Can anyone recommend a good slider?

[Peter Riding]

What didn't you like about the K3 Victor?

The Kamerar I have is 39" end to end.

You know how tricky it can be to keep the longer sliders stable when on one tripod and how messy it gets if you try to put a slider on two tripods or lightstands.

Well I've been using a single tripod plus a Manfrotto Heavy Duty Flexible Arm with one end screwed into the slider towards one end and the other inserted into a Manfrotto Superclamp and then that end clamped onto a tripod leg. Works a treat.

Heavy Duty Flexible Arm 520mm 237HD - Arms | Manfrotto

Super Clamp Without Stud 035 - Super Clamps | Manfrotto

Pete

[Noa Put]

I use to have a Konova k3. Hated that thing.

Same here but have a k2 from konova, it arrived with play on the sled, couldn't get a smooth slide out of it, contacted the supplier and they told me how to adjust but it didn't work on mine. Then they suggest to send the sled only back to them and after they receive it I get a replacement sled, only thing is they are located in Korea so the sending costs to there are for me. Now I use the konova as a clothes rack, works very well...

It's actually the worst kind of service I have encountered until now, they have received a video clearly showing the problem, they should just send me a replacement sled, no questions asked.

[Victor Nguyen]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

Same here but have a k2 from konova, it arrived with play on the sled, couldn't get a smooth slide out of it, contacted the supplier and they told me how to adjust but it didn't work on mine. Then they suggest to send the sled only back to them and after they receive it I get a replacement sled, only thing is they are located in Korea so the sending costs to there are for me. Now I use the konova as a clothes rack, works very well...

It's actually the worst kind of service I have encountered until now, they have received a video clearly showing the problem, they should just send me a replacement sled, no questions asked.

Exactly Noa. You know it's a terrible product when the manufacturer sent tools to fix it in the packaging.

So the first problem you're gonna notice with Konova is that every small ding and scratches inside the slider will totally stopped you during a move. If you put a head on there like manfrotto 701, you'll see that the head shakes around. Why? because the 3/8th screw on the konova is just resting on metal. There's nothing to secure it.

I mean these problems you can deal with. But what pissed me off the most is when the Konova kept derailing. The final straw is when the brake totally stripped off. I just said F*ck this, order a replacement part and sold it to a friend of mine.

I order the Kessler Stealth the next day. It has some problems right now, but totally useable. The customer service from Kessler is totally worth the price.

However, I would really recommend maybe trying out Cinevate Duzi. If I was doing it all over again, that's probably the one I get.

[Noa Put]

I like Edelkrone's slider plus design, seems to be very portable but a bit expensive, the cinevate duzi does seem well build.

[Victor Nguyen]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

I like Edelkrone's slider plus design, seems to be very portable but a bit expensive, the cinevate duzi does seem well build.

My friend has it. It's an awesome slider. It's portable and slide smoothly, but it has some stability issues.

[Noa Put]

really? does it not allow smooth glides or is it an issue with too heavy camera's?

[Victor Nguyen]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

really? does it not allow smooth glides or is it an issue with too heavy camera's?

I remember when I used it that there's just a slight hiccup when going over the center. However it is extremely smooth and really easy to use. I wouldn't trust it with really heavy cameras.

[Rob Cantwell]

I've got a Glidetrack, with a Manfrotto 502 head, seems ok but i really need to practise more with it, i dont always get smooth slider shots as i would like.

[Nicholas de Kock]

I have the Konova K5 & love the thing. I get super smooth one take slides. If you have the money the Kessler Stealth is great but personally I'd buy the K5 over & over. Konova is a bit of a dust magnet but at the start of a shoot I swipe the rails clean with included wipers and it's smooth.

[Bob Ohlemann]

Originally Posted by Peter Riding

Kamerar Big Slider arrived today. Pretty good service, ordered Monday, delivered Thursday all the way from Shanghai.

Nice solid bit of kit and a step up from my DIY botches.

Pete

Pete,

I've been seriously considering this slider. Seems you've had some time with it now, got any thoughts on quality, performance, hits or misses?

Bob

[Peter Riding]

What can I say about a slider :- )

Its solidly built without being heavy and is smooth in operation. Its not too short to be limiting and not too long to be unstable. The wide track helps with heavier gear.

I particularly like the way the feet operate. They can be sprung out in pairs in a split second and the design works well for improvising such as placing the slider on the top of two high-back chairs for a chest-level sliding shot.

Possible miss I guess would be the lack of a motor, though one could be improvised. But motors introduce another level of complexity including weight, transportation, noise, setup time, vulnerability to damage, etc, as well as adding to the cost.

Pete

[Bob Ohlemann]

Originally Posted by Peter Riding

What can I say about a slider :- )

Its solidly built without being heavy and is smooth in operation. Its not too short to be limiting and not too long to be unstable. The wide track helps with heavier gear.

I particularly like the way the feet operate. They can be sprung out in pairs in a split second and the design works well for improvising such as placing the slider on the top of two high-back chairs for a chest-level sliding shot.

Possible miss I guess would be the lack of a motor, though one could be improvised. But motors introduce another level of complexity including weight, transportation, noise, setup time, vulnerability to damage, etc, as well as adding to the cost.

Pete

I ordered one. It should be here by the end of the week. One of the reasons I went for this one is that it looks like it would lend itself well to adding a motor. I've never used a slider but, I have done a few timelapses and it seems a motor control is almost mandatory for them.

Bob

[Victor Nguyen]

I just visited Kamerar headquarters yesterday. Had no idea that they're in my hometown. Anyway, I was pretty impress with their products. The big Kamerar sliders was only $200 but it performs almost as well as my Kessler.

[Adrian Tan]

Well, I've got a 1.2m Konova, a 2ft Cinevate Atlas FLT and a 2ft Edelkrone slider.

Konova 1.2m -- I don't take this to weddings. That sort of length might be nice to have, but I know I don't need it.

I've had it for years but haven't used it much, and have no real problems with it.

Cinevate Atlas -- basically, an excellent slider, though I have had problems with it. It's a "classic" sort of wedding slider, I think -- centre mount it on a tripod, or whack it on the ground or furniture. Pretty lightweight, durable, smooth. Not motorisable, if that matters to you. Only real problems I've had I think are due to the fact that my gear takes a lot of punishment. Problems: (1) not a good idea to frequently take fluid head off and and put it back on again; better to leave it on permanently -- I've had problems with the screw getting bent if the fluid head isn't threaded on properly; (2) mine now only slides properly in one direction, because over time I've had some gunk collect in the bearings. I can fix the problem if I take the thing apart and tighten the appropriate screw so that the carriage grips the rails properly, but then it seems to go bad again after a while.

Edelkrone -- wonderful, but with a lot of design features that make you go, "What were they thinking?!" I'm currently trading in my version 1 for a version 2.

Advantages: very compact. I've taken it overseas, and been very glad of the size; carried it on as cabin luggage. Also is motorisable. When the "target module" for the Edelkrone comes out, I'll probably get that.

Disadvantages... Firstly, that little bump in the middle. Now, Edelkrone is aware of the problem and has some videos on their site about how to fix. I'm not sure the problem entirely goes away though. It's "smooth enough" but not perfectly smooth... Hopefully v2 is better. Secondly, the rust -- some of the parts aren't designed for outdoor conditions, and rust very easily. Thirdly, the fact you can't easily place it on grass -- the grass blades interfered with the sliding action. Also, the feet of the slider fairly easily unscrew and get lost, and then you need to spend $50 for a replacement kit. Fourthly, the locking mechanism for the carriage means that you can only lock it in the centre position. It's also a somewhat silly lock -- easy to push it all the way up or all the way down, and then it becomes difficult to get your finger in to get the lock moving again.

Another slider I can recommend, though it might be hard to find -- the brand is called "Skier". I think it's very cheap. But it's also very compact (1ft long) and very smooth.

Main advice: I think whatever you get should have roller bearings.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Victor Nguyen

I just visited Kamerar headquarters yesterday.

Eventhough it has no rollerbearings their SD-1 Slider Dolly looks very interesting at 149 dollar only.