If you’re into digital cinema, whether that be with a Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, etc. you are always looking for the next piece of equipment to make your shots smoother, more unique and lets face it; like the movies! These shots can be achieved with a steadicam, jib, fluid tripod, track dolly, cable cam, helicopter; whatever your flavor. However; many of these items are only put to their full potential if you A: have a lot of space to work with, B: are on set in an established location or C: have a lot of money to invest. But in recent years dozens of companies have been developing and perfecting the portable slider to recreate shots formerly only achieved by a full track dolly system. One of these companies, that has repurposed their existing linear bearing technology is Igus, inc.
The technology and materials that Igus utilizes for their camera sliders, is the same robust linear track system they distribute for use in robotics and industrial equipment. Through hundreds of cinema forums, Igus saw the demand for a product like this in the video and film industry and made these products available to the public. They can be found on Amazon.com for a fraction of the cost that any other quality slider can be purchased. The model I am currently using is the Igus DryLin W16-B. This slider and carriage costs a mere $190 and comes pre drilled and tapped for legs, a tripod and a ball head (It can now ONLY be found on zazaslider.com, as the ZaZaSlider Basic).
One of the best features of the slider coming pre-drilled and tapped, is when it arrived I immediately attached my tripod plate to the 3/8″ hole in the center, attached it to my tripod and it was mounted and ready to use. I configured my slider with a Manfrotto 498 RC2 ball head from BHPhoto.com. There are other ball heads out there such as the magnesium hydrostatic ball head and the grip-action ball head, but for the value and usage I think this one fit best.
Some people opt for a fluid panning head such as a Manfrotto 701HDV, but its not for me. The ONLY advantage of the 701 head is the ability to fluid pan while performing a linear move, but the disadvantages out weigh that for sure. The 498 RC2 Ball Head allows the user to level the camera no matter how the slider is situated, so if the slider isn’t perfectly level, your shot can still turn looking like a million bucks. If you’re like me, we are always in a hurry to get a certain shot and being able to quickly and easily get a level shot, is all the reason I need to use a ball head. Additionally, the ball head allows for the option of positioning your linear track at an angle or vertically and performing moves that change elevation and focal plane, in conjunction with horizontal linear motion, much like a jib. And finally, while this is not a distinct advantage of the 498 RC2 Ball Head, but a similar offering, the ball head does still allow for panning moves. It features a locking panning base, although not a fluid head, it can still produce panning linear motion.
A small modification I made to my Manfrotto 498 RC2 Ball Head was the addition of the Manfrotto 577 Rapid Connector Sliding Plate. The only reason I added this to my ball head was to make my life easier. All of my other accessories; shoulder rig, monopod and tripod all use a 501PL plate. This makes switching between different pieces of equipment fast and easy. A lot of our jobs are capturing b-roll of events, action sports or weddings so time isn’t something we often have a lot of.
I have put this slider to the test in many different environments; studios, boats, the woods, homes, fields, wedding venues, etc. and one thing that definitely is not a question when it comes to the Igus rail and carriage, is quality and durability. These camera sliders will withstand the elements and the wear and tear of their life in the production trailer.
Some shots taken using the Igus slider over the past few months:
Here are a few Pro’s and Con’s that I have noticed through my experience shooting with the Igus camera slider:
Pro’s
Con’s
The Igus DryLin W16-B/ZaZaSlider Basic is an unbeatable camera slider to get into for under $200. At Remedy Films, the slider is a tool we use on almost every job, so we have made a few DIY modifications to it that have greatly improved its ease of use, smoothness, stability and the final in-camera product; which is what really matters. These mods only cost around $30 and a couple hours in the garage. I will share these improvements, photos, and a parts list in Part 2 of my review on the Igus DryLin W16-B/ZaZaSlider Basic.
