1 Tripod 1 Slider No Bend!

[Tariq Peter]

Hi All,

I am going crazy here trying to figure out this solution and there just has to be a way.

I am a wedding cinematographer and use a Canon 5DMK3 (24-70mm) attached to a Konova K2 85" slider by using a Manfrotto 701 Head.

The slider is attached my 055xprob Tripod by a Manfrotto 501 Head.

The issue I am having is when shooting a wedding I slide my camera from left to right on my slider for family shots, or table shots, however the slider bends(flexes) when it gets to the extreme left or right because of the weight.

I have tried using a monopod on one side and the slider on another but its just not pratical on a wedding shoot, as there are hundreds of occasions where I need to lower the tripod quickly or remove the slider altogether. What I need is a setup tripod legs and a video head which can some how support the slider so it wont flex. There just has to be a way.

[Chris Soucy]

There just has to be a way

Sadly, there isn't, well, on a system that involves an 85" slider and a centered single point support, the physics says it simply "does not compute".

No tripod (or head) was designed or engineered to withstand such leveraged stresses as you are submitting your system to, even the best tripod on the planet will warp under such a load.

Tripods (and heads) are designed to accept a load vertically through their center line, not a cantilevered stress trying to tip it over.

If you wish to use the slider, you will need two supports, each approximately 1/4 of the way in from the end of the unit, no other way it can be done with such a huge lever.

Your best alternative is to ditch the slider and replace it with a counterbalanced boom, which puts the stress on the support units back in a vertical through the center.

Sorry, but you can simply not outrun physics.

Unless you wish to use a fork lift truck to cart around a (large) concrete block, the slider either needs two supports or it has to go.


CS

[Alastair Traill]

Hi Tariq,

I am developing a tripod for low level work that may provide some ideas. At this stage it is essentially a ‘standard’ tripod that has the bowl replaced by a length of tubing or if you prefer a length of tubing with two legs at one end and one leg at the other. The picture shows an EX3 suspended from the horizontal tube. I normally use a lighter camera on a nodal head. In this case the subject is a fresh wallaby dropping. As the system works well I am adding a few improvements to better accommodate the heavier camera.

The idea has a lot of potential, the horizontal tube can be longer or shorter and can easily be changed. The next version will have two parallel tubes to carry a bowl carriage.

If any one is interested in trying something similar there are a few things to watch out for, firstly the hinges that permit the legs to swing in or out to adjust the spread need a tightening mechanism because the weight of the camera is not necessarily shared equally by the three legs. Secondly if you want it to fold up for storage/transport etc there needs to be an extra hinge point to permit the two legs to align with the horizontal tube.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/attachme...1&d=1359113609

[Mike Beckett]

Just to back Chris up (as if there's any doubt).

Tariq, that tripod is pretty flimsy. I know, I have one. I have a 36" slider, not an 84" one - mounted directly to the tripod screw and not the 501HDV head, it is slightly more stable. But not enough to move a light camera left or right by a full 18 inches without physics and mechanics combining to make an expensive crash!

Even on my much mightier Vinten Tripod, taking the camera and a fluid head 18" off the centre is a disaster. Your 84" tripod means you have about 42" overhang, which is even worse.

Even with two tripods, one at each end, your 7-foot tripod might bend in the middle when you are doing camera moves!

It just sounds very cumbersome for me, except in very controlled circumstances where you have time to set up and rehearse, it sounds like a nightmare for any fast-moving event, imaging carting all that gear with you!

[James Manford]

I've had the bending issue as well.

But come to the realisation you NEED two tripods, or a monopod attached. It's the only way.

[Zoran Vincic]

I use a small light stand as a support for my slider, works like a charm.

[Colin Rowe]

1 Tripod 1 Slider No Bend, No chance.
As everyone has said, its just not possible. Try cutting it in 3 !!!!!!. On a serious note, with a 28-30 inch slider you can get shots just as dramatic. You really dont need that sort of length, just get the perspective right and you will get some wonderfull shots. With the added bonus that you wont have to lug a 7 foot + girder about with you.

[Kelly Huffaker]

I have the same slider but i have found a "no-bend" solution. I have tripod legs dedicated for my slider only. I removed the fluid head off the tripod and replaced it with a quick release adapter that matches the QRP underneath the slider. This eliminated any kind of flex that the slider was suffering. Works like a charm.

[Walter Brokx]

Originally Posted by Tariq Peter

...............
What I need is a setup tripod legs and a video head which can some how support the slider so it wont flex. There just has to be a way.

The tripod has no power over the flexing of the slider.
The slider flexes, because it's not 'stiff' enough.

Just a thought:
You can try to add stiffness by mounting the slider on a real stiff I-beam that supports both sides and middle and mount that on the tripod.
But that could make it all really heavy or even too heavy for your tripod.

[Victor Nguyen]

I have the same Konova and is so upset that it keep tipping. I think the problem lies in that it's just not design very well. I'm thinking of moving to another slider but don't know which one to get. The new Edelkrone one looks nice. I say just sell it as soon as you can and upgrade.

[Tariq Peter]

Hi Victor,

My slider is 84cm and I have seen good results when used with a good set of legs and a solid video head. I will post back in a few days with an update.

[Colin Rowe]

Tariq.
I see the problem with the answers you have been getting. In your original post, you stated that your slider was 85 inches, I see now that it is 84cm, just over 33 inches. Locked off tightly you may be able to use most of its length. Simply test with the rig you are using to determine the tilt point, and stop the slide just before you hit that point. But to make sure there is no tilt whatsoever, a support at each end is going to be needed.

[Kyle Root]

I just got the Konova K3 100mm (39 inch) slider.

Right now I'm using it on my Bogen 3251/501 set up.

I bought a 701 head to attach to the Konova, and use a 501 PL Quick Release Plate to mount slider onto the 501 head and legs.

Even though I knew it wouldn't work, I mounted my Sony NX5U on there, and yeah, there is no way that is going to be supported. I even tried it with my Nikon D90. It was quite a bit better, but still some movement. I tried it with a Nikon V1 and it was fine.

Obviously this thing is really built for DSLRs and not video cameras like the NX5 (Canon XHA1 and similar) necessarily.

I tried to mount the tripod to the left side of the slider and a monopod on the right end, but I was unable to make the left hand QR plate fit onto the 501 head, becase there is a little 1/4" or so ridge on the slider that kept it from sliding all the way in, so I never got a good fit.

I've only had it a couple days and haven't had a chance to play with it much.

Slides smoothly though and is pretty silent from what I've heard.

Looking forward to shooting something with it. lol

[Victor Nguyen]

what's your opinion of the Konova now Kyle?

[Kyle Root]

I've only had the chance to use it once at a wedding since I got it.

It worked great with my Nikon V1 and Bogen 3251/501 combo (albeit that was quite heavy packing around in the 90 deg 100% humidity outdoor wedding where I used it).

I got some cool shots that I of course could not have gotten any other way which I used in the opening portion of the video.

I've been a one man crew lately, and it is quite the challenge to set up 3 or 4 cameras and equipment at weddings with 300+ people. I'm hoping in the coming months to hire out an additional camera person to help out so I can try it again.