Elevating the camera from the tripod head (slider question)

Blade Borge

Blade Borge

Well-known member
So I have a slider, and a tripod. I shy away from doing push-ins because of the likelihood of the track getting into the shot. Instead, I want to elevate the camera from the tripod head so the track is nowhere near in the shot. Trouble is, I'm not DIY savvy. Can someone help me figure out what to make that will connect to the tripod head and camera so I can get some elevation?
 
Ideally you'll be wanting a dolly (track on ground, tripod on dolly), not a slider (track elevated). Doing this with a slider will introduce much instability.
 
Attempting to raise the camera above the head would be a mistake. The camera would then be extremely unstable. Rather, raise the head and camera together, either by using risers or by extending the tripod legs (if the tripod is mounted onto the slider (if the slider is large enough to handle the tripod).
Otherwise look at another means of supporting the camera; a crane, a crab dolly, a jib arm. Good luck.
 
Well I respectfully disagree. The elevation I need is only about 6inches-foot w/dslr, I don't think this would introduce instability. Extending the whole unit itself wouldn't help keep the track out of the shot.
 
Blade Borge said:
Well I respectfully disagree. The elevation I need is only about 6inches-foot w/dslr, I don't think this would introduce instability. Extending the whole unit itself wouldn't help keep the track out of the shot.
Click to expand...

You're talking raising a slider 6"-12" which is essentially like what, doubling the height? You'll be raising the center of gravity quite a bit and with the tracks/rails on sliders being pretty narrow, you're talking about a pretty tall item on rails that are like what maybe 6"-8" wide?

If it's anything like the few sliders I've used, I would say raising a slider by 6"-12" most certainly could cause you some instability problems. Not saying it can't be done, but just be mindful of the problems. You might create 1 problem trying to solve another. That said Nothing is right and you're probably better off with an actual dolly where you camera isn't so close to the tracks.
 
First off... read this thread:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?145701-DIY-IndieSlider
EVERYTHING you've every wanted to know about sliders...and more then you anyone needs.

Second... you can use anything to raise the camera 4"-6" off the carrriage. I use part of a ball mount (see the pictures in the first post)
Others have used anything from a simple block of wood to a $25.00 4" riser that Filmtools offers (or used to offer?).

Scan through the thread... :beer:
 
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