Rhino Camera Gear Shuts Down Online Store

Industry News

by Nick TaylorYesterday

Founded in 2010, Rhino Camera Gear has been providing reasonably-priced, professional-grade camera accessories to the masses. Known mainly for their camera sliders and adaptable camera cables, the Washington-based company founded by Kyle Hart has closed their proverbial doors, seemingly for good. Posting only a small paragraph on their official website, we say goodbye to them and wish them well in whatever future endeavors they move onto.

As mentioned above, Rhino Camera Gear’s official website now displays the following message:

Rhino Camera Gear is now closed. If you have an existing repair, we will process it within 2-4 weeks. If you need support with your product, please reach out to your local Rhino Dealer. Our online store, email, and phone have been disconnected. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

Goodbye, old friend

Without an official announcement or any buildup to the closing, we are left to speculate as to why the company is shutting down. But what is apparent is that they will no longer be supporting or accepting any kind of returns or repairs through their website. While Rhino products are still available for purchase through B&H and other authorized retailers, prices have yet to drop as of the publication of this article. It is also unsure how successful any future Rhino sales would be, given that support has been cut off.

A legacy of motion control

Rivaling companies such as Kessler, with their motion control and camera slider systems, Rhino leaves behind a legacy of similar products. The EVO slider system was wildly successful, starting with a Kickstarter campaign in 2015. Their ARC II 4-axis robotic camera assistant was barely 5 years old. While, as mentioned above, Rhino products are still available, it is uncertain if their app will continue to run or receive updates.

Could it be that sliders are now more prevalent and cheaper than they were 10 years ago? At the time, you couldn’t really find camera sliders for under $500. But now, a quick Google or Amazon search can yield results for under $100. Many camera companies are incorporating camera axis movement into their hardware, such as DJI or Insta 360.

So perhaps Rhino filled a niche that no longer exists. As happens with many companies, the supply only flows for as long as demand is there. Regardless of what happened, we would like to bid farewell to Rhino Camera Gear and all its employees. Thanks for providing quality products to aspiring and professional filmmakers alike.

Do you own any Rhino products, or would you like to know why they are out of business? I’d love to hear about any experiences you’ve had with Rhino in the comments below.