Ideal length of a slider

Retrospective

Retrospective

Well-known member
For those who owns a slider, what length do you have? Is it ideal for your work? I shoot mostly narrative and some music videos.

I do have a 2 ft Rhino slider and it's great for travel but not very useful for narrative work since it's too short most of the time to create noticeable movements.

I'm not looking for a skater dolly since I want to be able to set it up quickly with no help, I know I can have different lengths and it's versatile in that way but it's not what I'm looking for.

Im looking for a more practical length for a slider. I'm debating whether to get a 4 ft or a 6 ft one.

For those who own 4 ft, do you find it enough for most application?

6 ft seems like a great length but I wonder if its too big to be able to fit for most situation or becomes cumbersome instead?

Thanks!
 
I think 4 feet is a good compromise. (Obviously there are times where you'll need more - including more than 6' - but how many times, you know?)

I wish edelkrone would add one more foot to their PRO Long.

It travels 3' (on a tripod) but it's half the size for travel: https://edelkrone.com/collections/sliders
 
NorBro said:
I think 4 feet is a good compromise. (Obviously there are times where you'll need more - including more than 6' - but how many times, you know?)

I wish edelkrone would add one more foot to their PRO Long.

It travels 3' (on a tripod) but it's half the size for travel: https://edelkrone.com/collections/sliders
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Yeah if I need 6 ft or more then I would rent a dolly.

edelkrone seems great for compact travel videos or product videos but I find them useless for most narrative situation. I have the Wing slider and it's super heavy. Brought one on my travels but ditched it quickly since its only effective on close up shots.

Looking at ProAim Flyking https://www.proaim.ca/collections/c...im-flyking-precision-camera-slider-100mm-bowl
I know of the brand, I don't really trust it but based on some "biased or not " videos I've seen, the build seems heavy duty. Cheaper than MYT Works slider.
 
If you want more than 4ft, a Dana dolly may be the better option? Just make sure you get real speed rail. I have used that home depot fence post stuff, and it really hurts the stability. Stay away from those. But a Dana dolly can be great with solid thick speed rail, and then you have something that packs much smaller and can be configured from 3 to 12 feet pretty easily. Just a thought.

I like a 3ft slider, as it doesn't require an additional set of legs, yet still allows for optimal framing, even reframing within the shot. But for dolly moves, I'd go Dana. for what that is worth. of course you'll have you reasons for a slider. And 4ft is not exactly sweeping or epic, though definitely buys you some room. However 6-8ft on the Dana starts to get some of that tracking feel, even without a super close foreground element.
 
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For the solid results you may be looking for, I think most of your options may be a bit cumbersome and not a quick setup.

Do you prefer motorized/automated sliding or manual?
 
I've heard that Canada's used cinema gear market is a complete steal. Not as much buying power as the US markets and people off load gear for cheap. Or is that just Toronto?
 
James0b57 said:
If you want more than 4ft, a Dana dolly may be the better option? Just make sure you get real speed rail. I have used that home depot fence post stuff, and it really hurts the stability. Stay away from those. But a Dana dolly can be great with solid thick speed rail, and then you have something that packs much smaller and can be configured from 3 to 12 feet pretty easily. Just a thought. I like a 3ft slider, as it doesn't require an additional set of legs, yet still allows for optimal framing, even reframing within the shot. But for dolly moves, I'd go Dana. for what that is worth. of course you'll have you reasons for a slider. And 4ft is not exactly sweeping or epic, though definitely buys you some room. However 6-8ft on the Dana starts to get some of that tracking feel, even without a super close foreground element.
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Not looking for a Dana dolly like, I would rent if I need to. Looking for something I can setup some stands quickly then mount the slider or just slider on the ground.

James0b57 said:
I've heard that Canada's used cinema gear market is a complete steal. Not as much buying power as the US markets and people off load gear for cheap. Or is that just Toronto?
Click to expand...
It's most likely just in big metropolitan like Toronto. Thanks for the heads up!
 
NorBro said:
For the solid results you may be looking for, I think most of your options may be a bit cumbersome and not a quick setup.

Do you prefer motorized/automated sliding or manual?
Click to expand...
Hmm thats what I was worried about. A heavy duty slider like MYT Works.

Just manual, nothing fancy as long as it's stable.
 
But another thought is that if you did use (or at least try) a motion control option, those wouldn't require you physically moving them thus they could perform better even if the entire setup (including the camera) is smaller and lighter. Obviously that would only work if you wanted one type of movement (although some people now stack a wireless pan head on the slider so they can control the panning while the slider controls the sliding).

But yeah - the heavy duty stuff usually just works. Stable images.
 
Once you're past 4' you're getting into Dana range. The issue being anything past 4' starts to be a bother to pack. So I figure if I'm going to have the hassle of packing long rails, I might as well have a Dana, which I do (well, not an actual Dana. I made my own).

I use a 3' slider and if that's not enough, then I use the Dana. Yes, it means big pipes and big stands, but I find it worth it. Well, sorta. I've been thinking about making 4' rails for the Dana that butt two together to make a 8' rail. Then the rail packing issue goes away. But I fabricate my stuff, so that solution isn't for everyone. Maybe consider using 6' rails for a Dana instead of 8' or 10'.
 
The nice thing about the MYT, that the Retrospective is considering, is being able to remove the 100mm half ball bracket and place the camera directly on the slider for ultra low to the ground angles.


But other than that, I am with, and find the flexibility of the Dana to be far more conducive to Producer's and aDirector's needs. But perhaps the limits of a slider can prevent unrealistic requests. haha.


BTW, how smooth is the transition between mated 4ft rods? I haven't tried those out yet, but think that would be amazing to have.
 
James0b57 said:
... BTW, how smooth is the transition between mated 4ft rods? I haven't tried those out yet, but think that would be amazing to have.
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That's the issue isn't it? I haven't made it up yet because of that very issue. Getting two 4' pipes perfectly butted up and solid, without sag; that's not easy. I've discussed it with others on this forum about how to get a perfect mating surface and make it solid. It just hasn't been that big of a problem for me to find the time to try fabricating it.
 
The ones on the market that I have seen incorporate screw in tips. I suppose if yo make them yourself, you can match and pair the ends that are perfect mirrors. maybe 'buff' them to be seamless.
 
I have the 42" Rhino Slider and the 24". I only use the 24" because I can put it on a tripod, grab the whole thing and move it myself.
The 42" requires two tripods and two people to move it once assembled. PITA. I never use it.
 
What weight of camera/head are you intending on using? How much help do you get when you shoot? How fast do you need to move? How long are your shots?

In general, I don't want to be on a slider on anything over a 3ft move. There are better options.
 
Those are good questions. They prompt me to ask if Retrospective is looking for a dolly, not a slider. What I mean is that generally, a slider is not used to reposition the camera to re-frame a shot, but a dolly often is.

Retro, you say you want more movement, but you also want something simple and easy to set up. I'm poking you here a bit to see if you're making a decision that will disappoint you. Will 4 or 6' slider achieve your goals or are you holding yourself back for the sake of ease of setup? I'm not expecting you to answer that. It's just a prod to check that you're not giving something up for the sake of convenience. I expect you've spent a lot of time thinking about this, so I'll shut up now.
 
I'm on my second MYT Works(smashed the carriage on my original late last summer and the repair was not going to be anywhere near cost effective vs. buying a new one with their trade-in program). I've gotten the 4' Large each time, because that's as big as will fit in a Pelican 1750 gun case. It's a pretty good length for most moves and it's all self contained. Never been a huge fan of the Dana Dolly. I do have a much larger and heavier duty setup with the Cam Tram and Track in the Box track system that is 9' that I use on big set-ups. The 4' MYT Works is really a pretty good quick and nimble system that can work for quick b-roll or long sit-down interviews. Not cheap, but well made. The new addition of the opposing magnets in the carriage and end stops to prevent "bottoming out" at each end was pretty brilliant.
 
Do you define a slider as a single tripod and a dana as two tripods?

As you do narrative an pop vid can one assume you mainly film humans (not ants or buildings which require a longer or shorter move!)

Personally I dont think there is an answer or the answer is 'as long as your vehicle'..

I have a 2.4m long van and have a dana style with 2.38 poles which gives me the max slide without making a complex build.

Having a dana style I can use shorter poles too in a small room.

On a ronford syle box slider (myt ubangi etc) you can do 3or4 feet using a single tripod and end monopods. Id be unlikely to use just a tripod with anything bigger than a naked DSLR. You can do some calcs as to which camera will tip over at what point on a tripod only slider.

I would not do Moco on a human - one is better operating to thier moves (in general)

I think 3 feet can do a head, 6 feet is the minimum for a body or two setups for the price of one.
 
My smallest is a 3ft pocket dolly with parallax.
Once you add a fluid head, tripod and all the fixings the weight starts to add up.
I also own a Dana Dolly kit, which can sit on the ground, apple boxes, or on low boy stands.
I can also mount my Porta Jib Traveler for compound moves if needed.
I keep speedrail in 4ft, 6ft, and 8ft lengths. For longer lengths you will want to use schedule 80 speedrail to avoid flexing.
I keep both in my van so transport is a non issue.
Both units have their pluses and minuses.
The Pocket Dolly is easier to setup, but limited in the amount of weight it can hold, as well as the move length you can achieve.
Both can be setup by a single operator if needed.
 
A little off topic but I'm surprised that DJI never offered any kind of slider. Something that worked in conjunction with the Ronin S could be awesome. Programmable motion on every axis plus stabilization. Edelkrone would have a real challenger.
 
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