DIY 39" Slider

[Chris Swanberg]

Very nicely done. Thank you for sharing that.

What components did you purchase and how did you mount the camera?

[Jeff Anselmo]

Good work Robin; very nice images! I think the dolly moves worked best when there was something in the foreground (and especially liked the DOF). But there seems to be a bit of stutter move when camera tilting (but it's good to know that it's possible to tilt/move with a DIY slider). Did you use the HF10 on your dolly?

Like Chris, I'm also curious of the specific components you purchased.

Best,

[Robin Davies-Rollinson]

Thanks Chris and Jeff -
I can do better tilts than that - honest! I was using a little Velbon head from the D700 unit, which is ok really, and light, though I'm adapting the slider to fit on my Manfrotto legs via a 75mm ball.
It was the HF10 camera that I used, set to manual focus and exposure, to keep foreground objects soft.
As for the slider itself, I ordered a meter length rail (60cms wide) and a "carriage" 10cms square from http://www.igus.co.uk/wpck/default.aspx?pagenr=1994 I had a 1/4 inch bolt fitted into it so I could screw the head onto it. There are holes pre-drilled on the rail, so I just place the centre of it on the tripod top with its fixing bolt going through the rails and use a washer and a 1/4inch nut to tighten the two together.
I've also put some end stops either end of the rail, since the carriage can shoot off if the unit is tilted!

[Jeff Anselmo]

Hi Robin,

I'm sure when I do my own camera dolly tilts it will be much, much worse :)

Do you think the rails/carriage you purchased is capable of handling heavier weights, specifically the Canon XL2 (which I'll be using primarily)?

Best,

[Robin Davies-Rollinson]

Jeff,
The rails and carriage are capable of taking a good deal of weight - I run the Sony FX1 on the system as well, so you should have no problem with the Canon.
The problem will be with the support. If you run the rail on the ground, or supported at either end, it will be fine (it certainly won't bend.) However, If you run it attached to a tripod, you must make sure that the screw is strong enough - 3/8ths will be fine - and the tripod top area that it rests on is wide enough to give support when the camera is at its furthest travel on the rails at either end.
I've fitted a Manfrotto 75mm. ball to the rails, which then fits into the bowl of the Manfrotto 525 legs. This would support the XL2 fine.
I will get some still pics or video up over the weekend to demonstrate the set up.

[Jeff Anselmo]

Thanks Robin. Looking forward to photos of your setup.

Best,

[Chris Swanberg]

Much more helpful than the OP ! Thank you. Were there specific product numbers or did you just order the complete setup. Visiting the site was still a little daunting. Thanks again...

Chris

[Robin Davies-Rollinson]

As promised guys, here are some pics I took yesterday:
Camera glider track rails - a set on Flickr

Chris, I'll find the invoice and post the specific part numbers tonight.

[Jeff Anselmo]

Hi Robin,

Thanks for the great photos. Looks like a real good setup!

What are those things that you've screwed on at the ends? Are they plastic?

Best,

[Robin Davies-Rollinson]

Jeff,
Yes, they're just two bits of plastic we found in the workshop so that the unit can be placed on a table or other surface. I want to replace them with longer pieces which come out a bit more to give more stability.
We've also screwed some washers onto the ends so that the carriage won't come off the rails when being carried or tilted!

[Sean Walsh]

Thanks Robin for sharing the photos....

Can you post the part numbers for all of us pls?

Does anyone have any practical experience of sliders/track over 1 metre or 39 inches?

Could you, for example, effectively use an FX1 sized camera, mounted on a single tripod with a slider, say at 1.5 metres, or 60 inches (providing of course the track was strong like Robin's and didn't flex under the weight). Or would it become unmanageable?

And then at what size (maybe 2 metres or 78 inches) does it make practical sense to go to supports at both ends?

Instead of using a tripod, I am considering using a sturdy upright stand, normally used as part of a backcloth support system. Any thoughts?

Thanks, Sean

[Robin Davies-Rollinson]

Sean,
I'm looking for the invoice with the part numbers - it's here somewhere!
In the meantime, here's yet another test I shot last Sunday:
A Woodland Secret on Vimeo

I've used my FX1 on these rails, but I wouldn't like to use it on anything longer than one metre with the tripod fixing. The track itself is strong enough, but the weight of the camera and fluid head at the extreme ends of the track could put a massive strain on the thread holding it onto the tripod fixing.

[Sean Walsh]

I agree Robin,
Having thought about the question of a 1.5 metre slider, the weak point of the system is the attachment to the tripod - that's where the real strain will be.

And as for my question about mounting it on a background support stand, I have now thought through the answer: that would only really work if there was one at each end, a single support stand in the middle just wouldn't be as stable as a tripod.

I've just checked your new Woodland Secret film on Vimeo - it's not playing correctly for me at the moment...just a black screen and the timeline is speeding along, just like a Welsh mountain goat, from start to finish in under four seconds - some kind of record!

Some useful comments on the page re: part numbers etc.

Sean

[Jeff Anselmo]

Hi Robin,

Very nice! Much better cam dolly tilts, my friend. Especially liked the tilt to the ruins (at around 43 sec to 56 sec), then dissolve (on movement, good job :) to the piece of metal in the foreground (at 57 sec). I think your getting handy with that thing.

As Sean had mentioned there was equipment info left by someone, and wondered if these are the exact part names/numbers that you used.

(Real jealous of your backyard. Living in the southwest in El Paso, we don't get much "green" around here. Sometimes miss living in California, where I can hike up the mountains full of pine trees, and waterfalls. Sigh.)

Best,

[Jeff Anselmo]

Hi Sean,

I think your idea of putting the slider on stands isn't a bad idea; but I think a (good) tripod would be more stable. Obviously not having the slider myself, using two stands at either end could well make the slider stable. But having two tripods at either end would maximize stability.

I currently have a Libec tripod that barely holds up our XL2 (with the barest of camera moves). But I think it's the Libec tripod head that's the issue. (Cause the tripod is very useful when strapping on our Kessler crane which could get heavy.) For the DIY slider, I'd probably get 2 relatively inexpensive tripods to screw on either ends of the slider. (Provided if the wife agrees to buying the slider and tripods in the first place :)

Best,