locked to travel in a straight line, this pedestal tends to wander and is best not moved about too much.

The Vinten PLOVER 3179 ob/studio pedestal is a compact and relatively lightweight nitrogen-balanced item using a Fulmer type central three-stage column and three sets of linked wheels which can be either pneumatic or solid. The centre column can be easily separated from the wheeled base for transportation. The Plover pedestal can take a camera/pan head combination of up to 105 kgs.The front sets of wheels fold for storage.