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Author Topic: Camera slider to shoot footage, time lapse...  (Read 14480 times)

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« on: January 24, 2018, 10:23 »
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Hi, I am shopping to find a motorized slider (or not?) Not too expensive, to have fun and try things (amateur, not pro). I started looking and it's pretty expensive to have a motorized one! moreover, I would like to have one that allows me to film from top to bottom with a certain angle ...

Does anyone have any advice or suggestion?

thanks


« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2018, 11:04 »
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I got the Nebo slider from Capture Beyond Limits in 2016, which is lightweight, portable and a great motorized slider for timelapses. It was also not very expensive ($475 + shipping).

It was a Kickstarter project but now their website seems to have disappeared. I suppose they're not in business anymore unfortunately...

I also have the Syrp Genie and the Genie Mini that you can put on almost any slider. They work great, but I guess the Genie is a bit pricey. It's also quite heavy and bulky.

The Nebo system is really lightweight, but too slow for real-time slider movement. I can use just the slider part with the Syrp Genie for real-time shots.

The slider can be disassembled and fit in my camera backpack (40" assembled, 20" disassembled). Something of great value to me.

I used a Konova slider before, but it's more for studio use. Very heavy and doesn't fit in any normal bag. I ended up not bringing it on most excursions. The motion timelapses I did make with it are great sellers though. It was extra hard work as I didn't have a motor then, and had to move the camera 2 mm manually between each shot.

It's nice to look back on the hard work though, but so much easier to have a motorized system doing all the work.  ;D

Getting perfect real-time shots manually is harder, especially on cheaper sliders. There will almost always be a bump or something ruining the shot, and it's very hard to move the camera evenly.

A motor can take care of that, but it will ruin the sound (if you need that).
« Last Edit: January 24, 2018, 11:43 by increasingdifficulty »

« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2018, 14:22 »
0
Hi, I am shopping to find a motorized slider (or not?) Not too expensive, to have fun and try things (amateur, not pro). I started looking and it's pretty expensive to have a motorized one! moreover, I would like to have one that allows me to film from top to bottom with a certain angle ...

Does anyone have any advice or suggestion?

thanks
I have an Edelkrone one. Very good slider (motorised of course, for time lapses it is a must).
I pulled out a few very good timelapses with it, but....
It is a nightmare to carry them around, really a bad one.
The situations when you want to use a slider are extremely rare: you need a subject in the near proximity and something else very interesting in the background. You are not going to use it very often (and it is a lot of money).
In some situations the same effect can be pulled out in post production with After Effects.
If you are starting out with video, I would spend my money on something else (for example a drone)

« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2018, 14:37 »
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I have an Edelkrone one. Very good slider (motorised of course, for time lapses it is a must).

Not a must, but of course a nice luxury.  :) As I said, you can do it manually. Just a bit more work. The end result will be the same.

It is a nightmare to carry them around, really a bad one.

Yes, I agree, heavy sliders are a nightmare, which is why the Nebo slider I mentioned is great (weighs less than 1.5 kg WITH motor). 1 meter / 40 inches long.


The situations when you want to use a slider are extremely rare: you need a subject in the near proximity and something else very interesting in the background.

Well, that depends. You need to look for situations that have a nice foreground. Any landscape photographer would do that, as the most interesting landscape photos also have a nice foreground element. The same with timelapses. A motion timelapse with nice foreground can look really extraordinary.

In some situations the same effect can be pulled out in post production with After Effects.

Well, not quite, but almost. In 3D software you can do it very convincingly with parallax and all. It takes a lot of time though.

If you are starting out with video, I would spend my money on something else (for example a drone)

That's nice, but if high quality motion timelapses is what you want to make, that's not going to help. Although you can make cool hyperlapses over greater distances. But the quality suffers...
« Last Edit: January 24, 2018, 14:39 by increasingdifficulty »

StockbyNumbers

  • www.StockbyNumbers.com
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2018, 14:51 »
0
Hi, I am shopping to find a motorized slider (or not?) Not too expensive, to have fun and try things (amateur, not pro). I started looking and it's pretty expensive to have a motorized one! moreover, I would like to have one that allows me to film from top to bottom with a certain angle ...

Does anyone have any advice or suggestion?

thanks

What price range are you looking for specifically?

+1 to the Syrp. Really like it and have found it to be quickly deployable and rather light compared to Kessler and Edelkrone.

I used to use a slider constantly before the rise of gimbals. Bulb ramping intervalometers in combination with sliders can yield some amazing timelapse.

I'd also suggest trying some slider shots by hand - just pushing it across the rails rather than using anything motorized (not for timelapse of course...).

Having a few foreground elements closer to the lens, between you and the subject, can often yield great looking shots as well.

« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2018, 15:12 »
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Hi, thanks for your posts! I did some google reading and exploring and i think that i will try to do a DIY  system... :o

i have already this thing : https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01IB61WS8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and i will by a manual slider (60 cm max) with good reviews (but cheap  ;D) on amazon and mix it with the motorized rotator... A guy did it on youtube and it seem to be working well!

As I said, I just want to have fun and try things, if I decide to go further, I will equip myself with a better quality system!

Thanks for the tip about After effect, I'll take a look!  I will take note of these brands for my future shopping (syrp, Edelkrone, kessler)...

thanks again



« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2018, 15:51 »
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You could also take a look to autopan
https://www.shootools.com/store/accessories/14-autopan-8055687020713.html

It's not a motorized slider.... It's motorized head 😁
And it can gives very nice results! By the way, it's not really cheap, but you can use it for many different options together with a cheap manual slider
I have it and I'm happy

« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2018, 18:41 »
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You could also take a look to autopan
https://www.shootools.com/store/accessories/14-autopan-8055687020713.html

It's not a motorized slider.... It's motorized head 😁
And it can gives very nice results! By the way, it's not really cheap, but you can use it for many different options together with a cheap manual slider
I have it and I'm happy


i have a similar system, only 100$ usd  ;D : https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01IB61WS8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1]i have already this thing : [url]https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01IB61WS8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and i will by a manual slider (60 cm max) with good reviews (but cheap  ;D) on amazon and mix it with the motorized rotator... A guy did it on youtube and it seem to be working well! [/url]

« Reply #8 on: January 25, 2018, 04:34 »
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Nice but not exactly the same :-D
This is a simply rotator, I don't see how can you use it for timelapse with manual slider, the shootools autopan has a great way to read the manual movement on the slider and it is really good for real time video, not only timelapses

Anyway you're right, it's not cheap :-D

« Reply #9 on: January 25, 2018, 04:45 »
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Nice but not exactly the same :-D
This is a simply rotator, I don't see how can you use it for timelapse with manual slider, the shootools autopan has a great way to read the manual movement on the slider and it is really good for real time video, not only timelapses

Anyway you're right, it's not cheap :-D

Looks cool, but essentially it's not much more than a Genie Mini ($249). The string is helpful and makes everything easier, but you can set the Genie Mini to do exactly the same thing.

I don't think the string justifies the $800 price tag - yikes!

« Reply #10 on: January 25, 2018, 08:55 »
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Nice but not exactly the same :-D
This is a simply rotator, I don't see how can you use it for timelapse with manual slider, the shootools autopan has a great way to read the manual movement on the slider and it is really good for real time video, not only timelapses

Anyway you're right, it's not cheap :-D

I saw a video on youtube of a guy who uses 2 rotator, 1 used to move the camera on the rail, the other to do the panning ... Something like that : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEo0SS3Hsis and watch the little sample video he did a the end of the video (at 4:22)... not bad at all...

so, if i use 2 rotators (200$ total), a manual slider (100$)... with a little bit of work to do to assemble, I will have a kit for 300$ CAD... something like 260$ USD... i already have one rotator, i just have to buy one more. I found a cheap slider (neewer, chinese brand) with good reviews on youtube/amazon for 70$ CAD... it's worth the cost to try!
« Last Edit: January 25, 2018, 09:41 by christiano »

« Reply #11 on: January 25, 2018, 09:47 »
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Well, make your choice :) everything is good if is good for you!

Personally I'm not a fan of cheap cheap cheap objects and the DIY methods on the market, I always found that often they don't do what I want, or they can't
Sometimes because your camera is too heavy, or may be the head you want to do additional movement is heavy...
Sometimes because the battery is so powerless that you can't use it for more than twenty minutes...

I prefer to spend more to have a solid gear, or something that gives me more variables, but it's ok, it's a personal choice

MilanStojanovic

  • I sample life
« Reply #12 on: January 25, 2018, 14:00 »
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEo0SS3Hsis

edit: lol, I'm a bit late to the party

« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2018, 16:46 »
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I agree with Brightonti!

Usually you can make a more interesting movement in After Effects.
Also I think sliders rather spoil a timelapse than add something to it.

But if you want to play with sliders, why not?
In those cases i love doing it completely manual by pushing a skateboard inch by inch, or attaching a battery powered handdrill to a makeshift dolly on a ladder.

Since many timelapsers get bored with sliders pretty fast, you might be able to find a complete package hardly used at a good price if you search for it  :)
« Last Edit: January 25, 2018, 17:05 by seamless »

« Reply #14 on: January 26, 2018, 00:47 »
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« Reply #15 on: January 26, 2018, 08:48 »
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I use the Kessler http://store.kesslercrane.com/time-lapse-system-tls-starter-bundle.html  nice price now too.


I have the 60 inch Kessler Cineslider. it's heavy and too big and heavy to travel with.  I love it for easy local work out of my car, but I am looking for a travel Kessler now.  Have you huffed your slider around via plane? They do have modular designs but they look flimsy to handle my Second Shooter.  Interested in your opinion.

StockbyNumbers

  • www.StockbyNumbers.com
« Reply #16 on: January 26, 2018, 09:33 »
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Just saw this review pop-up today on the Syrp. Again - Im a big fan. I love their setup and you can attach multiple sections together really quickly.

https://www.redsharknews.com/production/item/5233-syrp-genie-genie-mini-kit-review

Hope its helpful.

« Reply #17 on: January 26, 2018, 13:16 »
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I use the Kessler http://store.kesslercrane.com/time-lapse-system-tls-starter-bundle.html  nice price now too.


I have the 60 inch Kessler Cineslider. it's heavy and too big and heavy to travel with.  I love it for easy local work out of my car, but I am looking for a travel Kessler now.  Have you huffed your slider around via plane? They do have modular designs but they look flimsy to handle my Second Shooter.  Interested in your opinion.

Nope haven't traveled with it, I think I'd need a crew to do that.  If you were going to rent a car then I guess it would be doable though, there are hard cases for planes.

« Reply #18 on: January 26, 2018, 19:21 »
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I use the Kessler http://store.kesslercrane.com/time-lapse-system-tls-starter-bundle.html  nice price now too.


I have the 60 inch Kessler Cineslider. it's heavy and too big and heavy to travel with.  I love it for easy local work out of my car, but I am looking for a travel Kessler now.  Have you huffed your slider around via plane? They do have modular designs but they look flimsy to handle my Second Shooter.  Interested in your opinion.

Nope haven't traveled with it, I think I'd need a crew to do that.  If you were going to rent a car then I guess it would be doable though, there are hard cases for planes.

I do have the hard case but I am looking to hike into more remote areas with a lightweight system, probably modular.  The modulars I have seen other use, though, don't do well in the breeze....they are too flimsy.  Thanks for posting.

« Reply #19 on: February 01, 2018, 11:11 »
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Hey guys, someone used a Revolve slider? I found something that looks good, a bundle kit with @ 380 $ USD (including the slider, motor, and the pan/tilt)... it's like around 500 $ CAD for me, plus shipping and customs ...

Let me know if you've heard of it, it would be appreciated! thanks

RAM Motorized Slider Bundle + pan/tilt https://www.revolvecamera.com/collections/all/products/ram-motorized-pan-tilt-head

« Last Edit: February 01, 2018, 11:14 by christiano »

« Reply #20 on: February 09, 2018, 09:35 »
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Hi guys, Hi guys, after a few hours of research to find me the best motorized slider for my budget, a pan / tilt head and an addition to connect my camera to the motor for times lapses (go, stop, shoot, repeat), I I opted for the brand Revolve (revolvecamera) I read only good reviews and they answered all my questions ... So I decided to spend more money for this equipment ;-) after performing a inconclusive test with a pan / tilt head and a manual slider bought on amazon.

If people are interested, here is a link for a 10% discount on everything. http://revolvecamera.refr.cc/ouelletc
 

« Reply #21 on: September 08, 2019, 09:46 »
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Has anyone used one of these: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1484253-REG/gvm_gt_80wd_gvm_1_5d_motorized_video_slider.html ?

I just got the Rhino Pro Traveler because I wanted to do some simple slider videos with props, but with my 5d on it, when it hits the end of the run, even at the longest ramp down, the momentum hitting the end causes it to jiggle a little.  No nice slow and stop.  And there's no way to not have it go end to end.  The controls are ridiculously simple.  I'm going to try a lighter lens to see if that helps, but I was just curious about the GVM.

steheap

  • Author of best selling "Get Started in Stock"

« Reply #22 on: September 08, 2019, 10:28 »
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Hi Sean

I've played around a lot with ways to add movement to my video clips and I ended up with the Edelkrone Dolly One. It isn't the same as a slider at all, but on a flat piece of wood it would do the same thing as the slider - ie move slowly and smoothly forward along the wood holding the camera steady. You can set start and stop points and it can smoothly build up speed and then it slows down at the end of the travel to come to a smooth stop. I've written about my experiences with it, but it has definitely earned its (substantial) price with sales of video clips for me.

Here is one of my articles about it:  https://www.backyardsilver.com/2018/12/another-interesting-sale-edelkrone/

Now I haven't tried this on location anywhere for time lapses - I would have to find a way to fasten my board to a tripod (or pair of tripods). However, I think a nice long piece of plywood with some raised edge to make sure it never ran off the edge would make an interesting test case! However, for studio work, it is great.

Steve

Steve

« Reply #23 on: September 08, 2019, 13:05 »
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Thanks!  I had seen that "slider", but it seemed that it's use scenario was really limited, as you said.  I was hoping for something a little more flexible as far as inclines or outdoors went.  Does it have to use a pretty lightweight camera?

steheap

  • Author of best selling "Get Started in Stock"

« Reply #24 on: September 08, 2019, 19:31 »
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No, it is very solidly built and I put my Sony A7R3 plus 90mm macro lens on it without any issues. As a outdoors slider it may have issues, but it is certainly very flexible for rotating around a point on your subject. I do that to add some movement around macro shots of coins or similar small objects.

Steve


 

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