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CAMERA SLIDERS

Posted: Sun May 01, 2016 4:56 pm
by Peter Stedman
I've always had the urge to see/try a camera slider. There seem to be so many around from the relative inexpensive to the astonishing expensive. Does any one use one? Has anyone had practical experience of using one and would care to share their experiences with us?

Cheers. Pete.

Re: CAMERA SLIDERS

Posted: Sun May 01, 2016 5:38 pm
by Roy1
Hi. Peter. This video on Youtube shows you how to make a slider for a few pounds. I suppose you have to be good at DIY. I always thought they were called dollys . https://www.youtube.com/watchv=hvT4BYIfhSY

Re: CAMERA SLIDERS

Posted: Sun May 01, 2016 5:54 pm
by Dave Watterson
Roy - I think you may not have given us the whole YouTube address. An easier way to pass on such a link is to play the video on YouTube, look under the image for the "Share" link. Click that and below it appears a shorter link code. Copy and paste that.

Generally I think of a dolly as a trolley! Sometimes they are like tripods on wheels that you can move around a flat floor in any direction. Very often such dollies are placed on a track like a narrow guage railway which restricts the freedom of movement. The track, however, is often laid over a rough floor or ground are and propped up so that the camera moves smoothly.

A Slider is a camera-mount fixed to a rail (often no more than 2 feet long) which lets you slide the camera smoothly along. Bob Lorrimer is a great exponent of glide rails and sometimes even sets them at a tilt so that he can run into shot and allow gravity to make the camera track across him.

Re: CAMERA SLIDERS

Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 9:44 am
by Roy1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCS7laZWCmk Sorry for not sending URL correctly Try this one. It has worked for me by sending it as an email. I followed instructions from DAVE.
[youtube2]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCS7laZWCmk[/youtube2]

Re: CAMERA SLIDERS

Posted: Wed May 04, 2016 9:49 am
by Peter Stedman
Thanks for those suggestions, but it doesn't really answer my question. I have viewed many, many videos on YT showing, explaining and promoting the various Sliders. I was really interested in info from anyone actually using one here in the UK and what model they had etc.
Thanks again. Pete.

Re: CAMERA SLIDERS

Posted: Wed May 04, 2016 8:33 pm
by Bob Lorrimer
My slider is a Glidetrack......it is 2foot which is quite long enough and portable. It take the camera about 6 to 8 seconds traverse it's length.
Unfortunately they have changed the design and i am unwilling to testify as to how well it works! The Glidedetrack is about £220 some are much more expensive and some are cheaper . (The HD Glidetrack (heavy duty) version I did not like at all.)

However the lateral 'move' of the slider gives a wonderfully professional and powerful look.

Hague sell sell a few on their camera grip site.....hunt around on their site for the camera supports. (This Micro Rode mic is brilliant too...I bought one and LOVE IT!)

http://www.cameragrip.com/rode-videomic ... icrophone/

There are plenty out there online now but testing them seems to be problematic!

Re: CAMERA SLIDERS

Posted: Wed May 04, 2016 8:38 pm
by Bob Lorrimer
I have also mounted a Manfrotto 701 hdv 'head' on my Glidetrack which means you can both rotate AND shift angle gently up and down while sliding.

The 701 Manfrott HDV head is a great light to medium pan and tilt head.....and not too bulky.

Bob

Re: CAMERA SLIDERS

Posted: Wed May 04, 2016 10:01 pm
by col lamb
In a couple of words FORGET IT

The camera sliders you see on the likes of eBay are OK and they seem to move smoothly but just try to move one with a camcorder on and then look at the results, you will see a slight jerkiness

If you must have a slider get one with a variable speed motor drive

I have one and used it a couple of times, do not like the results and when I can be bothered its going on eBay

Re: CAMERA SLIDERS

Posted: Thu May 05, 2016 9:27 am
by Peter Stedman
Thanks for that info. Just what I needed. As you say Bob, there are plenty around but getting to test one is a different matter. Hague is most likely the best bet if I start to really desire one.
Thanks again. Pete.

Re: CAMERA SLIDERS

Posted: Sat May 07, 2016 9:09 pm
by col lamb
By the way the Rode mike that Bob gives a link to is a great addition to anyone's video kit.

I bought one after testing it out at the Photography Show at the NEC in March, it's way smaller than it looks in the link and mine came with a windgag.

Re: CAMERA SLIDERS

Posted: Tue May 10, 2016 4:00 pm
by Bob Lorrimer
Yes I can testify that the RODE MICRO MIC is great value for money...it is very small, well made, and comes with a shock mount and furry pussy. It is particularly brilliant with my GH4 Microfourthirds still camera. (This Camera incidentally its astonishingly versatile for movie making). The Gh4's achilles heel is the audio which captures ambient sound but is not brilliant with speech.

Thanks to the new tiny Rode Micro the camera is now transformed for most ad hoc situations. I used it in our Club, very recently, to record interviews at 4 feet of the Member's speaking to camera. On the finished Blurray DVD their voices have good resonance and clarity and a complete lack of ambient hiss. Recordings are not going to be in the same class as a dedicated off board MIC but they are more than acceptable for me.....for £49.ish from Hague....or elsewhere.

Furthermore...it has no controls .....plug it in and it records (using the cams power)...forget to plug it in (AS we DO!) and at least the Camera records!

I have had two other Rodes which mount on the camera....but if you forget to switch them ON...you get nothing at all......! There is a powerful inclination to switch them off when you can see the little green light 'glowing'. It is then very easy in the heat of the moment to forget to switch powered Mics back on.....well it is easy for me!

My Micro Rode is permanently on the Camera...in my Bag. (several members have also bought one.)