FS7: Rhino Evo Slider/Motion/Arc quick test with FS7

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bengiles

Well-known member
Thought I'd share this with you all. I've been interested in a "set and forget" motorised slider for a while, but have been put off so far by the amount of noise they make, ruling them out of use when sound is critical (ie most of what I do.)

I read lots of positive reviews on the Rhino and their "Ultimate Slider Bundle" kit arrived this morning, aimed at both video and timelapse stills. It includes the additional "Arc" pan control.

I did a quick and dirty test this afternoon, and I'm pleasantly impressed. Very smooth ramping either end, intuitive UI took seconds to figure out and it's very well built. It's not something I'd rent out - it still has a vulnerable looking drive belt etc - but for a small production outfit like mine, I think it's going to be very useful.

Please forgive the mid afternoon, badly controlled, light - treat it as a purely proof of concept! (My main criteria were that it was both quiet and should loop back and forth with a usable ramp - ie, I want to be able to cut into a shot at any point.)

Ben.

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My experience has been that the noise of a motorized slider is typically relative to the speed you use it at. Kessler's Second Shooter is quiet if slow. Your demo video is operating very slowly, so I think you could have also gone Kessler. But hey - whatever works works.

Does that slider let you also do more controlled moves, or are you limited to the back and forth auto setting?
 
Thanks for sharing. And I remember reading about this slider sometime around NAB. James just asked you the same question I was going to ask. I'm definitely in the market for one... but I want to be able to both time-lapse set & forget as well as controlled moves in slow & fast speeds for real-time work.
 
Controlled moves - do you mean like a motion control rig?

The system lets you set an in and out point, plus ramp/bezier. It can execute that single move, and then repeat it when you hit go, or loop back and forth. The Arc pan motor does the same thing - you rotate the head with the rotary control to your start position, it then slides to the out point and you rotate the head again and then press set.

It also came with a time lapses shutter release, so it'should designed to give fine incremental moves as well.

That's what I learnt so far today - there may be more.
 
Oh, and Kessler. Yes, looks nice but was twice the price here in the UK and this looked similar quality.
 
bengiles said:
Oh, and Kessler. Yes, looks nice but was twice the price here in the UK and this looked similar quality.
Click to expand...

The slider options on the market are growing so quickly it's hard to keep track. Certainly, there's such a variety everyone can pick the one best suited to their needs. And export/import costs are certainly a headache.


I've been doing a lot of custom software development based around the Kessler stuff, so I have the most familiarity with it.

One thing I'd point out is that while each manufacturer will try to push their slider and their motor equipment. In many cases, with a bit of machining, you can mix and match sliders and motors from differing manufacturers.

Looking at the Rhino, I see it doesn't have a tilt axis, which would be a no go for me.

Do let us know how it does over time.
 
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