Dolley /Slider. How to keep horizon flat during slide.

[Erik Naso]

I could use little technique help with using a CineSlider. I went out with a three foot Kessler Crane CineSlider and was having issues keeping the horizon flat or straight. The hercules head is level and so is the head on the high hat. How do you get the slider level all the way throughout the move? I'm sure its a simple fix but I cant figure it out.

Thanks.
Erik

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

I could use little technique help with using a CineSlider. I went out with a three foot Kessler Crane CineSlider and was having issues keeping the horizon flat or straight. The hercules head is level and so is the head on the high hat. How do you get the slider level all the way throughout the move? I'm sure its a simple fix but I cant figure it out.

Thanks.
Erik

The spirit levels on the head/tripod/slider may be good for 'quick' setups, but since you want accuracy, you should put your levels on the camera. Since I'm not familiar with 'sliders' in general, but if I were working in a machine shop... back in the olden days before I got a real job... I'd use shims to make small adjustments, while checking the levels at each end of the slider 'run'.

That being said... I'd check with the camera itself and perhaps with some sort of plastic cover on the LCD (or whatever display device)... mark the horizon lines and make sure at each end, and during travel (although sagging in the middle may not be a problem...), that the horizon lines you are using, stay stable.

The other issue is distortion due to lens length, and there may be some bowing in the frame of the 'horizon' you have chosen.

If your avatar picture is your slider setup, I'd also look into having two tripods on each end of the slider. There could be some angle changes due to how the weight of your camera+head, works with the frame of the slider.

For accurate work, even 'small' changes occur due to tightening levers, etc. which don't actually stay so rigid...

 

[Erik Naso]

thanks for your suggestions. I'm going to pick up a level from the a hardware store and check both ends to see how level they are then try a slide. The Igus is very rigid and wont flex neither does the Kessler Crane CineSlider. What happens most of the time is the slide looks like a seesaw. I need to practice more and take multiple level readings on each end of the slider.