Madeline writes in and shares a couple of cool looking DIY projects. First up is a stabilizer mainly made up of Bike parts (looks closely) and a few custom machined rails.
Second on the DIY list is a camera slider that was part of a rowing type exercise machine found in the trash. Talk about eco-friendly recycling and re-purposing.
Pretty cool stuff, which you can find a little more about on the website - Here. [Thanks Madeline]
We got a good look at Cinevate's latest light weight, short(er) run FLT Camera slider at NAB2011. It's definitely a mini version of their already popular Atlas 10. I actually tried to get an Atlas 10, but they can't seem to keep these things in stock. This might be the same case for the new FLT version coming in as Cinevate's cheapest slider yet. Even though it's Cinevate's least expensive linear tracking system, the price of the FLT may not sit comfortable for the video hobbyist, but the build quality will certainly satisfy the professionals. A more thorough description of their product can be found below, with more information on the FLT found at the Cinevate website here: https://cinevate.com/atlasflt
Olivia talks to Eric from International Supplies about a few of Varavon's products. One product is the Slidecam Slim slider that is said to hold up to 41lbs (that's pretty hefty), comes with a Video Head, legs, and travel bag. This new all aluminum Slim Slider will weigh about 2.5kg and be available in 1m length. Sounds pretty cool so far. Varavon has a few different model sliders available, and below is a comparison chart.
One Slidecam Slim showed up on eBay for an asking price of $550, which is almost twice the price of the current popular Konova slider. Pricing has always been an obstacle for Varavon products so far, so let's hope that's not going to be the retail. You can find other Varavon products including their popular View Finder products on eBay following the link.
Varavon View Finders, DSLR Armor, Camera Sliders
Or as stated in the video, you can find some Varavon products over at B&H
Varavon Slidecam and View Finder Products at B&H
Looks like a fun little DIY Arduino based motion controlled slider project is unfolding. Starting the platform out with IGUS Drylin W rails and carrier (wider version), and adding in a custom fitted pulley system. My guess is that the programmable controller will eventually be used for Timelapse movements and intervalometer trigger. Part 1 & Part 2 videos show some of the DIY process, but more information can be found from Vimeo member Stefan Kohler. Oh and if you're hoping something like this will hit the market, apparently it's not planned for it.
DIY Camera slider - Making of - Part 1 - Mechanics
DIY Camera slider - Making of part II
Of course, if you're looking to get into Motion Controlled sliders, you can't go wrong with Dynamic Perception.
Dynamic Perception Motion Controlled Sliders
Also designed with Arduino in mind, these time lapse sliders are the best on a budget. Highly recommended for anyone who wants the 'now' and not mess with the DIY process. Check out one of the latest videos shot with DynamicPerception.com sliders.
Description:
This was filmed between 4th and 11th April 2011. I had the pleasure of visiting El Teide. Spain´s highest mountain @(3718m) is one of the best places in the world to photograph the stars and is also the location of Teide Observatories, considered to be one of the world´s best observatories. More......
Konova made a huge impact on the scene when they released their very affordable Roller Bearing slider not long ago. Now they are showing off two new slider versions one for heavier cameras and another for extremely light weight cameras (even down to iPhones). Another optional upgrade they will be offering with their future sliders are 'folding legs'. If you're familiar with the basic version, these new folding leg upgrades should make the sliders easier to pack up instead of having to remove them completely off of the slider rail each time you pack. These are both new sliders which are not available yet, and will not be replacing the original current version found below.
Konova video Camera Rolling Bearing DSLR Slider
Konova is also looking to offer a new three wheel skater dolly similar to a few very high end designs that are already on the market. Using three wheels on a rotating dolly makes it more complicated to line up your subject, but with the use of a Laser pointer, adjustments can be fairly accurate. This new 3-wheeled version (not yet available) will be marketed towards larger and heavier cameras, and will not replace the first version more affordable 4-wheeled version which is found below.
YouTube member dinthisane shares his first DIY video, and it's pretty clever. Using some ready made inexpensive 'Skate Buds' available online, he was able to create a very effective rotating video dolly. All you'll need is a flat base plate and a Tripod Head or Fluid head. It's a very simple way to go about mounting wheels without creating axles. As you can see these things are designed to carry a bit of weight too. You can find these little Skate Buds below.
Roller Skate Wheel Skate Buds via eBay
Roller Skate Wheel Skate Buds via Amazon
For a cheap sturdy head, you can should check out the one that we used on the Korean Clone of the SpiderTrax dolly found here: http://cheesycam.com/test-drive-spidertrax-clone-korean-dolly/
The IGUS linear guide rail has been one of the most popular off-the-shelf Rails used for DIY camera sliders. It's a solid build and fairly smooth slide and has been the foundation for other companies to 'rebrand' back into the Video market. One of the 'cons' of this slider is the lack of exact speed control when pushing or pulling manually. There's some friction with this type of slider which could be a good thing, but also could be a bad thing trying to control a very consistent move across the entire rail.
This time Vimeo member weelian soh attaches a basic DC high torque motor and a PWM controller (to control speed) from eBay to a DIY IGUS rail slider to achieve a consistent speed all the way across. A very nice DIY if you don't mind the amount of noise a DC motor can produce, and If you want to find out more, there's a ton of photos and information about his build following the link in the details here: https://vimeo.com/21491431
If you want to start building your own slider, IGUS has made it easy by providing a pretty much ready to go kit of rails and carrier. You'll just need to mount it to your tripod and drill a hole to add a fluid head.
Konova is now pushing a small Fluid Head for their SpiderTrax-Like Rotating Video Dolly or their popular Camera Roller Bearing Slider. This new little fluid head could be slightly compared to the Manfrotto 128RC or even the very nice Calumet Video Fluid Head. Obviously for a cheaper price, and possibly not at the same level of build quality. Either way, i'm sure it's a great little low profile fluid head for many DIY projects, but if you could afford to, you might want to check out the Calumet Fluid Head
or Manfrotto Fluid Head.
Konova Mini Video and Photo Fluid Head
BTW - Did anyone catch that other seller for the Konova Roller Bearing Slider that offers free shipping? Essentially saving you another $50 bucks? [Thanks Chris S.]
Found here:
Konova Roller Bearing Slider
RigWheels are some clever new items targeting the DIY audience. Although they run a bit high in price for most, the ability to quickly and easily move them from one project to another makes them quite appealing. You can literally mount them with a single bolt, and a clamp knob or wing nut.
Check out the video above for just a few ideas of what you can do with a set of smooth mini rollers, and the video below which takes you through an entire DIY project crafting a full track tripod dolly. Beats drilling angle iron, that's for sure.
Available Below
Rigwheels
