How do you use your slider? Tripod mounted?

C

clivemcl

Active member
Do you tripod mount? And do you keep it there permanently somehow locking off the carriage movement for static use?

Do you use your slider by itself, and does yours have adjustable feet, for non-flat surfaces?

I am fed up trying to find suitable surfaces to set mine on, and I reckon the tripod mounting would eliminate this hassle.

Also, does central mounting on a tripod make sliders a little unstable at each end?

I had thought of attaching a slider to a tripod on a simple tilt head to allow for quick adjustment to horizontal on a slope. It would also allow the slider and tripod to be stored compactly if the slider tilt head went over 90degrees. Potential downside might be that the tilt head might add to potential instability.

I know people might not care for my ponderings, but these are the kind of questions that pop in to my head that google struggles with answering!

Also, my shooting is mostly weddings based, if that's relevant.
 
When using a lighter camera setup I mount my slider on a single heavy duty tripod screwed on without head. When using a heavy camera load I use two tripods with heads on mounted at each end of the slider.
 
Baby Stands. The sliders have a mount with a hole on each end to fit the 5/8 male stud. We use a 4', a 6' and an 8' version made from speed rail.
 
On my Igus, I drilled and tapped 3/8-16 holes all over it. I can use superclamp pins with threaded ends, I can stick threaded pins in a grip head, screw a half-ball onto it, etc.

What I really dig is mounting it to the ceiling though...

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David W. Jones said:
When using a lighter camera setup I mount my slider on a single heavy duty tripod screwed on without head.
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I did this for a couple of hours recently, with an FS700 on a Konova slider on a fairly light tripod, shooting a mixture of static and sliding shots. For static shots it was fine, I just locked the camera in the center and ignored the slider sticking out each side. For the sliding shots it was really pushing it, as the rig sagged and wobbled quite a lot; I ended up looking for supplementary supports all the time.

Two tripods would be way better, but in my situation that would have been a lot to hike across an island with. I have also done it with a tripod on/near one end and a monopod propping up the other, which can help, but is not as good -- maybe a heavy tripod and a monopod would work. With a lighter camera it should be easier, of course.
 
Here's speed rail on baby stands.

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Good replies guys.

As expected, I'm seeing a lot of people questioning a sliders stability when mounted on a single tripod.

The other suggestions of light stands and the sawhorse are no doubt successful, but surely only workable in a structured setting. I shoot weddings, and whipping out light stands and screwing them on would be too much hassle for the occasional 2second slider shot.
 
Never had a problem using a single tripod... it's also quick to move around!
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If concerned, just put a few sandbags on the tripod spreader....no worries.
:beer:
 
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