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Looking for a slider under $1,000 for DSLR filmmaking
I’m slowly building up my kit, and currently shooting with a Nikon D750 and a D610. I do a lot of shooting with the Manfrotto Sympla shoulder rig, which I love, and it’s great for run n’ gun shooting and stability for longer shoots where you have to be on the move. But I’m really craving the ability to get that ultra smooth slider shot, and I’ve finally got some cash to spend on some gear. I do already own a cheap little 24″ rail slider that I picked up for $175, but it is horrible! The track sticks all the time, and when it’s centre mounted on a single tripod the slider bends under the weight of the D750 (with no accessories!). So it’s essentially useless.
I’ve been reading reviews, and hear great things about the Rhino, the Shark, the Edelkrone Slider Plus, and the Kessler Stealth. But I’ve never seen any of these first hand, and don’t live anywhere close to a place to go check them out. My priorities are fast setup and ultra smooth motion, preferably with the option to add motion control later on. I believe all of the above models have either a flywheel or adjustable drag, and most of them are expandable with optional extra rails. Has anyone had a great or not so great experience with any of these? Any recommendations on which is the best? They’re all within a couple hundred bucks in price, and I’m not worried if one is a pound or two heavier than the rest. Simply looking for some unbiased opinions on which slider is the absolute best product. Thanks in advance!
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2 Replies
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Ben –
You may want to take a look at this little (well, not so little) guy:
https://www.moveyourcamera.com/
What’s wonderful about is its’ flexibility: you can run it along existing railings (bridge, porch, walkway) by simply adjusting the width of it. I use 1″ PVC which I buy at HDepot, and with fittings I can make anything from a short 2 footer, 2 an 8 footer for next to nothing, and quickly. The trick is to use the heavy duty PVC (I think it’s Schedule 1, so it doesn’t flex much). I can also roll on the square PVC sold at HD for fence posts, and just about anything else. The builder JG Pasterjac (sp?) is a really nice guy who you can contact directly, and who responds to questions and issues. I notice he has also built a motor kit for the Cinemover, and it looks pretty good:
https://blog.planet5d.com/2012/03/moveyourcamera-coms-cinemover-a-review/
The chain concerns me because of noise possibilities, but he addresses that in the video pretty well. You could probably also substitue nylon timing chain, or ask JG about it and solve that potential problem. The Cinemover is a tank, but a very flexible, adaptable tank…
Joe Bourke
Owner/Creative Director
Bourke Media
http://www.bourkemedia.com -
Thanks for the reply Joe. That does look like a very cool option, and versatile.
I ended up ordering the 24″ Rhino Evo slider and it just came in today! I just finished unboxing it and setting it up on my tripod for a test run. I have a big shoot tomorrow so this is just in time. First impression is that it is incredibly smooth! I ordered it with the flywheel for extra dampening and inertia, and it makes a huge difference. The main reason I went with the rhino over the edelkrone was that the reviews I watched and read revealed that the Edelkrone can only be used on a tripod (if you use it on the floor it has only half the travel length and it has no feet anyway), and the Edelkrone motion control system is super loud! I haven’t ordered the Rhino motion controller yet but will add it later on for sure. I also like that the Rhino is expandable by just purchasing a longer set of rails.
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