Quick take: At the BILD Expo in New York, I asked Manny, SmallRig's US marketing rep, why the company's new production cart costs $1,899 at its early-bird price when a similar cart sells for about $1,300. His answer: shipping costs for something this big, three years of development, a toolless design that packs down into the back of a Prius with locked-in storage for every part, about 30% less weight than typical carts, and real durability testing. It felt sturdy and light in person. I pre-ordered one to test on real jobs.
The Cart Controversy
I met up with my buddy Hunter at the BILD Expo, and one of my first stops was the SmallRig booth. In the SmallRig community, people had been asking why the new production cart, launching via a crowdfunding-style campaign for late August delivery, costs $1,899 when a comparable cart from a competitor has been around $1,300 for a while. Value has always been SmallRig's number one thing, so I wanted an answer.
Why It Costs What It Costs
Manny said the $1,899 price is for the first 50 backers, with tiers that include extras like batteries for the earliest buyers. He was clear that tariffs aren't the reason. The bigger factor is shipping: for the same container space and budget, you can ship 20 or 30 small accessories or just one cart, so size and weight drive up the cost.
Designed by a Former Camera Assistant
Manny is a former second AC (Local 600) who pushed big carts on set. Those are great, but they get loaded into grip trucks. This cart collapses small enough to fit in the back of a Corolla or a Prius, which matters to me since I drive a Prius to most local jobs.
The detail I liked most: when you collapse it, the legs, casters and rods lock into fixed storage positions inside the cart. With other carts I've seen, those parts just get tossed in, and you have to finesse everything to close it at the end of a long day. As a one-man operation who's still using beach buggies, that matters.
Features and Specs
Weight: About 30 kg (around 66 lb) collapsed, roughly 30% lighter than typical carts.
Toolless: A threaded baby pin doubles as the locking screw that holds the cart closed. When you set up, flip it over and you have a baby pin for transmitters, lights or mounts.
35mm C-stand receiver: Drop in a C-stand to mount monitors, transmitters or umbrellas.
Quick-release wheels: They attach with a dovetail system, like an Arca-Swiss quick release.
Setup time: About three minutes to break down.
Durability
I asked Manny to sell me on it: why spend $1,800 over a cheaper cart I'll use all the time? He said the design came from customer feedback over three years of prototypes shown at NAB and Cine Gear. One filmmaker testing prototypes kicked a wheel off a competitor's cart but couldn't do it to SmallRig's. For something you set up and break down constantly, that durability matters. Buy nice or buy twice.
Manny admitted the best way to convince people is to get it in their hands, and said SmallRig may tour it around the US.
My Take
I checked it out on my own earlier, too. It's really sturdy, breaks down quickly and feels light the way a carbon fiber tripod does compared to aluminum: not cheap, just lighter, with solid construction. I'm a little biased, since SmallRig was there with affordable cages when other brands charged a few hundred dollars, so it's a name I trust. That's exactly why I asked the hard questions.
I'm going to pre-order it, test it on a few jobs once it arrives, and share my full thoughts.
